Sandra and Sebastien

An unforgettable journey through southern Africa in harmony with Mother Nature, thanks to Julie & Vincent!

We spent two years meticulously planning our trip to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe with Tawana Self Drive. Always available and kind, Tawana gave us excellent advice and reassurance, while adapting to accommodate some of our needs.

In August 2025, we finally set off on our journey at the wheel of the unbeatable Land Cruiser.

Botswana is a wonder still untouched by human activity, which must be protected at all costs. A true wildlife sanctuary, it guarantees a return to basics and allows nature lovers to enjoy all the riches the Earth has to offer.

Our best memories of this trip:

Sandra: What struck me most was encountering the lion in Buffalo Core Area Park. We got up at dawn and were among the first to enter the park. I was sitting in the passenger seat, looking for animals on my left, when suddenly Sébastien said, ‘Oh, did you see that?’ I turned my head and my breath was taken away: lying in the middle of the track was a lion, fast asleep. For nearly thirty minutes, we enjoyed this timeless moment, alone with the King of the Savannah. Through the lens, his gaze pierced me, so close that I felt he was only a few centimetres away, not knowing whether he tolerated me or was ready to pounce.

Sebastien: With two weeks of safari already behind us, we were beginning to lose hope of seeing the elusive leopard (the only Big Five animal still missing from our list). On our second and last day in Chobe National Park’s River Front sector, we were the first to arrive when the park opened in the morning. We checked the area for 9½ hours without success. A little disappointed, we returned to Muchenje campsite around 4 p.m. and consoled ourselves with a drink on the terrace.

That’s when Sandra said to me, ‘What if we went back to the park for an hour before closing time and tried our luck again?’ Without hesitation, despite our fatigue, she convinced me and we went back. Five minutes before the park officially closed, just as our hopes seemed definitively dashed, just before the cut road at Ihaha campsite… OH… a feline was spotted in a tree!!! But wait… there was also one… no, TWO LEOPARDS!!! It was an absolutely MAGICAL moment, lasting about fifteen minutes, as we watched this mother leopard and her offspring, who ended up passing less than a metre from our car, much to our delight, before disappearing into the bush.

A big thank you to Julie & Vincent, without whom all these wonderful moments would not have been possible! We will not hesitate to contact you again to arrange another self-drive safari in the area! Long live to Tawana Self Drive :)

Published on: 4 January 2026