Unlike the majority of visitors who prefer a tour of the Okavango Delta, we had decided to exclude it for the benefit of the large parks of Botswana (Moremi Reserve and Chobe Park) where we would have had the opportunity to spot the “big five” (lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and leopards). To organize our tour we contacted a local agency as this area of Botswana is not easy to be visited independently, unless you are really a confident driver and know how to behave with wild animals around.
Our tour, which lasted a week, took us to Botswana and Zambia where we were able to see the extraordinary Victoria Falls. Then, we left on our own from Zambia to Vic Falls town in Zimbabwe.
What we experienced was unique thanks to the type of tour we chose. We gave up the idea of booking a lodge which, despite being beautiful, gave us the impression that we only would be able to see this magnificent country from the window, and not to fully experience it.
So, we opted for camping, sleeping in tents and enjoying that experience fully. Camping is permitted in specific unfenced (!) areas only. There were only few rules our guide (born and raised there) “strongly” suggested us to observe, those would have sufficed for our protection; it is a matter of respecting that delicate man/nature balance. Here are some of the rules:
- Once you are inside the tent for the night, do not go out until the following morning, for any reason (even if you have to go to the bathroom)
- If you hear an animal nearby (and it happened), simply stay still!
- Never turn on the light in a tent, it could attract animals
In short, it is not hard to believe that we did not sleep much the first night, but then we got used to it.
During daytime, wake up is very early, around 5 am, as this is the best time to spot animals. First of all, you have to fold the sleeping bags, disassemble the tents, have a quick breakfast and then jump on vehicle for the first game drive of the day. At lunch we came back to the camp for lunch and some down time. Before sunset, it was time again for another game drive.
Dinner was a moment of community, gathered around the fire. We all kept looking through the darkness to make sure there were no eyes on us. Then we listened to stories and anecdotes from Jargon, our guide, above all stories of locals (or travelers) problems with wild animals… a powerful warning to make sure that we would follow the rules even more diligently.
I still remember with a smile when Jargon, amused and a bit sadic, offered tea after dinner, but nobody dared to drink in order to avoid the risk of violating one of these precious rules. For any emergencies, however, each of us had a hidden bottle inside the tent.
And one night it happened: we heard footsteps approaching they sounded like animals… so we started repeating the rules like a mantra: “Stay still, do not talk, do not draw the attention…”, and then we heard hyenas’ around camp. They seemed to be screaming for some reason. In response, we heard in the distance the trumpeting of some elephants and the calls of the baboons. We did not understand what was happening. We were still and petrified, ready to run if the guide had told us to. But nothing happened.
Simply an incredible experience.
Above all, the ability to adapt is essential: comfort on those campsites practically nonexistent. We did not have electricity if not for a few hours in the evening to avoid having dinner in the dark. The bathroom was a hole in the ground surrounded by a tent and the shower, well, a camping shower, or bucket turned upside down with water heated in the sun. The relationship with nature is direct, almost primordial, and the feelings you will experience here will be equally direct and strong: the sense of helplessness in front of the savannah populated by animals, the grave and deep sound of the lion in the middle of the night to protect its territory, and the heart that swells with emotion before the breathtaking African sunsets.
