Bostwana tour august 2010 : Thank you

[Ericarole]

First of all I want to thank you for the great help your kindly gave me. A special greeting to Mr Freeflyd who is a real travel agency by himself.

I did not make the choice to fly from J'burg to Maun because of the physical limits of my budget. I had some expensive extras (flight over the Delta, Sodwana bay diving..) and can't go over..
I also didn't plan to make North Chobe park (Ihaha..Chobe river Cruise) and Victoria falls because I did this part last year.

The rental of the 4x4 is not set because I didn't receive all the proposal yet, but it will be a Isuzu DC or Toyota DC. I'am sensitive on the fact than a Land Rover will be less comfortable while long drive.

The different places to stop are not definitly decide too, but I just send email to DWNP to book the campsite of CKGR, Nxai, Moremi and Savute.

Here is my trip, re-build with you advices :


July 31rd : Leaving Paris, fly to Jo'burg via Cairo with Egyptair arrival at 08H00 AM
August 1st : Arrive at Jo'burg at 08H00, taking the 4x4 and hit the road in order to get closer from Botswana Border. Between Modimole and Mokopane.
2nd : Drive to Serowe (food shopping here) and reach Khama Rhino Sancturary and stop there
3rd : Early morning game drive at Khama and drive to Rakops and CKGR, Night at Sunday pan
4th : Day in CKGR night at Piper's pan.
5th : Day in CKGR night at Sunday Pan
6th : Drive to Nxai pan, night in the park
7th : Day in Nxai and around, night in park
8th : Drive to Maun night at Crocodile camp or other (not set yet)
9th : Flight over the Delta (Moremi Air), and big shopping (food..) Drive to Kaziniki camp.
10th : Day in moremi, night at 3rd bridge
Mokoro organised trip in the Delta, night in a bush camp
11th : Mokoro trip in the delta from Mboma night in bush camp
12th : back to Moremi night at 3rd bridge.12th : Day in maun : preparing 13th : Moremi, night In Xakanaxa
14th : Moremi to Kwai night at Kwai community camp
15th : Savute night in the camp
16th : Day in savuti and around night in savuti
17th : Savuti -->Kasane night here (maybe Chobe Safari Lodge)
18th : Day relax In Kasane.
19th : Long drive via Nata/Francistown. Stop at Palpaye or if we can make it at Kwa Nokeng.
20th : Drive back to Jo'burg or Pretoria (depend where is the 4x4 renter), return of the 4x4 and rent of a smaller car. Night somewhere on the road for East coast.
21st : 2 options : Drive throught Swaziland and night around Mlilwane and Ezulwini valley OR Drive directly to Sodwana Bay
22th : Sodwana Bay relax day (probably Sodwana Bay lodge or Coral Divers)
23th to 26th : 4 days at Sodwana Bay, diving and relaxing
27th : drive back to Jo'burg and take-off in the evening to France (and yes Freeflyd I am sure our eyes will be wet)


Last minute :

I sent email to dwnp@gov.bw and dwnp.parrogabs@gov.bw
and they just come back with the undelivered message : message host mx6.gov.bw[168.167.134.76] said: 554 Service unavailable


...to be continue....

[andyrag]

You need to phone the DWNP, don't rely on email. Best to phone the Maun reservations office for Moremi and Chobe:
+267 686 1265

Sunday Pan and Pipers Pan, DWNP no longer handles these campsites - they are booked through Bigfoot Tours: +267 395 3360 / bigfoot@gbs.co.bw

[freeflyd]

I have only 2 comments:

I agree with Andy, email is not the way to communicate with them. Fax or phone in the only reliable way.

With a little planning you can carry easily carry 7 days supplies with you, so no need to go back into Maun for shopping. Your hired vehicle will have a fridge, so it's real easy!

Attached here is even a menu and shopping list we used in December which you can very easily adapt to your needs.

[Spook]

Just want to share with you the fact that I did our booking for Chobe, Savute and Moremi for August 2010 though e-mail and it worked fine. Most replies were within 24 hours. I used dwnp@gov.bw

[freeflyd]

Originally Posted by Spook

Just want to share with you the fact that I did our booking for Chobe, Savute and Moremi for August 2010 though e-mail and it worked fine. Most replies were within 24 hours. I used dwnp@gov.bw

I'm impressed! But have to say that you are in the minority.

[Ericarole]

Oups, there is a bug in my schedule
the day 13th : I don't go back to Maun, I stay in Moremi and camp at Xakanaxa...I will carry the food for all the trip from Maun to Kasane.

7 days of foods mean many cans and dry food...

Thank you Spook for this good news, I will keep on sending email. Calling from France and speak english with an Bostwanan official on phone is something very very tough for me Writing is much more easy. I will try fax so

I saw on the web that the Kaziniki camp has a restaurant. Did everyone already eat there ?

In CKGR, no more campsites are runs with DWNP ?

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Ericarole

A special greeting to Mr Freeflyd who is a real travel agency by himself.

Hear hear !!! love it to bits. What a star Dawie always is, always so helpful, tons of advice

Spook, good to see you, how's my Ford ?!?!?

Ericarole, have a great trip, hope to see you en route.

[daj]

I saw on the web that the Kaziniki camp has a restaurant. Did everyone already eat there ?

We ate there when we camped couple years ago, just very simple fish & chips but it was wonderful after couple weeks of 'many cans and dry food'!

[andyrag]

Kaziikini...... was there earlier this year and the cook had gone on leave, but we still managed to persuade the other staff to rustle up two portions of steak and chips. Took nearly 2 hours to prepare (we were told 1/2 hr!) but it was a laugh. They also had only two teabags left for a cup of tea! Very chilled out and laid back place.

[Spook]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Hear hear !!! love it to bits. What a star Dawie always is, always so helpful, tons of advice

Spook, good to see you, how's my Ford ?!?!?

Hi John, firstly, want to agree to what you say about Dawie. He is awesome. The Ford is going great!! Done two trip to Namibia this year already, around 12000 km in total, not a glitch of any kind of problem. Worst was a slow leak on one of the tyres. Love this vehicle to bits.

[freeflyd]

Thanks