Tues. 11th June ’24
The guide book says going from Kasane in the north of Botswana to Maun via Savuti is the longest shortcut. It is some 300km direct and we have 11 days to do this in as our final night in Botswana, before the flight home, is in Maun. The alternative is a main tarmac route which is much longer but a lot quicker. So far the route, as Dave said yesterday is sand or deep sand and not very quick. We have two nights camping in Savuti and so today we have all day to explore the area which we have heard so much about. As it is coming into winter the river and waterhole are almost dry.
The plan is to go for a drive this morning, back to camp for lunch and siesta (but probably blog writing and photo sorting). Another drive late afternoon then light a fire for cooking and keeping animals away. Dave drives in the morning and we explore the southern part of the park. The park centres around the Savuti channel which for many years has been essentially a dry river bed, which now rarely sees water flowing. To get from one side to the other is normally by very sandy tracks and, initially, Dave wasn’t too happy when I deviated from our route across it.
Of course, Mungo takes it all in his stride and we decide to head to see the bushmen’s paintings which took us past a baobab tree. This is one of the few places, called a “stretch point” that we are allowed out of the car. Baobab trees are an amazing sight. At Bushman Painting Hill a helpful guide in a safari truck points out the paintings to us as they are quite hard to spot.
We do not see anyone else as we drive around and with tracks everywhere we are both busy, Dave driving and me map reading as well as both of us looking out for wildlife. The next stop was Rhino Vlei, which still has a small amount of water in it. The elephants are monopolising the water but the warthog are trying to sneak in between the elephants legs to get a drink. The water buffalo are loitering waiting for their turn, but no rhino.
As we head east before returning north on the other side of the Savuti channel we see some unusual birds with a red beak and neck. My “I spy wildlife in Botswana” book tells me this is a Southern Ground Hornbill, which is quite rare and this is confirmed by a chap driving towards us who is quite excited as he has been looking for these birds for some time.
We then head north on what is marked as a main road on my map but it turns out to be quite overgrown and the narrowest road we have driven today. This is a typical Dave and Janet road!! We are having great fun driving around these extraordinary tracks without meeting a soul. Quarry Hill is quite interesting but the rough, rocky track up the hill to the viewpoint looks more effort than it is worth so we head back to the campsite for lunch.
It is my turn to drive in the afternoon as this is more good practice for me on these sandy tracks. As Dave said Mungo feels like a different vehicle with the change in set up and at no point did I worry that I could not cope with the conditions. We head back to the north where we drove yesterday on the way into Savuti. Again there is little wildlife around but the drive did give me more confidence. The giraffes are such elegant creatures so we just have to stop again and take yet more photos.
We make sure we are back at our campsite in good time before sunset. With the possibility of animals wandering through camp we want to get done in the ablution block, set up the tent and light our fire long before sunset. We put our marinated steak on the braai and boil a pot to cook our veggies. Not gourmet food, but enough for us. It was really relaxing just sat by the fire after dinner reading and typing away under the night sky. It is also great to review the impressive photos we have taken to select just a few to accompany our words, trying not to think if the remaining images which will need sorting when we return home.