I initially wrote this on Epinions, just moved it to blogger
I went on a Botswana and Zambia safari (trip code BW) with Adventure Center in Sep 2004. I wanted to visit B’wana because it’s politically stable, has high concentrations of wildlife and fewer tourists than other African countries.
Just like any typical software engineer I started my research on Google. It did not take long for me to realize that there is cut-throat competition among travel agents that provide a vast array of packages ranging from basic camping style to 5-star luxury. I was willing to rough it and picked a basic camping tour.
I was looking for a 15 day package and the best that I could find was $1850 + $300 local payment. I arrived in J’Burg on Friday and took the flight to Muan, Botswana on Saturday where we met the tour guide in the airport. We were taken to ‘The Tree Lodge’ where we relaxed to embark on the actual safari on Sunday.
The tents in the lodge are quite spacious and exquisitely decorated. They would easily qualify for a 4-star hotel room. We went to Nxai Pan on the first day. September being a dry month, we did not get to see a lot of animals here. We saw elephants and jackals. I personally feel that visiting Nxai Pan during the dry season is not necessary as we later found out that these animals can be spotted in large numbers in Moremi and Savuti game reserves.
From Nxai Pan, we went to Zambia to spend a couple of nights on a house boat on the Zambezi. The stay on the boat was the best experience. You do nothing but float around. One day we visited a village on the river. There is wretched poverty in Africa. India is poor but poverty in Africa cannot be described (I am Indian).
From here we went to Livingstone to visit Mosi-o-tunya (Victoria Falls). There are a lot of adventure activities there. We spent just half a day and one night. If you are a rafter, this is the place to do it. On the trip I went, you will not have enough time to go rafting. I also went to do the Zambezi Swing. This is typically a full-day activity but I went for half a day and I jumped off the gorge just once. The trip would have been much better if they had a two day stop in Livingstone. However, if you are not into rafting or jumping, you will not complain.
From Livingstone, we went to Botswana the next day to start of our 7 day camping in Moremi and Savuti. The only cat we did not see is the cheetah. We spotted other animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, zebras, antelopes of various types, buffaloes, giraffes, etc. in the hundreds. This trip was offered by Explore (www.explore.co.uk). Since it’s a UK-based travel agency, expect to meet a lot of Britons. If you don’t like the British, don’t go with Explore! On the contrary if you like them go with Explore. I did not have any problem with them. There was an Irish girl too and she was pretty cool.
Our trip size was 12. We drove in a Toyota land cruiser. Since it is open jeep everyone can get a good view of animals and equal share of dust. There is a lot of driving involved in this trip. Some drives take as much as 6 hours. Keep your expectations low when it comes to road conditions. There is no road per se, its just soft sand which is impossible to maneuver without 4X4 drive. It is bumpy and very dusty. We had to wrap our faces like guerillas to protect ourselves from dust. We drive in the forest from 7 to 10 in the morning and again from 4 to 6 in the evening. Since it’s a non-participating camping trip, we had absolutely nothing to do during the day time. Don’t expect people to be super punctual. There is at least a half hour difference between the supposed start time and the actual time. Expect some flat tires and getting stuck in the sand. When this happens, do not panic as this is part of the experience. Realize that your guide has been in these situations before and on a regular basis. They cater food for vegetarians too, but you have to mention it when you book your trip. The food provided is tasty and the chef tries to be as creative as possible with the limited resources at his disposal in the middle of a jungle. The guide was very knowledgeable about the geography, the forest and the animals.
Adventure Center also books your air-tickets and I bought mine with them. I paid $1800 from Atlanta to Muan. However, try to get quotes from the internet or from travel agents as I felt that I wasn’t provided with the complete list of flights available. I could have avoided staying an extra night in J’Burg.
Overall I felt that the trip is very well organized and delivered what is promised on the brochure. You might carry around US $1000 cash expect to spend only half of it, to cover miscellaneous expenses like tips, alcohol and food while you are in lodges. AdventureCenter is part of responsible travel. They are quick to respond to emails and do not play tricks. You can find the trip dossier at
http://www.explore.co.uk/docsXL/2005Dossiers/BWXL.pdf ProsWell organized and excellent local guide.
ConsJust one day in livingstone.
The Bottom Line: It is an excellent choice if you want to stay in camps and spot wildlife.
I wish I could upload more pictures, but lost them when yahoo closed its site. Now I cannot find them.