Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 17

Highlights of the Makgadikgadi, Botswana

By Roxanne Reid
The white Makgadikgadi salt pans cover a vast Switzerland-sized patch of Botswana. This was Africa’s largest inland sea a million years ago, before tectonic movement to the west transformed everything. Rivers changed course and water evaporated from the lakes, leaving condensed minerals and salt behind. Today the pans fill only with rain water then dry again to a salty crust. Nata lodge I first visited Nata Lodge in 2005 after camping rough in the Moremi Game Reserve....

Voices of Botswana: the eco guide

By Roxanne Reid
Once you’ve been out on one of Chobe Game Lodge’s electric safari vehicles or boats, you might be inspired to find out more about the eco efforts of this lodge in Botswana. And if you go behind the manicured lawns, stuffed sofas and relaxed guests to the bowels of the lodge, where all the work and environmental activity happens, chances are you’ll get to meet Albert Ndereki. Now in his sixties, Albert helped build the original Southern Sun Hotel in 1972, and worked there un...

Highlights of the Linyanti, Botswana

By Roxanne Reid
In a previous post I shared highlights of Chobein northern Botswana. Although it’s one of the four ecosystems of Chobe, I’ve chosen to tackle highlights of the Linyanti separately. Here you’ll find the incomparable Savute Channel, Selinda Spillway and Linyanti River, a remote area of floodplain and woodland that offers memorable predator activity. DumaTau camp DumaTau (‘roar of the lion’) is on a private reserve on the western border of Chobe, close to the source of t...

Voices of Botswana: Xigera’s smiling chef

By Roxanne Reid
During our five-week adventure in Botswana we met many interesting people, from knowledgeable guides to chefs, barmen, camp managers and others working in tourism, as well as photographers and independent businessmen with a story. I’m going to share some of these as part of a short series called Voices of Botswana. Here’s the first, about Xigera’s smiling chef. You’ll find Wilderness SafarisXigera Camp on Paradise Island in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It’s remote and lush, a...

Highlights of Chobe, Botswana

By Roxanne Reid
Chobe National Park in northern Botswana is famous for its large elephant population and its beautiful riverfront drive in the Serondela section. Although Chobe encompasses other ecosystems like the Savuti Marsh and Linyanti Swamps, I’ve concentrated here on the section from Ngoma Gate in the west, hugging the Chobe River to the Sedudu Gate near Kasane in the east. A winning view Ngoma Safari Lodge – part of the Africa Albida Tourism group – just outside Ngoma gate in...

Highlights of the Okavango Delta, Botswana

By Roxanne Reid
One of the world’s biggest inland deltas, a diverse habitat and top wildlife destination - this is the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Floodwaters travel more than 1000 kilometres from the central African highlands to create some 15000 square kilometres of water channels, islands and floodplains. On a recent trip we fell instantly in love with its wealth of wildlife, its landscapes and waterscapes, its mokoros – the classic Okavango way to travel – and with its knowledgeable guides,...

Rustic Art, Calvinia – a weird world in the Karoo

By Roxanne Reid
There’s something in the water of the Karoo that grows bizarre places and wacky people. Or maybe it's just that wide open spaces lure free spirits whose brains are wired a little differently. Next time you’re in the area, stop at Calvinia’s Rustic Art tucked away from the main drag and you’ll unearth the kind of thing I mean – a weird world in the Karoo. The Karoo is bursting with ancient fossils, sheep and dusty little towns. It’s a place of wide blue skies, dirt roads to...

Namushasha Heritage Centre in Namibia’s Zambezi

By Roxanne Reid
The Namushasha Heritage Centre in Namibia’s Zambezi(formerly Caprivi) was opened in 2014 to showcase the history and traditions of some of the people of the region. To get there, we walked along a riverside trail from theNamushasha River Lodgebut you could just as easily make a stop on your way to or from Kongola. The sound of drumming and singing carried through the trees as we approached. We found a little settlement humming with activity under a giant baobab. The centre...

Swakopmund: old buildings, desert and adventure

By Roxanne Reid
The coastal town of Swakopmund in Namibia is a favourite with holidaymakers who enjoy its laidback atmosphere, fresh air and beaches. It's carved out of the dunes between the Namib Desert and the ocean, and the breezes that blow off the icy Atlantic bring cooler temperatures here than inland. But for me Swakopmund is more about old buildings, desert and adventure than beaches. From Sossusvlei and Sesriem we’d driven the C14, which took us via Solitaire and over two scenic p...

15 things to do in northern Kruger National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Kruger is the flagship of the South African national parks, one of Africa’s best places to see a diversity of wildlife, including the much sought-after Big Five. It also boasts more than 200 cultural heritage sites, and there’s a treasure house of things to do. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do in northern Kruger National Park. 1.Spend a night at one of Kruger’s sleepover hides, equipped with mattresses, bed linen and basic cutlery and crockery. Choose between Shipandani ne...