On Safari in BotswanaStill the Old Africaby Judith Babcock WylieSafari guide Buxton Masasa downshifted the Land Cruiser, leaned over the side and studied the prints in the fine sand. “Lion,” he said, “And baby lion.” He raised his head to listen to what I thought was just the sighing of the wind. “Those cries, they are impala, warning of lions.” As we drove off in the direction of the sounds, we rumbled past termite mounds eight feet high, a saddlebilled stork fishing in the river, a tiny baboon clinging to its mother overhead in a tree. The scream of a long-tailed shrike split the air as we turned off the track and into the bush, and suddenly, there were two adorable lion cubs perched on a collection of fallen branches, only 20 feet away. They seemed as curious about us as we were about them. They leaned forward to smell the air, and peered at us with unabashed interest. “Their mother has gone off to hunt for the night” said Buxton. She may be gone for 24 hours. The cubs know they must not leave this place.” We gasped, pointed and clicked shutters until Buxton asked if we’d seen enough, then slowly backed the Land Cruiser away through the bush, heading towards new game sightings. As we rode, the radio crackled with the voices of other guides in their vehicles reporting in Setswana, the local language, where they had also sighted game.
Botswana is one of the best safari sites in Africa, because 20 percent of its land is set aside for national parks and reserves. Located just north of South Africa, it’s roughly the size of Texas, and two-thirds of it is covered by the Kalahari Desert. Every March, rains in Angola cause the Okavango River to flood in Botswana, creating the seasonal Okavango Delta, the only inland delta of its size in the world with no outlet to the sea. The waters move further into the desert each week, which means that in one short visit you can experience desert, savanna and flooded areas, with different animal populations.. The area is so large that most travelers get around from camp to camp by light plane, departing from the “safari- central” airport at Maun. Soon after landing at the dusty Khwai River landing strip, staff loaded our gear onto an open Land Cruiser and we pulled onto a dirt road leading through a stand of trees. Suddenly, I felt a slight breeze from above and looked up to see a five-ton male elephant looming in the brush causing the draft with the slow flapping of his huge ears. Khwai River Camp .
In late afternoon . we boarded the open-air Land Cruisers and set off for our first real game drive, where we encountered the lion cubs. On the way back to camp we saw wildcats, a nasty-looking hyena with fresh blood on its fur, and just as the light was failing, a leopard, with a flash of brilliant eyes, starting out for its evening hunt.. The air filled with laughing, chanting and singing as the camp staff, from cooks to guides, sang and danced a welcome in Setswana, a few of the women wearing ankle rattles. Candles flickered on the dinner tables outdoors and by the light of a full moon, just a stone’s throw across the river, we could still make out reed buck, red lechwe and impala grazing as we ate dinner. The first course was a thick corn soup. Then each person was brought a small three- legged iron pot called at “potjie” (pronounced poi-kee) which held a chicken stew, an exotic elixir full of African spices. We sipped South African wines, and later nibbled at chocolates shaped like lions.
We were all wondering if we had the right nerves for this when we got more advice. “After dark, do not leave your room for any purpose. The animals take over the camp.” Safely escorted to my cabin, once I climbed in bed my hand touched something warm and furry: a hot water bottle in a fuzzy cover. Botswana is cold on winter nights, between May and August, when the temperature can drop below zero. Savute Elephant CampThis is elephant country. One night at Savute camp we went to sleep in our tent cabin under spreading trees. In the middle of the night, a loud bang followed by a sucking sound woke me and my room mate.. Peeping out of the net side window of the tent we could only see gray leathery material like the back of a Naugahide lounge chair. Outside an elephant was shaking the trunk of the tree overhead, trying to rattle loose some camel-thorn acacia pods, which are so tasty they are called “elephant chocolates.” After they fell, the elephant sucked them up off the tent roof with a sound like a megawatt vacuum cleaner. Then it chewed noisily, dropping the unwanted bits on the tent top..
“There’s the matriarch,” said our guide Sello, pointing at one group of elephants.. “If the family gets too large, she will break it into two groups, and send an elder daughter to lead the new band. But first she will go along to see the new group gets settled..”
Eagle Island CampA complete change from the parched land around Savute, Eagle Island camp was entirely surrounded by water. In the open channels we could see pairs of fuzzy ears just sticking up above the waterline. Hippos. In every direction the glassy, still waters of the Okavango Delta reached to the horizon, harboring not only hippos but cranes, fish eagles, steenbok, alligator, and acres of high swamp grasses.
Each morning a staff member would bring tea to the tents between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to wake us for the early game drive. One morning at Eagle River Camp, tea didn’t appear as usual. Later we learned the server was chased by an angry Cape buffalo until she had to take refuge under the deck of the nearest tent cabin. The food at all the camps was delicious and hearty, with many beef dishes such as siswa pie, a boiled meat pie, braai, or mixed barbecue, root vegetables, and salads. My favorite meal started with butternut and orange soup, and included venison stew with rice and curried peaches, with grilled ginger and lime pie. Most meals were served buffet style, outdoors, and in the evening we had a drink first by the campfire.. Our last night in camp I lay in bed and listened to a wild symphony. Hippos grunted and wheezed in the nearby lagoon, Chacma baboons screamed in the night, (frightened by a lion stalking through the camp, we learned the next day). Other shrill cries were punctuated by a low hooting. Something banged into our tent, whuffing and scratching. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Listening, I remembered how I had been afraid Africa wouldn’t be wild enough, that it might have become too civilized. I reached down and turned on my tape recorder to catch it all. That tape has since become one of my favorite travel mementos. Sometimes I play it in the car as I go about my day, just to remind myself where the wild things really are. The Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg
Insider InformationOur 11-day Botswana safari included seven nights in deluxe Gametrackers safari camps, all meals while on safari, light aircraft transfers between camps, and two nights in Johannesburg, on entering and leaving Africa. The price is $3595 per person, double, land only, from January to June, and $3,995 in high season, from July to December. Airfare is on South Africa Air and departs New York, to Johannesburg, costing $1,795 round trip. For information on the safari tour call For information on Gametrackers camps For information on the Westcliff Orient Express Hotels |
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The lion cubs were 
After settling into 
“I lived in the bush most of my life. I hunted with my father…” Buxton began 
At each Gametrackers camp there are two or three drives 
At Savute National Park
Off for our first game 
The tents at Eagle Island 
This safari trip to Botswana involves an overnight stay in Johannesburg on the days you arrive and depart Africa. Although it's not part of the package above, for an additional fee you can stay at one of the most spectacular hotels in the world, The Westcliff, which crowns a ridge outside the city and defines the word splendor. Built like a Mediterranean hill town, it climbs up the ridge with winding streets, its multi-villa design offering balconies, elaborate ironwork balustrades, a scalloped, cliff-side pool and huge opulent rooms, each in a different decor. You are taken to your room by jitney. My favorite room had cafe au lait walls, cocoa wing chairs and a big fireplace. The Polo Lounge is a Rudyard Kipling fantasy of a posh men's club in colonial Africa, complete with hunting prints on the wall and smartly uniformed waiters wearing white gloves. Le Belle Terrace restaurant overlooks the city and serves a perfect South African Spring lamb and local crayfish the size of lobsters.