Maun to Kasane end of Feb 4x4 and general advice needed

Hi All!

We are planning a trip for Feb/March next year and I need some advise getting from Maun to Kasane. I have just bought a colt 2.8 tdi 4x4 and need to know if I am pushing my luck by wanting to go through Chobe in the wet season. It will just be my girlfriend and I doing this leg of the trip and I'm by no means a off road expert (I would say i have a bit of common sense though :-P )

I know of the 'safer' route via Nata but being an avid twitcher and photographer I would love to go through the park. We have about 9 days to do this stretch but with rather limited cash flow, as the entire trip is 6 weeks - camping would be ideal. I have never been to Bots before but would have come down from the Caprivi via Ngepi (on the pan handle) to get to Maun - so now that you know some of the background, here are my questions:

1. I understand that the roads can get a bit hectic in the wet season but is there a manageable route through Chobe up to Kasane (I have no idea if a colt is any good offroad )

2. I would love to spend a night or possibly 2 in Moremi but all the accommodation seems very expensive - Are there any campsites around there that come recommended?

3. What are the best GPS maps/routes to download for the area?

4. How should I best split up the 9 nights maximizing on birding and photography?

Any advise welcome and greatly appreciated!

Kind Regards

David

Hi David,

My name is Custard and I was born and raised in Maun and have driven the parks many times. I hope that my advise will help you.
A colt 2.8 tdi 4x4 is a very good vehicle and I highly recommend it if it is desiel. In turns of the rain there are places where you will be crossing in the water. If you get stuck in the water DON'T turn off the engine because that can damage the engine by sucking water into it. There are alternate routes and you will see other people and guides in the park who will help you and let you know if there are certain roads which are closed.
The best maps to use for the parks are 2008 versions (the only ones out right now) by Veronica Root and they are in book stores and shell stations and grocery stores. They list the GPS coordinates for the camping sites.
The rain starts Nov/Dec and end Feb/March but not raining the entire time. You will still have an enjoyable time because everything will be green.
I recommend Kwai Community Camping Site in Moremi. But book NOW. You can book through SKL - just search for their website (Savuti Kwai Linyanti).
I suggest 3 nights in Moremi for game and birds, Savuti was flooded this year (2010) for the first time in 28 years and it has changed the landscape into a very interesting place, 2 nights, 3 nights in Chobe River Front Camping Site. I highly recommend a boat cruise on the chobe while in Kasane. Senyanti Camping site in Kasane and a trip over the Zimbabwe border to Victoria Falls (one of the natural wonders).
Please reply with any other questions, I love to talk about Botswana.

Cheers,
Custard

Hi Manatok,

A few thoughts:

If you are coming down the panhandle then you may enjoy a stopover at Drotsky's Cabins. Good camping and excellent birding. You can take out a boat and a guide for the day. I am not an avid birder but we saw an amazing array. And they have a resident Pell's Fishing Owl ... Alternatively , or as well, Guma Lagoon Camp does mokoro trips which get you close to a lot of birdlife. Both have excellent camping facilities. And check out Lake Ngami which is on your way and is famous for it's bird life.

Remember to allow enough time in Maun to a) stock up on supplies and b) get your park permits if you go to Moremi or enter Chobe from the south. You can pre-book accomodation but the gates insist on original (not faxed/scanned) permits. You can get permits for Chobe at Sedudu Gate if you come in from Kasane side.

I was first in Moremi in 2007 and thought it was amazing but when I returned this October I was a little disappointed. Some of the best bits of the park (in my view) are inaccessible due to what are now semi-permanent high water levels. And driving there is quite tough, even in the dry. It will be more so in the wet. As an alternative you could stay outside the park at somewhere like Kazikiini (35km) from south gate and drive in for the day. The best spot for birding (I think) is Xini Lagoon which isn't far from the gate.

Khwai is a fantastic spot. You have a choice of the camp inside the park run by SKL (which is expensive) or several community camp sites outside which are less so. But be warned if you want to go direct from Khwai to Chobe you will have some serious water crossings to contend with. There have been plenty of people including experienced old hands who haven't made it and have had to be recovered. This now seems to be a year round phenomenon. Also be very aware of your fuel capacity. You will probably need around 150L to get from Maun/Moremi to Kasane via Savuti, bear in mind game drives and your consumption in mud/over rough terrain.

If you want to go from either Maun or south gate of Moremi to Savuti and then on to Kasane then getting a campsite at Savuti will be key. They are booked up far in advance so check this with SKL first off. The road up to Savuti will have some deep mud at this time of year but if you are nervous you could wait at the gate and travel with someone else. From Savuti to Kasane the problem is usually deep sand so this will be better in the wet. You shouldn't have a problem. Keep your momentum up!

I would highly recommend Ihaha campsite on Chobe riverfront. It is an idyllic spot and you will see lots of bird (and animal) life. If this isn't possible because of cost or it's booked then there are plenty of places in Kasane.

Finally don't write off the Nata route. I understand in the wet season the salt pans are a magnet for birders. Check out Nata Bird Sanctuary online for example. For some (pretty much) guaranteed close up elephant encounters you can stay at Elephant Sands on the Nata - Kasane road.

Re maps - yes Veronica Roodt is invaluable. But so is Tracks4Africa software. It will make your life much easier!!

I do hope you enjoy it. Botswana is one of my favourite places.

Any questions feel free to pm - good online resources are maun self drive website and 4 x 4 community sa website. Just google them.

Hi

I have never driven in the bush nor veiwed game in the bush save for at the kruger park in a guided vehicle. I have never camped either but have a deep yearning for it. I love wild life but my only experience is limited to animal planet and natgeowild, both of which I literally watch on a daily basis. I am planning a trip mid september which includes driving from Maun to Kasane through the bush. It will be eight of us in two vehicles. None of us have ever done this before but we are all so looking forward to it. We plan on doing the maun kasane stretch in five days, camping. We have started buying camping gear and will be consulting with a kasane based doctor on what to carry in our medicine kit. HELP!! We need advise on literally everything.

Regards

Irvine

Irvine,

You might get more feedback if you start a new thread - I only picked this up because I'd previously posted on it.

The first things I'd suggest you do are:

a) think about your itinerary - Maun to Kasane you could go via Moremi and Savuti up to Chobe Riverfront (which is what I suspect you're thinking of) or across to Nata via Nxai Pan and/or Makgadigadi then up to Kasane. If you only have 5 nights personally I would miss out Moremi. There is some very challenging driving there for a first timer (water crossings especially) and very high water levels for the last couple of years mean that these will almost certainly still be an issue in September. It also means your game driving options are more limited. I'm not sure even old hands are trying the road from North Gate in Moremi to Mababe Gate Savuti any more which would mean a long diversion to get from Moremi to Savuti. For more info on this check out the websites I've mentioned above.

b) this is going to be a very busy time of year so you need to make bookings now. Last April I was in Maun and tried to make some bookings for National Parks for that coming September and couldn't get enough to make the trip feasible. I had to postpone the trip until October/November. You may find that the bookings you can get will dictate your route - Savuti in particular is a strategic point half way between Maun and Chobe Riverfront/Kasane with no alternatives in the area and gets booked up way in advance. Different campsites are now run by different private operators. The maun self drive website will give you contact details for the various operators.

If you haven't driven off road before I would think about some training before you go. Even if you skip Moremi the tracks to and from Savuti are quite tough with some deep sand. You will get some pointers from the websites mentioned above re driving techniques.

Feel free to come back with any questions - but suggest you first contact the operators and see what your options are. I'd try and secure Savuti first, then Ihaha (much better than camping in Kasane and driving in each day).

Hi David,

I would like to know if you did that trip and how it went. I am researching at the moment to go on the exact same trip with my girlfriend. We are planning on going this year in April. How was the driving?

This blog is rather old but I thought I would try as it is exactly my scenario.

Look forward to your response.

Regards

James