Missed the previous editions of this trip report? You can find them here: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4.
In the first volume of this trip report, I talked about the sudden transition from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to the abundant wildlife of the Chobe River. While the transition from the Okavango to the Kalahari (through the Maun airport) was not quite so dramatic, the ecological transition was remarkable.
The Kalahari is a shrub desert, and coming from the green, forest-dominated Okavango, the low, scrubby, vegetation of the Kalahari seemed strange. But for me, what was more shocking, was how green the Kalahari was. The first rains of the green season had recently rolled through through and the foliage responded quickly to take advantage of the moisture. There were flowers blooming in big fields, and the trees were erupting with abundant leaves.
The water was a double-edged sword. Water holes are rare in the Kalahari, and during the dry season the wildlife are forced to visit the few locations of permanent water. But with the recent rains, the low pans were filling, providing more opportunity for the animals to find a place to drink. That made them a little trickier to find. However, the flowers and greenery added a rare and unexpected element to the Kalahari, and the new life also meant the arrival of migrant birds from across northern Africa, Europe, and Asia (which made the birders on the trip very happy indeed).
My group and I (now pared down to 8) stayed at the Haina Kalahari Lodge, which is located on an 11,000 hectare (a bit more than 27,000 acres) private reserve adjacent to the northern edge of Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Haina is a lovely, laid-back lodge, with luxurious tent/cabins and a central, thatch-roofed lodge with a dining area and living space. The resident, head guide is a Botswana born, white Afrikaner who grew up on farm in the Kalahari. What surprised me most about this young man, was that he spoke fluent San. The local San community (also known as Bushmen) have a collaborative relationship with the Haina Lodge where the San provide some cultural experiences for lodge guests and the lodge provides a source of employment. The San speak one of the click languages, which are notoriously difficult to learn. Having grown up around the San, our guide spoke their language perfectly. To say I was impressed by his linguistic gymnastics would be an understatement. He turned out to be a knowledgeable guide, with a deep level of local knowledge.
One of the main reasons to come to the Kalahari was to see a few species of wildlife that do not regularly occur outside of the arid regions of southern Africa. Two mammal species were of particular interest to me: Oryx (also called Gemsbok) and Springbok.
The first game drive yielded only a passing look at Oryx as a small herd danced away through the brush. We did get a very quick look at a female leopard as she passed across the track in front of us before disappearing into the brush, and good looks at Kudu, giraffe, and Steenbok.
A surprising wildlife highlight came our first evening when the resident Small-spotted Genet (a mid-sized cat-like predator) who lives in the thatch roof of the main lodge, made her evening descent from the rafters. This lovely creature, was indeed very cat-like, and moved with a similar unconcerned grace as it descended from the roof to the eaves and out onto the exterior fence before climbing into a low tree in the lodge yard.
The following morning, we had better luck with the Oryx as one large male lingered long enough for a few images beneath one of the many species of Kalahari acacias. If large mammals had been our only interest, I think I would have been disappointed by the Haina property, at least when I compare what we saw there to the abundance of wildlife in Chobe and the Okavango. But of course, when I considered that question logically, I realized that there was no way that the arid Kalahari could ever support the numbers of animals that occur in the wetter environment of the Okavango and Chobe.
On our third day, one of our guides from the previous part of our trip, Morgan, drove down from Maun to take us for a full day trip to the Central Kalahari Reserve proper. Our goal was to reach Deception Valley, a large open, dry river valley that winds through the Central Kalahari. We left Haina in the dark of early morning and drove about an hour and a half to the main gate to the Game Reserve. Then, stopping frequently to check out birds and wildlife, we arrived at the rim of Deception Valley.
It wasn’t dramatic in any real way, and yet as the land sloped away from us, descending some 70 vertical feet, the subtle elevation change opened up expansive views, and we were able to see out over the open, treeless grassland below. Through binoculars we could make out scattered herds of Oryx, Springbok, and here and there in the open, bat-eared foxes.
We drove down into the valley, and spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring. We had lunch with a herd of about 100 Springbok, which eyed us curiously, but refused to move away. Groups of Oryx, Steenbok, and many species of raptors kept us more than occupied before we turned our wheels back toward the lodge.
The weather was another surprise of our time the Kalahari. It rained more there than at any previous point in our safari. Afternoon thunderstorms threatened each day (but only produced rain one day) but on two nights, we woke to raucous thunderstorms rolling through. Lightning popped and thunder boomed waking us up from sleep. And rain beat down on the tent roof overhead.
In the morning, I expected the landscape to be a mud-filled mess, but the Kalahari sands absorbed the water like a sponge, leaving behind just a few remnant puddles. The rain kept temperatures moderate which was a welcome surprise.
Late on the fourth afternoon, I boarded a small plane for the flight back to Maun. We dodged a few thundershowers along the way, and bumped through the thermals building cumulus clouds, arriving back in Maun with about two hours to spare before the afternoon flight back to Johannesburg.
This has been a lengthy series of trip reports, for which I’m unapologetic. I could have waxed on for another few thousand words, trying (and likely failing) to describe the wonders of wild Botswana. The truth of the matter is this: you think you know what Africa is before you travel there. We have so many preconceived notions of the place from abundant nature documentaries and magazine articles. But you don’t know. You don’t know anything. Until, that is, you arrive there. You don’t understand the emotion of encountering your first wild elephants, or your first hippo, lion, leopard, or giraffe until you actually go and see them for yourself. That emotion is indescribable. Wonder perhaps? Maybe even thrill. But those are just words.
I’ve talked a lot about the photography experience of visiting Botswana, and while the photography is outstanding, the emotions are superlative, and will linger with you as long, or maybe even longer than the images. If you travel to Botswana with me in a coming year, or on your own, take a moment away from your camera to experience the wonder of the place. You won’t be sorry.
Experience all of this for yourself this November/December! Join me on my Discover Botswana photo safari.
As usual, your commentary on your trips to Southern Africa are beautiful. Thanks Dave.