Travel by road is possible but not recommended, especially during the rainy season. Three Canadians, who had spent 12 hours in a four-by-four vehicle were distinctly down on the experience.At River Khwai Lodge, on the edge of the Moremi Reserve, the accommodation is in spacious whitewashed, thatched huts complete with shower and loo. The real attraction, however, is the game, and wildlife viewing is best early in the morning and at dusk. That means a dawn start at 5.30am with the drive beginning half-and-hour later. That is followed by a large brunch at 11am and a generous siesta until "high tea" at 3.30 (a meal which baffled a contingent of Belgian tourists at the second camp I visited and which, as it could vary a great deal in substance, was one of those supposedly English traditions rather difficult to explain).My first game drive was no disappointment.
It started rather quietly as we drove slowly around in our jeep for about an hour without spotting any big game. Then, suddenly, a massive crocodile crashed noisily through the undergrowth into the nearby river. From then on it was rather like a David Attenborough film in 3-D as we happened upon five female lions, four of which rolled around playfully in the grass while one maintained steely eye contact. There was more to come: 10 zebra and a hyena at close quarters before we returned to the camp.Over a good dinner and coffee there were all manner of interesting tips and useful advice, particularly from a short, tough-looking white Botswanean who turned out to be one of two contractors installing a new pool at the lodge.
Hippos, despite their rather cuddly image, are in fact extremely dangerous creatures with jaws powerful enough to bite a man in two. And if you happen to encounter an aggressive lion (particularly a wounded one) which is out for your blood, there is no point shooting at it in the early stage of its murderous charge towards you, because it will run in a sort of zig-zag. Your best bet is to wait until it is almost upon you, with its claws outstretched, blast it and then step to the side as it drops to the ground.Faced with this ark of potentially lethal wildlife, only an idiot would want to leave the safety of the sturdy Land-Cruiser. So, naturally, at 6.30 the following morning, I found myself volunteering for the "walking safari'', a trip on to the plain on foot, protected only by the general manager of Gametrackers, Graeme Labe, and his shotgun.
As we approached the river a hippo came into view, minding its own business and showing no sign of wanting to bite anyone in two. It was only when he was asked whether lions came down to this area, that our host and guide caused a few stirrings. "Without wishing to duly alarm you", he said gesturing to a patch of long grass a few feet away, " if a lion were hiding there you wouldn't see him". Fortunately he said this after a very similar patch of grass to our right had erupted in a massive rustling before a magnificent brown marsh owl took flight. But when, on sighting another hippo looking slightly more grumpy, Graeme abruptly moved in the opposite direction, adding with practised understatement "let's walk this way", we needed no persuading. On foot you see a different side of the bush (in January lush and green) its plant life, the animal tracks and the stunningly beautiful bird life.Savuti South, in the Chobe National Park, may lack a pool, but it more than makes up for it with stylish accommodation. Technically this is a tented camp to comply with environmental regulations which stipulate that the settlement should, in theory, be possible to dis-assemble.
But the elegant structure is not what you would recognise from school camping holidays. For a start it had wooden floors, a massive, white-tiled bathroom, rattan furniture and a veranda which looked on to what was the Savuti channel. This river dried up 12 years ago, transforming the area, annually defying the optimists who believe it may start to flow again. However the now dry banks of the channel remain rich in wildlife; during two days I spotted several elephants and a pack of wild dogs without moving an inch from my porch.Of course, there was much more on the game drives Again they often started quietly. But in Botswana the birdlife is stunning, even to those with no knowledge of or great interest in ornithology.