Posts Tagged ‘Botswana’
Wild Camping in Botswana: A Long Night Under a Black Moon
Here’s great story about camping in the Botswana wilderness by one of our clients, recently returned from our Botswana Culture & Wildlife Safari. Author and safari host, Bonnie Fladung, tells an unforgettable story of an unexpected nocturnal visitor to her tent one night deep in the Botswana bush! I heard something brush against the outside…
Read MoreA Long Dry Season for Botswana?
Botswana had a poor rainy season this year and the lack of rain looks to make for an extended season of phenomenal game viewing for 2019. During years of normal rainfall animals migrate away from the Okavango Delta into the surrounding Kalahari, returning to the permanent waters of the delta when the dry season begins. …
Read MoreMokoro on the Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is a vast swampland covering over 9,000 square miles of northern Botswana. Abundant populations of bird (herons, storks, cranes, pelicans) and animals (elephants, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes) can be found here, along with a high diversity of plants (fan palms, date palms, papyrus, mopane). Moremi Game Reserve is on the eastern edge of…
Read MoreThe Green Season in Botswana
The dry, winter season (June-October) is widely considered to be the optimal time for game viewing in Botswana. The low grass and lack of vegetation make the animals easier to see. As water sources deep in the bush dry out, animals are forced to congregate in large numbers around permanent rivers. The green season in…
Read MoreBack to the Basics: Mobile Camping Safaris in Botswana, Part 1
Mobile Camping Safaris in Botswana Safari is a Swahili word meaning journey, and for centuries explorers and traders embarked on safari expeditions deep into the interior of Africa. Today, a safari refers to almost any type of tour in Africa or beyond, usually involving luxury lodges with all the comforts and amenities. However, a mobile…
Read MoreCamping in the African Bush
In some ways, night is my favorite time on safari. As the campsite quiets down I lie in my tent reflecting on the day’s game sightings and listening for sounds of the African night. I can make out the glittering constellations of the southern hemisphere through the tent’s mesh window. Tired from an exciting day in the bush I fight off sleep, trying to remain alert to the calls and cries of Africa’s nocturnal creatures. Far off I hear the roar of lions preparing for the night’s hunt. Through the crisp night air, the plaintive howl of a hyena seems very close to camp. In the mopane trees surrounding our cluster of tents an African Scops owl calls out with its repeating single note. Krruup… krruup… krrupp… krrupp…. Then a twig snaps near the tent. I immediately recall the story our guide told us after dinner and my thoughts race to identify the cause of the snapping branch.
Read MoreOsher@Dartmouth Safari Summary
A group of 6 intrepid Osher@Dartmouth members recently returned from our mobile camping safari through the spectacular game parks of Botswana. The Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning is located on the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, NH. Osher provides continuing education for residents of the Upper Valley area.
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