Botswana Trip - Impressions and Lessons
Posted: Tue May 24, 2022 11:38 am
So people are whining that the participants on the Bots trip are not ALL doing a trip report. It’s difficult to add to any of the experiences after Pierre’s minute by minute account. The only bit left out was the detailed report on everyone’s bowel movements.
So I will just give a few impressions, and lessons learnt along the way.
Pre Trip Research.
Read. Read. Read.
There is so much info on forums and blogs that is helpful. Do not waste your time on YouTube videos. They are useless. They show you how pretty everything is but don’t give the in-depth details you need.
Further, if someone has taken the trouble to give you all the info you need in advance, don’t ignore it.
Border Crossings
These are always stressful in Africa but rest assured that the Botswana/SA crossing is one of the simplest. Number one tip is, take your time. Don’t rush. It is a stressful time but put your smile on. Never take an agent or one of the crooks hanging around to”help”. There are always guys, generally the truck drivers, who will point you in the right direction with great pleasure and a smile
Don’t be like Pierre and rush through and then realise when you get to the Botswana side that you haven’t stamped out of SA.
Travel Times
Travelling in convoy, in Africa, is something measured in time not distance. Many challenges crop up along the way. Road closures, bad roads, pee stops, mechanical issues, flat tyres, getting through towns, amongst many others.
I am a bit of a stickler for time. Always have been. When I got married I told Ally that if she kept me waiting more than five minutes she would arrive at the church to find me gone. Must be one of my Germanisms, of which I have many as some on the trip discovered. Sorry that is just me. Nothing personal!
On our trip we had some arduous days of long time in the saddle. On these days it is imperative that an eye is kept on the time for the whole day. Time has a habit of passing you by and before you know it you are racing on bad roads to make camp in time. Believe me, this is when shit happens.
Our trip from Rakops to Pipers Camp we left nearly an hour late. We were also delayed at Matswere Gate due to poor planning. This resulted in an unpleasant race to Piper Pan in order to get there before sunset. We were lucky we all made it without major damage but it is a situation that must be avoided.
On our trip to Kubu Island we discovered that the short route through the pans was closed due to recent rains. This resulted in an hour detour. Fortunately we suspected this might be the case and had planned accordingly.
Another issue with travel in Africa. Sometimes, long days are unavoidable. I heard from nearly all the travellers how relentless and arduous these days are. Fortunately we had planned some rest days where we could just relax in camp or spend the day fixing, repacking and generally doing maintenance on our vehicles, trailers and equipment. If time allows plan a rest day every couple of days. You will be happy you did.
Good comms is imperative.
Cash is king
While cards are generally accepted in Africa you will always come across the need to have cash on hand. Never travel without local currency. At least enough to fill your tank and enough for park entry fees, fire wood etc. Rather have too much cash than too little. You never know when or where you will be able to draw more. Don’t rely on the next town to have a working ATM or that every fuel station will accept cards. Towards the end of your trip you can always use your left over cash to fill your tank as fuel is generally cheaper in our neighbouring countries than in SA.
Water
Due to stupidity I lost all the water in my trailer tank. Fortunately I had another 50l tank in the car. If possible have a little emergency water or second container/tank stashed somewhere. It saved us and we managed with our 50l. We also had the reassurance to know that others in the party had ample water.
Camaraderie
A vital part of group travel is the camaraderie. On this trip we all helped each other out when necessary. Shared, tools, equipment, wood, water, helped repair each other’s cars and equipment and had some nice times around the fire.
Sometimes it is not your ability to handle a tool but an ability to analyse a problem and provide a possible solution.
When possible it is always good to chip in and assist but I did draw the line when Wessel tried to jump onto my lap when the lion made himself known. I was busy going down on a plate of ribs at the time so was not too interested in his advances. Don’t get between a German bear and his food. The result could be worse than a lion attack. He then tried to cosy up to my wife in the car. She seemed to be quite charmed until she realised that he had left all the doors open.
The funniest was watching Wessel sitting on the edge of his chair, all uptight and nervous, like a sixteen year old girl waiting to do a pregnancy test. I’m sure I saw beads of sweat.
Vehicles, Trailers and Equipment
Overlanding, as on dirt roads and tracks, takes a heavy toll on all of the above. Everything takes a pounding. Any weak points will be found out.
It is very different doing 9-10 hours over bad roads far from help than doing a trail on a Saturday morning 100km from home.
Before departure be sure that all your stuff is in tip top shape. If you are towing, bear in mind that your tow hitch needs special attention. Try to have it inspected or inspect it yourself. Don’t think because you have a tow hitch that it is strong enough to tow your rig over rough terrain. It was probably fitted by an idiot. Most were.
Whenever you stop along the route, have a quick look around your rig. You may be able to pick up problems early, preventing major damage or repairs.
Personally I think a TPMS is imperative.
Avoidances
While on an overlanding trip the objective is to go from A to A with any number of stops along the route. Leave home. Travel to all your destinations along the way and get back home without problems.
Now mechanical problems do happen. But don’t go looking for trouble.
Avoid running out of time. Don’t race. Take it easy.
Avoid looking for trouble, like mud, water and other extreme obstacles. Take a detour if possible.
On this trip we decided to investigate the short route across the pans to Kubu island. We all enjoyed it. We all regretted it. The mud was thick. It got in everywhere. Some tried to wash the mud off while on the trip causing further problems.
Yes, it is fun to play and look for challenging obstacles and drive through mud/water. Leave those things for your Saturday morning trail drives close to home. A recovery from an African country is not fun.
So I will just give a few impressions, and lessons learnt along the way.
Pre Trip Research.
Read. Read. Read.
There is so much info on forums and blogs that is helpful. Do not waste your time on YouTube videos. They are useless. They show you how pretty everything is but don’t give the in-depth details you need.
Further, if someone has taken the trouble to give you all the info you need in advance, don’t ignore it.
Border Crossings
These are always stressful in Africa but rest assured that the Botswana/SA crossing is one of the simplest. Number one tip is, take your time. Don’t rush. It is a stressful time but put your smile on. Never take an agent or one of the crooks hanging around to”help”. There are always guys, generally the truck drivers, who will point you in the right direction with great pleasure and a smile
Don’t be like Pierre and rush through and then realise when you get to the Botswana side that you haven’t stamped out of SA.
Travel Times
Travelling in convoy, in Africa, is something measured in time not distance. Many challenges crop up along the way. Road closures, bad roads, pee stops, mechanical issues, flat tyres, getting through towns, amongst many others.
I am a bit of a stickler for time. Always have been. When I got married I told Ally that if she kept me waiting more than five minutes she would arrive at the church to find me gone. Must be one of my Germanisms, of which I have many as some on the trip discovered. Sorry that is just me. Nothing personal!
On our trip we had some arduous days of long time in the saddle. On these days it is imperative that an eye is kept on the time for the whole day. Time has a habit of passing you by and before you know it you are racing on bad roads to make camp in time. Believe me, this is when shit happens.
Our trip from Rakops to Pipers Camp we left nearly an hour late. We were also delayed at Matswere Gate due to poor planning. This resulted in an unpleasant race to Piper Pan in order to get there before sunset. We were lucky we all made it without major damage but it is a situation that must be avoided.
On our trip to Kubu Island we discovered that the short route through the pans was closed due to recent rains. This resulted in an hour detour. Fortunately we suspected this might be the case and had planned accordingly.
Another issue with travel in Africa. Sometimes, long days are unavoidable. I heard from nearly all the travellers how relentless and arduous these days are. Fortunately we had planned some rest days where we could just relax in camp or spend the day fixing, repacking and generally doing maintenance on our vehicles, trailers and equipment. If time allows plan a rest day every couple of days. You will be happy you did.
Good comms is imperative.
Cash is king
While cards are generally accepted in Africa you will always come across the need to have cash on hand. Never travel without local currency. At least enough to fill your tank and enough for park entry fees, fire wood etc. Rather have too much cash than too little. You never know when or where you will be able to draw more. Don’t rely on the next town to have a working ATM or that every fuel station will accept cards. Towards the end of your trip you can always use your left over cash to fill your tank as fuel is generally cheaper in our neighbouring countries than in SA.
Water
Due to stupidity I lost all the water in my trailer tank. Fortunately I had another 50l tank in the car. If possible have a little emergency water or second container/tank stashed somewhere. It saved us and we managed with our 50l. We also had the reassurance to know that others in the party had ample water.
Camaraderie
A vital part of group travel is the camaraderie. On this trip we all helped each other out when necessary. Shared, tools, equipment, wood, water, helped repair each other’s cars and equipment and had some nice times around the fire.
Sometimes it is not your ability to handle a tool but an ability to analyse a problem and provide a possible solution.
When possible it is always good to chip in and assist but I did draw the line when Wessel tried to jump onto my lap when the lion made himself known. I was busy going down on a plate of ribs at the time so was not too interested in his advances. Don’t get between a German bear and his food. The result could be worse than a lion attack. He then tried to cosy up to my wife in the car. She seemed to be quite charmed until she realised that he had left all the doors open.
The funniest was watching Wessel sitting on the edge of his chair, all uptight and nervous, like a sixteen year old girl waiting to do a pregnancy test. I’m sure I saw beads of sweat.
Vehicles, Trailers and Equipment
Overlanding, as on dirt roads and tracks, takes a heavy toll on all of the above. Everything takes a pounding. Any weak points will be found out.
It is very different doing 9-10 hours over bad roads far from help than doing a trail on a Saturday morning 100km from home.
Before departure be sure that all your stuff is in tip top shape. If you are towing, bear in mind that your tow hitch needs special attention. Try to have it inspected or inspect it yourself. Don’t think because you have a tow hitch that it is strong enough to tow your rig over rough terrain. It was probably fitted by an idiot. Most were.
Whenever you stop along the route, have a quick look around your rig. You may be able to pick up problems early, preventing major damage or repairs.
Personally I think a TPMS is imperative.
Avoidances
While on an overlanding trip the objective is to go from A to A with any number of stops along the route. Leave home. Travel to all your destinations along the way and get back home without problems.
Now mechanical problems do happen. But don’t go looking for trouble.
Avoid running out of time. Don’t race. Take it easy.
Avoid looking for trouble, like mud, water and other extreme obstacles. Take a detour if possible.
On this trip we decided to investigate the short route across the pans to Kubu island. We all enjoyed it. We all regretted it. The mud was thick. It got in everywhere. Some tried to wash the mud off while on the trip causing further problems.
Yes, it is fun to play and look for challenging obstacles and drive through mud/water. Leave those things for your Saturday morning trail drives close to home. A recovery from an African country is not fun.