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 |  on March 29, 2003 |
If you go to Chobe in June, July, August, be prepared for some very chilly mornings and cool evenings. The days were nice. For morning safaris we actually wore fleece and winter jackets and gloves. Here we are enjoying a breakfast packed by the lodge at a camping ground overlooking the river. Pictured with us is our GREAT guide, Sam Don't forget bug spray and sunscreen if you're on Doxy |
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| Packing for self-drive camping trip in Botswana | | |
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 |  on August 20, 2007 |
If you are doing fly-in trips on the little Sesna planes from lodge to lodge the expectation is that the lodges provide you with everything you need from toiletries to doing your laundry, so you really don’t need to take much – and you can’t because your luggage limit is restricted to something the size of a knat’s hanky anyway. Even if you are allowed to take more, follow the principal that less is definitely more, because everything you take has to go in the back of that Landrover, and adds to the general chaos that can ensue once everything has had a good bounce over the roads and has been tossed around the cab like a mixed salad. This is where lots of little bags come in very handy indeed. Another great packing tip is to put your full itinerary with addresses in an open pocket in your luggage, so if it has gone missing, people know where to send it on to. Snow & Rock are a great source to help stock up for your expedition. Craghopper trousers are enormously useful with all their pockets. A good web site for stuff is http://www.safariquip.co.uk/ and a list of useful stuff includes: • A fleece – you will need layers to strip off/ add on • Woolly hat, gloves • Hat • Sunglasses • Binoculars • Sunblock and Lipblock • Mozzie repellant • First aid kit esp plasters and bandages and headache tablets Spare charged camera batteries A LOT of batteries for: torches, lamp headsets, cameras, GPS (we went through 4 sets for this alone), video camera, etc. • Car cigarette-lighter charger • Blankets – to cover bear legs on early morning chilly game drives • Earplugs – lots of them so you’re not scrabbling around trying to find strays • Leatherman tool • Small pocket torch • Long life candles • Veronica Roodt Maps • Star maps • Plastic wallets for maps • Tin opener • funnel for water – so you can get water out of larger containers without waste, • Bottle opener • Corkscrew • Knife/ scissors • Head-torches • Plastic ‘baggies’ for putting food into • Plastic bags for putting clothes into • Plastic bags to seal things up in from animals and dust and sand • Plastic bags to put medicines into so you wouldn’t have bulky bottles • Plastic bags to put coffee powder, sugar etc into, so you wouldn’t have bulky packaging • Did I mention plastic bags • Antiseptic wet wipes – these were incredibly useful to try and keep the bush at bay • small plastic water drinking bottles Food packing - Bush Tucker doesn’t have to be a trial; it can be the real highlight of a trip like this, especially if you bring packets of casserole mixes |
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| General | | |
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 |  on September 27, 2008 |
Make them the soft type, always best for safari holidays Good walking shoes, flip flops to wear in the ablution blocks In winter a jacket will be required for evenings and early mornings. Safari clothes should be made up of natural colours, avoid blues, whites and bright colours. A great investment I found was some wet whipes, anti bacterial ones I took with me and we used them for everything. Usual medical supplies and malaria tablets. Plenty of camera cards. Know your camera or you will miss that split second opportunity. Lens cleaner and be aware of keeping your camera out of the dusty atmosphere as much as possible when not in use. Bags to put rubbish and uneaten or unused food in. Comfortable, used clothes are the best for this sort of holiday. You will get very dirty and dusty, so be prepared. |
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| BANDAGES | | |
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 |  on May 18, 2008 |
Botswana seems to have the most sharp pointy thorn trees in the world. One way or another you are going to pick up scratches, possibly some bad ones. Foraging for firewood or just walking around at night usually ends in minor injury. They don’t sell bandages in the bush, so bring your own! |
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 |  on July 12, 2004 |
As most of the moving around between camps is done by light aircraft you have to be able to put all you stuff into a small soft bag as it has to be sqeezed in wherever possible in the plane - either the hold or on a seat. Adventure Travel To do the wildlife justice take a good camera with you, preferably with a reasonable zoom lens. Although most of the time a digital camera will be ok - there will be occasions when they are just not quick enough to capture the moment. For instance just when that lion is poised to leap!! Also a good pair of binoculars are essential. |
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 |  on August 26, 2002 |
The Batswana are generally a very honest people, so your bags should be fairly safe from petty theft. Most crime, but not all,is committed by Zimbabwean or South African illegal immigrants. Most bags should be safe as long as you keep an eye on them. Waterproof bags would be useful if you are planning on hitching during the summer months (October to March) An umbrella is useful for the summer storms or alternatively for keeping the baking sun from frying your brains. In winter (April to September) it can get nippy at night, so take a sweater and some pants. Anti malarial drugs are a must. Anti bacterial cream is also handy as any small cut can easily develop an infection. A good mosquito repellant is very useful, and a very high protection sun cream is necessary if you plan to be out in the sun for more than 15 minutes at a time (factor 30 is what I used, with zinc block for lips and nose) If going out into the bush forget recharging anything - just take extra batteries along with you. If your camera takes anything other than a really standard battery you will have difficulty finding replacements, even in the major centres sometimes. There are some beautiful photo's to be taken, so don't miss out. Mosquito coils and mosquito repellant are useful to have along. Available at any supermarket in Botswana. A tented camp can be fairly well equipped, but don't expect all the comforts of home unless you have taken a very expensive tour. Sometimes your toilet may consist of a spade, toilet paper, and matches to burn the paper! But remember that when you are on THIS kind of trip you are seeing Africa the way Africans do! Always take plenty of water if you are out on your own -so many people underestmaite how much they will need, and that sun is hot. Don't take citrus fruit when you go camping - some elephants have developed a taste for these things and will trash your camp if they smell oranges! This happened to two groups that I know of - it's not a rural legend! Sometime those little neccessities like tampons can be hard to find even in the major centres. Take your own, just to be sure. Same applies to dental floss. |
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| Antimalarials a must! | | |
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 |  on June 14, 2005 |
A backpack is by far the best option, unless you are planning to do an organized trip and then either will do - as long as it is light.... It can get very very hot, at any time of the year, so light breathable clothes, but also take a jumper just in case, because the nights - particularly in the Kalahari can get quite cold at any time of year. Your own needles and also anti-malarials and insect repellant. Away from the tourist centres, it is very difficult to get the film or special camera batteries that you need, so it is probably best to buy in the cities or bring it from elsewhere. A waterproof jacket will come in handy for keeping you both warm and dry, should you need either. A torch is invaluable, particularly in rural areas. |
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 |  on August 25, 2002 |
I recommend taking as little as possible. If you are travelling into the remote areas, you don't want to have to carry around a lot of heavy bags. Small, sturdy, easy to carry. No need for any dress up stuff here, that's for sure. Bring a hat for sun protection, comfortable walking shoes, a rain slicker or poncho, and a variety of shorts, shirts and pants. Something warm at night is helpful too. Bring easy to wash cotton or cotton blends. Loose items will be most comfortable in the scorching heat. I never had any problems with either the water, or with eating any raw fruits or vegetables since I was in rural areas. Everything was very clean, but its probably a good idea to have some pepto bismol or imodium. Bring plenty of sun screen and insect repellent. Tsetse flies hurt a lot when they bite! It was useful to have some sting relief lotion as well as aloe vera lotion. Also, carry something for blisters. If you are going camping, there won't be any stores. So bring lots of extra batteries. One of the most useful items I took with me was a little flashlight that could also double as a lamp. |
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 on August 24, 2002 |
Very light backpack...don't pack heavy...!! Bring a small variety of clothes for hot and cold weather. I was there during August 2000 and it was very hot during the day and very cold at night. Travel toilet paper!!! Bring a light weight camera with a great zoom. Also bring fast film to catch animals on the run and in the dark. Bring a sleeping bag and a small travel pillow. Don't forget a small flashlight, mosquito repellent ( i would recommend 'jungle juice'...it works great...didn't get bit once!!) Bring a light weight pair of binoculars...they don't have to be the BEST out there, you can get fairly close to the animals...but not too close!!! |
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| Strongest possible mosquito repellant | | |
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| on February 14, 2003 |
Make sure you have a good supply of very strong mosquito repellant and make sure it's DEET based. |
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More Botswana Tips
| Overview | General Tips Tips: 69 - Photos: 63 |
| Restaurants Tips: 30 - Photos: 33 | Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 86 - Photos: 116 |
| Things To Do Tips: 147 - Photos: 207 | Nightlife Tips: 20 - Photos: 16 |
| Off the Beaten Path Tips: 33 - Photos: 49 | Tourist Traps Tips: 6 - Photos: 3 |
| Warnings or Dangers Tips: 52 - Photos: 43 | Transportation Tips: 71 - Photos: 87 |
| Local Customs Tips: 25 - Photos: 25 | Packing Lists Tips: 16 - Photos: 7 |
| Shopping Tips: 7 - Photos: 2 | Sports Travel Tips: 2 - Photos: 2 |
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