Central Kalahari - Botswana in SWB (Blister)
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:20 am
WOW WOW WOW - I have been looking for tranquil space and finally I found it. Big skies, big plains and very few people.
Originally there were going to be three of us in two Pajeros, but as with all good plans, things changed and I found myself another travelling buddy and the two of us went up in my SWB (a.k.a My LSP - little silver pajero)
We spent one night (chalet) at Khama Rhino Sanctuary - booked direct (+267 4630713 krst@netspread.co.bw) and had dinner in the restaurant.
We then spent the next 8 nights camping (2 nights each) at Sunday (CKSUN04), Passarge (CKPAS01), Piper Pan (CKPIP02) and Kori (CKKOR03) - the Central Kalahari 'Circle'. Sun/Pas/Pip all booked through Bigfoot (+267 395 3360 reservations@bigfoottours.co.bw) and Kori booked through Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (+267 397 1405 or 3180774 dwnp@gov.bw = I recommend you phone and get them to email or fax you
)
Yes, the Bigfoot campsites are much more expensive, but I got the peace I wanted and we could not hear other people at campsites (or their damn generators
) like we did at the DWNP Kori site. So - you get what you pay for!
Our final night was a spoiling one in a lodge at Wilderness Safaris Kalahari Plains Camp (+267 686 0086 or 71 313 3794) where you get to sleep out under the stars if you want 180degrees of night sky
We paid all DWNP costs upfront and paid camping fees upfront to Bigfoot but had to pay the DWNP park fees for the Bigfoot bookings in cash at Matswere Gate.
Unleaded fuel is much cheaper in Botswana - BWP8.15/litre in Serowe and BWP8.18/litre in Letlhakane. There was no unleaded available in Rakops which was an error of judgement on my part as I did not stop in Mopipi (before Rakops) to check if they had. Broke a golden rule in rural Africa - fill up/ask WHEREVER there is a petrol station! While T4A and the forums tell you petrol stations take cards, we found they only took cash.
I tried to withdraw cash from FNB ATMs with my SA FNB Cheque Card (with PIN chip) and I kept getting an error message that there was a problem with my card. In a panic I went into the FNB branch in Serowe and was advised that it doesn't work in their ATM machines and I must rather use a Barclays Visa ATM (go figure!!)
We decided to support the local economy and buy the meat and veggies in Bots. The Spar in Serowe and Letlhakane (new) are pretty much the same as in SA, but don't expect the 'refined' shopping like deboned fillets of chicken breast
. The sausage was not great (not a great fan at the best of times) and the steak was tough. I see there is a butchery in Palapye recommended on another forum, but I didn't try it.
My second error of judgement was water. Budgeted 5litres per person per night = 40 litres. Forgot you need water for each DAY and that was effectively 10 days (8 nights) and we should have taken for these two days. We did not need water for our Kalahari Plains night
We limited our morning and late afternoon drives, but I found pleasure in just parking off and watching sunsets over pans and veld.
Each campsite has a longdrop and a shower gantry, but word of caution --- you can get "plastic a***-burn when you sit on the longdrop cone after the sun has been beating down on it
There was plenty plenty grass and it was essential to clear out the grass stalks collecting in the undercarriage daily and sometimes twice or three times.
Would I go back?
ABSOLUTELY!!! but I would probably not go from Passarge to Piper - that 7.5 hour trip was just too long and quite boring and the wind was as hot as my Jozi hairdryer.
Personally - I loved Sunday/Leopard/Passarge valley so that's my 1st prize area.
Photos follow.
P.S. My LSP clock passed the 300,000kms mark during this trip
Cheers
Janet
Originally there were going to be three of us in two Pajeros, but as with all good plans, things changed and I found myself another travelling buddy and the two of us went up in my SWB (a.k.a My LSP - little silver pajero)
We spent one night (chalet) at Khama Rhino Sanctuary - booked direct (+267 4630713 krst@netspread.co.bw) and had dinner in the restaurant.
We then spent the next 8 nights camping (2 nights each) at Sunday (CKSUN04), Passarge (CKPAS01), Piper Pan (CKPIP02) and Kori (CKKOR03) - the Central Kalahari 'Circle'. Sun/Pas/Pip all booked through Bigfoot (+267 395 3360 reservations@bigfoottours.co.bw) and Kori booked through Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (+267 397 1405 or 3180774 dwnp@gov.bw = I recommend you phone and get them to email or fax you
)Yes, the Bigfoot campsites are much more expensive, but I got the peace I wanted and we could not hear other people at campsites (or their damn generators
) like we did at the DWNP Kori site. So - you get what you pay for!Our final night was a spoiling one in a lodge at Wilderness Safaris Kalahari Plains Camp (+267 686 0086 or 71 313 3794) where you get to sleep out under the stars if you want 180degrees of night sky
We paid all DWNP costs upfront and paid camping fees upfront to Bigfoot but had to pay the DWNP park fees for the Bigfoot bookings in cash at Matswere Gate.
Unleaded fuel is much cheaper in Botswana - BWP8.15/litre in Serowe and BWP8.18/litre in Letlhakane. There was no unleaded available in Rakops which was an error of judgement on my part as I did not stop in Mopipi (before Rakops) to check if they had. Broke a golden rule in rural Africa - fill up/ask WHEREVER there is a petrol station! While T4A and the forums tell you petrol stations take cards, we found they only took cash.
I tried to withdraw cash from FNB ATMs with my SA FNB Cheque Card (with PIN chip) and I kept getting an error message that there was a problem with my card. In a panic I went into the FNB branch in Serowe and was advised that it doesn't work in their ATM machines and I must rather use a Barclays Visa ATM (go figure!!)
We decided to support the local economy and buy the meat and veggies in Bots. The Spar in Serowe and Letlhakane (new) are pretty much the same as in SA, but don't expect the 'refined' shopping like deboned fillets of chicken breast
. The sausage was not great (not a great fan at the best of times) and the steak was tough. I see there is a butchery in Palapye recommended on another forum, but I didn't try it.My second error of judgement was water. Budgeted 5litres per person per night = 40 litres. Forgot you need water for each DAY and that was effectively 10 days (8 nights) and we should have taken for these two days. We did not need water for our Kalahari Plains night
We limited our morning and late afternoon drives, but I found pleasure in just parking off and watching sunsets over pans and veld.
Each campsite has a longdrop and a shower gantry, but word of caution --- you can get "plastic a***-burn when you sit on the longdrop cone after the sun has been beating down on it
There was plenty plenty grass and it was essential to clear out the grass stalks collecting in the undercarriage daily and sometimes twice or three times.
Would I go back?
ABSOLUTELY!!! but I would probably not go from Passarge to Piper - that 7.5 hour trip was just too long and quite boring and the wind was as hot as my Jozi hairdryer.
Personally - I loved Sunday/Leopard/Passarge valley so that's my 1st prize area.
Photos follow.
P.S. My LSP clock passed the 300,000kms mark during this trip
Cheers
Janet
One minute flat each - in and out, as the Xplorer's pump pushes 5ltrs/min! 
