Shirley's Journey to Botswana and South Africa
Auckland to Kasane, Botswana

Shirley has recently returned from a journey to Botswana where she enjoyed an incredible selection of destinations, accommodation, and activities.

Chobe – Elephant Valley Lodge: Two game drives daily and/or a Chobe River Cruise

African Bush Lovers – 10-night Tent Safari: Exploring Chobe and Moremi National Parks, staying in Chobe, Khwai, and Xinii

Victoria Falls: Absolutely breathtaking! I did the helicopter ride and walked around the park. The helicopter ride is a must to appreciate the vastness of the falls. I can only imagine what it’s like during the wet season.
Chobe Elephant Valley Lodge: A fully inclusive lodge with daily game drives. The service was impressive, and the staff were some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. We saw every animal except for the cheetah. The lodge has its own waterhole, and animals come to drink throughout the day, especially at night. Dinner was accompanied by watching elephants and other wildlife drinking and playing. Some elephants even drank from the pool!

Chobe Marina Lodge: A nice hotel option in Kasane, with all meals included. Personally, I preferred the smaller, more intimate setting of Elephant Valley Lodge.

African Bush Lovers Safari: What an adventure! We camped within the national parks. There was no driving in after hours, so we had to make sure we reached the camp before 6:00 PM each day. Wildlife visits were frequent, especially at night—elephants, lions, zebras, Giant Kudus, honey badgers, hyenas, and countless birds. It was a humbling reminder that we were guests in their territory. The wildlife experience was beyond words—taking a selfie was definitely difficult! African Bush Lovers did an amazing job; I was initially worried about camping, but it was both easy and comfortable. Service was personalised, and the meals were fantastic—fresh bread baked daily in a charcoal oven. Our guide was incredible and worked hard to ensure we saw as much as possible. We even saw cheetahs on the second-to-last and last days—absolutely stunning!

No Rhino sightings: Sadly, there are no rhinos left in Botswana, except in private sanctuaries.

Cape Town: What a cool city! Table Mountain was as fabulous as I’d always imagined. The wineries were incredible, and we visited Boulder Beach to see the penguins. I even got to see the All Blacks play, though the game didn’t go in our favour (☹).

Flights: Flew Singapore Airlines with excellent connections. Airlink took us between Johannesburg, Kasane, Maun, and Cape Town—a great airline for short hops.