A family-friendly adventure in Botswana and Zambia

by Paul and Sandra Gianini; Port Orange, FL

After a 16-hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, our 7-member, all-adult family was ready to curl up and rest before continuing our trip into Botswana the next day. We were wise enough to have enlisted the private services of Graham Maskell of Africa 2000 Tours, who picked us up at the airport and delivered us safely to the Peermont Monidor at Emperors Palace, where we were welcomed with wonderful accommodations. 

After a short jaunt to the hotel’s casino restaurant for dinner, it was time to crash in our luxurious rooms, where earlier we had found a comprehensive document from Africa 2000 Tours that included our itinerary, photo tips and pictures and lists of animals and birds that we were likely to see during the course of our adventure. 

Graham is a guide, tracker, photographer, author and a fabulous resource who earned our trust and respect during our 11-day safari through Botswana and Zambia. He is also the husband of Gill Maskell, owner of Africa 2000 Tours (Knysna, South Africa; phone +27 44 384 1262) and the person who made our trip arrangements.

Into Botswana

Eager for this adventure to begin, we flew the following morning from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Maun on Air Botswana, the first of several internal flights on this trip. 

The first indication of how wise it was to have hired Graham was when we were asked to deplane due to technical difficulties. Graham had an alternative plan in place in the event we had to spend the night anywhere other than our first scheduled camp. 

Luckily, everything worked out and we landed at Maun, where our group transferred to two private planes. Thirty-five minutes later we were on the ground getting ready for the first of many game drives we would take over the next eight days.

We found the Kwando lodges at which we stayed — Kwara, Lagoon and Lebala — to be much alike. All were very good, from the sleeping facilities to the marvelous meals and snacks, and each offered all-inclusive service, with 2.5 staff members per guest. 

It was a bit unsettling to be escorted to our cabins after dinner until we met some of the native residents who roamed outside our cabins: the elephants, hippos and other animals that went bump in the night.

The daily routine

We started each day at 6 a.m. around a campfire, where we had a small, delicious breakfast consisting of porridge, corn muffins, coffee, etc. We then embarked on a morning game drive in our new Toyota off-road vehicle accompanied by our driver, a tracker and Graham. There was plenty of room for all of us in one vehicle, but at times we did split into two groups. 

After a couple of hours, we stopped for coffee and goodies served from the storage facility on the cruiser. 

We returned to camp for brunch between 11 a.m. and noon for a hearty and delicious meal with all homemade items. With no electricity, I don’t know how the staff at all three camps produced such sumptuous meals, but they were consistently well done. 

We had free time until about 3 p.m. (with no clocks, we were on “Africa time”), when we had a bit of libation and some snacks. Then off we went on a second game drive. 

We saw many animals, though the carnivores were more difficult to locate. After another pit stop for cocktails, we finally returned to camp for a cocktail preceding our 8:00 dinner.

After dinner, we swapped lies around the campfire, dubbed “Bush TV,” before collapsing at about 10 p.m., carrying our hot-water bottles with us as we were escorted back to our cabins. 

One night Sandra had the most exciting experience by the campfire when a young elephant approached us. She was sitting with her back to a log, facing the fire. Suddenly, one of the staff said, “Be still — especially you, Sandra.” 

Sandra looked up to see this multi­ton creature standing just inches away. She didn’t move, either due to fear or in an attempt to follow directions. The animal walked around a bit, then ambled off toward the cabins.

We all had stories in the morning of our nocturnal visitors, from the elephants rubbing against the trees and sides of our cabins to the never-ending grunts of the numerous hippos. 

It actually became commonplace to see hippos, but what really attracted us were the large herds of elephants crossing the river in front of our cabins. All the lodges were located near bodies of water, and we never tired of watching the herds cross in single file.

On to Zambia

After eight nights we left Botswana and headed to the Islands of Siankaba, located outside of the city of Livingstone and Victoria Falls. This was a bit of an odyssey, as it involved a flight to Kasane by charter, a ferry ride, two Immigration procedures and three shuttle vans, the last being a 20-minute ride down a dirt road to the lodge, a road that could be called Hernia Highway.

The lodge, itself, was beautiful, sleeping only 12 guests and offering impeccable service and facilities. Located on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, the guest houses are situated on an island connected by suspension bridges to the dining room, bar and other guest facilities. 

The massages and food were great. Included in our tour price were sunset cruises, a tour of the falls and a visit to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. 

Members of the family also chose to engage in other activities, such as white-water rafting ($180 per person), canoeing ($155 each) and taking a microlight flight ($158 each). 

All members of the family participated in an “Island Breezer” ($85 per person), which included a luncheon at the top of the falls and a dip in a pool at the very top of the 300-foot drop. The water was freezing and fast moving. 

After the obligatory group photo, all of us quickly exited the water for warmer climates.

The details

After three nights, we flew from Livingstone to Johannesburg and back to the States. The cost of the trip was in excess of $55,000 for the seven of us, and it was all-inclusive, except for the international airfare and gratuities. The gratuities did add up. Per person per day, we spent $10 for the safari driver, $5 for the tracker, $5 for the general staff (though laundry service was also included every day) and $10-$20 for the private dedicated guide.

Was it worth it? Absolutely! Dwight Eisenhower said, “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” And so it was that, over nearly two years, we had put together the trip of a lifetime. 

Africa 2000 Tours is a class act. They were devoted to the details; the materials we received before the trip were both thorough and readable. We had no problems at all, except one that could not be anticipated. 

While at the Islands of Siankaba, one of my sons got a kidney stone and had to be transported to a doctor in Livingstone. The problem was that it was 3 a.m. and the hippos in the river didn’t want to be disturbed, so it took three hours for the staff to assist him in circumventing the animals. He survived his ordeal well enough to finish the trip. 

Our guide, Graham, was instrumental in coping successfully with this situation.

We returned home with a world of information… on the history of Southern African tribes, the feeding preferences of elephants, the colorful species of birds and the beautiful journey of giraffes and intriguing plains game. Add to all this the memories of magnificent red sunsets over the Okavango Delta, the smell of campfires and the night sounds of the African bush that lulled us to sleep each night, and one can understand why this trip was truly a trip of a lifetime. 

One of Africa 2000 Tours’ mottos is “Africa is our oyster. Let us show you its pearls.” 

We certainly felt that we had viewed the crown jewels of this fantastic land.