Chobe

Travel Advice for Seniors: Chobe

Our first safari! We worked carefully with a tour company to build a private trip that was a “must do” on our bucket list. There are many places to go on safari, but after some research we landed on Botswana. The country is a bit more expensive, but it is all about conservation and is set up well for safari tourism. I don’t mind paying a little more to avoid quick in/out tourists. Botswana did not disappoint.

Keep in mind when you go on safari, it is an expensive endeavor. The lodges are all inclusive and include the game drives. Also, it takes a couple of flights to get there and they are not short flights. Since you are already investing a pretty good sum of money, make sure you spend enough time to really get a taste of safari and Africa. We went for three and a half weeks and could’ve stayed longer. You will not regret it.

Our safari began by traveling from Victoria Falls, which was only an hour or so away from the Chobe Game Lodge, an outstanding choice, with all meals and game drives included. As we were making our way to the Lodge in our Land Rover on very rough road, all of a sudden two giraffe popped up their heads from heavy undergrowth to give us a look. I think our eyes bugged out at seeing animals in the wild for the first time and we giggled like school kids. That was just the tip of the iceberg as to what magnificence was to come from the animal kingdom and from the many beautiful land forms in Botswana!

Our first game drive was actually a boat ride on the Chobe River. It looked pretty quiet until we saw a large cloud of dust heading our way. That cloud of dust was actually hundreds of elephants were making their way to the river for a drink and bath. We were able to get very close up in the boat and I will never forget the sight and the smells of that experience. I’m sure my mouth was hanging open in awe of the sight. We were totally hooked.

The Chobe area is well known for its large herds of elephants. We also saw many of the “Big 5” there (Lion, cape buffalo, rhino, elephant, leopard). We were not able to see any rhinos on this trip as they had been poached out. We did hear a rumor that there was a secret sequestered area where rhinos were being repropagated in Botswana, but of course were not privy to the location.

We spent two full days of safari at Chobe before taking short flights to the Savuti area, followed by the Okavango Delta area. A few notes on the short flights: The flights are by small chartered plane and you are required to bring soft side luggage that is weight restricted so it can fit into the underside of the plane. The tour vehicles from the lodges and camps show up to the airport early, which is usually nothing but a dirt runway in the middle of nowhere without any receiving/departing lounges. Your vehicle is your departing lounge! The tour vehicles arrive early and it is partially their role to make sure that no elephants or other wildlife is on the runway. I thought is was funny until I actually saw it happen. Welcome to Africa!

Back to the safari: The tour vehicles we used were open air and seated six. We usually went with the same group, but not always. The guides/drivers were all very good and communicated with each other about where the best sightings were. The vehicles drive along fairly established dirt roads that the wildlife also use to get around. Once one of the drivers finds some activity, they call the rest of the drivers and soon you have several vehicles surrounding the animals. Also, since many of the refuges are national parts there are vehicles from many lodges and groups that are all in the park when you are. If you can stay inside the park, you can get an earlier start before the others arrive.

Strangely, the animals don’t really see you as a potential meal if you remain in the Land Rover. Apparently, they view the vehicle the same as they would a large rock and are not intimidated by you or interested in you. However, if you are OUT of the vehicle, you are indeed lunch. They have a saying: “Out of vehicle into the food chain, in the vehicle, out of the food chain”. We did, however, notice that the animals can feel blocked in if there are too many vehicles around, which ended in them looking for a way out, which was not pleasant.

At Chobe, we saw a great deal of wildlife. Tons of elephants, lions hunting during the morning/evening and lounging during the day, leopards, an incredible Chobe river crossing of thousands of water buffalo, Lilac-breasted rollers and a large honey badger to name a few, plus the usual compliment of giraffe, zebra, warthogs, hippos, a huge array of birds, wildebeest, the ever present impala herds and much more.

All meals were buffet style and were excellent. I admit I was a bit nervous about what we would be eating, but all of the food was excellent. We were also introduced to what became one of our favorite parts of the day, a short drive ending at a favorite watering hole for “Sundowners”. As the name implies, Sundowners are consumed at sundown in a beautiful location, preferably with wildlife. It is basically happy hour with your fav drinks and some snacks. Very civilized!

A word on tipping. Build tipping into your budget for safaris. The drivers and guides work hard to show you the best on offer. The expectation is that you will tip them appropriately. On the first day, I usually ask if we will have the same guide for the duration or we will have different drivers/guides every day. Usually we have the same guide/driver for the time we are at the park, so I tip on the last day. You do not have to tip as much as what some companies recommend, but I like to tip generously as the guides get to know you after the first or second game drive and can tailor their drive to what you want to see. But remember, you do have to share with other people in the same vehicle. It is also courteous to offer to switch seats with other people in the vehicle for the next drive.

There is nothing in the world like a safari. And Africa is the best place to see wildlife in the wild. The people are warm and welcoming, the lodges and camps are professionally run and accommodating and the tour vehicles are clean and comfortable and the drivers/guides professional and friendly. Whenever anyone asks me where they should go for a memorable trip. I always suggest saving up for a safari. It is far and away my favorite experience and I would go back in a heartbeat. 

Where we stayed: Chobe Game Lodge. All meals and safaris included. Nice accommodation.

How we got there: Flight from US to Johannesburg, South Africa for a quick overnight and then to Botswana.This was part of a three-week private tour through Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.

General Accessibility Information: Botswana is wheelchair accessible in many ways, including adapted vehicles, accessible accommodations, and safaris.Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.