Botswana

Exploring Botswana's best for World Wildlife Day

Our Collective

Wildlife

Journeys

Experiences

Janine Avery

3/11/2024

Safari guide or guru?

Game Walk With Guide In Mombo Botswana

This month we celebrate World Wildlife Day, and there's no better way to honour this occasion than acknowledging some of the remarkable people who bring our wild places alive – our guides. Or as we like to call them, our gurus. So, without further ado, join us this month as we spark your safari inspiration with an itinerary to discover the magnificent biodiversity of Botswana, bringing it to life through the eyes of our seasoned safari guides. 

Wilderness Chitabe Lediba Accommodation Camp Fire

Chitabe

Encounter the extraordinary with an out-of-this-world safari experience in an area famous for its prolific wildlife.

Explore Chitabe

Kwetsani

Unearth all the Okavango has to offer on an authentic adventure at this intimate safari camp.

Discover Kwetsani

King’s Pool

Expect the royal treatment, as the wildlife comes to you in this regal safari camp in northern Botswana.

Visit King's Pool

3 nights

Wilderness Chitabe

Having worked with Wilderness for 19 years, Chitabe guide Odumetse Modikwa, says there is never a dull moment doing what he loves. “A safari is an adventure like no other and every safari is unique to its location. Nature is fascinating in that there is so much to watch and learn. There is a lot to discover when one appreciates everything from birds, and large and small animals, to plants and insects”.

He says that many guests come to Wilderness Chitabe expecting predator-prey encounters and this wildlife-rich section of the Okavango Delta does not disappoint. When reflecting on some of his most memorable sightings he recounts a moment when an old lioness had an encounter with a honey badger. “I did not expect the encounter to last long. The lioness tried to kill the badger, only to realise that the badger was more powerful than her. The whole fight went on for at least 45 minutes, with the badger winning the fight and the lioness going away with lots of wounds inflicted by the badger. This was a special sighting for me and my guests since it was something I myself have never experienced”.

 

In fact, if Odumetse could choose to be any animal for a day, it’s the honey badger that he’d choose. “For its size, the honey badger is always underestimated by large predators. It is a brave, strong and fearless animal”. 

 

Indeed, here at Wilderness Chitabe, in the heart of the Okavango Delta, guests can bear daily witness to fearless creatures engaged in mesmerising predator-prey dynamics. It’s all about the delicate balance of life in the wild and experiencing nature's untamed beauty at its best. 

01 / 06

3 nights

Wilderness Kwetsani

For guide Goutlwamang Sarepito, or GT for short, it’s the care and conservation of land, wildlife and people that keeps him working at Wilderness Kwetsani, where he’s been a guide for the last 20 years. Kashanga Gabanne, a.k.a. Leopard, one of our newer guides at Wilderness Kwetsani, says it’s about getting out and exploring, about loving the outdoors and teaching others about nature. “I want to help others share in that love”, he says. 

But it’s not only the natural experience that makes a visit to Wilderness Kwetsani in Botswana’s Okavango Delta so special, it’s also the opportunity to travel with a real purpose. Here, together with the local people of Botswana, we are working to conserve this iconic wilderness areas. On your journey here you can get involved in joining us to uplift and assist the people of Jao village with contributions of food, clothing, and other support.

 

Leopard says we only have to look to the natural world to gain inspiration on how we can make a difference. “Look at the ant – while small, it completes more work than you may think upon your first impression. I also believe strongly in the value of teamwork and enjoy working on projects which contribute to the greater good for my community, which is the nature and goal for ants”.

01 / 06

2 nights

Wilderness King's Pool

In northern Botswana’s vast, wild and remote Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Wilderness King’s Pool offers a serene experience and rewarding game viewing. Here the fertile lands and verdant waterways pave the paths for ancient migratory routes and invite a parade of wildlife, including lions, wild dogs and elephants in their numbers. Here from the comfort of the underground hide, it’s not uncommon to come nose-to-trunk with elephants as they splash in the water, completely unperturbed by your presence.

Tapologo Gaothobogwe, a Wilderness Botswana guide for close on 10 years, who has spent a significant amount of time training at King’s Pool, says that interactions with elephants will also be some of his favourite safari encounters. He loves studying elephant behaviour and appreciates how Wilderness plays a part in ensuring that the ancient migratory paths for these animals continue to remain open. “I am a true believer in free movement of every animal and letting nature take its course”, he says. 

 

For Taps, as he’s fondly known to staff and guests, working at Wilderness and at a camp like King’s Pool, is an opportunity to nurture and grow his passion for conservation, while creating opportunities for everyone to experience these iconic wild places. “I believe every day is a learning opportunity in the wild, and nothing gives me greater joy than to discover nature through my guests’ eyes”, he says. 

01 / 06

At the end of the day, no one sums it up better than Ebineng Rabosigo, another guide at Wilderness Chitabe: 

 

 

“One has to appreciate everything you see or learn from your guides because each day on safari in Botswana is a magical experience”.

 

Ebineng Rabosigo

Wilderness Chitabe Guide

Odumetse Modikwa

Wilderness Chitabe Guide

Kashanga Gabanne

Wilderness Kwetsani Guide

Tapologo Gaothobogwe

Wilderness Botswana Guide

Exploring Botswana's best

From the crystal waters of the Delta to the lush Linyanti

View full itinerary

Let’s plan your next journey

Ready?

When we say we’re there every step of the way, we mean it, literally. From planning the perfect circuit, to private inter-camp transfers on Wilderness Air, and easing you through Customs. We’re with you on the ground, at your side, 24-7, from start to finish. Ready to take the road less travelled? Contact our Travel Designers to plan an unforgettable journey.