Kubu Island - Botswana Adventure (see map)
| Kubu Island - Botswana Adventure (4x4's only) 5 night / 6 day adventure (lodge accommodation & camping) Cost: R 6,400 per person (children under 10 @ 50%) |
This adventure is a must for any 4x4 and outdoor enthusiast; if you have not yet "been to the island" you can now safely do so in the comfort of your own vehicle with SA Adventure. Getting though the border at Martins Drift is a pleasure and is effortless. The roads in Botswana are in excellent condition, no previous 4x4 experience is required and you will be in radio contact with your tour leader at all times.
Our adventure in Botswana to Kubu Island, heads north west towards Nata and the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest salt pans in Africa. Our overnight stops are spent in the comfort of our bush camps and various lodges along the way!
The Adventure
Day One:
We meet in the town of Mokopane (Potgietersrus) where we will stock up on the supplies we need for our adventure! We then continue to the Limpopo River cross the border into Botswana at the Martins Drift border post.
Just over the border is our first nights stop, the beautiful Kwa Nokeng Lodge. Here we sleep in pre-pitched tents, each with their own patios over looking the Limpopo River, the rest of the day is yours to watch the hippos and birds until we have dinner at the restaurant which also has a cash bar.
Day Two:
We leave Kwa Nokeng Lodge after having a wholesome breakfast on the deck over looking the Limpopo. We head north through Francistown and towards the small town of Nata looking out for elephant and giraffe on the road as we go. We spend our second night at the awesome Nata Lodge. It is an oasis set among the Mokolwane palms on the edge of the pans. We spend the evening at the restaurant and bar chatting and getting to know each other better, before we retire to our chalets for the night.
Day Three:
In Nata we refuel our 4x4's and head west towards the small village of Gweta, where we turn left of the main road and start heading into the Makgadikgadi. We are now in the bush and completely away from human inhabitation, along the way we may encounter elephant, giraffe, ostriches and many species of birds and antelope. About half way to the pans we will stop under the shade of an Acacia Tree and have a picnic lunch. Slowly as we get closer to the pans, you will start to notice the environment and landscape changing, and then there it is, your first view of the pans, its a tremendously humbling experience when you see your first pan! We carefully drive across the pans, stopping to look at the vegetation here and there and then suddenly from nowhere it appears, Kubu Island in all its glory standing twenty meters proud of the pans with its Ancient Baobab Trees calling us towards them! We are camping tonight so we set up camp and have a delicious Braai on the edge of the pans!
Day Four:
We wake up to the most amazing site of the sun rising over the island and have breakfast. Today we will explore the island and drive a little way out onto the pans for some fantastic photo opportunities. The island has many birds and other wildlife. We will look at the Baobab trees and go on a hike across the island looking at the spiritual sites of the local people along the way!
Day Five:
We leave Kubu Island early and head south across the pans through the village of Matsalanka and out towards Orapa, where we meet up with the tar road again. We now head towards Kharma Rhino Sanctuary where we will have lunch and a swim in the pool before we go on a game drive where we will see Rhino, Zebra, Eland and a verity of other interesting game, we will be camping again tonight and we will have a bonfire where we can have a drink and talk about the memories we have shared and the new friends we have made along the way!
Day Six:
Today is our last day together, we break camp and have breakfast at the restaurant, from here we head back towards the border through the towns of Palapaye and Sherwood, stopping for lunch along the way. We cross back into South Africa and head back towards Mokopane, unfortunately our adventure must come to an end here, but we take with us a lifetime of memories, photos and new friends we have made along the way!
Please do not expect to do any "vehicle breaking" off road driving on this adventure, as we will do a large percentage of the route on tar roads and good dirt roads. The only "REALY TOUGH' driving will be on the pans themselves, and here we will practice extreme care.
The Team
As we will be making use of formal accommodation and camping and cooking in the field, the crew will consist of only your tour leader and his assistant, who will provide you with tasty picnic lunches and assist where and whenever necessary.
Your tour leader is an experienced nature conservationist and adventure guide. He will be in radio contact with you at all times and impart a wealth of biological, cultural, historic and 4-wheel drive safety knowledge.
What you need to bring
-Drivers licence and passports (valid for at least six months)
-Registration papers for your vehicle (or photocopy)
-Authorization from your bank or owner if the vehicle is not yours
-ZA sticker affixed to the rear of your vehicle
-3rd party insurance is compulsory in Botswana, purchased at the border for P 90
-Tents, bedding and chairs
-Alcoholic beverages and snacks for your own account
-The Botswana Packages can be adjusted according to your requirements; please do not hesitate to contact us for more information
Contact us here for Botswana Kubu Island Adventure dates and prices!