Safari in Kasane

Our excursion to Kasane in Northern Botswana is almost indescribable, but I'm going to do my best to convey what the experience was like.

The trip to Kasane is about 12 hours by bus, so we started early in the morning to make it to Kasane in the evening. The bus was a 60 seater charter bus and, while we appreciated the ability to stretch out, the seats were cramped and there was no heat or air conditioning. The windows leaked, causing frigid air to blow on us until the sun came up. Also, unlike most US charter buses, it had no toilet.

The drive was pretty average, although there is no direct route to Kasane and we had to zig-zag up the country, extending the trip. Luckily, that meant seeing more of Botswana's bigger cities during bathroom/food breaks, like Francistown where I got a grilled cheese! By the time we got close to Kasane, however, there were no towns and 60% of the road was missing in chunks. Literally, huge potholes covered the road. The bus drove on the side of the road to avoid them, making us all think we might flip over. I actually began planning my escape route.

However, despite the potholes and near-death experiences, the drive to Kasane was great because I saw my first wild elephants and giraffes. In the evening, as the sun started to go down, they were just hanging out on the side of the road. They didn't seem scared by the vehicles and even walked towards the bus when it stopped. Seeing these animals up close in the wild was breathtaking.

When we finally got to the hotel, we were amazed. We stayed at a beautiful five-star hotel called Mowana, named after the Setswana word for the baobab tree. It was mostly open air and featured a live mowana tree inside. They met us at the door with hot towels and juice drinks with umbrellas in them! Our rooms were amazing and featured balconies and beds with draped mosquito nets (fashionable and functional!) I roomed with Meg and we both went to sleep excited about the next day's activities.

We woke up early on Sunday for our game drive and wrapped ourselves in blankets to keep out the cold. Our open-air trucks were breezy but allowed for a great views of the animals. We saw giraffes, lions, impala, puku, baboons, birds, warthogs, and more. We couldn't get great views of the lions, but being in their presence was awe inspiring. It also inspired a little fear, as our guides warned us that they were "very aggressive animals." No kidding...

We went back to the hotel and had some naps to recover from the early morning before going on a boat cruise. This was one of the highlights of our experience. We saw numerous hippos, five or six crocodiles (one of which got freaked out by the boat and scared the living daylights out of us,) kudu, puku, eagles, baboons, and hundreds of elephants. Everywhere we went, we saw herds of elephants on land and in the water. Considering their size, they are incredibly active and fun to watch. We saw some swimming and were impressed with their playfulness.

Both the game drive and the boat cruise were unforgettable experiences. To top off the perfect day, most of us had gourmet dinners (I had steak) at the hotel's restaurant and watched the sun set over the Chobe river. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Our second morning in Kasane was spent at the market and mall in town. There were a lot of inexpensive souveniers and we had some good opportunites to relax. In the afternoon, I sat on our balcony, enjoyed the sunshine, and took in the sight of the Chobe river while reading a good book. It was a very relaxing way to enjoy such a beautiful part of Botswana.

Heading back, the bus ride was even more hilariously treacherous than it was on the way there. However, I was still so excited about the previous two days that I didn't care. Our stay here is almost over, which is sad, but I'm excited to get home and tell everyone about what I've seen and done here!

I have a lot of pictures to share from the safari, so I'll post a link to an album later!