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Self-drive: From Kenya to Cape Town
In May and June, the African winter, Juliet Le Breton went on a self-drive safari from Kenya to Cape Town with Tanda Tula Africa. She was accompanied by her English fiance, Tim, the Opera Twins (Carmen and Maria) and 19-year-old Emma. Tanda Tula supplied two guides: Gary, a Zimbabwean, and Seth, a South African. They drove two Land Rovers - a 130 fitted with a kitchen and rooftop tents, and the crew vehicle, an open-sided 110 nicknamed "Hillary" because of its obvious dislike of climbing mountains.
by Juliet Le Breton
We join her after five weeks on the road, as she leaves Victoria Falls and heads through Botswana and Namibia.
Friday - Victoria Falls to Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana
With only three weeks and four thousand kilometres to go, we'd arranged a planning session over breakfast pancakes at the Pink Baobab cafe. But Emma had left her handbag in the Explorer's Bar the night before, and it had disappeared within seconds, with her passport inside. She had to fly to Harare to get a new passport before joining us in Botswana. So we went to the police, a travel agent and the airport, by which time the pancakes were forgotten.
After a fraught morning we crossed the border at the tiny town of Kazungula and dipped our tyres and toes in the insecticide-filled concrete dip at the foot-and-mouth control checkpoint. Ten minutes later we were in our campsite at Chobe Safari Lodge, watching the scarlet sunset reflect in the river. We bought each other drinks at the floating bar and began to wind down.
Saturday - Chobe
Our alarm went off at 5.25am - oh joy! The Opera Twins, Tim and I hauled ourselves out of our sleeping bags and piled into the open-sided Land Rover, Hillary. At the park entrance we were relieved of vast sums for entry fees. Hillary had to pay an entry fee as well, which seemed rather excessive.
But we soon realised it was worth it, as we watched a lioness calling her cubs. Every time we turned a corner in the deep sand track, we saw something. Mongooses played like children, and panicking guinea fowl and francolins criss-crossed the track inches away from our wheels. Huge monitor lizards basked in the sun and impala rams clashed horns in battle.
By lunchtime it was steamy, so we stopped to picnic under a large tree. There was a commotion in the tree above us and we saw a squirrel shouting indignantly at a large black snake. It was a black mamba sliding into the squirrel's nest, intent on devouring the babies. While we were distracted by the tree-top show, a cheeky vervet monkey took the opportunity to steal our cheese. Luckily, we'd already eaten.
We spent a happy afternoon watching the elephants having mud baths. As the sun went down, we watched them browsing while the sky lit up like fire and brimstone.
Sunday - Chobe
Another dawn start, and Tim and I headed for the park alone as the Opera Twins wanted a day to enjoy back massages and the swimming pool at the lodge. On the road out of Kasane the large ghostly shape of an elephant emerged out of the shadows to cross the road. Laughing with surprise, we stopped the car to give way.
Once in the park we paused by the river to watch some of Chobe's famous elephants drinking. The young splashed in the water, but the matriarchs suddenly shooed them away and within minutes the whole herd disappeared into the bush. "The show's over", I sighed, but Tim was pointing across the river, where a movement had caught his eye. It was a lioness coming down to drink. We couldn't believe our luck when another lioness emerged from the bush and the two greeted each other with sniffs and licks, and then laid down back to back, surveying their kingdom.
A few minutes later a warthog, not seeing the lions, came down to drink at the water's edge. The lions leapt, the warthog screamed, dust was everywhere and we could just about make out a tangle of bodies as the three of them came to a stop inches away from our car. The lions held the warthog in a death grip around the neck and we could hear rasping wheezes as it struggled for breath. The cats swiped at each other over who was going to get the rump. Once that was settled, they began to eat.
Back at Chobe Safari Lodge, Seth had collected a triumphant Emma from the Zimbabwean border, so we treated ourselves to the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet. We enjoyed some tender beef and kudu kebabs, and also tried a local speciality - mopane worms deep-fried with spinach. "They're like sardines", reported Carmen, crunching as she tried a whole one. "They taste earthy", said Tim, proffering a piece to Emma, who declined.
For further information about travel in Africa, visit Travel Africa Magazine
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