The Brave Africa safari experience began immediately after landing in the bush. Wina, our excellent guide who drove us around throughout the trip and was our bush expert, picked us up directly from our plane. Then, on our drive from the bush landing zone to camp, we saw 3 of the big 5! Elephants, lions, buffalo, and a whole lot more. It was crazy. Just 4 hours until sundown and we had experienced a lifetime of wildlife in our first drive! Botswana is very alive!
Also, this is not camping that I was use to. It’s a king bed with sealed floors, flushing toilets, and bucket showers! There were blankets, sheets, chairs to sit in—it’s huge! They also do laundry! So, you can enjoy your stay, be in the bush and have clean clothes! That’s crazy!
If I had to describe it, Brave Africa is glamorous camping if there is such a thing! Very doable.
Our game drives out were from sunrise to sunset. This is an adventure with an expert guide who knows what he’s doing and is with you every step of the way! Brave Africa is for people who want to maximize their experience with every type and kind of wildlife you can possibly see. We loved the all-day game drives because it gave us the greatest chance of seeing something amazing.
By the way, Brave Africa uses a premier vehicle for seeing animals. It’s open, stadium seating so every person has a good view. It’s also a maximum of 6 riders and the guide per car, which means there was no middle seat.
The phrase I used was, “We have seen astonishing things this day!” Every day was one more astonishing thing on our list. Cheetah, Leopard, Lion’s galore, Elephants, Antelope (10+ types), Zebra, Honey badgers, Hippo, Mongoose, Birds, Vultures, Painted Dogs in a kill, Nile Crocodiles, and the list goes on. I still haven’t processed my pictures there are so many.
When arriving back into Brave Africa’s camp, the camp personnel are singing! Yep, you come back to your tent and are greeted with the sweetest harmony of voices, rhythm and enthusiasm you can ever experience. You’re tired, dusty, been on a 10+ hour drive, and you come “home” to singing, hot towels to wipe your face, cold drinks, help you with your bags, help you get comfortable for a specially prepared homecooked meal! They even have an oven! So, we had fresh baked bread, tender chicken or beef, you name it. Very amazing meals. Napkins, plates, glasses, silverware, it’s done well!
Also, if you don’t have a “Wina” (our guide), you don’t have ½ the experience. Wina has 10+ years experience in Botswana, he taught most of the guides. He knows every animal, behavior, tracking paw prints, birds, even knows about animal poop! Very important if you want to catch your animal. It’s like we’re hunting in a Landcruiser, everyone on watch, hoping to spy the next amazing sighting!
Wina told us a phrase, “This is Africa!” It meant, at any moment, at any turn, something could happen, something could change and you are awestruck watching in amazement an animal, an event, a dazzle of Zebra and quite frankly you are rendered speechless. Humbled by God’s creation and harmony of animals living and existing together in the bush.
You feel like you shouldn’t be here. You’re out of your element. Yet, you’re thrilled to be a part of it, to see and share in this experience in the “animals’ backyard”. You feel like you are in their zoo, and what a privilege to participate and to try and capture with your camera the moments presented to you. When an elephant (one of three encounters) walks up to you within 3 feet, you can’t help but feel a little scared, giddy, excited, overwhelmed, can’t breathe, want to touch, can’t move kind of moment! It’s that exciting!
Some advice if you’re thinking of going on safari with Brave Africa:
1.) Remember, you are still in the bush, and you are camping! One shrill note from a Hyenas’ or Lions’ call, or in our case we had a Hippo outside making a most amazing low grunting sound, and you know it’s not Kansas. Once inside your tent, you stay inside your tent. You are safe. But you are in Africa, and walking around at night by yourself is not in your best interest! You must respect and honor the wildlife at all times!
2.) Trick when riding in the Landcruiser, sit up a bit. Take your back off the seat back and you can ride the bumps, twists and turns much better.
3.) Before going on safari with Brave Africa, we first went into Cape Town to rest up after our long flights. I would highly recommend this so you can fully enjoy the safari experience. Plus, getting to Botswana and camp is an event in itself—Joburg to Maun, then from Maun to your bush flight. Pack light. We had great information from Brave Africa on what to bring, how to pack and prepare ourselves.
4.) After Botswana, we headed to Victoria Falls to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After seeing the animals in the Safari, to be frank, we saw more wonder and awe than any waterfall could ever show you. Don’t’ get me wrong, Victoria Falls is amazing, but not after what we experienced in Botswana. It did allow for a little rest, hot showers, and relaxation before heading back for 2 days travel. Well worth the stop over since you’re right there!
5.) A good camera is a must! I love photography. In Arizona, it’s birds of prey. In Africa, I wanted the best I could get. I needed a sealed camera, capable of great telephotos. After much research on Amazon, we got the Sony RX10iv. Awesome camera, great for Africa! 3,500+ pictures later, thrilled with the results. Highly recommend.
Let me be honest, my opinion of Africa and pre-determined thoughts and ideas were totally wrong! I only had National Geographic TV shows and Planet Earth videos as my references. My conceived ideas were every animal was running for their lives from either being eaten, attacked, or dying of thirst! It was not on my bucket list, too far away, too hostile, I don’t like camping, I don’t want to be sitting in a line with other people gawking at animals ½ mile away, and I can see animals on TV.
However, I am thrilled to have experienced a small part of Africa. Brave Africa blew all my expectations out of the water.
What are some of the most amazing things I experienced?
• Quiet! I don’t remember ever experiencing total quiet. Nothing. Earth shattering to me. Such stillness. All I heard were my ears ringing. That I will miss!
• Animals so close you can hear them breathing. Nothing quite like it.
• The harmony of nature living together. Herds, pods, dazzles, confusions, you name it, we saw it. Mostly all animals getting along, doing life together.
• No WiFi or Cell Phone at all! Yes, totally unplugged. Good for your soul!
• Time to reflect on what’s important. To rest, rejuvenate, see creation as you’ve never experienced it before, great company with the camp personnel, to come away refreshed! Tired, but refreshed and old paradigms removed and new ones welcomed.
• Memories that will last my lifetime. Experiences no one can take away, or understand unless they experience it themselves! Very unique and satisfying.
