travelswithalice

We’re in Meno a Kwena, in Botswana. This is where Prince Harry took Meghan Markle for her birthday on their third date. So you can imagine the hype that preceded our first view of camp.

The camp is remarkably basic. Having been to only two other safari camps, I’m a little taken aback by how basic this is. The website does say it’s a no-frills camp but the photos still hadn’t prepared me for the middle of the bush setup.

We are warmly greeted by the five people who run the camp. Matilda, who seems in charge shakes my hand and says rather formally, “Welcome to our paradise!”

That afternoon.

We’ve just come back from afternoon tea. Matilda has made a cake and husband TT took charge of making tea and coffee. Camp owner Hennie Rawlinson and daughter Carla, also staying in camp, came to say hello. 

Fellow Aussie Kimberly, whom we met on the long drive from the airport, works as a vet at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo and lives in Mosman, practically next door to us in Sydney and now stays in the tent next to ours. Well, brave Aussie girl that she is, she announces that she’s going for a swim in the pool. It’s the middle of winter here and the pool looks really cold. 

We escape to the relative warmth of our well-appointed tent.

There’s a private deck outside the tent. We’re on a bluff jutting out to a bend on the Boteti river. We watch a herd, or more precisely, a dazzle of zebra pausing for a drink along its migration trail. They’re barking, hee-hawing, splashing in the water, galloping up and down the dusty slope. 

The river is low, too low to paddle a canoe or do a river cruise. The rains have come to Angola though, and the folks in Meno a Kwena wait eagerly for the floodwaters to come. They’ve already reportedly reached the nearby town of Maun.

There’s a mighty roar from the river to our right. Hippo. Two of them splashing about. 

Stuart rushes down to the floating hide for a closer look. It’s a camouflaged observation post on the edge of the river.

An elephant has arrived as the sun begins to set.

Later, dinner under the stars with everybody in camp. Afterwards, stories by the campfire. I’ve armed myself with mosquito patches but there doesn’t seem much need for them.

Stuart and I sit close to the fire, snuggled under a wool blanket, sipping Amarula on ice.

Labels: Africa, Botswana

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones  # June 26, 2018