On the banks of the meandering Okavango River, overlooking the wide and expansive Nxamasere flood plains, the Pan Handle Wilderness Camp is nestled under large shady Jackal Berry and Fig trees. From this base, just south of Shakawe, the main Okavango channel and large floodplains to the south are accessible for field trips. The Okavango River flows along the “Panhandle” for almost 200kms, pinned in by two parallel faults in the Earths crust and eventually spilling out into the largest inland delta system (alluvial fan) in Africa. The panhandle is renowned for its large crocodiles, ferocious tiger fish and elusive Sitatunga antelope. This unique section of the Okavango is an ideal base from which to explore, appreciate and understand this fascinating ecosystem. Behind the camp lies kilometers of un-spoilt Acacia woodlands within which we conduct our practical field research courses and bush walks.

 

Accommodation: Rustic camp site situated under large shady trees right on the banks of the river. Students will have the choice of two man igloo canvas tents, or sleeping high on a platform under the stars on a canvas-lined bedroll equiped with thick mattress, linen and blankets, with only a mosquito net to block the view. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Amenities: Bush camp facilities; Bucket showers, with water heated by donkey-boilers and long drop toilets situated within stylistic ablutions. Laundry facilities are available. There is a basic bar and dinning area overlooking the Okavango flood plains.

 

Activities: Lectures take place under the shade of jackal berry and fig trees in an open air, canvas roofed lecture room.

 

There is excellent tiger and bream fishing on the main channel close by, with game walks behind the camp and mokoro boat rides in the floodplains, bird watching and surveys, crocodile surveys (spotting and nesting), water quality testing, island and channel exploration.

ESA visits the Seronga community because of their successful CBNRM projects and the beautiful setting in which the village sits. Seronga is located at the south-eastern edge of the Okavango Delta’s Pan Handle, and is perfectly located to access the heart of the Delta or for trips down the Okavango River.

The camp, a unique destination run by the Okavango Poler's Trust, is situated on the Okavango River floodplain beside Seronga. While learning about ecotourism in modern day Botswana, you can also explore the many facets of traditional African life - rhythmic BaYei and Hambukushu music and dancing, delicious foods and ancient crafts.

 

Accommodation: Shaded camping areas with ablutions, gas water heating, and laundry facilities.

 

Amenities: Curio shop, extensive lounge area with bar and restaurant.

 

Activities: Self catering mokoro trails, camping on the delta's many islets is the main attraction away from learning about the tourism objectives for the area. While at Seronga time is taken to learn about the marvelous end product created by the community - their mokoro ride and bush walks within the beautiful surroundings, and about issues and problems they face living within this remote area - we particularly focus on issues of human-wildlife conflict and resolution.

 

The Mokoro normally fits two adults with a reasonable amount of luggage as well as your poler/guide. We provide all the food, which we carry with us,  the trip is strictly on a bush camping basis, with basic facilities. Radios and first aid kits are carried on every trail into the delta.

The World renowned Moremi Game Reserve dominates the eastern half of the Okavango Delta and offers breath-taking scenery with excellent game viewing. The Reserve harbors a diverse array of game from great herds of elephant and buffalo through to a full house of predators including lions, leopard, cheetah and wild dogs. Constantly changing flood patterns and levels throughout the Delta create a mosaic of habitats, from mopane and Acacia woodland, to open grassland and floodplains forming diverse niches for the amazing array of animals and bird life. Time within the Reserve is focused on getting out of camp and going on early morning and afternoon game drives. We use the diverse wildlife that we encounter on our game drives to discuss related ecological topics from predator-prey relationships to herd social dynamics.

 

Accommodation: ESA has its own mobile safari camp that it sets up in exclusive sites within the reserve. Sites are placed for their surrounding beauty and access to the rest of the reserve. Accommodation consists of two man igloo tents, with thick mattress bedrolls fully equipped with linen and blankets. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Amenities: The camp offers basic, yet comfortable facilities with bucket showers and long-drop loos.

 

Activities: Each day starts with an early morning game drive till late morning, followed by brunch a short siesta and then an early afternoon discussion and lecture about relevant ecological topics. A late afternoon and early evening game drive follows to round off the day.

The vast, open, shimmering pans of the Makgadikgadi offer a unique educational and ecological experience. The salt pans are the largest in Africa, formed from an ancient super-lake that is now home to desert adapted resident wildlife that await life giving rains to fill the pans at the end of every year. Rains transform the barren looking pans into a haven for migratory wildlife, from the largest zebra and wildebeest migration in southern Africa, to hundreds of thousands of migratory flamingos that descend onto the pans to breed.

 

Accommodation: ESA has its own mobile safari camp that it sets up in sites within the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Sites are placed for their surrounding beauty and access to the rest of the salt pans. Accommodation consists of two man igloo tents, with thick mattress bedrolls fully equipped with linen and blankets. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Accommodation is also provided by Planet Baobab lodge in the Makgadikgadi, which offers overnight quadbike rides across the salt pans and a welcome break to rest by the pool under the shade of Baobab trees. This allows you to get into the heart of this ecosystem and see the pans from a different angle.

 

Amenities: The camp offers basic, yet comfortable facilities with bucket showers and long-drop loos, while Planet Baobab has ablution facilities with hot running showers and flushing loos. Electricity at the camp also allows everyone to charge up all their cameras and other electrical equipment.

 

Activities: Quad biking across the salt pans, looking for archaeological artifacts such as stone tools and fossils.

The Boteti River was once a majestic river connecting the water-bound haven of the Okavango Delta to the vast inland paleo-lake Makgadikgadi. Shifting tectonic activity under the Delta caused the water to flow further to the northeast and away from the Boteti River, causing it to run dry and for the Makgadikgadi to turn into flat salt encrusted pan. The river has had a faltering history, but last flowed in 1989. By that time it formed the western boundary of the Makgadikgadi National Park and by drying-up, removed the physical barrier it created between wildlife to the east and people and cattle to the west. Until recently this riverbed was the scene of some of the most prevalent human-wildlife conflict in Botswana. To help mitigate this conflict a fence was constructed that runs along its course to once again separate man from wildlife.

 

Accommodation: ESA has its own mobile safari camp that it sets up along the banks of the riverbed within the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Sites are placed for their surrounding beauty and access to the rest of the salt pans. Accommodation consists of two man igloo tents, with thick mattress bedrolls fully equipped with linen and blankets. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Amenities: The camp offers basic, yet comfortable facilities with bucket showers and long-drop loos.

 

Activities: Watching the enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest that come down to drink in the waterholes during the dry season, while we also drive along the fence, discussing both the positive and negative aspects of fencing in Africa.

Located along the western periphery of the Okavango Delta, the Game Farm we visit affords an amazing opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of wildlife management within Africa. The farm holds large numbers of a broad spectrum of herbivores, from zebra, wildebeest, and kudu through to impala and warthog. Private concessions such as the game farm take economically sub-optimal areas and using naturally occurring species help protect the local environment and create jobs for the local community. However, issues such as hunting create emotive responses and these topics are discussed while based at the game farm.

 

Accommodation: ESA sets up camp within the farm at well chosen shady locations. Accommodation consists of two man igloo tents, with thick mattress bedrolls fully equipped with linen and blankets. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Amenities: The camp offers basic, yet comfortable facilities with bucket showers and long-drop loos.

 

Activities: Learning about the management of the farm from fence construction and water hole placement to the science behind the management - carrying capacities and game counts.

Made famous by Laurens van der Post’s 1950s book, 'The lost world of the Kalahari', Tsodilo Hills contains some of the best pre-historic paintings in Africa. The Hills create an aura of mystery and spiritualism and are an historically preserved site in Botswana. Apart from the superbly preserved panels of paintings that litter the site, the majestic feel of the location is only felt after climbing to the top of one of the three hills, the female hill. The elevated position provides an unbroken view over tens of miles of unspoilt bush and comes as a surprise after being in the flat terrain of Botswana. A San community lives close to the village, which we visit to learn about the local history of the area and to take the opportunity to learn about the San culture and bush knowledge.

 

Accommodation: ESA sets up camp next to the female hill using its mobile camp. Accommodation consists of two man igloo tents, with thick mattress bedrolls fully equipped with linen and blankets. Each tent is equipped with a torch and reading light. All meals are cooked freshly over the fire by an excellent bush chef.

 

Amenities: There are fully equipped and comfortable ablutions providing hot showers and flushing loos at the campsite.

 

Activities: Climb the female hill to look and learn about the best of the panels of paintings. Meet the local San community and learn about the culture and bush knowledge.