It is now nearing 41 years, that I have been extremely fortunate to travel to many countries on our African Continent. Most have brought great memories and spectacular sightings.However, Botswana has an attraction of its own.

Since 1985 I have travelled Botswana in varying degrees of work, tours and visits. In the early years I was privileged to work with the “BDF” (Botswana Defence Force), the “CTO” (Central Transport Organization) and “SSG” (Special Support Group Police). All of these had me visiting almost every town in Botswana, and with the BDF & SSG, I was taken to parts of the country not seen by any tourist, or even many locals. Let’s not forget some fantastic people, like the infamous Les Trotter and Rod Bateman, who flew me all over and chaperoned me through many journeys; being introduced to many local people, from the important cleaners right up to the President himself.

So, when it comes to choosing a favourite spot in Botswana, it’s an extremely difficult task, BUT I feel that Mabuasehube or “Mabua” as it is affectionately known, must be one on my list of favourite venues and destinations.  

Mabua is not a “love/hate relationship” it is neither – you either love it, or you hate it.

Me, I love it, its harshness, the desert, the red sands, the heat and all those attractions which make Mabua recognisable in one photo – be it the lions, the ground squirrels, franklins, bateleurs, falcons, jackals, gemsbok, the tsamma melons, acacia trees and best of all – the sunsets.

Visiting the park in the last two decades every April and October (for most years) I have become au-fait with many of the animals’ activities and history, so it is always exciting to get there and see what’s new.

As you arrive and start setting up camp, your first visitors are the franklin and ground squirrels, they become so much a part of your camp that by day 2 each one has a name.

Once camp is set up, and you settle down to relax with a refreshment in hand, its time to absorb the vast pans in front of you, in the background, the crackle of the fire and bustle of supper preparation under the recognisable A-frame; the franklin scratching in the sand, the ground squirrels going about their last duties of the day, while you wait for the first jackal visit and the breath-taking view of the sun sets behind you.

The lions of Mabua have a special place in my heart. This is the one place you a certainly guaranteed to encounter this majestic black-maned Kalahari Lion – either meeting him on the road, finding them lazing under a tree, or having a meal – and then the phenomenal distant roaring as they approach your camp to pay you a visit in the evening. I have seen them born and raised to become leaders and mothers, and in some instances, killed to be taken over by a new male wanting to dominate the area and the breeding of new fresh cubs.

Let us not forget the spectacular visit or sighting of the leopard and shy cheetah, even if they were only captured with a game cam. It remains special.

For those keen to visit, you need to be self-sufficient as far as camping is concerned – so you might need to invest in some more equipment, or maybe tag along with a friend who is…

… because Mabua is wild.

There is no water, no ablutions, no fuel, no shops, and no rubbish bins. You must bring everything with you, but more importantly learn “bush etiquette” – “What you bring in, you must take out“.

Fires can be disastrous in the area, especially in the winter months when it is very dry, so your campfire must be well managed.

Over the years I have seen some disgusting displays from our fellow campers – camp sites left with toilet paper stuck in all the bushes, campfires not cleaned up, cigarette butts, beer bottle caps, cable ties and in some instances, even bottles and tins still laying around.

Now some will argue, they did not mess and throw it on the ground, it was the hyena that stole the bag – well, some common sense needs to be applied here then, don’t you think?   Again, remember “bush etiquette”

But that said- I have also seen campsites left spotless, from the previous visitors.

Even with all the above, I will continue to visit as long as I can, Wendell Berry said “A man knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children”. Don’t let your children miss out on what we call Africa – the one place where it is still really wild without too much human interference.

As we prepared for our October 2024 visit, the 9-hour journey from Gauteng was easy with an early afternoon arrival.  We all met at a private game farm close to Tsabong, where the evening was spent around the boma fire, catching up, story telling and laughs aplenty. Preparation for the next day and a quick “do and don’t”, and it was bedtime.

Next morning a quick planned stock up of groceries and refuel in Tsabong was the order of the day, before the short 100km journey (which can take 2.5 to 3 hours), 70km of good gravel road and then 35km of thick red Kalahari sand tracks, and we arrived at the main gate. Formalities done, another short 20km, or 1.5 hours, and we were at the campsite.   

Happiness. we have arrived. Camp is set up briskly, and one car leaves for a quick game drive.  We light the fire so that supper can be done before dark, because this is the time to enjoy the sunset, and a possible visit from the local pride of lion. Unfortunately, they did not grace us with their presence that evening, and an early morning game drive was required to go find them.

Mabuasehube, known for its lion presence, not only offers this unique experience, but one mustn’t forget the multitude of smaller interests that plague the entire park.

Five glorious nights in the bush, with great sightings – one of the best was two females who had killed an eland and they hung around the carcass feeding with their three Cubs. On the third day they were joined by another pair of females.

Another great sighting for our guests, was the leopard that came to drink at the water hole. She certainly wasn’t shy and gave everyone quality time for some awesome photos.

Tons of other photos, of bateleurs, lions, franklin, finches, trees, sunsets and people having fun, will be kept in our memory bank for a long time to come.

Homeward bound, is always a sad time, but once again we made the most of it and spent another night at the private game farm, just to ensure we don’t forget the fires, bush and absolutely fantastic people.