Safari Savuti Botswana

A BROAD ABROAD: SAFARI CAMP SAVUTI

Aerial view of a large herd of African elephants.

A canvas poster with a beautiful African child on the front.

TThe guest swimming pool with elephants in the distance.

Wicker chairs with elephants in the distance.

Elephants in a herd gathered around the waterhole.

A baby elephant with its mother and pack.

A newborn baby elephant bathing with its family.

Safari Camp cooks preparing for the day's meals.

The hand-written menu board at Camp Savuti.

The seasonal fires of Savuti with smoke in the distance.

A small group of baby lions resting on a stone.

A sleeping leopard with her family in the distance.

A leopard sitting up and gazing its surroundings in the savanna grasses.

A handsome African leopard sitting up in the savanna.

Helmeted Guineafowl in the savanna grasses.

An African water buffalo chasing a calf to the water's edge.

Lion lying on the ground around the brambles.

Closeup of a lion's mouth with giant teeth.

Lilac-breasted roller at rest on a branch.

Cheetah on the hunt with trees and grasses all around.

Cheetah on the open plain at Savuti Camp.

A Cape Starling with bright, golden eyes.

Three African wild dogs on the hunt between the thickets and grasses.

A pack of six wild dogs gathered together on the dirt.

African wild dog looking over its shoulders.

Two wild dogs in the wilderness with dry thickets around them.

Three wild dogs dining on a small animal.

A silhouette of African elephants at sunrise.

Beautiful sunrise at Savuti Camp with a golden sun and red sky.

Kori Bustard walking on the Savanna grasslands.

An empty, open air Jeep while on Safari .

A sign at the landing strip with protocol for landing on the air strip.

Wilderness Air plane landing at Savuti Camp.

Return to a day in the life on Safari Botswana…

While one can never recapture the original experience of one’s “first love” — my return visit to my first safari destination, Botswana, after a 19-year hiatus — did not disappoint. I was pleased to find that the wilderness remained pristine and that Wilderness Safaris had developed many of their camps in the Okavango Delta according to their “4Cs” doctrine: commerce, community, conservation, and culture.

Of the three camps, each situated in three distinct geographic areas of the delta, Savuti Camp best epitomized the 4Cs. Since my 1997 visit to Savuti and Chitabe, in keeping with the demand, Wilderness has greatly upgraded the accommodations and food service — but more importantly — Wilderness Safaris has continued to develop the conservation, community and culture aspects of the 4Cs.

Conservation

As of this last year (2016), the Savuti channel has begun to dry up. This wet/dry cycle that occurs about every ten years requires that the animals who reside in this region adapt to the altered water flow. Elephants, who dominate the Chobe/Linyanti area of the delta, begin to concentrate along the Chobe River where there is an abundant water source. This not only places pressure on the water resources, but also the vegetation along the river. To relieve this over grazing, Wilderness Safaris, in collaboration with the Botswana government, has agreed to maintain the Savuti pan (water hole) located in front of the main lodge. The water is pumped into the pan on a timer and the clever elephants know when the “faucet” is turned on!

Savuti Room in 1997

Savuti Room in 2016

From a camp management standpoint, Wilderness has continued to expand their commitment to solar energy and recycling in orders to reduce the lodges’ impact on the delta.

Community

Wilderness’ Internal Community or “the Wilderness Tribe” have evolved over the ensuing 19 years to include staff and guides from Botswana. This employment and training of local residents creates a tremendous bond with the local communities who then benefit directly and have a vested interest in conservation of the delta. Savuti’s management team consisted of Mama Bee (relief manager), Sarita, and Elena. These ladies ran a tight ship, but the esprit de corps was always present. When I casually mentioned that I liked their chili jam and had a recipe for jalapeño lime ice cream, they immediately invited me to make the ice cream for dessert at dinner that night!

Feature image on top: Gul Isik

Our First Game Drive

The real heart of any safari camp are the guides. My colleague, Lynn, and I were privileged to have a fantastic guide, Goodman. He definitely lived up to his name in every way. From our first game drive, Goodman turned to us and said, “I have read the newspaper today”. He would proceed to then relate a few of the headlines, but as any good reporter would do, he would then drive us to the scene of the “crime.” On our first afternoon game drive, the beat was the rotting Cape buffalo carcass being devoured by flies. During our three-night stay, our reporter’s beat took us to the haunts of the leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant and a sleep out in the bush. Lynn even received a safari driver's lesson.

The Savuti Pan in 1997 Savuti Pan 1997

The Savuti Pan in 2016 with elephants gathering at a water hole Savuti Pan 2016

The Spoils of the Hunt

The highlight of our stay was our “cops and robbers” chase in pursuit of the resident wild dog pack. Goodman’s strategy was to “follow the puppies and you’ll find the adults.” This tactic paid off and we witnessed not only the spoils of the hunt, but the touching scene of the adults returning to feed the puppies regurgitated impala. I invite you to view my little slideshow on “a day in the life on safari at Savuti Camp” beginning with my small aircraft flight from Victoria Falls to the Savuti airstrip to my departure for next camp, Tubu Tree, with elephant grazing in the airstrip bushes!