LBB Experience

15/02/2023

Our view of The Sleeping Giant as we drove into the city this morning.
We are hoping to hike up there again sometime soon while it’s still very green.

02/02/2023

20/09/2021

The number 8 represents a couple of things.

Some believe it represents hope, new horizons and bright future.

For the Japanese, 8 means multiplicity.

A favourable number, associated with prosperity.

We occupied room 8 during our stay in Nata Lodge recently. I think it's a sign.

14/09/2021

LMS Ruins - Old Palapye

Took a day trip to the the ruins of the most outstanding man made feature within the Old Palapye historical site; London Missionary Society church built between 1891 and 1894.

Even though there is still room for improvement, I was quite impressed with the visibility of signage boards, refuse bins and a very knowledgeable tour guide; Onkemetse.

Onkemetse took us on a tour of this territory, which was at some point in the past home to around 30,000 people including Bangwato tribe, European traders, missionaries and their families.

During the tour, which lasted for over two hours of walking and driving combined, we got to learn that the area is run by the Malaka community development trust which has grand plans to make the site more attractive and both financially and environmentally sustainable.

It would be lovely to visit again in the future.
You too can visit them. Entry fee is BWP20 per person and an extra BWP20 for a vehicle.

17/06/2021

So exciting see one of the famous landmarks along the A1 highway get it's long overdue facelift.

Works underway include landscaping, stalls, sitting areas and ablution block among othe features.

It seems that stopover will be totally different moving forward.

📍 Tropic of Capricorn monument south of Mahalapye, Botswana.

06/04/2021

The National Botanical Garden.

Ended up here for lunch a couple of weeks ago and plenty of memories from my university days came flooding.
Back then, the garden was so well kept and we would even book it for some of our team building activities on weekends.
The braai stands they have on site and the kitchen made it easy for the organizing team to get a couple of things in order.

We would sometimes go on a walkabout led by a tour guide who would enthusiastically share their knowledge of the vegetation as well as the history of the place.
If my memory serves me right, it was mentioned that the building here was the first hotel in Gaborone, not so far from the Village fort- another historical landmark within this area.

With the national museum currently closed for renovations, I think there is great potential for this place to shine...and that could start with clearing the pathways, grooming the gardens and bringing those enthusiastic tour guides to the site.

• This is a 7 hectare park in Village, Gaborone. It was opened in 2007 and houses indigenous plants from across the country such as Moporota, Mokolwane, Mosu, Mokgwapha and many others.

15/03/2021

A 41KM drive from Gaborone city via A1 southbound can lead you to this lovely establishment nestled in the middle of indigenous plants such as mosu, mopipi, mosetlha and others.

In addition to chirping birds and buzzing insects are soothing and calming effects thanks to man made water fountains around.
This place is a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

Open lawns and picnic tables are a perfect cherry on top. Plus, they have a swimming pool.

05/01/2021

I recently came across my passport.
Upon opening it, I was shocked to see when last it got stamped on.
I also browsed through the yellow fever certificate, which by the way is always in the middle of the passport. I got strict instructions to not separate the two after I got that injection sometime back.

This has to be the longest time I have not travelled across the border in such a long time.

The face of travel has changed altogether lately, owing to the covid-19 pandemic.
I have been noticing fellow travel enthusiasts share their experiences of travelling to different countries during this time and I have mixed feelings. It's becoming crazier with the new wave and talks of vaccines not being clear at this stage.

I sit back and look back at my passport and yellow fever certificate and think about how the future of cross border travel will be like.
So many questions come to mind but very few answers.

Have you travelled out of your country lately? How has the experience been?

10/06/2020

I remember reading the Travel Africa magazine over the years and how I wish to have my travel experiences featured in there...and on other travel blogs and magazines because that's what I like. I like travelling and telling stories.

A few months after this photo was taken I scored a feature on the Air Botswana in-flight magazine; Peolwane.
The article detailed my experience at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It was such an exciting moment for my journey in this space I'm still trying to navigate.

01/06/2020

OT, who has been a tour guide for our trips to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park had this tendency of bringing the vehicle to a complete halt and said nothing at all. Over time we got to learn what this meant. It was his way of preparing us for some action.

I took this photo during one of those moments at the Kij Kij watering hole with just a few birds on sight. Moments later, lots of wild animals descended from the red sand dunes to quench their thirst. It was such a beautiful moment to witness.
It also added a couple more points into OT's bag. His extensive knowledge of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is outstanding.

25/05/2020

Kgalagadi game drive. What to wear?

•Long Trousers - Make sure these are comfortable, don’t go for skinny jeans and leather pants are a no no!
I find khakhis and cargo pants to be the best because of the comfort and lots of pockets which allow me to store extras such as lenses, memory cards, batteries and other things.

•Long Sleeve Tops -These work best especially for morning and evening game drives. You can layer them to keep the cold outside when temperatures drop or keep those mosquitoes from biting you.

•Sunhat -The scorching Kgalagadi sun can be quite unbearable sometimes, it's advisable to make sure you have a sunhat with you. The safari hat with a draw string is the most suitable.

•Sunglasses - Like I mentioned above, the Kgalagadisun can be quite unbearable so make sure you have those sunglasses ready for the game drive.

•Comfortable shoes - Closed shoes are ideal to protect you from scorpions and other creepers.
Make sure you have your boots or sneakers and you're comfortable for some of those walks up the Kgalagadi red sand dunes for example.

•Suncreen - probably one of the most important things to wear. I told you about the Kgalagadi sun.

Please note by going on a game drive, you are already invading the privacy of wild animals so it's important to blend with their territory. The classic safari gear in green or khaki colours will work best. Avoid white and bright colours at all costs.

21/05/2020

Open landscapes

There is more than enough space for both animals and tourists in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The KTP is about twice the size of the Kruger National park, so you can imagine the possibility of long game drives and other activities that can be achieved within that much space.

The desert landscape makes spotting animals much different as you can spot them from a distance. This is in comparison to other areas such as Chobe and Ngami areas north of Botswana.

Internal roads are gravel roads which are well maintained (as seen on the photo). I like how there are no tarred roads.

Another plus is the ability to move between the two parks in two countries without a passport (unless exiting on the other side). That's three countries actually because you can enter Namibia via Mata Mata.