After negotiating what I think will most likely be our easiest border crossing for the trip, we drove into Gaborone with expectations of roughing it. Minutes later we drove passed a shopping centre that rivals Cavendish Square. Needless to say Gabs eased us into Africa!

Our first night in Botswana took us to the privately owned Mokolodi Game Reserve just south of Gaborone where we camped in the “wild” for the first night. Our campsite was clean with an outdoor shower, flushing toilet (we discovered later that this is rare in African camping), a braai pit and sink. We even had sturdy trees to test out our hammocks (wow, what a great buy those were). Campbell said he felt like the tall blue people in Avatar and how they sleep in cocoons!! All I can say is 19,000miles…eish!

We didn’t get much sleep that night. First lesson learned – always sleep with ear plugs. I love nature but I love my sleep more. I was convinced that every sound was a large animal coming to step on us in our ground tent. Ignorance is bliss! I have since slept like a baby thanks to my Superdrug earplugs.

Our first game drive in the landy took us over rocky and occasionally sandy terrain but Caspuur sailed through it without having to use the diff lock. We saw quite a few buck, giraffe, zebra, warthogs and many stunning birds.

We were meant to leave the next morning for the Khama Rhino Sanctuary but were delayed in Gaborone trying to find the Department of Wildlife and Nature Parks. The guide sent us one way and the Batswana sent us another, but we found it in the end. After taking several hours (African time) to book our weeks accommodation in various game reserves we stayed at the Mokolodi Backpackers as we would never have made the long drive to Serowe.

Apart from the excitable owner and the tick-ridden mangy dogs the place was great. They had a pool, a pregnant pig named New Year and some funky guests who we had drinks with later that evening.

Crack of dawn the next morning saw us at Exact Exhausts in Gaborone to have our rear break discs skimmed. I think the whole of Gaborone was thankful for that. Talk about nails on a chalkboard effect. After the minor delay we were back on the road and rhino bound.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary with its 4300 hectares of land has been my highlight of our trip so far. With 33 white rhino and 3 black rhino, among other game, it is well worth the visit. This is by far the best camping we have had to date. Lovely HOT showers, a tap with drinkable water in your campsite, a braai pit, shady trees and tons of secluded space - it was so peaceful. That evening we spent part our booze cruise game drive practicing the functionalities of the diff lock on the beach-like sand. In fact we were able to put our skills to the test on our way back to the campsite when we came upon a 2WD Toyota corolla stuck in the sand. All I can say is we looked like professionals! In gratitude we were treated to several drinks with Michael (Toyota corolla) and the manager of Khama Rhino Sanctuary. Botswana’s local beer, St Louis, is extremely light and not too shabby.

We were chased into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve by the biggest blackest storm clouds I have ever seen. The first of our rainy season torrential downpours only lasted for a few moments before it washed away and the only signs of its presence was two wet tourist ringing out their clothing.

Apart from its massive expanse of land, and I mean HUGE (52 800 km2 - it’s the size of Denmark), I am sad to say that Campbell and I were a little disappointed. This is also largely down to the fact that we hadn’t read up enough about the place. The campsites have NO running water, a pit latrine and no dustbins. You are totally self-sufficient and the park officials don’t offer emergency help at all. We made a rookie error and didn’t fill up with diesel in Mopipi when we should have. Thinking there would be diesel in Rakops we drove right passed the only diesel/petrol spot within 300 kilometers of the CKGR. To be fair, the map we are using did say that there was petrol/diesel in Rakops. Hmm, it’s obviously outdated. So we have to conserve the fuel and do short game drives, but with such a massive area to cover and rations on diesel we haven’t really seen much other than buck and ground squirrels here. Oh well, live and learn.

The highlight of the CKGR was hearing lions roar throughout our last night and into the early morning. We were both too scared to move.

We are heading to Maun tomorrow where we will stock up on water, fresh food and diesel. Then it’s on to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. We have decided against seeing the salt pans which is a pity, but we have spent longer than planned in Botswana already and need to get on the road.

We are both really excited for the delta!!