Category Archives: Travel

Botswana with Kumuka: Our Overland Tour

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Since we had first come to South Africa in 2007, we had heard the great stories of people who had the opprotunity to visit Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Many had described the experience as magical, and once in a lifetime, but a trip there had always been out of reach for us because of the costs. Many had said that doing it on the cheap by on your own was no feasible and not worth the effort. However, to go the ‘proper’ way cost thousands of dollars for the flight to your 5 star resort/lodge in the Delta.

Alisa was determined to make it to Victoria Falls this time in Africa while I had made list of the Etosha Pan, the Delta, and Chobe on my list of things to do.  Upon looking at options for overland tours that would bring us to the Falls and incorporate the rest of our wish list, Alisa stumbled across numerous tours and organizations, but finally decided on Kumuka Worldwide, and their overland trip through Bostwana that originated in Victoria Falls and returned us to Joburg. It was also in our budget range, which made it seem like a great way for us to see three of our outstanding destinations.

Getting to Victoria Falls was half the fun, and you can read about our journey to Bulawayo and our train journey to Victoria Falls here.

For Botswana, we weren’t able to post updates as we went, so here is a recap of our journey with links below. We’ll add more days and we finish filling in the details on our notes of those days.

Best of Botswana Pictures

Enjoy!

Final Day in South Africa

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27 July

We wake in the patient room in Elna’s clinic this morning having slept downstairs instead of in her bedroom because she had been sleeping the evening away before she came to fetch us and wants us to take over her bedroom tomorrow with all of our packing. However, with the clinic opening we get everything upstairs fairly early, and both Alisa and I shower since leaving Cape Town two days ago.

Alisa starts to unpack everything, and get her stuff that she needs washed organized while I post all of our Botswana reports and start to organize Alisa’s electronics for Kenya. She has decided to take the iPad to Kenya instead of her Macbook Pro, as she hopes that she’ll be able to get a 3G Sim card from either Safaricom or Zain, whoever has a shop at the airport. Both seem to have reasonable prices for data bundles, and Safaricom recently extended the life of a bundle to 90 days, just in time for Alisa’s stay of three months!!

In trying to figure out which bag Alisa should take, we check SA’s baggage policies to Kenya, and find that she’s allowed 30kg. We call SA to confirm and they do so. However, we realize that the website doesn’t specify how many pieces of luggage, so Alisa calls back to inquire, Continue reading →

Derailment Slows Shosholoza, But Not Our Enjoyment

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26 July

We woke to the sound of someone yelling “TEA, COFFEE” early this morning on the Shosholoza Train. I thought it was insanely early for tea or coffee, and when we had a knock on our compartment’s door I pulled myself out of the cocoon of my sleeping bag which I had slept in on the bench with my backpack as my pillow. This would have been a fine set up, except that I had tried to sleep on my side and destroyed both of my shoulders. I find this out as I rise and move to unlatch the door. I find the Train’s conductor standing there, the same stout woman who was kind enough to upgrade us to the 4 person compartment yesterday. She calmly tells me that we are on the Orange River and that there has been a derailment ahead of us Continue reading →