From top: The Tour de Tuli provided a sublime two-wheel safari; Paul and his wife Deirdre at Elephant Pan Lodge in the Khwai Private Reserve in northeastern Botswana. |
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PHOTOGRAPHS JACQUES MARAIS, PAUL INGPEN |
After a good hard look at maps of Botswana, and lots of research( with the enormous help of Safari Essence, the adventure-travel experts who sponsor a SA women’ s cycling team) into the best routes between cycling-friendly reserves, I plotted a family trip. We’ d first head to the east of the country, to the Tuli Block, where Koro Camp nestles on the Limpopo River, and then go westwards to Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi Pans. We’ d spend a week in each of two very different biospheres, both of which have organisations that provide the rare opportunity to traverse |
the bush by bike, led by knowledgeable guides who know their region intimately.
I set about sourcing a vehicle suited to the journey, and found an ideal roof-top camper 4x4 stocked with everything we needed – tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, fridge, water tank, long-range fuel tanks and more – at Britz Rentals, conveniently next to the airport in Joburg. We picked it up and off we went.
Crossing the grey-green Limpopo into a wilderness without cell reception soon settled the family into deep-breathing, grounded connectedness. For the next two weeks we were off the grid, making up for
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the lost time of modern, urban, distracted life. Our arrival at Koro Camp, under a bright Milky Way, to a burning boma fire, hot chocolate, the sound of the rustling river, and a distant hyena howl set the tone for our long-awaited Botswanan adventure. Mountain bikes were lined up outside our chalet, ready to ride at dawn. This significantly upped the excitement levels, especially for my kids who only really know game-viewing from inside a vehicle. Mosa Masupe, an ex-Tour de Tuli guide, led our three days of bush-biking adventures.
From Koro, we headed steadily west to Maun and the Delta. Here Chris Macintyre and his son Kyle have led horseback and cycling safaris for decades. Our timing was perfect, and we witnessed the very first waters arriving in the delta from rains miles north in Angola, transforming dry riverbeds into fish eagle playgrounds in minutes.
My daughter Mila wrote about her experience before she left for varsity overseas and her account follows. Josh Pinn, another young Saffa who has fallen in love with Botswana bike safaris, adds his insights, and expert guides Mosa and Kyle describe the special SADC Rand-friendlier bike safaris we persuaded them to create for you, our readers. →
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bucket-list busting | MTB | 29 |