Here in Botswana a safari is not just a holiday to see the beautiful landscapes, wide open spaces and renowned wildlife, it is also about the people. The staff in the camps who make your stay memorable and seamless. We are sure many of you have wondered how camps and lodges in very remote and wild areas manage to offer experiences on the highest levels? We believe it all boils down to the teams on the ground. The people that look after our guests. We can call ourselves lucky to be operating in Botswana where the Batswana culture is known for its friendly, smiling and always helpful people. 

THE SAFARI GUIDES – IT’S NO LONGER A MEN’S WORLD

Your Guide is like an engine of a car… without a guide we would not know what to look for and better yet where to find what. Now your guide is the person you will spend most your safari time with. The guides are talented and highly trained, they have an instinct for where the animals are, they spend most of their time in the bush. They know each and every single corner of the areas they work in better than their own home. They are knowledgable, have great people skills and make the best gin & tonic you can imagine.

THE CHOBE ANGELS 

In Botswana we also have the very famous Chobe Angels a team of 20 + female guides who challenged gender norms to become Africa’s first all female guiding team. Chobe Game Lodge has broken the barriers and hired female guides as part of their guiding department since 2004. With Florence Kagiso becoming the first woman to join the team inside the Chobe National Park. When Florence joined, there were estimated to be only 8-10 female guides in the country. That number has grown to now well over 60 female guides and counting.  

THE TRACKERS

Let’s talk about these special guys who sit at that little corner seat in the front of a safari vehicle.
Some lodges and camps have the trackers and guide combination on every game drive adding another pair of eyes and ears to the guests’ safari experience.  The trackers support the guides by making sure no animal track gets unnoticed. 

THE BEAUTIFUL SMILES OF THE WAITERS & WAITRESSES

Nothing is ever too much. They welcome the guests with a wonderful wet cloth when coming back from game drive, always a cool drink ready for them. Most lodges and camps are based on fully inclusive rates which means all meals (breakfast, lunch or brunch, afternoon or high-tea and dinner) are included. Drinks are also generally included in the safari camps. The dining room team will make sure that guests’ wishes are fulfilled at every moment of their stay. 

CAMP MANAGERS 

Your safari is in the very capable hands of experienced and talented  camp manages who often have been working in the bush for years. Their warm welcomes, their big smiles, the joyful singing of all staff members in camp add a special touch and reveal the personality of a true Botswana safari. The camp managers and their teams love to get to know their guests and to interact with them. Some of them might even teach you a few Setswana words.

THE CHEFS GALORE

Nowhere in Botswana you will eat better food than on a safari! Safari chefs are food game changers with their ardent cooking in the middle of nowhere whipping up interesting menus and thinking out of the box. Having an inspired creative chef at the helm of your remote kitchen will make your taste buds go wild.

THE MOTOR BOAT CAPTAINS 

We love the unpredictability of being in the bush and experiencing all the activities including the water ones,  there is always something amazing to see. Going on safari is not just about the animals that you see while on a game drive but all the beauty that surrounds you, such as breath-taking sunsets while on a motorboat. The boat captains ensure that you experience a boat cruise in the best way…see all the little things that you would otherwise never see while on a game drive.

MOKORO POLERS – CAPTAINS OF THE DUGOUTS CANOES

To truly experience the magnificent Okavango Delta one has to go on a mokoro excursion. The mokoro (dugout canoe) polers definitely make it seem so easy to just glide silently through the narrow channels of the Okavango Delta. Our polers grew up in this paradise and started poling when they were little boys. They intriduce their guests  to the little things that we would otherwise miss. Like the tiny reed frogs, the insects, the flowers, colourful birds, beautiful butterflies and if lucky they make a waterlily necklace for you.

THE BUSY HOUSEKEEPERS BEHIND THE SCENES

No camp would function without the hard working and organised housekeepers who keep your rooms comfortable and clean. And the cherry on the cake is the laundry service which is usually included in your stay. This means no need to pack for your entire trip, your clothes will be washed during stay – pure luxury.