There has been a recent surge in interest in overland travelling to our neighbouring countries, and to Botswana in particular, and the folks from Weg! and Go! magazines have also been getting more and requests for info regarding travelling to Botswana. After publishing a very popular Botswana guide recently, they went a step further and organised two breakfast events to give more info on the planning of an over landing trip to Botswana, and to also give their readers the opportunity to ask any specific questions that they might have.
The breakfast events were hosted by Toast Coetzer and Francois Haasbroek and they were ready to share with the audience their experiences in Botswana. A local nature guide, Riaan Haasbroek (no relation to Francois) was also on hand to answer more in-depth questions re off-roading and 4×4 driving.
We attended the Gauteng event held in Pretoria last weekend and we were thoroughly impressed by how well the event was organised. The breakfast was held at The Blue Crane Restaurant and it’s a beautiful venue. The registration process were quite painless and quick and we were treated to hot coffee and tea around a boma fire. Once we were seated, the waiters brought out the breakfast which consisted out of both a warm and cold breakfast buffet. Delicious does not even begin to describe the food, which reminded me of a good and proper camping breakfast. We also received a goodie bag with the latest issues of Go! and Drive Out magazines as well as the awesome Botswana guide.
After we had our meals, we were invited to a smaller venue where Toast and Francois had set-up their presentation. The presentation was mainly centred on the Northern parks and regions of Botswana, and throughout the morning it was made quite clear that these areas are accessible to everybody. You don’t need a kitted out 4×4 vehicle to visit Kasane and Maun, as you travel on tarred roads all the way from South Africa (which is by the way, in a better condition than our own roads). There are several lodges and self-catering options in these towns and you can make use of tour operators to get you into the parks. It goes without saying that you won’t experience the true feel of living in the wild but some of the lodges on the outskirts of the towns, border on the river and you can see anything from elephants to buffaloes from the stoep at the lodge, even more so in the Kasane region.
I really enjoyed the way the info was presented to the audience as it was exactly what we’ve experienced during our own travels in Botswana. We’ve done three over-landing trips into Botswana so far, so we didn’t learn a lot of new things out of the presentation but we still thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s always nice to hear someone else perspective on the country and it’s clear that Toast shares our love for the Botswana people and their country.
There really is no excuse anymore to not go to Botswana on holiday, it’s accessible to everyone and there is several cost effective accommodation options available. So what are you waiting for? Get your copy of the Weg! Botswana guide and get cracking on your holiday of a lifetime….
Happy Campers SA 