My spider story....

So, if you are super scared of spiders then it is probably best for you to stop reading now. But, if you want a bit of a laugh and like to be a little horrified then definitely keep reading.

I’ve been lucky enough to have been to the Okavango Delta a few times and have had all kinds of different experiences each time. Generally trips to the Okavango Delta are peaceful and exciting. Gliding through the waterways on a mokoro (a local wooden dug-out canoe), listening to the ripples of the water whilst keeping an eye out for elephants on the river banks. You will also often spot hippos lounging around in the water or crocs sunbathing. Occasionally you will get little visitors in the mokoros, such as a tiny frog or a little spindly spider.

So when I arrived in the Okavango Delta again, I felt very prepared and thought I knew exactly what I was in for. I’m not going to name names or mention where I was staying or which company I was with at the time, as this experience did not really have anything to do with them. I do however feel that our guide could definitely have managed the situation better and should have acted better to our reactions but this does leave me with a very interesting story. I don’t wish this experience on anyone and everyone I have told says it is their worst nightmare.

As I mentioned, I am very well travelled and am generally quite an experienced traveller and actually own my own pet leopard gecko so deal with bugs daily. I am also the house spider catcher so it takes a lot to phase me. I grew up in the countryside and playing with bugs was one of my favorite past times.

On this particular trip I was with my friend and we had already been in the Okavango for a few days. On arrival at the airstrip for this particular camp in the Okavango Delta we received a lovely welcome from our guide like always. This camp is located on an island and as part of the welcome experience, you enter the camp by travelling via mokoro around the island rather than driving to it. Our guide gave us a short safety talk and one of the things he said was ‘Just so you know, small insects such as spiders might fall into the mokoro’. From previous experiences, this was very normal and they were usually just small spiders that you could lift out of the mokoro. My friend was scared of spiders and I managed to reassure her about it from my own experiences. I also volunteered to sit in the front so that if anything fell in, it would fall on me first.

On the short 10 minute ride to the camp there were no dramas, just lots of excitement about arriving at camp. The plan was to spend the night at the camp before heading out into the delta the next day for a night in the bush on an uninhabited island. This meant taking full advantage of the working toilets and showers as well as the beds for tonight.

Bright and early the next morning my friend and I gathered all of our belongings and headed to the dock where our guide was packing the mokoros ready for our trip deep into the Okavango. On my first trip to Africa back in 2012 I camped all over the continent so I was excited to experience it again.

The mokoro was being poled by our guide, I was sat in front and my friend in the back. It was so peaceful and I felt very relaxed and was soaking in the warm sun. We glided along the ready-made waterways for about an hour and it was very similar to the other mokoro experiences I have had in the past. After a while we started travelling ‘off road’ as we had to go deeper into the delta to get to the island we were going to be staying on for the night. Going ‘off road’ meant that instead of travelling along the ready-made waterways that the hippos made, we were pushing our own way through the reeds which was a little trickier.

It started to get a little more interesting and a good change of scenery as it felt a little more adventurous. At this stage, I was sat upright, rather than in my usual laid-back position. I was taking everything in when all of a sudden I felt something cover my face….I wiped it off and realised it was a spider web. I looked down and saw a huge spider on my collar bone and quickly brushed it off before my friend noticed. As I did that, I looked up and noticed that we were basically entering golden orb webbed spider heaven and we were gliding right towards them. As we were travelling through the usually uninterrupted reeds where the spiders had created their webs, we were separating the reeds, breaking their webs apart which meant the spiders were falling right onto us. The first few spiders I managed to brush off without my friend seeing but soon after it felt like they were being thrown at us and there was no avoiding them.

My friend started to panic and I started to worry she would try and get out the mokoro or make a sudden movement which could tip us out…which we didn’t want as we might come face to face with a crocodile. I was trying to comfort my friend behind me whilst also trying to scoop the spiders out of the mokoro, but it got even trickier when they started to crawl into the straw that lined the bottom of the mokoro. There were a few times where we managed to lay low and play spider limbo and ducked under the webs as the spiders travelled over the top of our faces… but then they would land on our guide who was stood at the back of the boat and then fall into the mokoro anyway.

At one point, my friend actually screamed at me and told me that I had one climbing up my back…so I had to try and flick it off once it reached my shoulder. It felt like they were all over us and there was no escape.

Our guide was actually starting to find this whole experience funny and I think he thought we were just being silly. He was a local guide who had grown up in the Okavango Delta so was very used to these large but harmless spiders so he was not bothered by them at all. Our guide continued to make his way through the reeds, welcoming new spiders onto the boat. I don’t think there was anything he really could have done for us at that point, he just kept poling us deeper into the delta.

As I mentioned before, I am not scared of spiders but this experience was horrific…spiders all over you and not managing to escape was awful and for my friend, it was probably her worst nightmare. We kept asking our guide how much longer we had until we were at the island or if there was any way out of this nightmare but we didn’t really get much information from him. I asked him if we could hurry up or find another route but nothing really changed. All of a sudden he just stopped and despite me asking him to move he just stood very still. My friend started to panic and he just said ‘sorry we can’t move, there is a 3 meter crocodile underneath us, and if I move he might flip us’. This was just the tip of the iceberg. I was desperately trying to stay calm myself, whilst attempting to keep my friend calm too.

Around 90 minutes later….yes you read that right, 90 minutes later…we finally arrived at the island where we would spend the night. Both of us jumped out of the boat and just collapsed onto the banks of the island. I had never been so happy to reach land. I felt my blood sugar massively decrease and felt really weak! Luckily, I had some starburst in my bag so sat quietly eating them until I felt a little better. Although it sounds dramatic…I am being deadly honest when I tell you this story.

I am sure there were other species of spider that day, like the banded garden spider however, the Golden Orb Web Spider was the main and most memorable out of the bunch. They are huge and the female can have an abdomen of up to 30mm long and with their legs can reach up to 5 inches!! They aren’t naturally aggressive but if provoked they can bite which can be painful but isn’t harmful to humans. Luckily we weren’t bitten!

My friend decided that she couldn’t go back the same way and told our guide to come up with a new way back to the main camp the next day. Unfortunately, we didn’t have many other options as we were in the middle of nowhere. Our guide said that we had one other option to get back to the main camp and that was to go to Chiefs Island (a large island in the delta), walk around two hours and then hop in a mokoro on the other end where there were ready-made waterways. She jumped at the idea of this so our guide said he would make the arrangements. What she didn’t realise was that to get to Chiefs Island, we would need to get back in the mokoro to get to it. I decided not to say anything so that she could sleep that night.

After a little while, we began to relax and managed to enjoy our evening. We put our tent up, lit a fire, and went on an afternoon bush walk to explore the island. We saw lots of wildlife and it got our minds off our earlier experience.

The next morning once everything was packed up, our guide told us to jump back into the mokoro and my friend started to panic. I tried to reassure her and told her it was just a short journey…maybe around 15-20 minutes. We decided to get her to lay down in the mokoro, cover her with all our jumpers and blankets and I sat in the front with an extended Go Pro pole…moving the spiders out of the way before we broke their webs with our faces and bodies. I do not know why I didn’t think of this the day before, and I can only put it down to pure panic. The journey to Chiefs Island was a lot less traumatic than the day before and the Go Pro pole was a lifesaver.

We finally reached the island and began our walk to the other end of it to a mokoro waiting to pick us up and take us back to the main camp. It was a lot calmer and we even spent some time watching elephants on the banks and in the water.

The whole experience was extremely traumatic. I think my friend handled the situation amazingly considering her phobia of spiders. But I have to be honest and say that it has made me a little more scared of them and every time I come near a spider, I get serious flashbacks.

When I spoke to the camp managers about the experience they said they had never heard anything like it and can only put it down to the high rainfall they had that year. But I warned them about it and I can’t imagine all guests would be so friendly and kind about the experience. I understand that we were in the wild and usually I am up for all kinds of experiences and adventures…but this was on a whole another level. Like I said before, it now leaves a fantastic story and I love watching people’s faces when I tell them about it! A lot of people say they will never travel to Africa after hearing this story, but Africa is huge with lots of wonderful experiences. Just avoid going off-piste in the Okavango Delta, after heavy rains in May if you are scared of spiders. It definitely hasn’t put me off the Okavango Delta and I am still in love with it as much as I was before.

P.s I hope you don’t get nightmares after reading this :)

The Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana

The Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana

It is highly likely that a lot of people have never heard of the Makgadikgadi Pans let alone know how to say it (it definitely took me a while)- a few might of heard of it from Top Gear when they drove beaten up cars across the pans but other than that it isn't very well known- which can actually be a good thing. To most it looks like a wide open flat with nothing to do. That is where you are wrong. I have travelled all over Africa and this is by far one of my favourite areas due to its sheer beauty, its fantastic animals and incredible star gazing.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't the cheapest place on earth and it is definitely not the most accessible of places- but once you make it there it is 100% worth it.

Some quick fun facts

The pans make up around 20% of the Makgadikgadi Pans national park and they are actually remains of a super lake that covered a huge part of Southern Africa many thousands of years ago. When the water evaporated it left the salt pans which does not allow any plants or vegetation to grow. Despite the limited water and food, this area is still called home by many species of wildlife and the very interesting and traditional San Bushmen.

What activities are there to do?

So what is there do to down in the Makgadikgadi Pans I hear you ask?

Meerkats- To me this is the most important and most exciting activity. Not only do you get to see meerkats, you have the opportunity to get right up close and personal with them. There are several families that are habituated in the area meaning that there is a very high chance you will get this fantastic experience. There is actually a guy who gets to track them and spend most of the day following them around- I'm keeping a close eye out in case this job becomes available! That’s what you call a job right??

I was extremely lucky enough to spend a few hours with a family of meerkats and it really was one of the most amazing mornings. I got to spend time with babies and watch the whole family hunt. Then, to top it all off, I had a couple of them climb on me!! The main reason they do this is so that they can get to the highest point to look out for creators- I mean if that’s what they want to use me for, they can do this all day as far as I am concerned. These meerkats are completely wild so to be able to get this close to them really is a once in a lifetime experience.

Nature drives- These drives are truly a breathtaking experience! It allows you the opportunity to see animals in a very different landscape and environment. There are even some unusual and rare animals that you may be lucky enough to spot, such as aardwolves, brown hyenas and aardvarks.

Drives along the pan- This is a wonderful way to see and really appreciate how large the pans are. It also allows you to get some fantastic pictures- especially is animals decide to be part of the photoshoot.

Quad biking- Now this is a very cool activity! You can only quad bike in the dry season which is their winter and our summer. Depending on the rains, this time period is usually from about June to October. If there is still water in the pans, it will not be possible as it will be too slippery. There is also the opportunity to quad bike into the pans to Kubu island and then sleep out under the stars!

Star gazing- Only one thing needs to be said here- the stars are out of this world! It will probably be the best you will ever see- particularly in their winter.

The migration- Most people are not aware of this, but this is one of the biggest and most spectacular migrations in Africa. Everyone knows about the migration in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara but not many people know about the one in Botswana. As soon as the rains arrive in December the Zebras begin their journey down South to the pans as they fill up with water. They usually arrive in the pans around January time and start to head back up north in early March when they start to dry up. This is truly a spectacular sight and one that often gets forgotten about. You will also have the opportunity to spot predators as they follow closely behind. This is also the time of year that the migratory birds are in the pans and also when you will have some wonderful sightings of the flamingo as they turn the pans pink!

The San Bushmen- This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about and spend some time with the San Bushmen. They will introduce you to their way of life and show you how they survive. It is a fascinating experience and makes you appreciate their culture. It is worth bearing in mind that although these guys are wearing their traditional clothing and using their tools, it is not to be forgotten that most of them no longer live like this.

Sunsets - As with most places in Africa, the sunsets are to die for. Watching an African sunset with an Amarula is my ultimate happy place! Sundowners here consist of a fire next to the endless Makgadikgadi Pans! Look at those colours!!

When should I visit?

This is a very interesting question and also a difficult one to answer. When you should go to the pans very much depends on what you want to get out of your experience.

November to April- This is Botswana's summer so it is going to be very hot- especially down in the pans where it can creep up into the 40's. It is also worth noting that the accommodations only have fans and no air con so the evenings can be quite uncomfortable. Although it is their summer, it is also their rainy season so you are likely to get rain- with the rain you get very impressive thunderstorms which creates a photographers’ dream! As the rains arrive in December the zebra migration heads down south to the pans and arrive around January time- they usually stay until March time. This is a stunning time to visit as you will have the opportunity to see the migration as well as the pans in full flood which bring beautiful birds as well as predators.

May to October- May is when the pans are still wet but have very little water in them. As the winter approaches the pans completely dry up, the days cool and are a lot less humid. There is very little chance of rain and you are likely to get very clear days and nights- giving you a fantastic opportunity to stargaze. This time of year is fantastic for the meerkat sightings as well as heading out on the quad bikes.

Where to stay?

There is a very limited number of lodges that you can visit down in the pans and even fewer where you can enjoy all of the activities. The beauty of this is that there are very few people in the area so you aren't likely to run into anyone else out there. You will feel like you have the world to yourself!

Jacks Camp

Jacks camp is the flagship property and is named after Jack, the founder himself. The camp offers a very unique style of decoration and has a very old safari explorer feel to it. The camp is the height of luxury, although a very unusual style. The camp is made of dark green draping fabric so is a little dark in some areas- particularly the large pool area which is covered. The main area is also home to a registered museum of old artifacts and animals collected by Jack from the area. The camp was designed by Jack and was very specific in his decor choices. His son has now taken over the family business and keeps Jack in mind when it is time for refurbishments. Unfortunately, Jack was killed in a tragic plane crash and is buried not too far away from the camp.

San Camp

This is a very beautiful camp which is located right on the edge of a pan so has stunning views! This is a very traditional style safari camp with draping white fabric in the main areas. The camp is very open and airy and has a very zen like feel to it. There is a yoga tent where people can enjoy some alone time as well as the main area which has lots of interesting artifacts in it. Like Jacks camp, the decor is chosen very specifically to keep up with Jacks taste.

The camp is currently undergoing some refurbishments which will result in a couple more rooms, larger tents and will eventually introduce a pool as it does not currently have one.

Camp Kalahari

Camp Kalahari is my favourite of the camps in the area as it is a lot simpler and less over the top than Jacks and San camp. Although it is further away from the meerkats, it is still in a fantastic location to enjoy all of the activities. All three camps are just a short drive between each other and are all part of the same family. The camp has a small plunge pool and relaxing area around it which is perfect for a dip on a hot day.

Planet Baobab

Planet Baobab is a very large and simple property. It is more suited to people on a budget and who enjoy backpackery style accommodation. It does have a very large pool open pool which is very inviting. The rooms have quite strange layouts and are not suited to people who are wanting a romantic getaway or any form of luxury. It is also worth noting that this accommodation is very far away from the meerkats and to get close to them you will have to travel into the pans and spend a night camping out under the stars- which doesn't sound too bad at all really does it?

Meno A Kwena

Meno A Kwena is based in a different location than the other four accommodation's I mentioned above. It is based on the edge of the pans and the main focus here is game drives in the national park and boat trips along the river. Unfortunately, you cannot visit the meerkats from here but it could be a nice combination to stop off at before heading to one of the other properties. Out of all of the accommodations I have stayed in, this has by far the most incredible view!

How to get to the Makgadikgadi Pans

Getting to the Makgadikgadi Pans isn't as hard as you think it will be- but yes it can be expensive so put those pennies in your piggy banks.

Driving- Driving to the Makgadikgadi Pans is the cheapest way to get to them. You can pick up a car in Maun and drive around four hours to get to them. It is very important that you do your research before picking up your car as you will need to ensure that you have a very good map and adequate driving directions/instructions. It is very important to speak to people who have travelled the roads recently as there are sometimes points where it says the road is closed, but in fact you can ignore the sign and continue driving- if you detour then you may not make it to where you need to be. As an example, we followed the map and came across the above- luckily we spoke with our friend who directed us and got us back to where we need to be. It is also worth bearing in mind that unlike places such as Namibia and South Africa, this is a VERY boring drive. You may be lucky enough to spot some wildlife on the journey but it definitely isn't the most thrilling of drives I have ever done in Africa. Mostly the roads are tar but there are A LOT of potholes that can slow you down so please be careful!

Please note that depending on your onward plans after the pans, you may miss out on your last morning activity due to needing to get back no on the road.

Scheduled road transfer- If you want to save some money and have the experience of travelling by road, then you can arrange a road transfer from Maun to the camp, however, please note this will be a long drive.

Flying- This is the most effective but most expensive way to get down to the pans. If I am being honest, it is definitely worth the extra money as it saves a lot of hassle and time! The planes are light aircrafts and the journey can take around an hour from Maun- the camp you are staying at can book this for you.

Useful tips

Language- Luckily the national language is English, however, there are lots of local and tribal languages that you will discover! Ask your guide to teach you some!

Currency- The local currency is Pula, which means rain in SeTswana. However, if you are just visiting safari camps USD is the preferred currency

Luggage- If you are planning on taking light aircraft to get around, please be aware that you will need to limit your luggage to 20kg per person in soft sided bags.