Camping in Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi, Botswana 

Well done, awesome video.

@@henkstols9326 Thanks Henk!

Thanks Renee!

@@GetOutGO ..my absolute pleasure, but for RU-vid, I would be unable to spend precious time back in my my childhood home of S.A. going to all the places I dreamed I never could. Thank you Chris.

Glad you guys are enjoying it!

Thanks Ed! This trip wouldn't have been possible without you guys. Thanks for sharing your footage as well!

Thanks Sean, much appreciated!

Thanks Michael!

Thanks Paul!

Thank you!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Baines is definitely the highlight of Nxai pan for me, I’d highly recommend going back to camp there!

Dankie Henry!

Thanks Dave!

Thank you, glad it was helpful!

Thanks Ferdi!

Thanks Ricky!

Muchas gracias!

Do it! 😉

Thank you!

It was! 🤙

Thank you! Give them plenty space but yes, it's just that much more difficult with a trailer, don't have any special strategy unfortunately. Most of Nxai Pan is fairly open but you have to be more careful around Khumaga.

Thanks Niel! I replied there as well 😉

Thanks Paul! Depends where. Crossing the CKGR and Maun-Southgate-Khwai-Savuti-Kasane for instance you’re going to need either jerries or LR tanks (or both depending on what you drive)

@@GetOutGO thanks for the feedback appreciate it.

Thanks! My air compressor is a 160l/min moto-quip (www.takealot.com/moto-quip-160l-min-air-compressor/PLID28153089) the ARB is crazy expensive. For navigation I primarily use the T4A app (tracks4africa.co.za/) on my iPad and phone and T4A maps on my garmin as backup. Have a look at my planning video; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VrQXXYcsnxI.html

@@GetOutGO slowly going through ur vids thanks

Thanks for watching 👍

Appreciate the feedback, thank you 👍

Thanks Sean! Hope you get back safely! Haven't done any Namibia videos yet, watch this space (post covid) 😉

@@GetOutGO I lived there (2000-2003) based in Windhoek working as a flight paramedic & pledged to come back by 4x4. After months of planning & building up my shares at ARB, Front Runner, Takla, Engel etc, this bloody virus came along. Would have been there now early June for 10 days. Our Autumn visit might turn out to only happen in Spring time. As soon as borders open with no 14 day quarantine, we depart.

Hopefully we get back out there soon!

Thanks John! Definitely hope by May next year we're back to normal! I use a Canon 77D. Some of the clips were taking by Ryan on a Sony A6400 and Ed on a Canon 5D. There are also two GoPro clips.

@@GetOutGO Thanks Christo. While we are waiting to return to our Bushlapa Baobab (our permanent home) we are in Australia with our kids. We were trying to decide whether to buy a GoPro Hero 8. My wife and I both use Canon 7D MkII cameras but we have heavy lenses as we do a lot of bird photography. Due to the weight of the lenses our videos tend to be pretty jumpy particularly when handheld. We probably have to decide whether to use a lighter lens on one of the cameras or whether a Gopro Hero 8 will be better, decisions, decisions ……..

THe GoPro H8 is fine for POV driving shots (or any action shots obviously) but not great for anything else. It obviously has an extremely wide lens. For R11,500 you can get a 77D with 10-188mm and it will also work with your existing EF lenses.

@@GetOutGO Thanks for giving your time and advice, greatly appreciated

Thanks for commenting Brett. I would really like more discussion on this topic, hence why I mentioned it in my video. From my perspective (even compared to what I've seen in other reserves) there is no "harmony" here; complete over-grazing by livestock with zero consideration for wildlife conservation. The park fees in Bots are also expensive to say the least, what's the point of this if it isn't being used for conservation and the parks are now just a free for all?

Hi Brett, you are mistaken. There are fences that prevent animals from entering the campsite area. However, we were informed that the locals have rights to use this area as their feeding grounds based on tribal trust. The point that Chris is making and I fully agree with is that at no point does anyone mention this fact. Trust me, waking up in the morning to screeching donkeys is not what you pay for. Park fees, vehicle fees are expensive, and whilst it might be "the way" it surely isn't what travellers expect, nor really is it appreciated to be honest. A simple disclaimer is not asking for too much. The locals remove the fence to allow their animals to feed. Thank you Chris for letting people know. Brett, you surely can agree that waking up to donkeys and goats is not what you pay for

Ryan there are no fences that enclose the Khumaga Campsite, at least not as of April 2019 which was the last time I was there. All the above that you have mentioned is what is taken for granted when you travel in Botswana as it is in Kenya, Tanzania, Zim Parks etc. If one is in Kruger at Croc Bridge or even Malelane campsite you can here all the outside worlds racket, the choice is yours whether you book there or not and there is no disclaimer from SANParks about the noise either. If it is your first time then I agree it might grate but in all honesty it does not worry me in the slightest as I see it as a more natural order of life. Communities on the edge of reserves basically self regulate and predators also play a a part in how far they will penetrate for grazing. The Makgadikgadi Pan National Park is vast with people living for centuries on the edges of the Pans, no one seems to have a problem with encountering settlements along the various routes.

@@GetOutGO Christoff the "over grazing" that you see is the result of the largest annual Zebra migration in Africa. The vast herds of these animals migrate from Nxai Pan to the Boteti, specifically around Hippo Pool as that is where the deepest pools are and they hold water far into the dry season. Huge numbers of Wildebeest and Elephants also congregate around this area as well. The regular Lion patrols down to the Boteti ensure that the livestock is not just driven into the Park and left there, they hardly ever venture more than a km inland. Another factor to consider is that the Boteti only recently started "flowing in the wet season" again, it had stopped "flowing" for over 20 years years and the river was just a scar in the landscape (much like the Linyanti). This effected land usage as communities had no way of knowing whether the river would flow again. Given the size of the Makgadikgadi Pan National Park the little inter action that communities have on the peripheral areas, and indeed those living inside the Park, have scant effect on the larger scheme of things, hardly a free for all. The tourism model that Botswana adheres to is "low impact" and this is achieved through high fees which in turn ensures a lower number of visitors.

@@BrettEllis131256 Did not see a single zebra near Khumaga, the herds were still around South camp in Nxai Pan at the time. Bottom line is population growth and agricultural intensification is limiting the living space and resources for both humans and animals, creating human-wildlife conflict. This is not the "harmonious" picture you're painting