Chobe Safari

Chobe Safari

‘A safari in the traditional style… an unhurried journey.’ 

This is how Jannie Rykaart described the trip he had planned for us.

I met Jannie of Protea 4x4 Adventures last year when I joined him on an adventure to Namibia to tackle Van Zyl’s Pass. It was a helluva lekker trip, but fast and furious – 1200km across the breadth of Botswana in one day, the whole trip some 5200km in total.

But this time, our journey would be unhurried, leisurely, laid back’

‘We have learnt over the years to balance our trips with little touches of luxury added to the true experience of camping with the grunt of hippos close to your camp,’ said Jannie.

‘Campers want time to relax with a drink watching an elephant outlined by a a sunset... over Chobe, for example’.

In fact, Botswana was exactly where we were heading.

There were only six people going on the trip: myself, organizers Jannie and his wife Ansu, clients Jandré and his wife Henriette van Ellewee (who we would meet us at the Wildeby Biltong Deli just outside Modimolle), and Gerrie van der Westhuizen of Fiat Midrand.

Gerrie had arranged brand new Fiat 2.4 Fullback 4x4 double cabs, with which we towed a Conqueror Comfort trailer.

 Sharing a car and a camper with a stranger can be a lotto. But I struck the jackpot with Gerrie, alternatively known as Jerry-Lee Lewis, or just Jerry. Funny, full of life, with a really big heart: a good oke. I enjoyed his company immensely.

‘Do you like music?’ asked Gerrie the second we pulled out on our journey, plugging his flash drive into the Fiat Fullback’s USB slot.