34 replies to this topic

[smlobx]

First, thanks to Ski for allowing me to share our recent trip to Africa even though it's a geographic stretch to consider it the West. Secondly, I would like to thank many of the members here who helped me pick up a new camera (Nikon D500) and a fantastic telephoto lense, the 200-500 mm.

Like many of you, We love to travel to remote areas and love to be hands on in making that happen. One item on my bucket list is to go to all 7 continents and Africa is one of the few remaining so we started looking into a trip there. Once you start investigating the options you quickly find that many of these "adventures" are canned in that you are driven to a lodge and then driven into "the bush" on daily game drives...not very hands on..Eventually our search led us to a little Expedition company based out of Switzerland, Geko Expeditions (www.gekoexpeditions.com). Since we had never been to the continent we did not feel comfortable taking this on completely by ourselves and Nicolas Genoud, the owner of Geko seemed to have the right blend of knowledge and freedom that we were looking for.

We booked the two week trip and eventually met him at the airport in Kasane, Botswana which is located in the Northeast corner of the country. We flew in a day early to allow us to get over the jet lag and at the same time we're able to meet the other participants, a recently retired couple from France and a retired neurosurgeon from Switzerland. We instantly bonded with each other even though we had some language challenges as we were all overlanders...the international language! It turns out that the other members of our group were very experienced in Overland travel in Africa having made several trips to the continent so any concerns about Geko were quickly dismissed.

The next day the trucks we had rented showed up. The 79 Series Toyota Land Cruisers were only a couple of years old and came equipted with everything we would need on our trip including roof top tent, full kitchen kit, two stoves, a 50 L fridge, two spare tires and 4, 20 liter fuel cans that we would fill up with diesel before we left. We rented the trucks (or cars as they are called over there) from Bushlore (www.bushlore.com). The trucks themselves turned out to be the most rugged vehicles I have ever driven and I'm sure that any American vehicle would not have survived what we put these vehicles through. Having said that the 4.2L non turbocharged engine barely had enough oomph to do the job but we made it!

I will post more in the next few days but I wanted to tease you a little bit with the following pics...

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Edited by smlobx, 18 June 2018 - 06:16 PM.

[BILL98388]

Very cool, looking forward to more of your story.

Thank you

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

WOW what a great opportunity for a trip.

IMO it's no stretch of WTW to post any trip and share it with fellow WTWers.

Thanks for the "teaser" photos,looking forward to more.

Frank

[Tuff Guy 62]

Looks like an adventure of a lifetime! Looking forward to more pics.

[ski3pin]

First, thanks to Ski for allowing me to share our recent trip to Africa even though it's a geographic stretch to consider it the West. Secondly, I would like to thank many of the members here who helped me pick up a new camera (Nikon D500) and a fantastic telephoto lense, the 200-500 mm.

 

Just to be clear, I'm not the boss here, hardly the chief decision maker, and only a member of the site team for Wander the West. smlobx was kind enough to run the idea of posting his Botswana trip by me. I replied that I'd love to hear about his trip and bet many other members here on WTW would too.

 

I, like many others, am now waiting for more!

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Just to be clear, I'm not the boss here, hardly the chief decision maker, and only a member of the site team for Wander the West. smlobx was kind enough to run the idea of posting his Botswana trip by me. I replied that I'd love to hear about his trip and bet many other members here on WTW would too.
 
I, like many others, am now waiting for more!

Count me as one of the many others!!!

[Taku]

Having had the opportunity about 10 years ago to join my wife who was doing some wild dog research in Botswana, I can recall some great memories of tearing around the bush in similar rigs (or full on Defenders that are real brush rigs). After that trip, I tell everyone, "you have to go to Africa once as there is nothing like it in North or South America." So bring on more photos and trip report!  Nice to read as I can look up a wild dog photo my wife took that is hanging on the wall in front of me. My wife just spent a month there last year at this time on a solo trip in Botswana and part of Namibia so she could get her Africa fix again. Glad you had a great time.

[DavidGraves]

Howdy

 

I believe Botswana is on the WESTERN shoreline of the Indian ocean.

 

David Graves

[smlobx]

Having had the opportunity about 10 years ago to join my wife who was doing some wild dog research in Botswana, I can recall some great memories of tearing around the bush in similar rigs .....Nice to read as I can look up a wild dog photo my wife took that is hanging on the wall in front of me. My wife just spent a month there last year at this time on a solo trip in Botswana and part of Namibia so she could get her Africa fix again. Glad you had a great time.

My apologies to all for the delay in posting more info. I am having some technical issues downloading and editing over 2000 pictures and hope to have it resolved this week.

I have a series of great pictures of a battle between a huge eagle and a jackel fighting over scraps from a wild dog kill....until the wild dogs found out !

[pvstoy]

No worries Eddie, we can wait....

Been to Africa 5 times and I have enjoyed going three time to the Chobe river, Botswana. There are such fabulous places to go see nature surviving in a eat or be eaten survival moments . Be going back this year and next year, can't wait.

I enjoyed your few pictures you shared and how cool is that to travel and camp every day seeing all that is around you in some pretty awesome place.

2000 images that is not bad to manage. I usually come home after a month with 30,000 images to sort and delete. I still have many trips that I am seriously behind on looking at.

Hang in there as we all await your incredibal journeys story.