All-Round Action

Mana Meadows recently visited Leroo La Tau and spoke to stalwart Desert & Delta Safaris staff member Action on creating a combination safari in Botswana. Here’s what he had to say.

Kehutsitswe “Action” Gabaikanye of Desert & Delta Safaris

Kehutsitswe “Action” Gabaikanye knows the camps of Desert & Delta Safaris (DDS) inside-out. He has worked in all of the seven Botswana based camps – and from the bottom up. Beginning his journey with the company as an intern back in 2004, he worked in maintenance and grounds, food and beverage, operations, hospitality – and even became a guide on his journey. He spread his wings and left the company for a short while because he wanted to see other parts of Botswana, but he couldn’t stay away for long. Now a camp manager at Leroo La Tau, and as someone who has seen pretty much all of what Desert & Delta Safaris has to offer, we thought we’d ask this experienced all-rounder how he would advise first-time visitors to Africa who are considering a Botswana safari and trying to decide where to go.

“I would say create a combination safari with at least three properties,” says Action. “Come here to Leroo La Tau and you’ll see the beautiful landscape and witness the incredible zebra migration. The trees and surroundings are completely different from what you will find in the delta, so if you visit Leroo La Tau, then you must also do a delta camp – Camp Okavango or Xugana Island Lodge where you can discover the beauty of the Okavango Delta on mokoro’s, boat rides and bush walks. After being here in Leroo La Tau focusing on game drives you get to the Okavango and you go boating and walking which is a good thing for exercise.

If you want to do land and water activities from the same camp in the Okavango Delta, then Camp Xakanaka or Camp Moremi in the Moremi Game Reserve would be the best camps. Then Savute Safari Lodge is of course also beautiful – they focus exclusively on daily game drives. Savuti has a big area called the Marsh – which is home to a large variety of wildlife – an amazing place to visit”

Botswana zebra migration from Leroo La Tau on the Boteti River

The unique setting of the Boteti River and the zebra migration from Leroo La Tau.

As Action rightly points out, the best way to experience the best of a Botswana safari is by combining more than one property or region, creating a multiday combination safari. Have a look at our sample Botswana itineraries to give you an idea of the safari packages available using the Desert & Delta Safaris circuit.