Botswana: Chobe Park Day Tour

It would be crazy to come to this part of Africa and not do a game drive.  So, we decided to take a day tour to Botswana’s Chobe National Park.

Our pickup was scheduled for 7am, and was confirmed via message the day before, but the driver, Emmanuel (not related to the company in Zimbabwe) didn’t show up until like 7:20.  Emmanuel was not a great guide— he didn’t greet us or anything when we got in the van.  He just asked if we were going on the tour, said “oh”, and then drove to the border.

This would be a theme throughout the day— next to zero communication about the schedule and what we would be doing.  Usually, a tour guide would introduce himself at the beginning of the tour and tell us about the plan for the day. Emmanuel did neither of these things.  

When we near the border Emmanuel left us in the car for about 30 minutes while he went into the government building.  Then he came out and explained to us that we were waiting on getting a permit for the car and that the lady still hadn’t shown up to the office. So, we drove to her house, brought us to the office, and then we got the permit.  Obviously, this wasn’t Emmanuel’s fault, but I found the whole thing comical.

When we got the permit, we then went to the border and were quickly stamped into Botswana.  Hilariously, at the Zambian counter the officers asked us where we were coming from.  Considering we were at the counter to leave Zambia I don’t understand why he would ask this, but when we said “Zambia” he let us go.

Then, we were given to another driver who, yet again, just drove: zero explanation of the plan.  He dropped us off at a hotel where we just stood around for like 20 minutes. 

Then, we got on the boat to do a river safari.  This was excellent because we got to see a variety of animals, including a large group of elephants.  I got to talking with an American lady who was traveling with her daughter too while on the boat.  She was very interesting, having left Sierra Leone as a child and now living in Malawi. 

Benjamin ended up being a decent guide, explaining a bit about each animal.  Though it’s obvious these guides don’t talk to each other because he said the exact same things our game drive driver said just a couple hours later.  It was like being on the same tour again.

Once the boat tour was over, we went back to the hotel where we waited yet again. Here we met another driver, Tete. He never introduced himself. He just stood there while we all waited.  Eventually, one of our tour group members went up to him to ask when we were leaving and Tete then got us in the car to go to a different hotel for lunch.

Lunch was a buffet, where I had a great beef stew.

Then, we headed out on a game drive. This was a highlight for me because we got to see giraffes.  I’ve loved giraffes since I was a child, and seeing them in person and in the wild was very special for me. 

That being said, Tete was in a huge rush driving through the game reserve.  Even when other cars were stopped to look at elephants, he just kept driving.  Yet, he found the time to make not one, but two, stops to discuss plants.  I don’t think anyone came on this tour to learn about teak trees, but Tete found that to be a priority.  He also took an abbreviated path. 

When we were done with the drive he made zero indication of the fact we’d be driving straight to the border, which is a nearly 1 hour drive.

When we got to the border, Tete didn’t even know who our driver back to Zambia was going to be.  He went up to one guy in a totally different branded van asking if he was our driver.  It really makes you wonder if he doesn’t even know what his own employer’s logo looks like. We ended up waiting around for about 30 minutes for our driver, Emmanuel again, to show up. 

I can’t recommend this tour in good conscience, which is offered by Cherish Travel and Tours on Viator.  The animals are excellent, and the shear number of them was beyond impressive. That being said, there were way too many people involved, the communication was non-existent, and everything felt rushed even though it didn’t need to be.  Frankly, I’d recommend just going to Botswana and spending a night or two there if all the day tours are like this. At $200 per person for a group tour, the value simply isn’t there for such a poorly organized tour. 

Botswana is UN Country 74/193 and TCC Region 91/330 for me.