Travel Lifestyle Golf: Epic Landrover travel to Chobe Golf and safari, Botswana Africa

An unexpected roadside safari as we travel through Botswana in Andi the Landy, our lovely home from home landrover renovated just for our travels around Africa.

We stayed at a couple of places in Kasane, Botswana. Firstly we stayed at Senyati camp site, with its ever present and slightly menacing baboons who, if left to their own devises - took no prisoners - well when it came to food anyway! Whilst scared of humans, they did make their presence known!

Much more up market and on the banks of the Chobe River, we also had a couple nights in the Cresta Mowana hotel. Hard to believe such a great hotel could exist in this relativelyout of the way place - that said, tourism is at the forefront of the Kasane district - and why not with such golden nuggets on their doorstep as Chobe National Park, which you can visit by overland or by river, and Chobe golf course, plus quite a pretty little town with pretty much everything in it too.

Rewarded with a dazzling sunset on the sunset cruise, with scenes of picture books as the sun laid itshead to rest on the pillow of the horizon. But that aside, we saw (and got a bit too close to) crocodile, with its craggy skin glinting in the sunshine. Hippo, elephant and a variety of birds including a close encounter with a fish eagle - all were good to see in their natural habitat.

Later we also took a game drive into Chobe, slightly disappointed when the driver told us that they were only allowed to travel one route from that gate, (different routes from different goes, is what he said) but less niffed when we got to see lion close up and a funny but equally sad sight of a baby elephant which had been taken down by the same pride of lion, then having their fill - engorged and tummy skyward, legs akimbo, the male lion made for a funny almost cartoon sight, of less dangerous predator more ‘Ive eaten too much and can’t move’ therefore more akin to a stuffed toy - of course we didn’t get close enough to test which one it really was!

Cresta Mowana Hotel was buzzing, even out of season there was a myriad of tourists from all over the world trying to get their fix of Africa, and it made us realise how lucky we were to have the time to explore and travel Africa for a year - instead of running around in a two week break trying to see everything!

Each night we were presented with a vast buffet - you know the kind where you simply want to try everything as the array of colourful mouthwatering offerings tantalises the tastebuds, and often do the first night, vowing never to eat that much again as you loll in bed that night wishing you hadn’t indulged quite so much- a bit like the lion! We have now learnt our lesson with buffets, to only get what you want, whilst allowing a little space for something different to try. We tried kudu, goat and some very odd or nondescript looking things.

Our wonderful room overlooking the river and was a good walk to the main reception, we were pleasantly isolated in a good room in comfort with great river views.

We’d heard a lot about Chobe Golf Club, although we had heard it being referred to as Kasane GC, but maybe that’s just due to its location. In fact it was literally across the car park from Cresta Mowana hotel lobby, so very accessible.

Meeting with Steve, who had the overall responsibility of the club and golf courses after the hotel made a wise decision to relinquish its management to the golf club itself. Steve has his finger on the pulse, so much so he was also the go-to for anything to do with the golf course or club. A family affair had his daughter working behind the bar, a skilled artist waiting for her break, with the bar work being her stop-gap.

The first hole did nothing to settle you down for the opening hole, a par 3. The warning sign of hippo and crocodile to the left perched on the edge of a pond wasn’t really in play, but did heighten your non-golf senses when playing the course. With no carts and a ‘caddy’ well more of a bag carrier/ball spotter, it was good to have him with us as the course did weave around and up to the edge of the Chobe River before looping away again. Through woods adorned with monkey at tree-top level and warthog at ground level, the fun we had watching each up to their own antics as we trespassed on their land. The course was not one of the higher echelons of perfectly manicured, but it was absolutely perfect for the location and played its part well.

Hole 4, a dog leg right, took us close to the river edge. Up until that point, although knowing the river was there or there abouts, it was such a lovely surprise to come across the blue serene waters of the Chobe River. Whilst hot enough to take a swim in the inviting river, heeding the signs of earlier, to do so is just simply foolish! We did start super early to beat the heat, but by then, the sun had risen to such an extent we were hot playing golf. This is a fairly flat course which meant you could walk, and we did have a caddy and a two wheel pull cart, so this also contributed to our heat levels. Designed mid/late nineties, Chobe golf course had water in play as well as in view. Issues with their irrigation system meant the course was a bit dry in places, but the trees were starting to turn green and the welcome rain would make a difference to the overall appearance to this course that actually played quite well. Steve won this game, taking him to 8.5 and leaving me at 4.5.

Walking with a poorly knee didn’t help, I guess.