Our Khama of Botswana not only comes from its beautiful diverse landscape, quality cherished wild game, playing some good golf (part of our Africa100 challenge), but mainly from the people - who always have a smile, happily chatted away and happy to include us.
Crossing over the border from South Africa to Botswana, we began to wonder what all the fuss was about with people telling us all sorts of horror stories about border crossings in Africa- we had no problems and breezed through passport control and customs - they even knew what to do with the carnet!
Despite being advised not to take this particular border crossing, we wanted to as we were on our way to Mokoloidi Game reserve to camp and were playing Gaborone Golf club. Mokolodi was a nightmare to deal with in advance, wanting payment and not taking a credit card - do these situations really still happen, obviously they do in Africa! - we got around it by saying we would be there and we would pay cash on arrival - that worked.
Mokolodi was our first experience with a donkey boiler (so called because of its resemblance to a donkey shape) - it didn’t work that well so we thought, all donkey boilers were rubbish - not the case! We’d lit the fire underneath, giving it about 40mins, as suggested, and still no hot water - as it had rained on our arrival day and the night before, we really wanted a warm shower, but instead managed with a luke warm one - outside. That said we were happy - and clean! All camp sites had their own showers, all were outside in a semi circular walled area which dipped down at the back to give you a view of the bush - a view of the animals to you, showing it all to the world as you lather up! There was a separate little hut for the toilet - but our landrover with Bush Company roof top tent were parked close, so it made a nice little area to call home for a few nights.
Meeting some of the friendliest people at Gaborone Golf Club, we set off playing from the 10th hole. Immediately, and despite being in the capital city of Botswana, we felt as though we were in the bush, not in a main city at all! Not a long course and certainly not a hilly course, it was easy to find your way around the 18 holes. Water was in play for some of the holes, green water; water we didn’t know what was underneath, but somehow it held a mystic, yet maybe dangerous, charm about it. Birdsong was ever present as background noise. Termite mounds were in play and as my ball thud into one, we set about in peels of laughter at its hollow dead sound. Without having any substantial rain of late, the course did look green in places, and brown in others, but playing it didn’t make any difference. The back nine bought different challenges of narrow fairway and tall trees. Being a members club, it was great to see an Indian restaurant had the concession for the food, and it was some of the best Indian food we’d had for a while.
Moving further north, we’d booked into the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, not at all golf, but we wanted to see Rhino and how they were being ‘managed and encouraged’ to thrive, given the right mix of ingredients. The military were on guard at the water holes and the most spectacular rhino, fully horned made regular appearances on the pans. With one wonderful male specimen giving us more than we bargained for as he enjoyed a nice rub on a pole in the ground - enough said! Whilst being called the Rhino Sanctuary, there were other wild animals living in harmony and it was great to see not only white but black rhino also flourishing.
Just a few miles way, we played no 11 our of Africa 100, at Pomegranite Golf Club in Francistown. The honesty and friendliness extended by the owner, his wife and the other members would make anyone proud of what was described as his ‘passion project'. A cute little nine holes, with hole number one being a test of nerve through a narrow gap to a tiny postage stamp green - this set the scene for the day and whilst some holes might not win designer of the year, they were good honest golf holes; which you’d be happy to play again and again. A herd of impala had made this their home and seemed happy grazing the lush grass. The tight fairways, water courses and the small greens make it a good test for any golfer.
Such is the friendliness of the people at Pomegranite, they recommended to us to play and visit another course, not that far away, Tantebane. Just 40km north of Francistown, so we contacted the owners and made an arrangement to visit to include it in our Africa 100. The drive north was easy, and as we crossed over yet another vet border, we entered Tantebane Game Reserve. Brown and sandy and in need of rain, we didn’t actually realise we’d crossed over one of the fairways to get to the reception. Our villa was perched high, with great views over towards the lake, and had pretty much everything you’d need for an overnight stay.
Playing the golf was interesting, as it was difficult to see where fairways started and ended and with the greens recently being top dressed, in places by an over zealous greenskeeper, putting was almost non-existent. Parched and in need of rain, we felt this course had suffered more than others and the long awaited rain, should bring them some reprieve. As Steve says on the video, ‘the bones are all there’, and with the willingness and desire for the owners to make it better, it can only go one way.
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1 comment:
We had rain in Gaborone recently and it has made a huge difference to the fairways and greens. Lovely to play and fairways you play as it lay. Pity you missed this.
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