Jun 23, 2019 | Botswana News, Conservation
We love Botswana. It’s an amazing country that’s had a huge focus on conservation and protecting wildlife. Unfortunately, over the last few months, Botswana has been in the news for all the wrong reasons—mainly for Botswana’s elephants and lifting the hunting ban.
(However, we’re still cheering for the decriminalization of same-sex relationships, which was a huge win for LGBTQ rights and something we’re 100% behind and thrilled about. #LoveWins #LoveisLove)
When it comes to protecting wildlife, Botswana seems to be regressing on their conservation leadership. Back in May, Botswana—one of the last sanctuaries for African elephants—lifted its five-year ban on elephant hunting. And since that time, poaching is on the rise.
The news was as depressing as the National Geographic article about elephants in Thailand. It broke our hearts and the hearts of millions of conservationists around the world.
The question now is, “What happens next?”
Elephant Hunting in Botswana
Botswana is home to more than 130,000 elephants—one-third of Africa’s remaining population and more elephants than anywhere else on the continent by almost double. It makes going on safari in Botswana a fantastic experience. You can’t turn around without running into a herd of elephants, and considering how amazing they are, there couldn’t be anything better.
But now that pristine wilderness is in jeopardy.
Originally imposed in 2014, the goal of the hunting ban was to help declining numbers due to poaching and shrinking habitats. It worked wonderfully. The population boomed, and Botswana was ranked the best country for conservation in the world, according to Lonely Planet.
Then, increasing conflict between humans and elephants started to occur. At the same time, Botswana elected a new president who had a very different viewpoint on conservation in Botswana. So, when the five-year hunting ban reached the end of its life, the Botswana government decided not to renew.
Suddenly, Botswana—the country with conservation in its DNA—turned into just one more country that doesn’t seem to care about its wildlife (Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa all allow big game hunting as well).
So, what now? Should you refuse to go on safari in Botswana to teach the government a lesson in conservation? That’s what many celebrities have argued for including Ellen DeGeneres, and we can’t blame them.
Money speaks and saying that you’ll take away your money from Botswana until they put the hunting ban back in place, at the outset, seems like the right move. After all, if they lose tourism dollars, won’t that make them change their minds about saving Botswana’s elephants? We argue that just the opposite could happen.
Safaris are now more critical than ever!
If conservation-focused tourism dollars go down, that could make the government more willing to encourage hunting dollars to make up for the loss.
Safaris VS Hunting: One Has to Win
The reality is that what makes money is what survives. Right now, there’s a debate between what’s worth more for Botswana: hunting licenses or tourism dollars? These two avenues are in direct opposition to each other, so in the long term, only one can win, and we want it to be tourism.
Currently, tourism generates more jobs and revenue than hunting, but if you decide to not go on safari in protest of hunting, that could change. It could show that tourism isn’t as economically powerful as the government thought, and so hunting could become even more financially valuable.
Instead, we need to continue to prove that safaris are the far better choice for everyone and that that safaris and hunting cannot coexist. The government needs to choose the better option—to save Botswana’s elephants.
In an ideal world, it should be enough to say that protecting elephants is the right thing to do, but that’s not an argument that typically wins. Governments and big business only listen to one thing—money.
They ignore the fact that elephants are highly intelligent creatures that are aware of the world around them and their family. They overlook the stress that elephants undergo when one of their own is killed. They ignore that hunting is an outdated practice that should have no place in today’s world. What they don’t ignore is the bottom line.
So, although you can make countless arguments for preserving wildlife, saying that it’s better for our environment, better for future generations, and kinder, that’s not what will stop hunting. What will stop hunting is showing that not only is it not worth the money but that it actually hurts the amount of money they can bring in.
Fighting for Botswana’s Elephant
To do this, we have to continue to show that tourism safaris, which protect the environment and are kind to the animals, are the way to go. With our money, we have to demonstrate that it’s essential to keep elephants around, to continue to ban the ivory trade, to be harsh to poachers. The only way to have an impact is to spend your money on the activities (such as a Brave Africa safari) and items that you want to see more of.
It’s how we’re fighting back.
We’re also fighting for elephant conservation by donating a portion of the proceeds from every guest’s stay with us to Elephants Without Borders, a charitable organization dedicated to conserving wildlife and natural resources. They perform research, census, rescue, and education all focused on conserving Botswana’s amazing wildlife. Their goal is to change people’s perceptions in the community and on a national level with regards to the value of wildlife and managing relationships between humans and wild animals.
It’s just one more small way going on safari can help Botswana’s elephants.
Jun 16, 2019 | Adventure Safari, Brave Africa Safari, Most Popular Blogs
If an African safari is on your bucket list, there’s probably one thing you dream about—seeing the animals.
- You want to experience elephants up close and personal.
- You want to watch a lion walk right by your vehicle within touching distance.
- You want to sleep under an African sky and experience a world mostly untouched by time.
That’s what an adventure safari is all about.
What is an Adventure Safari?
An adventure safari is different from your typical safari experience in one simple but profound way—you don’t waste time at camp.
On a traditional safari, you go out on bush drives in the morning and then again in the afternoon. During the middle of the day, you’re back at camp. At this time, you’ll eat lunch and have a few hours to lay by the pool, nap, and twiddle your thumbs.
For some people, that might sound perfect. They want a plunge pool, a TV on the wall, and Internet access at all times. They want a luxury hotel that also happens to offer wildlife viewing like a zoo. But that’s as inauthentic as it gets.
Why would you go to Africa for the same experience you could get at a theme park? You don’t want a horrible experience like this!
A lion hanging out during the middle of the day, right after lunch.
With an adventure safari, the focus is less on luxury and more on experience.
While you’ll still stay in comfort, you also won’t be spending much time at camp when you choose Brave Africa. After waking up right around sunrise, you’ll have a quick breakfast before heading out into the Botswana bush. Then, you’ll stay out all day long on your safari drive, which gives you the most time possible with the wildlife.
Instead of being back at camp, wondering about what’s happening out with the animals, you’ll be out driving around seeing and experiencing more of everything. We go on all-day game drives from morning until night. After all, you came all the way to Africa to see the animals, don’t you want to spend your time with them and not sleeping?
But aren’t the animals most active only in the morning and evenings?
Yes, the early morning hours right around sunrise and evening hours near sunset are some of the best times to see the animals when they’re active, but they don’t return to their homes during the middle of the day. The animals are always out and about no matter what time it is—even under the hot noon sun. So, if you don’t want to miss out on even a second of seeing the animals, then you need to be out exploring.
Three Stops, One Mobile Safari
Brave Africa takes you to three different locations—Xakanxa, Khwai, and Savuti—all without any additional bush flights or travel that takes you away from the African bush.
Another key to an adventure safari is that you don’t just get to experience one location; you get to experience up to three different camps. Instead of having to book a different lodge every time you want to see a unique landscape in Botswana, we take you to diverse landscapes while on safari, which saves you travel time that would otherwise mean spending time away from the animals and on a bush flight.
With Brave Africa, you start at one location (Xakanaxa or Savuti), spend three days there, and then during one of your all-day game drives, we move your camp to the next area, Khwai. After another three days, you move to your last location all without having to lift a finger or leave the bush to get there. Our staff takes care of moving your tent between each camp—tearing it down and getting it set up—while you’re out enjoying the animals.
A Safari Under Canvas
Finally, an adventure safari is all about getting close to the landscape, the animals, and the feel of Africa. That’s why Brave Africa is a safari under canvas. You’ll stay in luxury tents with plush mattresses, flush toilets, and all the typical amenities of a hotel, but at the same time, it won’t feel like any hotel you’ve ever stayed at.
Our bucket shower is a one-of-a-kind experience that you’ll want to brag about when you get home. After all, when else will you have the opportunity to take a shower under an open sky with freshly heated water on demand?
The unforgettable Botswana night sky.
The crystal clear Botswana sky at night is unforgettable!
As for your tent, it keeps you protected from the elements and the animals while still allowing you to be a part of it. A tent means you get to hear the wildlife at night, which is an experience you’ll never forget. It also means that even when you’re at camp, you’ll still feel like you’re on safari.
Is an Adventure Safari Right for You?
So, is an adventure safari with Brave Africa right for you? There are a few questions you need to ask yourself.
- Why are you going on safari? If your goal is to see the animals, be out in the bush, and explore the many different landscapes of Botswana, then an adventure safari is what you want.
- How luxurious do you want your camp to be? If you’re going on safari to take pictures of yourself by the plunge pool, sipping expensive whiskey, and feeding giraffes, Brave Africa isn’t what you want. We try to bring you as close to the African bush as possible with experiences focused on wildlife nut luxury and dedicated to being real, not Instagram setup.
- Do you go on vacation to experience and do as much as possible or to nap? You can nap at home. You spent so much money to go to Botswana on safari, wouldn’t you rather that money be spent on activities than sleeping?
Jun 10, 2019 | Behind the Scenes, Brave Africa Safari
We’re so excited to announce the launch of Brave Africa! It’s been more than ten years in the making, but we’re finally LIVE and ready to start taking bookings in August 2019!
The Journey to Launch
We’d love to tell you that it’s been a smooth road to get to this point, but that would be a lie. What we can say is that it’s been a thrilling journey every step of the way, and we’re so proud of Brave Africa.
Brave Africa began ten years ago in the heart and mind of Tabona Wina—our President and expert Guide. It was little more than a dream back then with no name and no real plan, just a lot of hope. It would take nine years for Brave Africa to start to take shape and the help of a Colorado couple: Patrick and Kelly Vo.
In August of 2018, Patrick and Kelly visited Botswana for an African safari adventure, and it was while they were in Linyanti at African Bush Camps that they met Wina. They knew immediately that he was someone special and had a wealth of experience about operating a safari, guiding guests, and exploring the Botswanan bush.
One thing led to another—as they always do—and the three of them started talking about launching their own safari company.
- Wina would lead the team in Botswana as the expert on all things safari.
- Patrick would bring his knowledge of running a successful company as the current CEO of BioTrack.
- And Kelly would bring her knowledge of content and digital marketing as the owner of Kevo Writing.
The rest, as they say, is history. For the last twelve months, we’ve worked night and day in both Denver, Colorado and Maun, Botswana to bring everything together. And it’s going incredibly well so far.
Where is Brave Africa Now?
Brave Africa is just a few short weeks away from launch. We’re currently working hard to get everything up and going.
Social Media
Our Brave Africa social media pages are all live, and we’re regularly sharing content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Each week, you’ll find new videos telling stories about what it’s like to go on a safari in Botswana. You’ll also get behind the scenes sneak peeks of what’s happening as we get our safari off the ground along with incredible pictures of the wildlife and more.
Running a safari is busy work, so follow us on social media to keep up to date with all that’s going on.
Safari Vehicles
The biggest thing happening right now is that all of our camp vehicles are coming together. We recently purchased two Toyota Landcruisers. They came to us as simple trucks and then immediately headed off to a shop to undergo an incredible transformation.
The cab is being cut off, and the truck bed is being transformed into three rows of seats, but that’s just the surface level work. The vehicles also get an updated suspension, enhanced engine/transmission, off-road tires, storage, and so much more. The difference is incredible.
Here’s Wina signing the papers to purchase our Toyota Landcruiser.
At first, it’s just a simple truck—nothing special about it.
After a few weeks in the shop, it’s already starting to take shape.
We’ll share updated photos of our Brave Africa safari game drive vehicles as we get them. We can’t believe how fast they’re already coming together and can’t wait for the finished product.
Supplies Truck
This week, we also purchased our supplies truck! This is a big deal. While, as our guest, you’ll never see this vehicle, it will always be working behind the scenes to move all of our camp supplies from Point A to Point B. It will be a powerful workhorse for us.
This sturdy truck will help move our supplies to and from camp.
When you’re on an all-day game drive, and we change locations (from Khwai to Savuti to Xakanaxa), this truck will be back at camp getting filled to the brim with all of our tents and other supplies. Our staff will then make the drive to the next camp, unload, and get everything set up before you arrive. You won’t even realize camp moved, expect that your tent will be in a brand new location.
Camp Supplies
A sneak peek at our plates.
Speaking of supplies, we’re working on that too. No safari in Botswana is complete without tents, plates, pillows, towels, rugs, chairs, food, lights, technology, and more. There are a thousand-and-one items needed to create a comfortable and luxurious camp experience, and we’re getting all that together right now.
Wina headed out to Gaborone and Johannesburg, South Africa to go shopping, and shop he did. We have an epic list of supplies that are being gathered together right now, ready to deliver to our office in Maun.
In a few weeks, all these little pieces will eventually come together to create the final Brave Africa product. We can’t wait to share it all with you when you come out for a visit.
Brave Africa Staff
We love Wina & know you will too.
Last, but certainly not least, we’re hiring all of our Brave Africa staff. We know that a safari in Botswana is only as good as its staff, and we’re hiring some incredible individuals. We’re bringing on a chef, mechanic, housekeeper, and more. We’ll introduce everyone as they come on board, so stay tuned.
Then, there’s Wina. He’ll be your main point of contact whenever you’re on safari with us. As your expert guide all day long, he’ll show you the haunting beauty of Botswana’s wilderness, the incredible wildlife, and the adventure you can find in every day.
Wina is the heart and soul of Brave Africa, and he’s so excited to share his expertise and passion for Botswana with you. If he can’t make you fall in love with a safari in Botswana, no one can. We can’t wait to introduce you in person.
What’s Next for Brave Africa?
So, what’s happening next for Brave Africa? We’ve got a lot going on.
Patrick and Kelly will be heading out to Botswana the first week in July to meet up with Wina and get work done. We’ll be completing test runs, getting all the supplies together, and working out a lot of kinks. It will be an intense week of work, but a valuable one.
From there, it will be a lot of last minute work and preparation for our first safari. Our first guests will be on safari in Botswana with Brave Africa on August 6, 2019! We’re just two months away.
Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated right here on our blog as things continue to happen.
