Botswana: Camping with elephants

I was woken by the sound of something big stomping out of the river and rummaging around the tent. The realisation that nothing but a thin layer of canvas separated me from an audibly large, potentially dangerous creature forced itself into my sleepy consciousness. A second later I was wide awake, my heart bouncing against my ribcage.

Judging from the formidable noise and smell, our visitors were elephants. Even in daylight, elephant sightings are a nerve-wrecking, yet oddly addictive experience. Watching them in the wild is mesmerising in a way that no visit to the zoo can prepare you for. Their colossal form moves silently through the bush and their ever-melancholic demeanour creates the impression that, in their leathery heads, they are mulling over weighty issues; the global economy, perhaps.

But at night the addictive element of such encounters is replaced by something else: utter alarm. Their sheer size and power, paired with a habit of breaking things that stand in their way and the ability to run as fast as 40 kilometres per hour make them less than ideal camping companions.

I had to think of a passage from Ryszard Kapuscinski's book about Africa, The Shadow of the Sun: "You cannot run away from an elephant - for what if that should trigger his fury? Sitting motionless, on the other hand, you expose yourself to a full frontal attack, and might die crushed under this giant's legs."

Hippo in Chobe National Park

Thankfully, the next thing that came to my adrenaline-swamped mind was something less ominous I had read in a guidebook; something about African animals - including elephants - never meddling with zipped up tents and their contents. After checking the zip was as it should be, I stopped holding my breath and eventually began to enjoy listening to our nocturnal visitors.

Botswana's wilderness is full of otherworldly experiences. You wake up to the grunting laughter of hippos, are transfixed by the hypnotic gaze of googly-eyed giraffes, and startled by the familiarity of a lion's roar. In the mornings, you find mysterious paw and hoof prints around your tent and in the evenings, if you shine your torch into the bushes surrounding the campfire, you may well look into the glowing eyes of a hyena. The novelist Yann Martel described the lure of wild animals as "something so bright, loud, weird and delicate as to stupefy the senses." Everything here is different.

Bear in mind the time difference

The Western concept of time, for example, seen as an objective, linear, unchangeable continuum, has little significance in many parts of Africa. "Just now" is an expression you will probably hear often, whether you are asking about the completion of a car repair or the departure of the next river cruise. But one can never be sure what "just now" means. A South African tour guide laughed as he explained: "It expresses intention rather than an actual point in time. Only one thing is certain - it never means 'right now'!"

Rushing things is generally a bad idea; it just won't work. Driving fast is suicidal. Running quickly reduces you to a puddle of sweat and when it comes to dealing with people, it's a recipe for mutual frustration. Veronica Roodt, author of The Shell Tourist Guide of Botswana, wrote: "Before asking directions or anything else, it is good manners to first enquire about the well-being of the person you are addressing." You will enjoy your trip much more if you take time to learn some basic Setswana and exchange pleasantries with everybody you meet, from shopkeeper to shepherd.

Once you're on the road, take it easy. Try to see every delay as part of the experience. It never pays to lose your cool, especially when it comes to dealing with bureaucrats or mechanics.

Diamonds, steak and other staples

Ranked as one of the most prosperous countries in Africa, Botswana's success is down to a combination of luck and skill. It not only has unmatched natural beauty but also vast diamond deposits, which were discovered in 1967, just a year after independence. The people of Botswana, known as Batswana, have been spending the diamond money wisely. For example, free schooling is available for all children up to the age of 14. Nearly all children in Botswana attend primary school and approximately 65 per cent go on to secondary school; levels that other African countries can only dream of.

San woman with child near Ghanzi

But, as it turns out, diamonds are not forever. According to some estimates, they could run out within the next three decades and the government is already pinning its hopes on alternative, more sustainable industries. Beef is one of them, tourism another. In both sectors, Botswana has chosen to pursue quality over quantity, developing premium brands and encouraging exclusivity.

The quality of beef from Botswana is a great source of national pride and unfeasibly tender steaks are practically a staple. As early as the 1960s, the government began implementing remarkable environmental policies. Large parts of the country were converted into national parks and the development of luxury lodges was encouraged in order to attract up-market tourists. Their deep pockets could eventually replace the diamond mines as a source of income.

Botswana on a budget: mission impossible?

As a result, Botswana is not only one of the most irresistible, but also one of the most expensive countries in Africa. Most visitors are booked on high-end package holidays, and many think independent travel is not possible. This is a myth that probably stems from the strictly regulated access to national parks, managed through a central booking system which is complicated enough to frighten most people into paying a travel agent to tackle it for them.

It may seem, as a fiscally challenged student, the only option is to join an overland tour. This can be fun, but you risk spending your holiday with a truckload of pimply gap year students. Doesn't sound like a risk worth taking? There is another way: if you don't mind a few bureaucratic battles and heaps of research, your best option is to get together a group of three to four people and organise an independent self-drive safari.

Now, the African bush is not to be toyed with, especially when travelling without a permanent guide. Every year, people die here from thirst, exertion and animal attacks. You simply won't get by on your own unless you do detailed pre-trip research, invest in good guidebooks and constantly get advice from people you meet along the way. It's a good idea to begin the trip by spending a couple of days with experienced guides. Day trips from Kasane or Maun are perfect for this.

A guide will track animals for you and patiently answer the constant stream of questions that will inevitably flow through your mind. Questions like: Would it be okay to camp here? What animal is this? Why is it staring at me? While you're with a guide, try to pick up as much bush knowledge as you can.

Seeing Botswana on a budget is not impossible - it's just a little fiddly. But, if you pack a few friends plus plenty of maps, guidebooks and a Setswana dictionary, you can do it for a fraction of the price of an arranged trip. Just be sure you always zip your tent at night.