DRIFT Travel Magazine Spring 2024

DRIFT TRAVEL
47
March, the cracked clay is overtaken
by pools and lagoons and the land
is transformed. It’s the onset of the
season of plenty and the floodplains
erupt with life as herds and flocks
return in their droves to feast on
a buffet of nourishing grasses.
Following their annual migration
route towards the Boteti River,
thousands of zebra and wildebeest
descend on the area, pausing for
several months to drop and nurture
their young before continuing on
their way. Opportunistic predators
that lurk inevitably include lion,
brown hyena and vultures, while
other species spotted year round
are aardwolf, porcupine, bat-eared
fox, honey badger and scrub
hare. The more elusive cheetah
and leopard are more occasional
sightings, in contrast to the
hundreds of birds that swoop in
from all corners of the continent
to join the congregation. From
flamboyances of Greater and Lesser
Flamingos to pelicans, spoonbills,
storks and countless species, the
watering holes are flush with their
interactions and chatter.
Not all safaris however are created
equal and having an excellent
guide is the game-changer. These
are scouts with superpowers, the
terrain-savvy men and women
of the bush who shepherd you
throughout your stay, going above
and beyond to ensure you leave
with priceless memories. The guides
at Jack’s and all of Unchartered
Africa’s camps, benchmark against
the very best which happens to be
the award winning Ralph Bousfield
and Super Sande – both recognized
as among the finest in the field.
Ralph, who has trained most of the
trackers, was mentored first by his
father and then by Cobra Keipeile, a
Bushman from the Shuakhwe clan
in central Botswana who was part
of the team that helped build the
first Jack’s in 1962 and whom Ralph
has known since he was a boy. If
the planets align you may well meet
Cobra in camp and have him join
the outing with the Bushmen – a
coveted encounter.
Summers in the Makgadikgadi
are intense. In the heat of the day
anything that requires minimal
effort takes preference such as
siestas on repeat, game gazing from
a deckchair or slipping beneath
the icy waters of the lap pool in the
gorgeously appointed pavilion. As
with game drives, group activities
are booked in the early morning
or late afternoon when its cooler,
and guests can choose from horse
riding, quad biking and sleep-outs