We have reached the end. Sad times.
We were not being collected until 11.15 to head to Victoria Falls airport, and with a check out of 10am, there was ample time for a slow, leisurely getting ready, packed, eating breakfast etc. We were provided with an ample breakfas,t but Keith (being the weirdo that he is) had been up slightly earlier to specifically request porridge, so chef had specifically made it for him. I instead enjoyed an omlette, sausages, and a selection of random continental offerings. Delightful.
On route back to the room we had our last animal sighting. Yes, obviously, it was going to be an impala.
It was only a short drive to the airport, but my immediate priority was visiting the toilet so this gave Keith faffing time, before we checked in our bags all the way through to London (hopefully). Unfortuantely we did not get another upgrade on our connecting flight from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg, but I had managed to get the first row which I dutifully gave to Mum and Keith (what with their old people legs needing extra leg room) and I would be sitting a couple of rows back in a “normal” leg room seat.
Anyway, first we had to tackle the VERY long security line, but it did move and we were very efficient when it was our turn.
I had airport plans to do a little bit of shopping, as there been effectively no shopping options on this trip. However, it was Mum who decided to buy her own butter dish (topped with a hippo) and she has assured me that on her death I can inherit it and treat them as a set – dual butter dishes being the absolute requirement for my fancy future dinner parties.
What I/we really wanted was a kikoi which had been provided to us in the tents and we all enjoyed using. They are a rectangle of fine cotton fabric and used as a sarong – effectively to keep cool you wet them, and then they dry around you. They are basically a relation of a hareem towel, but thinner and with woven patterns. Apparently, they are found all over South-Eastern Africa, but is said to have originated in Somalia. However, there was only a tiny selection in one shop in the airport, and it was massively overpriced. I shall buy one on my next trip.
Anyway, we boarded on time, but then took off 30 minutes late. It was an uneventful flight, but I did miss the traytable tablecloth and meal. Instead, we got a drink and a rather interesting chicken sandwich which also contained cranberries and celery. Maybe it was a something beginning with “c” sandwhich.
On arrivals we being pros, we walked straight through the transit area (getting our transit stamps) and then hit a huge queue for security – as though somehow we had managed to acquire dangerous articles whilst in transit. Its not like there were even any shops to purchase such things! Anyway, we had plenty of time and it was fine although there was a very stupid man who decided to argue with the security lady that he did not need to finish his water bottle as what was left was under the limit. How did he think this was going to work out for him? She took my approach of then making him get everything out of his bag, remove his watch, his belt, his shoes etc. Mum was more for shooting him, but that would have created a mess and perhaps slow the queue down further…
Having transfered in Johannesburg on the way out, I had my eye on a “person” from the airport shop – and purchase one I did. I resisted the very expensive cushions, tablewear etc etc.
As we had a couple of hours in the airport, Keith had booked a lounge. This is not very travelswithkathryn… However, I can see the advantages. Firstly, Mum and I both had showers (including a full change of clothes), secondly, there was food and drink on tap. It may have been rather a random selection, but the vegetable tagine and potatoes were particularly nice.
We hadn’t quite realised the distance from the lounge to our gate, so although we did start walking as soon as the gate was “open” we were some of the last to board. Now, you can tell that people (such as my friend Steph) work the BA avios points system, as the majority of the plane was business, first and premium economy with a mere 20 rows (in a 3-5-3 configuration) in the back for us economy riff-raff. We were sitting in a row of 3 with Mum valiantly taking the middle (but luckily the seat infront of her was empty so at least she got no recline).
We settled in for what we anticipated to be a pretty uncomfortable overnight flight, but started with a film (Mandolorian and Grogu, which I would not recommend, should have watched Robin Hood) and dinner. I sensibly had a perfectly edible vegetable korma whereas the old people had some horrible nucleralised meat.
What I would say is that I got so little sleep nothing registered on my sleep app, but we survived landing into London at 5.35am. I also will give BA some points (and I don’t give them many) for the pancakes for breakfast. Unfortunately, we also had to get a bus to the terminal- what is the point of BA having their own terminal when they do this to people?! However, it did mean that we were deposited very close to passport control, which we went straight through. When we got into arrivals the luggage was already coming off, and it was only a short wait for ours:
Before we headed to the trains, we decided to visit the toilets. Having returned from two weeks in camping in Africa, which included bush wees, however, these were the absolute worst toilets I used. A great return to the UK.
The olds would be taking the Heathrow Express (because they are fools who did not realise that the Lizzie Line is far cheaper for an extra 6 minutes of travelling – I judged) whereas I was getting on the Lizzie Line (love it I know). However, after waving them off I was recommended by the nice man at the station that rather than wait the 27 minutes for the next Lizzie Line train, I should go 1 stop on the Heathrow Express to pick up a train from Heathrow Central. I therefore got on their train, they seemed surprised to see me again.
After that, then changing at Paddington (a distinct lack of Shenfield trains) and it took less than an hour to Stratford. I got home (my flat was still standing – hurrah!) unpacked, did laundry (not that I had much as not all sludge made it home), had a shower, made myself beans on toast, received my grocery delivery and then I somewhat flagged and spent much of the rest of the day napping on my sofa thinking I really should be writing my blog! But oh well, I have managed it now!
It now being nearly a week (I suspect a week by the time this gets published) I can reflect on the trip as a whole. Going on safari is an amazing, once in a lifetime thing, but for me it is not an every year thing (putting the cost to one side) but there will be more in the future, and if I heading back, I would do the following:
- Combine a safari with seeing other parts of the country, learning about the people, learning more about the history etc. For example, my Grandad (my Mum’s Dad) spent WW2 in Kenya so maybe it would be good to visit where he was stationed alongside a trip to see the migration.
- Combine being lodge people with being camping people. Both experiences have their advantages and disadvantages, but I would certainly recommend doing both. However, it would perhaps be 3-4 nights camping plus 3-4 nights at a lodge (and/or doing something different). I would also 100% if I were going back to Botswana recommend “Lewis Safari” i.e. Isaac.
- Be more relaxed about clothes. There are advantages in wearing sludge clothing, predominantly because you do get very dusty and lighter clothing is cooler. However, we/I would have been fine in my blue/black bottoms and perhaps accepting that a white tshirt would be irreparable by the end of the trip.
- Check the washing situation. We had understood that we could get laundry done and packed accordingly, in reality it was not this regular at camp although it is for lodges. If I was following the above itinerary I would take less clothes, if I were doing another 10 days in camping I would pack more.
- The weather/waterproofs. Being British we obviously looked at weather forecasts before we went and none had predicted the rain/cold of the first 36 hours. Given the “efffects of climate change” (as Isaac called it) if I was travelling at either end of the dry season or shoulder season I would be packing a set of waterproofs and the puffa.
- Animal targeting. The reason I went to Botswana was for the elephants, and I would heartily recommend that approach. Trying to see all of the big 5 is not realistic, and far better to be specific. My next trip would be all about rhinos which I have not seen.
However, in writing all of that I cannot believe that only last week I was on safari, in the high 30s, getting dirt flung at me by elephants. Today it is grey, raining and 16 degrees. I need to book another holiday.
Thank you all for bearing with me for this Botswana chapter, and for next time I will be writing contemporaneously. I hope you enjoyed it and the photos (mainly the photos right)? I now have nothing booked, but I do have plans, the next being Norway in December, so get ready for lots of chat about snow… Brrr.
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