Beyond Boundaries with Eco Africa Botswana

Northern Botswana's pristine wilderness protects some of the earth’s most spectacular wildlife: dense concentrations of big-game animals, an amazing wealth of birdlife, and huge herds, roaming from the saltpans of the Kalahari to the lush Okavango Delta. A few remote camping spots and a handful of the world’s best safari lodges attract true lovers of nature to share in this extraordinary region.

Botswana wildlife won't disappoint. The sheer variation of the country, from the arid Kalahari to lush, well-watered forest glades, ensures tremendous variety. Botswana is serious about its big game. It has spectacular herds of elephants and buffalo, and prolific populations of predators.

The underlying reason why many come here, is the feeling in Botswana that you're within an endless pristine wilderness, almost devoid of human imprint. In Botswana, animals wander freely across vast reserves which are measured in thousands of square kilometers, not hectares. Exploring these wilder corners is invariably deeply liberating.

Eco Africa Botswana is family-oriented undertaking, they believe strongly that wildlife is to be conserved for future generations. Eco Botswana proposes to take you to some of the most striking and unique places in Africa - the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert. From comfortable base camp one can undertake a number of different adventures, or embark on walks through the African bush, explore the many lagoons and channels of the Okavango by boat, cross the wide open spaces of salt pans by quad bike, catch sight of a myriad of bird species, and take game drives during the day and at night to see our wonderful variety of animal life.

Come with me on a journey of discovery, where each sunrise marks the beginning of another day of adventure. Meet Roger Dugmore, the Ambassador of the Land, interview:

Q: Travel is more than a journey of places and spaces. It should also move your spirit. What unique perspective does Eco Africa Botswana photographic safaris offer?Roger: EAB’s new logo – Roger Dugmore Safaris- unique perspective is to not only focus on seeing the "Big 5" but also to explore the many interesting "little things" - and to show guests Botswana today - the people and culture, birdlife, insects, seasons, animals and environment - all linked.

Q: It is best when reality turns into a dream and with a dream future can be created. What sort of future do you aim to create at Eco Africa Botswana?
Roger: The future of EAB is to remain a personalized safari company, focusing on small groups thus minimizing the impact we have on the environment, in a country where tourism is expanding

The dream is to share the passion and the magic of Botswana, it’s wild land, interesting people and vast horizons with guests from all over the world so when they return back home they will have a closer understanding of the environment.

Q: To what wonders of wildlife and wild area heritage Eco Africa introduces travelers and adventurers alike?
Roger: From beautiful migrating herds of zebra crossing the grass covered plain’s of the Kalahari, silent elephant following age old paths crossing this sometimes baron landscape. There is an intricate web of animals and birds that criss- cross from the dry Kalahari through to the Okavango and Chobe in an ever changing environment from dry season to wet season.

A system that has been in place for thousands of years.

You can sit at the edge of an elephant path that you know has been used time and again and if we were all able to wait, sometimes days, you do know that a single elephant or herd of elephant will eventually pass

Being in the wild is unpredictable and by spending time in this wild land, the more understanding we have of how these animals interact. Visiting these wild areas of heritage and viewing wild life living free in natural conditions gives one the feeling of being free and that is what most humans strive to feel. Imagine a feeling of being out of control and wild, free of pollution and the freedom of space. With the support of the Botswana Government we are assured that our children and grandchildren will be able to experience this conserved wildlife treasure as it is today

We will introduce travelers to the vast horizons of the Kalahari, the crystal clear waters of the Okavango Delta and its (wild) free people who live in traditional huts in villages on the edges of the National parks are sometimes seen as poor however they are rich in their culture, free of all the modern world’s issues, happily tending to their livestock and everyday life

Q: Which time is best to plan an Eco Africa Botswana adventure?
Roger: The best time to come is on the 1st of January and leave on the 31st of December.

Every season offers something unique………

Q: You offer to take traveler’s on a tented safari to some of the most striking and unique places - the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert. What kind of experiences do these places offer, sounds, sites……?
Roger: Due to the Botswana’s large size, I specialize in two areas and these areas are vast! However depending on the guests wishes, I will go to unknown places. The areas that we visit are all environmentally different.

The Kalahari offers clear night skies, sometimes endless rolling planes, vast salt lakes, fossil rivers. Usually the Kalahari is a silent place, however this silence can be broken by the roar of a lion or the distant thunder of a brewing storm

It is a place where you have to adjust your eyes as most mammals and birds and reptiles living in this area have over millennium adapted to this sometimes baron lansdscape which is transformed into a lush garden in the wet season. Within this region, one may move to a different location every three days for days on end and find a different location unlike the last. If I could have it my way, no safari will ever be the same.

The Okavango Delta - a large oasis spilling over the Kalahari sands. Water is life –it attracts large amounts of animals. There is a very distinctive smell of Dampness unique to the Delta. That of damp earth hard to describe but when you visit the Delta only then will you know

The Delta is a living painting

All your senses are released from touching a thousand year old baobab to smelling the wild sage, seeing the mighty marshal eagle and hearing the distant trumpet of an elephant and feeling the excitement of being in a wild place.

Blue skies, birds singing in the trees, butterflies, leaves changing color…

Accommodation consists of spacious walk-in tents, complete with beds, linen and all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay in the bush. What other facilities are there?

Roger: Camera charging facility off an invertor. Each tent has its own bucket shower and long-drop toilet (not ensuite), situated not far from the tents. The chef prepares hearty 3 course meals, adhering to any dietary requirements.

There is a hive of activity behind the scenes where the staff has a central area for a daily laundry service and heating water for hot showers and from which coals are extracted and used for the coal iron. Paraffin lanterns light up the camp in the evenings for safety and ambience

The mess tent and bar area is set up for meals and beverages, where guests spend meal times reliving the highlights of the day and what better way to end the day, with a port or cognac, coffee and melting marshmallows around the fire before tucking in for the night and sleeping peacefully to the African night sounds…..

Q: Your itineraries are custom-designed. Which destinations are most desired or thought of, who are your guests, a brief reflection..?
Roger: The Okavango Delta is the most desired destination chosen by my guests. However when creating itineraries for people who have never been on safari, depending the amount of time they have, we will add locations in the Kalahari

We work closely with our guests, guiding them to places we love and want to go to. If a guide is not happy to go to a certain place this will reflect on the guests. If a guest has a specific request we will accommodate Itineraries are sometimes created for specific movement of animals or season.

Q: The open vehicles are designed for game viewing. Any other amenities?
Roger: Game drives are determined by the movement of animals. The vehicles used are designed for comfort and excellent for game viewing as there are "window" seats with built in roof hatches. The amenities on the vehicle include a car fridge for cold refreshments and for keeping film cool, specially adapted camera supports for the keen photographer and bean bags for extra camera support.

Q: You are one of Botswana’s most highly qualified professional guides, who traveled widely through Africa. How do you remember your first arrival to Maun almost forty years ago, and how it is like to work out of Maun?
Roger: My arrival forty years ago is not much different form today other than the village of Maun has become a town

What I remember most, as a kid was the freedom of the river and this freedom is reflected on my children. They are swimming and playing freely as I did forty years ago.

That is why I am still here. If you feel a connection to the planet earth, then you are free. I will always be passionate about bringing guests here to connect to the earth. This wild dusty town of Maun has always been a frontier town where we get our supplies for safaris. Everything revolves around the word SAFARI.

It is great to work out of Maun. It’s all about the people, the characters of Maun. Interesting like minded people. People of same interests and passion for the bush. The back up and support of the community is incredible.

I can go to the local supermarket to grab a loaf of bread and spend an hour chatting to people you bump into just returning off safari, sharing something interesting that happened out there.

Of course the local pub is always a hive of gatherings

We no longer get stuck in the thick sand just to do the grocery shopping as the roads are now tarred in town and we have state of the art communication and technology but the basics stay the same - freedom

Q: You have been conducting photographic safaris since 1989, but your personal interests are photography and film making. Can you elaborate?
Roger: I have assisted in the making of documentaries that are all environmentally orientated and volunteered to go to Zanzibar to produce and shoot video for Zanzibar television on environmental issues such as coastal erosion , pressures from tourism, social issues, illegal fishing. I also volunteered to go to Madagascar to assist in workshops on eco tourism in the Masoala Peninsula

Videography is one of my hobbies, my other hobby is photography. It’s all about capturing the moment. I couldn’t go on safari and not take pictures. It’s impossible. I couldn’t imagine sitting in a vehicle for any length of period without stopping to take the time and look at something more closely.

Some of my photographs have been displayed in Maun and the National museum of Gabarone.

All the photographs on my website are taken by me through the years. My collection of photos are endless yet not ever the same

Q: You say every safari is a journey of discovery, "where each sunrise marks the beginning of another day of adventure". What is your discovery along the way?
Roger: The adventure is the luxury. The journey of discovery is never ending. Where 2 worlds meet, that of my guests visiting my back garden…

I am an Ambassador of the Land!

Visitors are able to experience wild and untamed exclusive areas in absolute comfort, giving personal attention to each and every guest, attending to the details from start to finish, accompanied by me as the private guide

I have watched people arrive at Maun airport sometimes "strangers", carrying the world on their shoulders, settle into the safari and break away from all communication with the outside world (which alone is a huge adaption not to have NO use of cell phones etc).
I watch them start exhaling and relaxing, spending quality hours daily together, bonding, learning, just being, one with earth. It is wonderful to see their journey of discovery.

Q: Do you have more than one dream?
Roger: Yes, my biggest dream is that wild places will continue to exist for future generations. I dream that everyone on earth can one day have an opportunity to learn about the simplicity of life in Africa and to experience the freedom of space out here.

Q: You are also a good story teller. Would you share a story?
Roger: My stories can only be told around the campfire on safari with lanterns all around and nocturnal sounds in the back ground to set the stage…

Q: An unusual encounter, a moment…?
Roger: An unusual encounter is more than a moment… I was once driving through a forest area of the Okavango, came around a small bend in the road to witness a python coiled around a young impala and two feet away was the mother Impala barking in distress and stamping her feet while the python proceeded to eat the young Impala. The look in her eyes was that of distress. We were there for over 2 hours and she did not once move away
It is a wonder that one can spend so long viewing such a reality.

It is sightings like this that create emotions

Q: For whom are your safaris meant, promotional offers, best way to reach Botswana and Maun...?
Roger: My safaris are open to anyone, with a keen interest of the world as it is today. We cater for every person needs, from young to elderly. I have even hosted a guest with sleep apnea in the middle of the bush – anything is possible!

The Delta is generally reached via the gateway town of Maun, in the North of the country, a natural springboard for the nearby expanses of the Okavango Delta and for mobile safaris heading to the Kalahari and elsewhere. Maun has daily flights to Gabarone (the capital) and Johannesburg

Q: A word about "Water for Life" Conservations project?
Roger: There is much more to it than a word for Water for life……my brother David started this project and I am a trustee and not involved in the day to day operations.

"The Meno A Kwena Water For Life Volunteer Project’ involving foreign and local volunteers in our wildlife conservation and rural community development projects has proved to be extremely successful in all respects. The scheme benefits the wildlife, their environment, the people living in close proximity to national parks and reserves, our safari operations, our employees, and the experience of a lifetime for the volunteers.

The Meno A Kwena waterholes provide water for 5000 to 6000 zebra, plus wildebeest, elephant, several species of antelope, giraffe, warthog, and the predators – lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah, hyaena, the small carnivores – jackal, wild cats. And a large and varied population of birdlife, insects, etc. Best is to explore the web site www.kalaharikavango.com

Final thoughts, suggestions, invitations:

Roger: Come on a journey of discovery!

Thank you.

From testimonials
Roger’s philosophy is that every safari is a journey of discovery, where each sunrise marks the beginning of another day of adventure. He is uniquely qualified to take you to wild and untamed areas in absolute comfort, including three-course meals, hot showers, cold drinks, and gives personal attention to your satisfaction and enjoyment.

He also tells some pretty good tall tales around the campfire… I would choose an adventure with Roger over any other safari in Botswana.
Pieter W. Kat, PhD
Okavango Lion Research Program

Image: On Safari by Roger Dugmore

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