Savuti & Moremi track conditions (till end of October)

[come-along.nl]

The latest info I've got:

- Khwai (North Gate) to Xakanaxa

Direct route along the Khwai river is not possible. Detour via South Gate.

- Khwai (North Gate) to Mababe Gate & onto Savuti

Deep watercrossings north of the Khwai village. Schnorchel a must and only for experienced drivers. Detour via South Gate and the steelbridge at Mababe village is recommended



- Mababe Gate to Savuti

Take the sandridge route and you'll be OK

Cheers, Hans

[zambezi11]

That's right, Sandy Ridge Road is the only one you can drive. I have seen it 4 weeks ago.

Best wishes

Ralf

[come-along.nl]

The road to South Gate is really quite good (avg 60km/hr). Set up tent at MQ8 – really a very nice site. We stayed at South Gate for 3 nights (MQ8), originally we wanted to stay only 1 night and the rest of the time at Xakanaka or 3rd bridge but couldn’t get space. We really enjoyed South Gate, although a bit far from “everything”. We drove to Xini Lagoon and made brunch there next to the delta and back to South Gate (in total probably 2.5 to 3 hours) and the next day we drove to 3rd bridge http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesvlok/ ... hotostream and back to South Gate. Water level and bridge at 1st bridge was fine. At South gate reception they advised us not to use the bridge at 2nd Bridge but to take a detour. We didn’t see the detour but took the water crossing on the right of the bridge. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesvlok/ ... hotostream
Further right there is another crossing (very muddy) and not advisable – we assisted with a recovery on our way back. The crossing in the middle (keeping as far rights as possible) is best with water just above the knee.

The hyena at South Gate is a bit of a nuisance. I forgot my sandals outside one night and that was the end of my sandals. You can see the Hyena at a distance be he didn’t come too close. We had elephant walking through the camp and eating bark from the Mopani trees the one night, while we were sleeping. They were so close that one could hear them breathe. That was an amazing experience! Again, no hot water in the showers, at best a couple degrees above cold. It was very busy the first night with a lot of campsites occupied with 2+ vehicles (most with trailors, the one guy in a big convoy called themselves ‘the elephants’...) but the other 2 nights a bit quieter, except for a camper with his generator running between 5pm till we went to bed around 9:30 – fell asleep with the sound of a generator...

During our stay there, we tried to figure out our next steps, as we were suppose to stay at North Gate the next day and then cross Khwai to Savuti. When we left home the Khwai was still too deep to cross and even at South gate the officials said that we couldn’t cross Khwai. In south Gate we got mixed reports and therefore decided to still continue to North Gate and then if the Khwai is too deep we would re-route (around Mankwe and Mababe village), although we knew that that it will be a very long day (to Linyanti).



Drive to North gate is very easy with no animals. After speaking to officials at North Gate and neighbours it was clear that we can cross the river at a specific point. We drove to the area to make 100% sure that we are comfortable to cross the river at that point. I also walked the crossing. Being a lot more comfortable, we spent a relaxing afternoon next to the river at North Gate. Apparently there are 3 hyenas terrorizing people but we didn’t see them at all. North Gate was quiet with a lot of sites not occupied. Bathrooms newly built with solar panels. We packed up early the morning and were ready to leave at around 7:15. The khwai river crossing was non-eventful at the end. We were a bit lost after the crossing to get back onto the main road. This road was not indicated on my GPS (T4A) or T4A paper map. The main road goes straight north and then a sharp bend right becomes the transit road to Mababe village (but we got onto the transit road a lot more to the west than indicated on T4A. Maybe my version is not the latest T4A map set.) Then turn left onto the road that takes us to Mababe gate. After Mababe village they advised us to turn right directly after the gate and drive 21km next to the Marsh and then keep left onto the Sand ridge Road. A couple of deep sand tracks on this road but we had no problems. Arrived at Savuti early afternoon. Then onto Linyanti, again a couple of very deep sand tracks but probably not more than 6/7kms of the 49 kms.

source: Attie van der Walt

[John54]

"....after the crossing to get back onto the main road. This road was not indicated on my GPS (T4A) or T4A paper map."
The new transfer road can be viewed on Google Earth and in satellite mode on Google Maps. If you do not have the latest T4A digital map, it might be handy to add some waypoints to it, covering this road.
John

[come-along.nl]

it might be handy to add some waypoints to it, covering this road

Even better: Get the latest version (11.05) before heading this way

Cheers, Hans

[John54]

Regarding the post source & picture by Attie van der Walt, quoting: "The khwai river crossing was non-eventful at the end.":
This water crossing is actually not the Khwai river at North Gate, but a northern branch of it. The river at Khwai village/North gate has a new bridge, replacing the old one I liked so much. No problems there.
Attached a GE pic of this water crossing, it is part of the new transfer road between Khwai and Mababe. The crossings just east of this one look easier.
Regards, John

[come-along.nl]

Hi all,
Back from our trip in Botswana, spend 7 nights in Moremi and Chobe. Will give you all an update on our trip very soon. The water in the Savuti is to be seen, the river is very wide in some places.
In Savuti on our last night the 13th of July in Savuti site MK9 (or 10 maybe) there was two bakkies with two RTT on each. In one around 21h00 part of a family - two girls I would say ages 16 and 18 maybe was in one of the tents already, when a ellie walked up to the tent and ripped it off from the top and it landed 15meters away from the bakkie, with the two girls still inside. Happy to report that all they were save and sound. ellie was chased away by the ranger in the staff village. The question will remain - why he did this, and we will never know the answer, was there food inside etc? We do the ground tent, and had hyena's ever night around the tent and even a leopard about 15m away in North Gate one morning at 07h00 as open the zip
The road between North Gate and Xakanaxa is still closed, two vehicles drowned last week trying to cross it. So South Gate to Xakanaxa and South Gate to Khwai (North Gate) is fine. From South Gate to 3rd Bridge we did one small water crossing (easy) and for the rest used the bridges.

source: 4x4community.co.za

[kingshaka]

Kaziikini – Kasane via Chobe (This took us 11 hours, we left at 530am)

Road Quality: Kaziikini – Mababe Gate – This road is gravelled, slightly corrugated. As you get close to the park there is a couple of closed roads and a diversion taking you on tracks not on T4A. Stick with it and you will reach the gate.
Mababe Gate – Savute – The first 20kms of this road is sandy, it takes you through some big open plains which are stunning, you will then reach a sign clearly marked left is the Sandveld Road and right is the Marsh Road. The Marsh road is the more scenic but it isn’t used often and it isn’t always accessible. We took the Sandveld Road, the closer to Savute the better the road seemed to get. The bush is quite thick but there is plenty game around.
Savute – Ghoha Gate – thick sand, worse in some places than others, it is quite slow moving. There are a couple of pans north east of Savute, we saw lots of game there.
Ghoha Gate – Ngoma Gate – This takes you outside the Chobe Game Reserve and into the Chobe Forest Reserve, the road is about 80kms. The first 40 to a town called Kachikau is on deep sand, it is very corrugated and bumpy, the first 20kms are the worst and the moving is slow. Once you reach Kachikau it is a brand new tar road all the way to Ngoma, quite a contrast.
Ngoma Gate – Sidudu Gate – There are two options here, the tar road which takes you straight to Kasane is the quickest. Alternatively there is the river route, there are two gates at Ngoma so make sure you choose the right one for the route you want to take. The river route took us about two hours, mostly on sand, thicker in some places than others, but it can be done faster, we took many loops and spent a lot of time looking at the game. If you have time I would take this route.
Kasane – All roads in Kasane are tarred and good quality.
Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge (BWP70pp camping – cannot be prebooked)
Facilities: Campsites vary in size, if you are a large group this may not be ideal. There is a restaurant/bar overlooking the river, firewood can be bought here, showers fluctuated between hot and cold.

source: Pieter and Chloé

[come-along.nl]

Update received yesterday from Xakanaxa Camp:

Water is still rising and we had a report yesterday that it is expected to do so up until September. Environmentalists are of the opinion that Botswana is now in a natural wet cycle which will probably last until 2020. Unfortunately this does play havoc with the road infrastructure in the Moremi, with the roads becoming very muddy and sometimes submerged! However this doesn’t seem to be affecting the game viewing…

The Elephants have arrived by the hundreds and even though there are quiet a few babies amongst the herds, they are ‘very’ tolerant of the cars giving guests great photo opportunities. However, the pilots of the local air charter companies are not so impressed, as occasionally they have had to abort landings and take offs as the herds meander casually across the airstrip feeding!

Wild dog sightings have been exceptional - stealing kills from leopard, chasing a female and her cub up a tree and proceeding to eat her kill, plus making more kills! All dogs are fit, really nicely marked and in good health.

Lion and leopard have been highly vocal during the night and early mornings and with our local hippo population around camp (noisy eaters and movers), guests have been treated to the real sounds of Africa (not sure if this is appreciated as it does tend to wake one up at night!).

[come-along.nl]

We came back from Botswana on July 26. The tracks from North Gate to Xakanaxa are very limited accessible. Still some deep watercrossings to be negotiated. I stopped and decided to do the Detour via South Gate. Lots of places still flooded in Moremi. Best to ask teh rangers at the different Gates for the latest information. The stretch North Gate (via Khwai Village) is only allolwed for convoys. To Savuti use the Sandridge Route!

source: Siggi