Botswana Self Drive Holiday. Day Three. Kaziikini Campsite to Moremi Game Reserve .

It was a very short drive from Kaziikini Campsite to the South Gate Entrance to the Moremi Game Reserve. The park gates open at 06.00, we arrived at about 10.00.

According to the Bradt Safari Guide to Botswana, May to October is the best time to visit if you are driving yourself, as this is the dry season. However, early in June Botswana had very unseasonal rain in June, over 100mm fell in 24 hours. The rain fell as the annual flood approached Maun. Because of this expectations for the flood are high, and water levels in the Thamalakane River are rising at over 3 cm per day. Despite this, the roads from South Gate were dry, a little sandy in places, but we did not get stuck.

We had been told that if you wanted to go out onto the lagoon in a Mokoro, it was advisable to book. So we drove to the Mboma Boat Station and booked our Mokoro for 10.00 the next day.

We could have gone out there and then, and the 'Poler' was surprised that we had come to book!!

The drive from the boat station to Third Bridge campsite was about 1 hour, the roads were very sandy.

Third Bridge Campsite was lovely, our pitch looked out onto the lagoon and I could see (and hear) Elephants in the water.

The only problem with this site is the troop of Baboons who live here. You have to lock every thing away or they will have it. One jumped into a fellow campers Land Rover and stole a bag of apples whilst they were chatting to us.

All through the park new ablution blocks have been built. They are very nice, they have a Male and Female side, with 3 toilets and 3 showers in each side. There are solar panels for hot water, but you have to run the water for a long time to get hot water. The young baboon's were having fun useing the panels as a slide!

That night Hippos grazed next to out tent, and a Hyena looked to see if we had left any scraps! I could smell the Hyena, they smell like very smelly Cats!