Botswana Safari: Returning to Where It All Began

marni granston
5 days ago
4 min read

By Marni Granston, Founder of Tribù Travel

A Journey Shared- A Botswana Safari

Some journeys are meant to be shared. Earlier this fall, I had the privilege of hosting my parents and a group of longtime family friends from the Pacific Northwest on a journey through South Africa and Botswana — their first time experiencing Africa.

Franschhoek & The Cape Winelands

We began in Franschhoek, at the elegant La Clé Villas, where our mornings started with mountain views and fresh pastries under the oaks. The service at La Clé was exceptional, and one evening we gathered for a private braai — a traditional South African-style barbecue where meats are grilled over open flames and shared family-style. It was a relaxed and memorable night that set the tone for the rest of the journey.

While in Franschhoek, we also spent a beautiful afternoon at Boschendal Winery, enjoying a picnic lunch under the trees with baskets filled with local produce, artisanal cheeses, and fresh bread, all paired with crisp, refreshing wines from the estate. It was one of those slow, sun-soaked afternoons that captures the essence of the Cape Winelands — relaxed, elegant, and deeply connected to the land.

Days were spent exploring Table Mountain, taking in the colorful local flora and sweeping views over Cape Town, and venturing along the Cape Peninsula for a private beachside picnic featuring organic specialties from the Cape region. We ended the afternoon watching cricket in a local pub with our guide after visiting the penguins — the perfect taste of everyday South African life.

Back to the Beginning — The Okavango Delta

From the Cape, we flew north into Botswana and landed at Shinde Camp in the Okavango Delta — a place that holds deep personal meaning for me. I first visited Shinde 18 years ago on my own first safari, a trip that completely changed the trajectory of my career and ultimately led to the creation of Tribu Travel.

Shinde is a classic, treehouse-style safari camp built among ebony and mangosteen trees, overlooking the glistening channels of the Delta. As a permanent water-based camp, it offers a beautiful mix of land and water activities — the essence of what makes Botswana so special. Though it was the dry season, the Delta still shimmered with life, its channels alive with bird calls and the quiet hum of the bush.

Our first morning out on game drive brought pure magic: lions lounging in the sun, a leopard slinking through the reeds, and the joy of watching everyone experience their very first safari. The next day’s highlight was a helicopter flight over the Delta, where we traced the mosaic of islands and waterways from above and watched herds of elephants crossing the flooded channels — a breathtaking view of this vast wilderness.

“After years of traveling to Africa, it was deeply moving to return with my parents and watch them experience their first safari — a full-circle moment I’ll never forget.”

Exploring the Waterways

Days unfolded at an easy rhythm, alternating between boating through the Delta’s narrow channels, where we encountered a pod of hippos blocking our path, and drifting silently in mokoros — traditional dugout canoes — through the shallower, more protected waterways. The stillness was profound; the only sounds were the soft glide of the pole through water and the chorus of birds hidden in the reeds.

On walking safaris, we followed tracks in the sand and learned about the smaller details of the bush — the stories told by footprints, the scent of wild sage, and the art of slowing down and truly seeing.

Each evening brought its own moment of wonder — from surprise sundowners on the floodplains to private dinners under the stars. We were even treated to a lunar eclipse and a massive orange African moon rising over the horizon, casting a glow across the Delta that felt almost unreal.

Life on the River

From Shinde, we continued to the Chobe River, boarding our private Chobe Princess houseboat for two tranquil nights afloat. As a group of boaters from the Pacific Northwest, this experience felt especially personal. We fished for catfish, watched elephants and crocodiles from the deck, and visited a local village on the Namibian side of the river, where we met warm and welcoming locals eager to share their stories and way of life.

Star bed Linyanti Expedition Camp with Africa Bush Camps

Under the Stars in Linyanti

To round out the journey, two of the families extended their adventure with a stay at African Bush Camps’ Linyanti Expeditions, a rustic, tented safari experience that captures the spirit of old Africa. They loved the night drives, the authenticity of camp life, and especially sleeping under the stars in open-air starbeds — a memory that became a cherished family story.

A Journey That Came Full Circle

Hosting this Botswana Safari — and returning to the place where my own safari story began — was profoundly special. Sharing Africa’s wild beauty with my parents and lifelong friends reminded me why I do what I do: to create meaningful connections between people, place, and the natural world.

📍Destinations: South Africa & Botswana

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