Field Course Botswana: Track and Trail

Course participants need to be at least 18 years old and have solid English skills to be able to communicate with the others and to understand all instructions.

Since lots of game walks will take place and temperatures can get very high at times, it is also important to be physically fit. Therefore, we will ask you to hand in a doctor’s certificate proving that you are fit enough to master the course. Getting travel health insurance for your time in Botswana is also obligatory.

Last but not least, your curiosity and motivation to learn as well as your interest in African nature are essential.

For questions concerning visa requirements you should consult the website of your country’s Federal Foreign Office or contact the Natucate team.

Prior to your Track & Trails adventure, we will discuss your trip in detail and give you advice on how to plan your journey.

After your arrival in Maun, our partner will pick you up at the airport and take you to Camp Kwapa. A transfer for the way back to the airport will be organized as well. During the course, you will sleep in your own dome tent and receive three meals per day including water, coffee, and tea. During the course there will be regular excursions, game walks as well as game drives.

Costs for flights, travel insurances, visa, additional drinks/beverages, tips, and extra excursions are not included.

If you don’t come from a country where Yellow Fever is present, you do not need special vaccination. However, it is always recommended to make sure to be vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella before every journey. Moreover, you should take the medication you need with you, as healthcare in Botswana may not be sufficient.

You should also consider vaccination for hepatitis A and if you want to stay longer even hepatitis B, typhus, and rabies. Furthermore, please consider getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

In Botswana, infectious diseases like malaria are common and you should consider taking medication as a prophylactic measure.

Around three months prior to your departure you should consult your doctor concerning possible dangers, vaccinations, and protection measures. Moreover, you should consult the website of your country’s Federal Foreign Office to get information about the latest travel and safety advice.

Last but not least, travel health insurance is obligatory when participating in the course.

Waterproof clothes, sturdy boots, long and light trousers as well as a hat, and enough sunscreen for daily excursions should not be missing in your luggage.

As nights and mornings can be quite chilly, you should take longer clothes with you. To blend in the landscape, please make sure to bring clothes in “bush colours” like beige, brown, khaki and ochre.

You should also bring binoculars, a refillable bottle, a day pack, insect repellant, and a headlamp.

You will receive a detailed packing list after booking.

Camp Kwapa has a comprehensive library, however, you may want to bring along a small selection of the following books:

• Stuart, Chris; Stuart, Mathilde: Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa
• Newman, Kenneth: Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa
• van Wyk, Bram; van Wyk, Piet: Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa
• Hancock, Pete: Birds of Southern Africa
• Roodt, Veronica: Trees of the Okavango
• Roodt, Veronica: Wildflowers of the Okavango
• Gutteridge, Lee; Reumerman, Tony: Okavango Field Guide
• du Preez, Louis; Carruthers, Vincent: Frogs of Southern Africa – A Complete Guide
• Skelton, Paul; Bruton, Mike; Merron, Glenn: Fishes of the Okavango and Chobe River, Botswana
• Alexander, Graham; Marais, Johan: A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa
• Main, Michael: Kalahari

Recommended apps are:

• Avenza Maps
• Botswana Wildlife (only for Apple so far)
• Pocket Universe
• Robert’s Birds
• Stuart’s Mammals
• E-Trees of Southern Africa
• Frogs of Southern Africa
• Insects of South Africa
• Maps.Me
• Birdlasser
• E-Snakes of Southern Africa

Booking travel cancellation insurance beforehand is recommended in case you can’t attend the course. There are also options for insurances in case you are forced to quit your stay earlier.

On the day the course starts you arrive in Maun/Botswana. At 02:00 PM, you will be picked up at the “Duck Café” across the road from Maun Airport and taken to your camp in the Okavango Delta.

After your arrival at camp, you can get familiar with the site, get to know the other participants, and receive an overview of the upcoming course. In the late afternoon, a first bush activity might take place.

When joining the 8-day Tracking course, you start your day early. Each morning after breakfast, you and your team head out into the wild to dedicate yourself to the ancient art of tracking. For lunchtime, you usually return to camp before going on another bush excursion in the afternoon. Before sunset, you make your way back to camp where you have dinner and spend the rest of the evening by the campfire under Africa’s incomparable night sky.

When joining the 8-day Wilderness Trails or the 15-day course, you and your team wake up early every morning, have a light breakfast, and head out into the wilderness on foot. You return to camp for lunch and have a siesta to gather new energy. In the afternoon you set out on foot in a different direction.

You will spend a maximum of three nights in the wilderness camp before moving to another location on foot. Depending on water levels you and your team load your equipment in mokoros, or the equipment will be moved by vehicle while everyone carries supplies for the day.

Note: Excursions are done mostly by foot, but also in vehicles, in motorboats and dug-out canoes called mokoros. Students are responsible for leading walks, poling the mokoro, and conducting game drives. The ratio of mokoro, boat, driving, and walking will be greatly dependent on water levels at the time.

A group includes 8 persons at maximum. There may be two groups at a time in camp.

On our camp information page, you can find more details on Camp Kwapa:

Camp Kwapa

Yes, in general this is possible. We kindly ask you to inform us well in advance so the team on site can prepare your room accordingly.

Throughout the course, you will receive three meals a day with typical local ingredients.

For breakfast, there will usually be handed some rusks, toast (with various spreads), porridge, yogurt and cereals. Lunch is served around 12:00 noon and consists of a hot dish with fresh baked bread and salads/vegetables. For dinner, you will be served a hot meat dish with a starch plus either vegetables or salad.

Small snacks like crisps and peanuts with raisins will be available for students to take on excursions. Water, tea or coffee are available throughout the day. If you would like to drink something else, you can purchase other beverages in the camp.

In case you would like drink something besides the “typical” soft drinks or alcohol, please let us know well in advance so the team has enough time to organize. Moreover, please also inform us about special dietary needs (allergies, vegetarian, vegan etc.), as the team on site needs to prepare for that as well.

With a notice ahead it is possible to follow a vegetarian diet during the time of your course.

Other diets (vegan, gluten-free) are possible as well but due to the logistical challenges, an extra fee is required.

You can use the time right after the first and the second excursion of the day for your own activities.

You may spend your leisure time talking to other course students, playing games, or simply enjoying the surrounding nature. Camp Kwapa also has its own little library to borrow books.

Yes, you can always talk to the staff members on site who will help you with questions and problems. You can also reach out to the Natucate team 24/7.

The currency in Botswana is Pula. There is no ATM in the camp, so you should bring enough cash for the duration of your stay (either in Pula, Euro, or US Dollar).

In order to get cash, you can either exchange it in a local bank or at the airport in Johannesburg, or bring a credit card with you to draw money from an ATM in Maun. Don’t forget to check with your bank if your credit card works in Botswana.

Please plan to bring cash for extra drinks (need to be purchased in a sixpack) and snacks, staff tips (if you want), and an emergency.

Be prepared to have little to no cellphone reception and no internet connection during your time in Kwapa. When staying Maun after your arrival and before your departure it is a good time to contact your family and friends.

Located in the subtropical area of Southern Africa, Kwapa is generally characterized by very hot temperatures during the daytime in Botswana’s summer months (mid-September to April). Evenings are a bit cooler but all in all, nights are still warm. Due to occasional rain falls during summer (mostly in the afternoon), knee-long raincoats are recommended.

From May to August, Botswana’s winter months, temperatures can drop to 0°C and rise to about 25°C during the day. We advise you to prepare for those temperature fluctuations by dressing in layers.

Living in the African wilderness always requires awareness and attention.

Camp Kwapa is unfenced which means that animals may wander through the camp. Many of them are potentially dangerous if they feel threatened. Although attacks from wild animals are very rare in Botswana, there is always a certain risk.

Please always listen to and follow the rules of the camp staff and instructors. The safety precautions need to be taken seriously, and strictly adhered to. As with any area with its dangers, through appropriate behaviour risk can be reduced. All students will be expected to sign an indemnity form.

Yes, you will receive a certificate of participation upon course completion.