Often known as the San, a name incorrectly attached to this culture by early anthropologists utilizing a derogatory name that livestock owning tribes assigned to these First People who remained true to the hunting-gathering way of life. DNA tests have traced all other cultures back to these original people, and thus the opportunity to visit with your most ancient ancestors lets you tap into the very root of who we all are.

Cultural Visits at Grassland Bushman Lodge

Nowhere can this experience be more well done than from Grassland Bushman Lodge (also known as Grasslands Safaris). The exceptional difference offered here is the family that owns the lodge has lived in the area for 5 generations and worked side by side with the bushman for decades.

Authentic visits with Bushmen

The DeGraff family arrived as part of the Rhodes party to become the first large-scale cattle farmers in Botswana. Neeltjie, who manages the lodge as well as her sister and father all speak fluent Naro bushman language. This means you can ask any questions you want as well as receive true translations of all that is happening in the company of the bushman.

This makes for a much deeper experience than guests receive when they go on simple bushman walks that usually consist of 2 men doing a set routine which a guide interprets activities but not the language. At Grasslands, time with bushmen includes men and women and is multi-generational allowing visitors to experience the entire bushman society.

Each time out is somewhat different and as seasons change so do the important things the bushman show you. For example on our January visit, the foods gathered were quite different than when I was there for an April visit. The travel writer expert, Dave Fox, who co-guided this writing safari with me had a number of questions and did a full-on interview with these fascinating people easily translated in both directions by Neeljie – something likely not possible at any other safari lodge.

Our day spent with amazing people was certainly one of the very top highlights for all in the group and I could see the wonder on their faces and the excitement in their voices. I only wish that every person could somehow visit the first of us. Spending time with the bushmen provides a new vantage point to observe our own lives making it a poignant experience that stays with one long after the visits and your return to home.

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Encounter with an African Wild Dog at Grassland Bushman Lodge

Unique Predator Encounters Available at Grassland Bushman Lodge

Grassland Bushman Lodge (also known as Grasslands Safaris) provides a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about predator/livestock conflict in a very dramatic way – up close and personal.

An Eye to Eye Look at an African Wild Dog

At Grassland Bushman Lodge, Guests are able to walk in with a pack of 19 highly endangered African wild dogs, quite an interesting experience to be so close to these highly elusive predators and allowing for observation of some of their typical behaviors and energetic character. It is also possible to drive into a similar enclosure of approximately 40 acres that houses an impressive pride of lions.

A Captive Lion at Grassland Bushman Lodge

How Predators End Up at Grassland Bushman Lodge

All of these predators were destined to be shot on neighboring cattle ranches, but the Grasslands Lodge owners, the DeGraff family, were requested by the Wildlife Department to capture and rescue these animals. Early on animals were caught and released back into the Central Kalahari Game Reserve but most quickly returned to the cattle farms and that has sentenced them to a life in captivity.

There are quite a few captive lions that have very limited interaction with people and they will be subjects in my Conditioned Taste Aversion (CTA) research. With success we might be able to release some of these animals (each must be carefully evaluated) and without a doubt work with these captives can help us advance the CTA methodology to the benefit of the remaining wild predator populations.

Two Cheetah Outside Grassland Bushman Lodge

Grassland Bushman Lodge Wildlife Sighting

Interestingly, our group had a very unusual sighting of a family of 4 cheetah very close to the Grassland Bushman Lodge. Due to dangers of interacting with livestock, predators are very wary in this area and rarely sighted so we had some extreme luck. A blog entry from later in this trip will detail that 2 cheetah captured on the cattle farms in this region will be released later this year in the Selinda Reserve.

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Grassland Bushman Lodge

The Journaling Safari 2010 now moves on to Grassland Bushman Lodge. This is the second of five total stops in Botswana - and I believe that Bill may have at least email access - if not full Internet access - during his stay at Grassland Bushman Lodge. Hopefully we'll get some good updates about Grassland Bushman and Sankuyo Bush Camp.

Grassland Bushman Lodge Overview

Bill has been to Botswana numerous times and has compiled a bunch of great information on Grassland Bushman Lodge. Before I provide the brief overview of Grassland Bushman Lodge, I wanted to direct you to TheWildSource.com resources and videos about Grassland Bushman Lodge and the Kalahari Desert in General:

• Grassland Bushman Lodge Africa Safari Blog Posts
• Grassland Bushman Lodge Page at TheWildSource.com
• Bill Given's Grassland Bushma Lodge Photoset (93 photos) at Zenfolio.com (must see)

Grassland Bushman Lodge Videos

Be sure to also check out TheWildSource.com video channel which contains five videos taken at Grassland Bushman Lodge. The videos are fascinating. Two of the videos have been provided below.

Getting Water from a Bone-Dry Kalahari Desert

Bushmen Build a Snare

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Grassland Bushman Lodge Cultural Opportunities

The Grassland Bushman Lodge offers a truly unique cultural experience. DNA studies have concluded that the Bushmen are the original human culture on earth from which we all are descended from. Visitors to the Grassland Bushman Lodge have the opportunity to interact directly with the Bushman and learn their traditions. This includes hunting techniques and finding water (as shown in the videos above) - among other cultural opportunities.

Wildilfe at Grassland Bushman Lodge

While the cultural opportunities at Grassland Bushman Lodge are incredible, the wildlife opportunities are excellent as well. Bill is actually conducting predator research in partnership with the lodge to prevent predation of livestock by lions.

Visitors to the Grassland Bushman Lodge will have the opportunity to view game that is native to the Kalahari. Wildebeest, oryx, and hartebeest are some of the more common animal sightings.

Next up: Mapula Lodge - to see all of the destinations on the 2010 journaling safari, see the itinerary and map (both below).

2010 Journaling Safari Destinations

• Day 1: Arrival in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Day 2 - Day 4: Sankuyo Bush Camp, Botswana
• Day 5 - Day 7: Grassland Bushman Lodge, Botswana
• Day 8 - Day 10: Mapula Lodge, Botswana
• Day 11: Selinda Camp, Botswana
• Day 12: Zarafa Camp, Botswana
• Day 13: Layover in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Day 14-15: Ol Donyo Wuas, Kenya
• Day 16-17: Mara Plains, Kenya

Interactive Safari Map

You can follow along all of the destinations for the Journaling Safari 2010 by using the interactive map below. You can expand, resize, and click on the pins for a bit more information about the destinations as well as the dates where Bill will be at a given destination.

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I have many people tell me they cannot do a safari because they do not want to spend their entire vacation driving in a vehicle. Of course virtually everyone returns from safari wishing they could have a few more game drives because each one really is different but I do believe diversity in all things is good and to that end I encourage people to include some varied activities to maximize their safari experience. To give a real life example of how a safari can include many activities outside of the vehicle this entry will be a brief recap of an eleven night Botswana safari undertaken by two my clients, Cathie and Jan, in December and they have been kind enough to allow me to use their photos.

Botswana Elephant Experience

Elephant Encounter! An entire morning spent walking in the company of three elephants, learning all things elephant from a touching distance. These three elephants were orphaned by culling operations and now serve as ambassadors for their wild brethren. I am very careful about recommending any type of animal interaction experience but this one is fantastic and ethical, providing the elephants with a good life of wandering the wild Okavango Delta daily and doing critical education work, see Living With Elephants for all the details. Guests of Baines Camp and Stanley’s Camp can arrange this experience.

Power Boating in the Okavango Delta

Power boating provides a unique perspective of the Okavango Delta and allows for its deep exploration. Kwara Camp features double decker boats that are used to achieve birds-eye views into extensive nesting colonies. This is also the best way to visit hippos and crocodiles in their element.

Horseback Safari

Horse Riding Safaris are an amazing way to approach closely to the grazing animals. One of the most thrilling moments for Cathie and Jan was galloping along side zebras and wildebeests on the move at Grassland Bushman Lodge. The horses here are very skilled and rides can be tailored for both novices and experts.

Mapula Game Walk

Game Walks are an essential safari experience taking you into the unfiltered wilderness. The animals can definitely look and feel different when your feet are on the ground and you have more time to learn about the little things that the vehicles zoom past.

Bushmen Prepare to Make a Fire

Bushman Cultural Experience. A morning food gathering walk with a community group of San bushmen people is an amazing window into our past way of life and an eye opener on how separated we have become from our natural world. A surprising amount of food can be found in the Kalahari desert and it also is unexpectedly tasty. This area at Grassland Bushman Lodge has long been known for its food productivity and the name for the area, Ghanzi, derives from a bushman word meaning land of the big bums, a term acknowledging the plentiful nature of food in the area.

Okavango Delta Mokoro Ride

Mokoro safaris are an essential part of a visit to the Okavango Delta. This is the traditional mode of travel in the region and is still in use by many local people. The feeling of sitting on the waters surface is surreal and provides a completely different view point of this unique ecosystem.

A full one third of Cathie and Jan’s activities were out of the vehicle resulting in a well-rounded safari full of surprises and different experiences. Of course they report being thrilled by their time inside the vehicle too, especially when in the company of roaring lions after dark!

Night Drive Lion

In our current economic climate I have lots of people enquiring about safari deals. There are quite a number of them popping up in every safari country, and some are very good. Due the heightened interest I am going to endeavor to post the best deals that I have received listed by country over the next few blog posts and then I will continue to post new deals as I receive them. Sign up for our monthly newsletter as another way to keep current on special offers. Many of the deals coming from safari operators are not including the high season so I am developing a few of my own deals that are specifically offered by The Wild Source only, encompassing some of my favorite properties throughout the prime season for wildlife viewing. The following are current deals offered in Botswana:

• Kalahari Summer Special remains one of the best, travel during December through March 2009 and the rate is $290 per person per night and there is no single supplement on accommodation. This special includes many camps including Mapula Lodge, Grassland Bushman Lodge, Delta Camp, and others.
• The Wild Source exclusive Footsteps Special. For travel from April through November to include all of the high season and shoulder seasons we will discount all accommodation in Footsteps in Africa camps by 10% for any itinerary that includes six nights or more in Footsteps camps, including the new Sankuyo Plains Camp and Deception Valley Lodge.

• 5 Rivers special continues for travel during December through March and the rate is $315 per person per night with no single supplement on accommodation. This special includes Kwara, Lebala, Lagoon, and the new camps Nxai Pan and Tau Pan once they open as well as Deception Valley Lodge.
• The Wild Source exclusive Kwando Special. For travel during the high season of June through October we will discount all accommodation in Kwando camps by 10% for any itinerary that includes six nights or more in a combination of Kwara, Little Kwara, Lagoon, and Lebala Camps. Additionally, with 6 nights between any of the aforementioned camps we will offer nights at the new Nxai Pan and Tau Pan camps for a discounted $315 per person per night (regular rack rate is $480).

• Pay for 4 nights and stay for 6 garnering a 33% discount. You may use any combination of &Beyond camps within Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zimbabwe and your first and last nights are free with a 6 night or more stay for travel. This deal runs through June 30th, 2009.
• Pay for 3 nights and stay for 4 garnering a 25% discount. You may use any combination of &Beyond camps within Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. This deal runs through June 30th, 2009.
• Pay for 4 nights and stay for 5 garnering a 20% discount. You may use any combination of &Beyond camps within Botswana only. This special is for travel between January 7th and May 31st, as well as in November and December.

• Pay for 7 nights and receive an 8th free (depending on camps about 12.5% discount). Abu and Mombo are not eligible for the deal and the free night must take place at one of the camps already on the itinerary. This deal must be booked by the end of February 2009 and travel is during now through June 30th as well as in November.

Please note that this blog entry is a quick summary of deals and in no way a binding quote as terms and conditions may change at anytime. The Wild Source exclusive deals do not apply to any applicable single supplements.