The Sandibe Experience

The drive from Chitabe airstrip to Sandibe took 45 minutes; most of that time was spent driving through water. Botswana is already noticeably different from South Africa. It’s marshy and wet with unexpected sections of dry savannahs. The ride in the open Rover was bumpy, but we’re used to it by now and the weather was gorgeous. We sat in the back and tried to catch the last rays of the day.

We thought we were going straight to the lodge, but the driver had another plan. He pulled up and parked under a tree by the river (Anne immediately worried that we were going to be sold into white slavery or fed to a croc). They assumed we’d want to join the evening game drive, already in progress. Wrong. We were exhausted, hungry, and inappropriately dressed. So we headed back into the bush again, this time toward the lodge.

When we arrived at Sandibe, it was immediately clear that this was going to be a completely different experience than what we had in South Africa. For one thing, the lodge is fully open. There were vervet monkeys everywhere staring at us with their big old googly eyes.

Vervets. The bastards.

The main lodge

The lodge is situated right on the Santantadibe River – the view of the water is interrupted only by great clusters of tall grasses.

Private deck outside our chalet.

The grounds are not at all like the Earth Lodge or Simbambili – those lodges had manicured grounds with well-defined paths and electric lighting. Hah- not so our Sandibe. This was real safari – overgrown paths littered with fallen tree branches and elephant dung. Compared with where we’d been, this was like Girl Scout Camp with cocktails (and thank god for the booze).

Outside ouf our chalet.
The smaller round structure is the shower.

Of course, this is 4-star “camping” complete with butler service, laundry, fresh linens, comfy beds – who can complain?



But here’s the thing: the walls of our chalet? Not walls – screens. As in microthin layers of metal mesh as the only thing between Us and Them. You know who I’m talking about. Suddenly I realized, We’re the ones in the cages while They roam free.

Did I mention the outdoor shower?

And the “no electricity at night” rule?

Well – let me remedy that: the shower is outside. Where the animals and birds and rain are. And the cold, because, you see, its WINTER. The chalet, in spite of its charms was also lacking two other seemingly standard items: a phone and heat. A phone just in case we are set upon by a pride of lions. And heat, because, you see, it’s WINTER.

When we inquired about the phone, the porter produced an airhorn and told us that if we needed someone to come we should just use that.

While Anne fretted over the distinct possibility that she might suffer a myocardial infarction in the middle of the night and require emergency airlifting, I eyed the decanter of complimentary port and wondered if it was 5 o’clock yet.

Tight security is a major benefit of staying in the bush.

No one's gettin' in here!