Botswana
Guided, Small Group
Camping
Do something different with your holiday and enjoy a life enriching experience; international students now have the unique opportunity to train with African safari guides. Held at our Kwapa Training Camp in the southern Okavango Delta, the training is physically demanding and includes theory, advanced rifle handling and walking assessment. More details on the course components can be found below on the Overview tab.
It is of the utmost importance that students realise that the above requirements for a full qualification are impossible to gain in a short period of time. Much depends on the student’s shooting ability, what nature offers in the way of required encounters with potentially dangerous animals and having enough time to log sufficient hours on foot with a qualified mentor.
This qualification is usually acquired over several months. Many of our international students opt for this course as a life enrichment experience and get an Okavango Guiding School certificate, rather than pursuing a formal qualification through FGASA or BQA.
Kwapa Camp has nine 3 x 4 meru-style tents with a short passage to an enlarged en-suite bathroom with bucket shower and short drop toilet. Each tent is furnished with two camp beds, sheets, pillows, duvet and towels. A battery-operated LED light is provided in the tents. There is a wash basin and relaxing chairs on the covered verandah. Accommodation is on a shared basis with the option of 15% surcharge for single occupation.
14 Days: From USD 3,253 per person
28 Days: From USD 6,506 per person
15% single supplement applies
Okavango Guiding School sponsors one citizen trainee to join every course we conduct (that has 4 or more students), as part of our social responsibility program. This highly successful initiative is beneficial, not only to the candidate being sponsored, but also to the international trainees who gain an in-depth insight into the culture of Botswana. Holistic guiding goes beyond the wildlife of Africa and understanding the culture adds a different dimension to the training experience.
The course will run with just 1 student up to a maximum of 8 (plus the citizen trainee)
The Okavango Guiding School trainer meets all students at the PPCC Indian restaurant across the road from Maun Airport at 14h00. This allows students to arrive on international flights on the first day of the course (these flights usually land at around 13h15). The students are then taken to purchase their drinks before embarking on the 2-hour road transfer to Kwapa Camp. Arriving at Kwapa Camp in the late afternoon, the rest of this first day consists primarily of orientation and familiarization of the assessment process to be used for this course.
Please note that if any students arrive after 14h00 they will have to find accommodation in Maun and pay the U$70.00 fee for an unscheduled transfer to Kwapa Camp the following day.
Our week begins with an introduction to weapons and weapon handling and, for those with some experience, we continue with the more advanced muscle memory drills. After the rifle handling, we head out on a foot safari and return to camp for lunch. The afternoon begins with further weapon handling and is followed by an introduction to mokoro handling (depending on water levels). These traditional dug-out canoes will be an important part of the walking course, making it possible to get from island to island in absolute silence.
We wake at the crack-of-dawn to do a game walk. The direction of our morning walk is often dictated by the vocal clues from our quarry at night. When we return to camp we head to the shooting range to see how our shooting skills are progressing. In the afternoon, we do weapon handling and review the video of your morning practice. These videos are done in slow motion and allow the trainer and the student to better understand any flaws in shooting technique.
Another early start for a morning game walk which is followed by a theory lecture on weapon safety, ballistics and/or viewing potentially dangerous game on foot. In the afternoon, we head out on the river in our motor boat (depending on water levels) and find a good area for a walking excursion when we hope to encounter some potentially dangerous game.
We take a morning game drive to the north of camp where large herds of buffalo often drift through. Hopefully with a few approaches under our belts we return to camp for lunch. In the afternoon, we begin with weapon handling drills to hone our shooting techniques and perfect our muscle memory. After our weapons “work-out” we head out on foot and continue to search for game to encounter and approach.
You guessed it, the morning begins with another game walk! But the wonderful thing about the Kwapa region is that there is such a diversity of habitat that every walk is different and with each student having the opportunity to lead walks we see the bush through different eyes. We return to camp and before lunch we do a short session of weapon drills. In the afternoon, we set out for a great adventure. We pack our back-packs with the bare minimum and walk out to a favorable area where we set up our mosquito nets and make our overnight “camp”. The sleep-out is a chance for ultimate intimacy with nature. With no tents, no artificial light and only the bare minimum of supplies, we enjoy the bush as our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Students take turns managing the fire and keeping guard while the other students get some sleep.
We wake up in our wilderness camp and, after erasing any sign of our presence, we walk back to camp. We continue our lessons on tracking, navigation, safe walking techniques and hoping for a few good encounters before a well-earned lunch! We head out in the afternoon to the shooting range. It is time to assess what everyone has achieved in the week’s shooting drills and practical shooting. After the shooting assessments, we head back to camp for dinner.
More of the above.
After breakfast, we return to Maun in plenty of time for those guests that have international flights to connect with.
Please note: the above is just a broad outline so it can and will change depending on the guests needs and external factors. On some days it has been known not to be followed at all!
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