Maun Self Drive 4x4

On Road and Off Road in Botswana

Moremi Track Conditions - From Maun and to Savute

 

The 'annual flood' takes up to 6 months to flow from the Angolan Highlands.

The Okavango Delta is very flat and the flood seldom goes in the same

direction through the lower Delta. Sometimes it goes north around

Chief's Island, sometimes it flows into Lake Ngami.

.

 Maun, Botswana Weather Forecast

  Botswana Current Weather Conditions 

Earth Touch Blog in Moremi with Pictures

    Earth Touch research near Xakanaxa  Doesn't get much more current then this

November 24th Update  current road conditions in Moremi

 

Moremi

Third Bridge to Khwai- the water level has dropped and the roads are fine.

Khwai to Mababe - water is dropping and the roads are ok as well. If the

self drives keep to the main tracks, they will not have a problem with water.

Most of the water is on the back roads, which most tourists are not aware

of. We haven't had much rain yet, so depending on the rainfall this month

and next.

 

Chobe

No water, dry and roads are good. 

July 20th Update  current road conditions in Moremi

 

SHOROBE to MOWANA VET FENCE is quite a corrugated after the influx
 
of South Africans over the last few weeks, hopefully they will grade it soon.
.
MOWANA VET FENCE to SOUTH GATE is also pretty badly corrugated
 
but they were starting to grade it yesterday (sunday 19/07/2009) when I
 
was on my way to Maun, so that will be better in  a couple of weeks
 
(African Time). SOUTH GATE to XAKANAXA is the usual dusty bumpy route
.
 with no signs of bulldozers yet but can still be done in a couple hours.
.
SOUTH GATE TO 3RD BRIDGE is ok with a bit of sand here and there,
 
be carefull not to turn right onto the BODAMATAU road +/- 14kms
 
from SOUTH GATE, the water level is rising and a number of people
 
have been getting stuck there, including myself, keep left at the fork
 
(green concrete bollard marked 3rd bridge left  and bodamatau right)
.
XAKANAXA to KHWAI is a mix of sand, dust and one river crossing,
 
look where all the cars are crossing(walk it if you have to). keep left
 
while you are crossing and you'll be ok. KHWAI to SAVUTI there is one
 
river crossing, again look where  everyone is crossing and you'll be ok,
 
then the sand and dust will accompany you the rest of the way.
.
SAVUTI to IHAHA I have not been on that route now for a month but
 
dont think it would have changed that much, it will still be sandy and
 
dusty, but I can imagine that with the high volume of South Africans we
 
had recently the road from KACHIKAU to NGOMA GATE will probably
 
be corrugated.
                                                                 
                                                                     Kurt McKenzie       

July 20th Update   TRACK CONDITIONS MOREMI

 

.....,IHAHA will be fine as the water level there has dropped quite a bit since

 when  I was last there in June, LINYANTI I have not been to or heard of

 anything that side but don't think there will be much of a problem there.

SAVUTI will be it normal hot,dry ,dusty self with lots of sand to contend

 with but nothing new. SAVUTI to KHWAI(North Gate) there is currently a

 River crossing in the Khwai Community but nothing serious. I crossed it on

 Sunday, yesterday, and it was only up to cruiser hubs, if taken wrong then

 it will be up to the headlights. Khwai to XAKANAXA there is also a crossing

 but again like the Khwai one if done correct it will be ok, if done wrong it will

 come up the windscreen!! XAKANAXA to SOUTH GATE is all ok fine and

 dusty.

                                                                 Kurt McKenzie 

April 17th 2009      update

 

The road is fine and dry to South Gate.

South Gate to Xakanaxa is dry with one or two little puddles left over

from the rains.

Xakanaxa to Khwai is dry until Dombo Hippo pools, there is one

river crossing and the 2nd you drive around. Dombo Hippo Pools to

Khwai the floodplains are all flooded you have to stay on the

main track, there is one section of about 300m you have to drive

through the water but it is no more than 3 foot deep at the most.  The

Game Scouts are recommending that everyone drives Xakanaxa via

South Gate to Khwai, this is not necessary and is an extra 30 - 40kms.

Khwai to Savute there are three river crossings to go through one is

deep!! Stick to the main track and you will be ok. follow where

 everyone else is driving and you'll be ok. About 25 -30 kms from

Khwai in the Mopane trees there is a fork in the road the left fork is

very bad and muddy with some deep wet holes, take the right hand

fork and it is dry from then on, there is a little bit of sand, after a

few kms you'll come to a cut line, turn left for about 10kms and you'll

arrive at the Mababe Gate. From Mababe Gate to Savute is 60kms,

there is a new cutline again which is bone dry again with a little bit

of sand for 4kms, this sand is very soft and can catch you out!!!

Savute to Ihaha(ChobeWater Front) the road is its usual dry sandy

self, no change until you get to Ngoma Gate. From Ngoma Gate

right along the river front the flood is currently there and so there is only

 the main road to drive along.

Happy driving, stick to the main track, dont drive off the road and

you should be ok. 

Special thanks to Kurt (safari guide in Maun) for the update and

pictures below.

Chobe Game Drive Roads

Khwai Floodplain to Mababe

Khwai to Mababe

Mababe to Savute

Merc rescue 1 

 

Merc rescue 2

River Crossing Khwai

river crossing on the way to Khwai

 

Savute to Ghoha

Xakanaxa to Khwai

Xakanaxa

April 6th 2009    

25/3

The road to South Gate is not too bad. Dusty and bumpy as usual with a few new

elephant holes from the rainy season. South Gate to Xakanaxa is drying out with only a

few wet patches and a couple of nice mud patches to negotiate through (enough mud to

have some fun in). Xakanaxa to Khwai is rumoured to be wet, wet ,wet. Apparently there

is water everywhere blocking off some game drive routes. Dont know if this is due to rain

or the Khwai River rising to the early flood.



Khwai to Savute -- If Khai is wet then you are going to have some fun driving through

water and mud, from Khwai Moremi through the Khwai community up to Mababe gate.

The road from Khwai where you leave the river in Chobe up to Mababe gate is in the

Mopane so it will be muddy if they have had lots of rain as there are a few big holes to

drive through. From Mababe Gate to Savute should'nt be a problem as the new cutline is

mainly on the sandridge with only a short distance being on the Black Cotton Soil which

 again will be a litlle slippery because of the  rain.

                                                                                        Kurt McKenzie