Extraordinary Africa>Botswana>Okavango Delta and Moremi> Footsteps Camp
Footsteps Camp is an utter gem. It is not by any means the fanciest camp in the Okavango Delta. In fact, it’s rather joyously the opposite. It operates under two guises, first as a base for walking safaris and secondly for family safaris– it excels at both.
What’s Footsteps Camp really like?
Footsteps is one of the simpler safari camps in Botswana, and for that we love it utterly. There’s a real sense of tranquility as you wander in under the towering trees and over the dusty soil. Footsteps has three traditional, Meru style tents, each with a loo tucked away behind. There’s also a separate bucket shower, where-with warning- you can have a hot shower after your daily safari activities. The main mess is a covered tent, open to each end, with a cheery communal dining table, and a gnarled wooden bar which was surprisingly well stocked. The Scots in us was pleased to note the full whisky supply. We would strongly recommend asking the staff for a peek behind scenes- once you’ve seen what comes out of it, the bush kitchen can’t fail to impress.
What can I do at Footsteps Camp?
If you’re visiting Footsteps on a family safari you’ll have a whole series of adventures planned out for you (more of which below) but if you’re coming for the walking safari, you have a treat in store. First- photographers, our personal tip would be to abandon all long lenses. They are incredibly cumbersome on foot, and while you might get some good snaps on a walking safari, it’s about so much more than just the visuals. A walking safari is a gentle potter where you smell the damp dust, feel the heat on your back, and feel the prickle of unexpected thorns. You can expect to do both morning and afternoon walks, though you’ll often be dropped off by vehicle to give you a chance to see different parts of the concession. In this area we’d be astonished if you didn’t see some fairly impressive wildlife during your visit, but it’s important to know that ticking off big game isn’t the main priority on a walking safari.
Footsteps Camp for Families
Footsteps is the sort of camp where you can see that the right sort of family would just go wild (and by the “right sort” we probably mean families that have adventure in their soul and don’t mind a bit of mud under the fingernails). There’s a dusty clearing that’s ideal for an afternoon of bush football or practicing your bow and arrow, and the staff are full of ideas for keeping smaller safari-goers entertained. Normally, if you’re travelling with children, you’ll take over the whole camp giving you total freedom for a full family adventure. A tip from us: Footsteps Camp is not fenced, so wild animals do come and go through the camp, making it unsuitable for very young children.
Giving back at Footsteps
Footsteps couldn’t be further from an anonymous tourist hotel. You and the staff are very much bundled in on this remote adventure together, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures. The owners of Footsteps support Bana Ba Letsatsi, a charity for vulnerable and orphaned children in Maun. If you’d like to get involved in a more hands on way, just ask us to send the Pack for a Purpose link for much-needed donations that you can bring in your luggage.
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