Bush-biking in beautiful Botswana

MTB Magazine editor Paul Ingpen planned an active safari holiday across the breadth of Botswana to share his love for the bush with his growing girls. Their two-wheel game rides took them deep into pristine wilderness areas in the Tuli Block, and then on adventures around the Makgadikgadi Pans and Okavango Delta, immersing them fully into the magic of wild landscapes.

"Being on two wheels makes you really feel a part of the bush, as opposed to in a safari vehicle where you feel more on the outside, watching the system." — Josh Pinn

Botswana has a Swiss aura about it. This delightful African country has a stable government, a high GDP driven largely by diamond mining, low unemployment, has not been involved in any wars since independence in 1966, and produces a disproportionate number of Olympic medallists. With its exceptionally beautiful, uncrowded and well-stocked game reserves, low-key luxury lodges and super-friendly locals, this peaceful nation is an oasis for nature lovers who yearn for wild open spaces and bountiful game

"Cycling here is a no-brainer for anyone wanting to see the wilderness up close, or looking for an active alternative to a driving-exclusive holiday." — Mila Ingpen

Mention Tour de Tuli to any mountain biker or the Okavango Delta to any travel enthusiast and their expressions will light up with nostalgic reflections of the holiday of a lifetime. The country is one of the most magnificent destinations on earth – and it’s right next door, just a few hours’ drive north from Joburg. The only downside is that most lodges are dollar-based. This is great for the local economy, offering a low footprint and high yield, but it makes travel expensive for us Rand-earners.

The Tour de Tuli stage race sadly folded in 2022 after 16 editions, but I had the privilege of riding it a decade ago. I loved every second of rolling through mopane forests, then climbing ancient sculpted granite and sandstone outcrops to look out in wonder over the endless plains, teeming with animals. It was biking bliss.

Twenty years before that, I spent a week in the Okavango Delta and, despite many extraordinary bush experiences in places like the Greater Kruger, “the swamps” still hold an almost mystical and romantic sense of deep African adventure for me.

It’s a long way to get to this sparsely populated area with no tar roads – but you’ll find so many natural waterholes, rivers, lakes and ponds surrounded by palm trees and grasslands that consistently host hippos, crocs, elephants and herds of buck, occasionally pursued by big cats while vultures circle high above. Nature seems so close yet so far in this wetland tapestry.

Watching elephants feed at the water’s edge while seated just metres away in a “mokorokoro” dugout canoe will bring out the David Livingstone in the most urbanised city slicker – and that feeling never dies.

"The bush changes you in a way that you could never have imagined – and exploring it on a bicycle is just the ultimate way to experience it." — Josh Pinn

A lifetime of bicycle adventures has seen me explore many remote places on two wheels, and a deep childhood-ingrained craving for the bush has made riding in game reserves a sensory symphony to me. Every ride in the African wilderness is unique – you simply never know what to expect around every corner as you follow time-trod animal paths through ancient landscapes.

Having recently ridden through the indigenous forests of Kenya and witnessed the speed of urbanisation as rural dwellers discover the value of modernisation, I’ve had a slight sense of panic that we are losing time to experience raw, rugged rural Africa. Each day more acres are cleared for farming or houses, and new fences erected as man slowly takes over the last remaining animal corridors.

The notion of my kids growing up in a new world order and possibly out of Africa spurred me into action to take them far off the beaten track, to smell, see, touch and hear our unique wilderness spaces. I needed to feed my soul and my sense of parental obligation to guide my treasured children back in time to a real-life fantasy that lives beyond the urban horizon. To spend grounded time off-line, to watch the sun rise and set and to listen to the creatures of the night under a blanket of stars. I felt that if my girls immersed themselves in the bush, the unique magic of Africa would creep under their skin. I knew that they would then always desire to spend time here and pass on the legacy through vivid storytelling to their kids and generations to come.

"Every moment from the second we arose was filled, always with something new, while still allowing space for the calm presence of nature to creep under our skin." — Mila Ingpen

After a good hard look at maps of Botswana, and lots of research (with the enormous help of Safari Essence, the adventure-travel experts who sponsor a SA women’s cycling team) into the best routes between cycling-friendly reserves, I plotted a family trip. We’d first head to the east of the country, to the Tuli Block, where Koro Camp nestles on the Limpopo River, and then go westwards to Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi Pans. We’d spend a week in each of two very different biospheres, both of which have organisations that provide the rare opportunity to traverse the bush by bike, led by knowledgeable guides who know their region intimately.

I set about sourcing a vehicle suited to the journey, and found an ideal roof-top camper 4x4 stocked with everything we needed – tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, fridge, water tank, long-range fuel tanks and more – at Britz Rentals, conveniently next to the airport in Joburg. We picked it up and off we went.

Crossing the grey-green Limpopo into a wilderness without cell reception soon settled the family into deep-breathing, grounded connectedness. For the next two weeks we were off the grid, making up for the lost time of modern, urban, distracted life. Our arrival at Koro Camp, under a bright Milky Way, to a burning boma fire, hot chocolate, the sound of the rustling river, and a distant hyena howl set the tone for our long-awaited Botswanan adventure. Mountain bikes were lined up outside our chalet, ready to ride at dawn. This significantly upped the excitement levels, especially for my kids who only really know game-viewing from inside a vehicle. Mosa Masupe, an ex-Tour de Tuli guide, led our three days of bush-biking adventures.

"Four enormous giraffes crashed across the river in front of us in the dappled morning light — the most accurate way I could convey that feeling would be to play the opening scene of The Lion King." — Mila Ingpen

From Koro, we headed steadily west to Maun and the Delta. Here Chris Macintyre and his son Kyle have led horseback and cycling safaris for decades.

Our timing was perfect, and we witnessed the very first waters arriving in the delta from rains miles north in Angola, transforming dry riverbeds into fish eagle playgrounds in minutes.

"I can safely say that the Delta is the most spectacular part of Botswana, and was the most perfect finale to our trip. — Mila Ingpen

Want to Experience Botswana by Bike?

The Natural Selection 3-Night Makgadikgadi Cycling Safari offers riders the chance to explore Botswana's vast wilderness by fat bike, traversing ancient animal paths, visiting baobab forests and experiencing some of Africa's most remarkable landscapes.

From R50 340 per cyclist for SADC citizens (based on high-season rates and a minimum of four guests), the package includes two professional cycling guides, one night at Thamo Telele on a half-board basis, one night at Meno a Kwena on a full-board basis, one night at Planet Baobab on a half-board basis, and road transfers back to Maun.

Terms and conditions apply. SADC rates are available only 60 days in advance and are subject to availability.

For more information visit naturalselection.travel.