Kasane To Francistown
East of Chobe National Park, between Kasane Forest Reserve and the Zimbabwe border, is what is informally known as the Ivory Route. It’s essentially a 300km tarred thoroughfare between Kazungula and Nata, but high concentrations of elephants that migrate between Zimbabwe’s western parks (including Hwange and Zambezi) and the forest reserves of Botswana, make it a route with some interesting stopovers.
Two of these are Senyati Safari Camp and Elephant Sands Lodge. They have some of the only waterholes on this eastern corridor and are visited almost daily by migrating elephants that spend hours drinking and bathing themselves in mud before continuing on their journey.
ROAD CONDITIONS
The A33 is tar and in good condition in most places. The roads in the upper eastern section, between Kasane Forest Reserve and the Zimbabwe Border, are graded gravel and sand.
WHERE TO STAY
There is camping at Senyati Safari Camp +267-718-81306 www.senyatisafaricampbotswana.com
Panda Rest Camp +267-716-22264
Elephant Sands Lodge +267-7344-5162, www.elephantsands.com
Nata Lodge +267-620-0070 www.natalodge.com
TIP
Despite showing up on a GPS, driving the Hunters Road trail that runs along the Botswana / Zimbabwe border is currently not permitted and anti-poaching units will turn you around.