Mokolodi Nature Reserve

Excellent safari destination with sufficient tourism infrastructure

Mokolodi is a little gem, in particular if you wish to see rhinos. And, I also loved to stay in their lodges.

Large variety of animals.

Accessible, affordable, box-checking adventure for lightweights like me

If you have one extra day on a business trip to Gaborone, this park is a must-do. It's located just outside of town, so it's easily accessible from anywhere. It's not expensive, so even those on an expense account can manage. And it's got the possibility to show you a whole lot of stuff you can't get elsewhere, without the major allocation of time and resources required elsewhere.

Above all, the cheetah-meeting experience is worth every penny. Don't just get face-to-face with a cheetah; actually kneel down and pet one on the head. Two cheetahs whose mother was killed by poachers were saved by the sanctuary and are housed in an area where, when they're not hungry, safarigoers can get up close and personal-- in very small groups, of course. I've done this twice, and would do it again.

Apart from the cheetahs, there are a lot of other animals in Mokolodi worth seeing. We did a black-rhino tracking safari, where we got within 20-30 feet of a couple of the massive mammals after following their tracks on foot. We saw bunches of giraffes as they poked their heads out from the bush-- how can they hide so well, given how much taller they are than most anything out there? We saw elephants on a previous visit, but were saddened to hear that all the elephants were moved following a tragic accident last year involving an employee. Of course, all the smaller mammals are also there, including kudu, impala, zebras, baboons, warthogs, and more.

I haven't stayed on site, but that's not for lack of trying... in March, I just waited too long to book my reservations. If you want to do a very early morning safari, though, it's not a big deal to get to Mokolodi from most any hotel in Gabs.

The scenery is bush-- nothing special. But the region has these crazy lump-mountains that just bloop up from the ground every now and then; these are what you see on the not-so-distant horizon both surrounding Mokolodi and throughout Gabs.

Overall, I'd say if you have gone to a big-time reserve before, you'll probably be unimpressed by Mokolodi. But if Gaborone is part of a bigger itinerary, or part of a business trip like the ones that take me through Botswana often, it's a definite must-see.

We saw some beautiful Eylops owls here and got up close (well as close as you can get while being safe) with an elephant.