Walk with bushmen in Botswana
The San bushmen of the Kalahari have long been a subject of great intrigue and fascination, admired by anthropologists, scientists, story-tellers and everyday travellers alike. Sadly, very few bushmen are able to live the same ancient nomadic lifestyle that their ancestors did, but certain elements of these traditions have been kept alive through their employment at various safari lodges. While staying at these lodges, travellers can enjoy educational bush walks, where San elders pass on their skills and knowledge.
As the oldest living inhabitants of Africa, the secret of the San’s survival was their total dependence on the natural provisions of the land. To the untrained eye, however, the barren shrubs and grasslands surrounding the Makgadikgadi pans seem anything other than a suitable pantry of resources to live on. This common assumption makes walking with the San a deeply fascinating experience, a time to delve deeply into some of mankind’s most cunning tricks of survival. The walk is a tactile exploration, involving the tasting of a variety of foods including berries and fire-roasted beetles and demonstrations in fire-making, dancing, hunting and medicine-making.
There are a number of camps in the Makgadikgadi region that offer a bushmen walking activity including Meno a Kwena, Jack’s Camp and San Camp.
