Most "camp" toilets in Botswana are flush toilets, but open air.

But seriously, if you're worried about toilets at the camps stay home... You won't be happy...


On another note... I just saw that Mack Air (Maun) and WestAir (Nam) are both listing 1000 hours as the minimum... have the governments made a decision requiring 1000 hours for all expats? or are they just saying that they won't take resumes (CVs) via the internet without 1000 hours? Anyone know?

Re toilets Audi camp.... mate you'll most likely have the ****s anyway for the first couple of weeks in maun so probably won't be too concerned about how flash the loos are! just as long as you get there...:E

Sedia Hotel also has the fabled pink caravan stop by once or twice a year.... if you are lucky enough to hit the jackpot!;)

Not worried about the toilets (spent plenty of time camping with long-drops) just wanted to know what to expect.

I read something about open-air communal showers and I was picturing a shower-head attatched to a post out in the open :}.... THAT is not my cup of tea.

Flushing toilets, regardless of quality, give me hope. :)

It's not the snakes at the bottom of the long drop that are the problem. They don't much like excrement and tend to just try to climb up the wall. It's the African bull frog that's the very real danger.
He lives at the bottom of the drop.

http://www.rollinghillswildlife.com/...rog,-Bubba.gif

It has very sharp teeth and is violently and voraciously carnivorous. It is highly aggressive, weighs up to two kilos and can jump like a Jack Rabbit. It's always hungry and always wants to get to the food source. Shooting them between your own legs as they are on the jump has led to some serious accidents which have provided the bully frog, from time to time, with more delicious food than it thought it would sink it's teeth into on reaching the pink, or blacksource provider.
All long drops in Africa must be considered to have snakes and Pyxicephalus adspersus in them. You can tell which is coming for you because the African Bullfrog makes a sticky slurpy noise as he unsticks himself from the mounds of dung in which he lives and stirs himself into an anal upward trajectoried rabid rectal rocket. Watch out too for crocodiles waiting patiently just out of lanter range.

black mamba for breakfast anyone?

Zappalin, I can confirm that the pilot special NO LONGER APPLIES. Did you miss that sentence that I wrote in Avcom. There are already about 7 guys camping at Sedia. From my time in Maun the +++++ for staying there far outweigh Audi.
1. PRICE (P40 as opposed to P47 per night) If you're planning on staying long term then the P40 may also be reduced at the managers discretion
2. Distance to airport (taxi fares are cheaper so PRICE again) If you travel from Audi to the airport before 8am then you pay P3.90 if you travel after that time then it's a double charge due to the distance, 12km instead of 4.5km
3. Free Electricity
4. Free Wireless
5. Close to the the main pilot hangout on Friday night SPORTSBAR (walking distance)
6. Walking distance to Old Bridge backpackers

If anyone wants more info they can pm me

Guys and Girls

Another very huge extremely important thing which has been mentioned in one of the Maun pages is when you enter the country and you fill in that little piece of paper asking why you are here and how long you want to stay. Whatever you do,
:ugh: :ugh::ugh:DO NOT PUT DOWN THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR WORK.:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Also the maximum time that they will give you is 90 days so request 90 days. When they have stamped your passport make sure that you see how long they have given you. I have just had to give some guys advice who thought that they had 90 days only to find that they had 25 and 30 days respectfully. Stress that you have a job in your respective country and that you are starting a trip around Botswana starting in Maun and The Delta. Don't carry cv's, references etc that will give it away that you are looking for work. A good idea might be to have a letter on company headed paper say from a parents work saying that you have leave owed to you and that you have been granted a 3 month holiday.

(Don't carry cv's, references etc that will give it away that you are looking for work.)

Isn't that incitement to conspire to make a false declaration to this authority?

Republic of Botswana - Government portal

Just a completely idle thought really.

(A good idea might be to have a letter on company headed paper say from a parents work saying that you have leave owed to you and that you have been granted a 3 month holiday.)

Incitement to carry false or forged documentation for the purpose of obtaining entry for an illegal purpose?

All good speculative fun until you get caught out I suppose? Wonder if anyone from this office ever reads these pages.

http://www.laws.gov.bw/VOLUME%204/CH...%20SERVICE.pdf

Probably not I suppose.

A great thread with a guy who is willing to give everyone his time so don't be too fussy.

I like checking out the state of affairs where I worked but honestly a few things to end this rant,

"I am worried about the toilets" - Bad luck you will be in Africa.

"I am worried my bed isn't comfy enough" - Read above.

"How do I get there? What do I do? How do I sort out my life?" - Well you manage to use the Internet to get here didn't you (part III speak to someone else).

"Will people like me, will I get on with pilots & bosses?" - Maybe don't go?

To sum up the "livability" (ie - non passport, cost etc) concerns people have -

cc you are feisty today aren't you?
However you do make a very valid point...
I wonder if any of the people within immigration take that into account when you apply for work visa / temporary work permit... hmmmm... I know they've overlooked it for the past 40 odd years, but if they wanted to be harsh, they might be able to reject based upon that...

However, when I went, I went with the purpose of having a nice vacation, and if, by chance I were to be offered a job, then I would consider it and go through the process to receive the correct validations and permit. (at least, that's what I told myself when the immigration official asked me why I was entering the country)

as to carrying resumes (cvs), why bother, there are internet cafes everywhere, you can print any number of copies at any time, and it's not expensive to do so. But what about the other documents, diplomas, degrees, licenses, etc. You have to carry them, and if you get searched and they ask, what are you going to tell them (by the way, I was searched twice while transiting between countries, so don't carry any contraband of any kind - including pornography).

I'm just wondering though, since the companies have started documenting 1000 hours minimum on their web sites, if this requirement has been established for this year (both in Nam and Bots), due to the discussions that have been going on in both governments since last year.

It looks as though sefofane still only requires 250 hrs.

if you're looking at the sefofane website... ha ha

isn't that what you were talking about?

Age
 

Just curious, what's the average age of the pilots that go there ??
I'm in my early 40's and I am very interested in going there but thought I might be a little to old for this, do they care???
Flying is relatively new to me, and I had only one flying job and have 900 hr's.
Also, looks like most people are camping, do you bring all that stuff with you or buy it there.
Getting there, planing on flying to Johannesburg and take a bus or inexpensive airfare, are there any other options, I will be coming from the US.
Thanks, :ok:

and WHAT is sefofane?

CC, Are you having a bad day?

""Isn't that incitement to conspire to make a false declaration to this authority?""

It obviously is but isn't coming here looking for work doing the same (illegal)?

""Incitement to carry false or forged documentation for the purpose of obtaining entry for an illegal purpose?

All good speculative fun until you get caught out I suppose? Wonder if anyone from this office ever reads these pages. ""

Getting caught carrying paperwork showing that you are going to be actively looking for work is also illegal, if you are offered a job and they need references, school/University results etc there is a DHL office about 10 minutes walk from the airport. What I'm saying is that you don't have to carry anything that makes it look like you are going to be looking for work.

What I have posted is just some useful advice to helpfully make it a bit smoother and easier for the guys coming here. Also to save the guys some money as I'm sure that not everyone is rolling in cash.
I got a lot of useful information off of pprune, useful info peppered with useless smart arse comments. :E

Good luck finding a cheap flight from Johannesburg.. Air Botswana are useless and charge a fortune. the toilets at Sedia are fine except for the skid marks that are always present:} and when the idiots arrive in their stupid caravans and empty their "excrement containers" from their stupid caravans into the sedia toilets. lovely fragrance...

I might need to tell the producers of the "Bold and the Beautiful" to get involved! Things are getting interesting...:D

Or was that "Young and the Restless"?:p

Darkroomsource,

Hi, are you suggesting Wilderness Air (Sefofane) don't regularly update their website?

Yes and No, they changed their name and web site, last year, have not seen any changes to the site since, but then...

However, Sefofane is no longer, so if someone is quoting the sefofane web site, then WHAT are they quoting?