Ha ha im not looking and wont ever be looking in Maun ;) Out of interest, any problems with crime? when i was there it seemed out of hand!! :eek:

One of the advantages of this location is that it is 20 kms out of town without a village nearby. It is also set in a compound surrounded by a fence. There are two other houses there and dogs. However we will not be complacent. Closest place is the Royal Tree Lodge - more to nick there ;)

[I]Okay I have a couple of questions on the living situation.


1). Would a larger tent be advised? And what about lugging it from home (the US in this case)?

2). If staying in a tent, would one need to be cautious about leaving the documents and valuables (i.e. laptop, wallet, logbook, etc.) in the tent? Are there services that offer safes and such?

Since staying in a tent seems to be the most economic route, for most of us, it will probably be the way to go.

3). There was also a quote from someone (a few pages back i think) about it roughly costing $1000 USD a month to live, if living in a tent. That number seems pretty high to me. Reading elsewhere, i saw that for food it would cost around $10 USD per day. With the low cost of housing, about $3 per day or $90/month, it doesn't make much sense, buying beers included as to why the price is so high. Maybe prices have gone up...? This would make more sense if you were @ Back Packers under the dorm option (Budget Accommodation, B&B and Camping in Maun, Okavango, Botswana).


Thanks guys for all the help!

Dorm Backpackers
 

I will let the guys more in the know to answer your main points. However we are in the travel business and survey camps and hotels then publish full consultancy reports (confidential). We highly recommend Backpackers indeed we hope to stay there for a couple of weeks next month whilst we get our house ready (if they would answer our e-mails!) However the one weakness is their dorms. We did not have a chance to look inside (occupied) but judging by the outside they are very basic. You would be much better off in a tent. Great bar set right on the river, fantastic atmosphere. One down side is that it is a long walk to the road to hitch a lift if you don't have transport.

I guess the morning walk would be a good way of making friends with the weather ;). But how far is far anyways?

Thanks for the quick reply!

None of your tents have ensuites either...

Are you really asking what size tent you should bring? Please tell me thats a joke. You don't live in the damn thing, just sleep in it.

As for the valuables, take it with you. If you don't want to do that, leave it in the office of the camp you are staying at. Simple as that.

If you figure being there for 6 months without much else, a good tent wouldn't be a bad investment. And as far as leaving my valuables up front, I had no idea they offered such services. Fantastic!

Thanks

Tent:
get a GOOD one... a WATERPROOF one... on that will LAST in the HOT SUN and POURING RAIN...
To get an idea of how much sun, imagine that it's the middle of the Sahara Desert, and it's 120F or 45C, and you're in the direct sunlight, for 6 solid months... any waterproofing you have on it WILL go, the fabric will FADE and be eaten by the heat...
THEN there's the rain, think about taking a hose from the local fire department and pointing it at the tent - that's the force I saw on occasion there...
I saw tents literally have their poles broken in the down pour (after the tent had been used for several months).
But, I'd do it in a tent again, no problem.

Someone questioned USD 1000 per month, well, having done it, I can tell you that that's not easy if you drink beer... ha ha Sure, everything seems cheap, and you might be able to get away with less, but honestly, plan on MORE, things always seem to happen, and you always want more than you have.

Thanks doom for the detailed reply.

I imagined something like this:

except replace the firemen with lions & hippos. . but keep the uniforms. and the ball with a tent. that'd make the trip pretty interesting haha.

I'll plan for around $1000 per month then.

Hi, this is my first post on pprune so please be gentle with me. I'm making plans to come out to Maun next month, but I was wondering about the quality of the maintenance out there? Are the aircraft maintained to the same standard that I could expect in Canada (I've also done some flying in England). Im particulalry concerned due to the harsh conditions that the aircraft operate in. Have there been many problems or accidents caused by poor maintenance?

On a slightly different subject, I noticed that a British company is making a TV programme about flying in Maun. I previously considered working in TV so I was intrigued by this. What are people's thoughts on it and what do the operators think about it? Are they already there and if so are the filming particular individuals or are they sticking to one of the operators? I would maybe like to be included in that if they are also filming non-British people (though my Mom's family is from England so I am part British at least).

on the first page

Im certainly no expert on Maun.... but the amount of business the companies in Maun
have during peak season will indicate that their aircraft are well maintained.

As lilflyboy262 mentioned earlier, its as good as any other ICAO country.
Heres the website:
NORTHERN AIR MAINTENANCE

Safe Travels

Just recently started my Pilot training in NZ, and i found a TV series on the internet (seems to be self filmed) about a Pilot flying for Sefofane/ Wilderness Air, great to watch! Just shorts 'episodes' about his experiences at sefofane in botswana and also another short series about him in zambia.

It was called 'Botswana Bound', and from memory i think the site it was on was called NBCToday.

I was pretty entertaining if you are interested in flying in Botswana.

Thanks so much lilflyboy, this is a fantastic thread.

:mad:

I think that we can hope for a far better more realistic and professional production from RDF Television West who are in theatre at the moment. Botswana Bound was the most dreadful misguided amateur documentary that has ever been screened on the subject. It portrayed the highly skilled pilots who work in this very difficult environment in completely the wrong light. Many clients in this market are very nervous about flying in small aircraft this idiot with his cavalier attitude was detrimental to the Safari business.

Another one of these coming up then?

Arizona to whitewash Painted Desert - Greg Correll - Open Salon

Thanks for a great thread Lilflyboy! Just about all of the info I need to go and live the African Dream.

I just have one question, what are the toilet and shower facitilties really like at Audi camp? Various internet reviews I've read rate them from 'the worst in southern Africa' to 'famously spottless'. Do I need to mentally prepare for the worst?

Before you worry too much about the toilets PilotInPink, I did read this on another forum recently...
Can anyone 'in country' confirm this? Maybe the guys at Audi Camp just didn't like him... :E

If you follow the logical route for hotel research and google Trip Adviser you can find the Sedia reviewed there in all its glory.

Cheers cavortingcheetah, I have seen some of the places the 'aspirants' will most likely be at, and they really shouldn't be worried about the quality/cleanliness side of things, much better than my current conditions - I'm crashing out in a dusty storeroom with no insulation or electricity for a few weeks, and it's COLD where I am!

But do you know if the pilot discount at Audi Camp no longer applies? If so I guess this would affect everyone's planning a fair bit!

Not a clue I'm afraid. Haven't been up there for quite a while.

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?