Botswana is known as the land of giants, not only due to its abounding elephants, which occupy Chobe National Park in vast numbers, but also as a namesake to the ancient baobab trees, which bury their roots in some of the country’s most special places. Somewhere along the hidden pathways, and through the ebb and flow of mopane belt and acacia thicket in the Tuskers Bush Camp private concession, these towering trees dwarf their surroundings under thick, fleshy limbs that branch out to form wide, leafless umbrellas.
The remoteness of this location makes the presence of baobabs even more mesmerising. Like stumbling across a figure of history, meeting a living being entering the millennial stages of its life on earth. What must these giant trees have seen, before Botswana became the popular destination it is today? The isolated location of these trees keep it a secret to the rest of the world, but guests at Tuskers Bush Camp are treated to an evening dining experience at this scenic site of natural history. A Baobab Bush Dinner is a scrumptious celebration between friends in one of the most undiscovered locations in wild Botswana.
An afternoon game drive, as always, is a journey into a world of adventure. There is a mystery in this untravelled concession, and without the presence of fellow safari-goers, the pleasure of wildlife encounters is all yours. Spend as long as you would like admiring an elephant bull, a herd of buffalo, or be treated to a vision of the rarely seen sable antelope, which finds a quiet and peaceful home in Tuskers’ untamed bush. Indulge in the afternoon’s animal offerings before the sky begins to turn that telltale colour of sunset and you park off at a scenic spot in the wilderness to toast the end of another day in the bush.
Sip on the fresh fizz of a glass of champagne, or crack open a cold one to accompany a handful of salted nuts. For guests at Tuskers, this is the prequel to a special bush dinner at the baobab, and the evening is only getting started! The warm African air is alive with the twittering of birds and the shrill song of the cicadas, and the sky’s orange hues are nothing less than picturesque. A safari holiday is incomplete without taking time out to watch the sun sink behind the horizon.
Soon, guests climb aboard the game viewer once again to enjoy the highly anticipated night drive. Cruise through the wild and discover the nocturnal life residing in this secret safari location before arriving at one of those mighty baobab trees Botswana is known for. Geriatric, and still thriving, one enormous baobab stands tall, illuminated by dancing firelight and the lanterns that light the way to the dining table.
The majesty of the old tree provides the perfect place for a once-in-a-lifetime bush dinner, under Africa’s full moon. The Tuskers team invite you to be seated, and enjoy the breath-taking scene. There is fillet steak searing on the open flames, while baby potatoes and greens are melting under lashings of butter, ready to be plated and enjoyed in one of the most magical places on earth. Pull up a chair and fill your glass while convivial chatter rises into the night sky and you get ready to feast.
The worries of the world are forgotten under the velvet skies of Botswana, where this unforgettable bush dinner fast becomes that bucket list item you didn’t know you need to tick off! Simple, delicious food, cooked traditionally over an open fire, at a significant tree, which has quite certainly been the location of many a ‘bush dinner’ in the past. Old world travellers, explorers, and the indigenous people of Botswana have looked up in awe, at the same baobab branches, and felt the same aged trunk, possibly never imagining bush dinner of the future. This is an evening to remember, and it surely will be.
Welcome Nkuna