Eight Trips and Still Exceptional: Henk Bassie's Botswana Safari with Fleet Foot Safaris

Predators, wild dogs, flooding, mud, outstanding meals in the wilderness and a guide who felt like a travel companion - Henk Bassie tells it as it was.

When someone comes back for an eighth safari with the same operator, the review almost writes itself. But Henk Bassie did write it - and in detail. His account of his most recent Botswana trip with Fleet Foot Safaris, guided by Hennie Becker through the Okavango Delta, Khwai, the Mababe Depression, Savuti and the Chobe River, is one of the most generous and specific reviews we have received.

"This was my eighth trip with Fleet Foot Safaris, and once again they delivered an exceptional safari experience in Botswana."

Eight trips is not loyalty by default. It is loyalty that keeps getting earned. Here is what made this one stand out.

Organised from Start to Finish - Despite the Conditions

May 2026 brought unusually high water levels to Botswana. Flooded roads, difficult driving conditions and a landscape that looked very different from a typical safari. None of it derailed the trip.

"The trip was very well organised from start to finish, with every transfer, flight, camp, and game drive running smoothly despite challenging conditions caused by unusually high water levels."

And when the conditions threw their biggest challenge - the vehicle becoming heavily stuck in deep mud and water - the guide dealt with it.

"At one point we became heavily stuck in deep mud and water, yet Sugar worked tirelessly until the vehicle was freed and our adventure continued."

The wildlife adapted too - or rather, the guides adapted to find it.

"Even when wildlife was more spread out due to the unusually high water levels, the guides adapted and continued to find remarkable sightings."

The Sightings - and How They Happened

The focus of Henk's safari was Africa's large predators - and Botswana did not make him wait. The trip announced itself within the first few minutes of arrival.

"Within ten minutes of arriving at PomPom Camp after our flight from Maun, we saw a pride of lions feeding on a freshly killed wildebeest."

That was just the beginning. Across the full itinerary, the predator sightings were consistently remarkable.

"Over the following days we had amazing sightings of leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, crocodiles and, one of the highlights of the trip, African wild dogs."

Wild dogs are one of the hardest animals to see reliably in Africa. Ticking them - along with lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas - on a single safari is not something you plan for. It happens when the conditions and the guiding align.

Some of the individual encounters left the strongest impressions.

"Some of the most memorable moments included watching a mother leopard and her cub feeding in a tree, seeing a leopard family on a night drive, following a pride with playful lion cubs, and spending hours with wildlife without other vehicles nearby."

That last detail - no other vehicles - is worth dwelling on. In popular game reserves, competitive vehicle pressure is one of the biggest factors that erodes the quality of a sighting. Space, time and quiet are what allow wildlife encounters to unfold properly. Henk noticed it, and made the point directly.

"These close-up encounters are becoming increasingly rare and showed both the quality of the guiding and Botswana's unique safari experience."

An Itinerary That Was Built to Deliver

Beyond the individual moments, Henk reflects on the shape of the trip as a whole - and what the itinerary design contributed to the experience.

"The itinerary itself was excellent. Each region offered something different: the waterways of the Okavango Delta, the flooded plains of Khwai, the wildlife-rich Mababe Depression, the vast landscapes of Savuti and finally the birdlife and river scenery of Chobe."

That variety is deliberate. A Botswana safari that stays in one ecosystem for its full duration gives you depth in that environment but misses the contrasts that make the country so compelling. Moving through the Delta, Khwai, Mababe, Savuti and Chobe in a single trip means each day feels genuinely different from the last.

A Guide Who Was Also a Travel Companion

Hennie Becker guided the trip throughout, and Henk's review gives him a section all of his own.

"A special mention must also go to Hennie, whose cooking throughout the safari was outstanding. It is hard to imagine enjoying such high-quality meals in remote wilderness locations, yet every day seemed to bring another pleasant surprise. Hennie was also a wonderful travel companion throughout the journey, and his enthusiasm and perspective clearly matched and reinforced my own passion for wildlife."

That phrase - "matched and reinforced my own passion for wildlife" - says something important. Technical knowledge and logistical competence matter, but shared enthusiasm for the bush is what makes a guided safari genuinely companionable rather than just well-run.

What Fleet Foot Safaris Gets Right

Henk closes his review with a clear-eyed summary of what keeps bringing him back.

"What impressed me most about Fleet Foot Safaris was their combination of professionalism, flexibility, wildlife knowledge and genuine passion for Botswana. They created a safari that felt adventurous and authentic while remaining comfortable and very well organised."

Adventurous and authentic while remaining comfortable and well organised. That balance is harder to get right than it sounds, and it is what we aim for on every guided safari we put together.

"For anyone looking for a wildlife safari in Botswana, especially if you are interested in predators and immersive wilderness experiences, I can recommend Fleet Foot Safaris without hesitation. Thank you to the entire Fleetfoot Safaris team for another unforgettable journey."

If a Botswana safari is on your radar - whether it is your first trip or your eighth - get in touch and we will build something around what you want to see.

Contact us: res@fleetfootsafaris.com | #FleetFootSafaris