Khama Rhino Sanctuary - a rhino haven
Every visitor to Africa has their eyes set on finding the big five. Consider it the grand slam of an African safari. While elephants and buffalo are abundant and lions frequent, leopards and rhinos can be somewhat elusive. In recent decades, poaching has made rhinos the most elusive sight in Africa. And even if you see rhinos, you may not see them with their most striking feature - their horns. Fortunately for tourists, there is one place in Botswana where you’re sure to score this member of the big five in all its glory - Khama Rhino Sanctuary.
At about half a day’s drive from the tourist hub of Maun, Khama is home to 30-odd white rhinos and about 10 of the more elusive black rhinos. You’ll also find a lot of common game, such as impala, springbok, steenbok, duikers, zebra and wildebeest. Jackals are abundant in the parks, and so are several bird species. We even found leopard tracks on a walking tour with one of the park rangers.
You’re almost certain to see rhinos at Khama
Though people usually stay at Khama for only a night, I recommend a two-night stay so you get a full day in the park. A more extended stay also allows you to spend a morning with one of the rangers, where you can attempt to track rhinos the old-fashioned way - on foot. Khama’s stay options are also excellent. The park has 18 campsites, each with a large Mokongwa tree for shade, a braai stand, a firepit and a tap with potable water that often attracts the resident birds. Four of the campsites are large and earmarked for bigger groups. We were at campsite 4, which we found very convenient for its proximity to an ablution block.
If you’re looking for extra comfort, you can stay at one of the four chalets in the park. The park has a restaurant and a swimming pool, and for day-trippers, there’s a large picnic site to stop for a mid-day meal
How to book your stay
The official website can be pretty awkward when pushing your bookings through, though you can choose your preferred campsite from here. I suggest engaging a booking agent instead. We worked with Botswana Footprints, though I’ve listed other reputable agents in my guide to self-driving in Africa. Agents can be your single window to book all campsites. You only make a single payment to them, which includes a small convenience fee. For that fee, you can book as many campsites as you like. I think it’s a fabulous bargain for the value of the service, especially in a country like Botswana where operators use different modes of communication and payment.
Rhinos in their habitat, at Malema’s Kraal
Photography advice
The promise of rhinos notwithstanding, Khama was not the most photographically productive location for me. Don’t let that dishearten you, though. I’ve compiled a map that’ll make the most of your stay, and I’ll share some advice based on what I learned during my time in the park.
There are two accessible hotspots for rhinos - Serwe Pan and Malema’s Pan. In the afternoons, you’ll likely find rhinos at one or both pans. Unfortunately, both these pans point west into the bare sun. The harsh backlight and the lack of nearby vegetation to filter out the light make it hard to photograph these dark pachyderms.
We’ve also bumped into rhinos at the small pans (southwest of the park) and Malema’s kraal, close to Malema’s pan. In the right lighting conditions, these may be more photographically productive than the pans.
Kukuma Drive, Kgama Drive, and the Pan’s Edge Drive all give you glimpses into the open pans. So you have decent chances of viewing game in photogenic settings, when driving along these tracks.
The western edge of the park is heavily wooded. The Phuduhudu drive, leading to the northern camelthorn island, runs amid walls of thick bush. If you’re lucky, you may bump into a black rhino here; otherwise, photography is challenging in these parts.
The bird hide at the south of the game drive tracks seems like a promising location to stake out, as long as you don’t give in to FOMO. Even if you don’t get rhinos drinking here, there should be plenty of common game about, so if you have time, you can spend a session here.
The sanctuary offers a guided walk with armed rangers so that you can track rhinos on foot. But keep your photographic hopes in check. The rangers prefer to track females with calves since they move slower than solo rhinos, but these animals are incredibly wary of humans on foot. You will see them, but they’ll likely bolt into thick bush when they sense you. For instance, the rhinos we encountered ran off even when they heard our trouser legs brush against each other!
As with any other location, the secret to great images is time. That’s one thing we didn’t have enough of. That being said, experience counts for something, so I hope the advice I’ve shared and the map I’ve provided, help you have fun at this sanctuary. Photographs or not, seeing wild rhinos with their horns intact is a unique experience. And for that, I hope you swing by the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.