Some journeys are about the destination. Ours was about the road: the dust, the laughter, the occasional wrong turn and the unforgettable moments. It all added up to a five-day, 1,973km family adventure through Botswana that is a memory etched in red sand. By Willem van der Walt

On 24 September 2025, at 03:00, two families set out from Johannesburg. We, the Van der Walts (Willem, Yolande, Joah [10] and Emilie [8]), travelled in our Land Rover Discovery 4 @lr4adventure. The Van Deventers (Jako, Dené, Fillip [5] and Sophia [4]) were in a five-door Suzuki Jimny Gen 4. 

Last year, I’d taken Joah on an overlanding trip that saw us travel the famous Hunter’s Road and explore the wild side of Botswana. I wanted to show my wife and daughter the wonderful places we’d seen. The trip would also introduce Jako to the overlanding world as he’d recently bought a new Jimny. Spirits were high as we aimed for Francistown, our first milestone.

Also read: Taking the Hunter’s Road to a Botswana adventure

Crossing into Botswana

After breakfast at Cappuccinos in Lephalale, we pushed on to the border, only to realise we had aimed for the wrong border post. We found ourselves at Groblersbrug (Martin’s Drift) instead of Stockpoort, the smaller crossing I had used on the previous trip. When I saw the long line of trucks, I immediately realised I had mixed up the two border posts during trip planning. The mistake cost us an hour and a half in queues. But even the best adventures often begin with mishaps, a reminder to deal with what comes across your path.

After 12 hours on the road, we gratefully rolled into Woodlands Stop Over, a gem of a rest point. Here we could stretch our legs, rest our heads and recharge for the adventure ahead. With its green grassy areas, Woodlands is like an oasis. The 35°C heat that welcomed us made it clear that we were now in Botswana. As the kids splashed in the sparkling clean pool, we sipped our ice cold St Louis beers, a local favourite.

Whether you’re camping or staying in the luxury units, Woodlands is a great stopover. We had rented a large cottage for the Van Deventers and a smaller one for Yolandé and Emilie. But as the experienced overlanders in our group, Joah and I couldn’t wait to sleep in our Leisure Tech rooftop tent.

Elephant encounters

The following morning, armed with breakfast buns, we made for Elephant Sands. This was one of the magical places I wanted to introduce the pack to. Joah and I’d had an incredible encounter with elephants there on our previous trip. A smooth three-hour drive on tar brought us to the private conservancy. We noticed a lot of roadworks by the side of the road on the way there – it seems they are widening the highway.  

Our home for the night was a tented villa with a front-row view of the elephants, which wander freely through the grounds. The kids swam while we marvelled at the herds just metres away. That evening, after a hearty buffet dinner, we sank into one of the best night’s sleep of the trip.

A maze of sandy tracks

From Elephant Sands, the journey turned more rugged. After refuelling in Nata and deflating our tires, we tackled the 4.5-hour dust-choked track to Lekhubu (Kubu) Island. More than once the lead vehicle practically disappeared in a cloud of dust from the fine sand it kicked up. We were guided every step of the way by Tracks4Africa, which became our trusted co-pilot through the maze of sandy tracks. 

Along the way, honesty wood stops dotted the path and we stocked up on logs for the campfire. But the Jimny shed its bundle of firewood somewhere between there and Kubu Island due to the bumps and jolts of the track. No damage, just adding character to the story.

We arrived just in time for a fiery red sunset over the salt pan. Facilities operate on a first come first served basis and we settled at campsite 8. A neat, rounded clearing underneath three massive baobabs was to be our home for the night. This is the true, down-to-earth wilderness of Botswana; the only luxury a camp chair and your bed in the tent. We set up camp and lit the braai – ribs and potato salad never tasted so good. Once the kids were tucked in, we celebrated under the stars with a few well-earned drinks.

Rhinos at dusk

Morning on Kubu brought coffee, curious children and the sharp eyes of a silver-backed jackal looking for breakfast. After exploring the island, we set off to ‘play’ on the vast Sua Salt Pan. There’s something humbling about standing in a place so empty and endless, where the land itself becomes the playground.

As we navigated our way off the pans and towards the next stage of our journey, Tracks4Africa proved invaluable. Two hours of salt pans gave way to forests of brittle trees and fine red dust before the relief of tarred roads allowed us to reinflate the tires. Our destination was Khama Rhino Sanctuary and, by 16:30, we had checked into two family sleepers.

There was enough daylight left for a game drive. In less than an hour, we saw eight rhinos, including two that crossed right in front of us on the dusty road. The highlight was Sisboy, the sanctuary’s famous rhino, who strutted proudly with his family, his massive horn catching the light.

The sands of memory

The following morning, we made our way back to Johannesburg, this time through Stockpoort border post – a far smoother crossing. But being a smaller border crossing, the road leading there is gravel, not tar. Once again, Tracks4Africa proved essential, keeping us on track through remote roads and sandy detours.

What stays with us most isn’t just the wildlife or the milestones, but the very ground we travelled. The pale yellow sands of Elephant Sands; the grey, cement-like dust of Kubu; and the deep red earth of Khama. Together they tell the story of a country that shifts beneath your wheels and leaves its mark on your heart.

1,973km. Five days. Two families. One Discovery 4 @lr4adventure, one Jimny, and one unforgettable family adventure, made possible with a little help from Tracks4Africa.

Family overlanding tips

• Travelling with kids is something entirely different, they bring an air of excitement wherever they go.
• Make sure there is in-car entertainment for any long stretches without sightings. This can include snacks, toys, iPads, books or drawing paper. Little Sophia drew all over Jako’s brand new Jimny when she got bored. 
• We didn’t plan to stop at specific points along the route as we knew the little ones and their bladders would do the planning for us. A few times we stopped for a quick bathroom break next to the road, which turned into a snack/lunch break.
• There are plenty of garages along the main roads where you can stock up and refuel. We noticed a few new ones between Groblersbrug and Francistown, so there was no call for Jerry cans on this trip.