As part of our blog series, Q&A with Professional Safari Guide, Mark Homann, we interviewed Mark Homann, Hills of Africa safari guide and safari consultant, on what to expect while on a mokoro safari.
See below for the interview:
1. Explain what a mokoro is and how it has traditionally been used by Africans?
A mokoro is a large canoe traditionally carved from the trunk of a large sausage tree (kigelia africana). The mokoro is the traditional means of transport in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, and is operated by a “poler”—someone who stands at the back of the craft using a pole about 15-feet in length. Mokoros used in the safari industry are made out of fiberglass for obvious conservation reasons.
2. What does a typical mokoro safari entail from the beginning of the journey to the end?
Most mokoro safaris are offered as activities provided by camps, complementing other activities such as walking and game drives, and usually last anywhere from 1—3 hours at a time. Typically, two guests will sit in the mokoro with the poler at the back. The advantage of viewing the Okavango Delta via mokoro is the silence; it is a magical experience to travel in a natural paradise without the restrictions of a motor.
As with walking and canoeing, when you encounter Africa’s wildlife on an equal footing it propels you back to a different time and allows you to capture the romance and exhilaration of a world lost to so many of us in our busy modern society. Like any other safari activity, you cannot predict what you are going to see, but being on the water you are likely to have a fantastic experience.
3. Since many of the waterways that mokoro safaris take place on are home to some territorial creatures such as the hippo and predators such as the crocodile, many individuals might believe that a mokoro safari is unsafe. What would you say to these individuals?
There is certainly more risk to being in a mokoro than in a safari vehicle but a professional mokoro operation will be in tune with these dangers. And, as with all wildlife, if you understand their habits and respect the wildlife, a mokoro safari is quite safe. Regardless of what type of safari you are doing, big game areas in Africa are full of potential dangers and it is vital that you work with agents, operators, and guides who are both professional and experienced.
4. What type of knowledge must a safari guide have to ensure guests have a safe and exciting time on a mokoro safari?
Experience is the most important factor as it is with all aspects of guiding. Experience gives the guide an intimate knowledge of many things that once you understand them, are really common sense; things such as never approaching dangerous animals too closely, always giving the animals an escape route, and never getting between a hippo and deep water.
Have a question for Mark? Ask us in our comments section.
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Tags: African wildlife, Botswana, mokoros, Okavango Delta, syndicated
