CRESTA MOWANA
In today’s column we take a quick hiatus from Mountain Passes to explore a hotel located in northern Botswana. This country is the mecca of all things wild, and Kasane is one of the frontier towns located on the edge of the Chobe River. I have been lucky enough to be based here on assignment since late May, and as I head home to Johannesburg today, it occurred to me that many of our clients would thoroughly enjoy this environment… It’s the perfect “civilisation treat between the camping” spot!
Mowana is a beautiful word rooted in the Setswana language, which refers to the “tree of life”, represented by the ubiquitous African baobab (Adansonia digitata) which can be seen all over the country. The Cresta Mowana hotel is unique for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that it was built around one enormous specimen – a majestic giant said to be over 800 years old. As a child I was enchanted by Enid Blyton’s book, The Faraway Tree. During my time at this magical spot, I had breakfast each morning under this incredible behemoth, considering it to be my own personal African Faraway Tree. Each day started with contemplating its distinctive branches reaching deep into the big African sky, silver-grey against a cobalt background. Can you imagine just how wild africa was when this tree was but a sapling, centuries before David Livingston was even born, and the San / Basarwa roamed this area??
When I first arrived at Cresta Mowana, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye. Below the baobab was a delicate little fawn. A tiny newborn creature, a miniature mirror image of her mother – who is a rare Chobe bushbuck. Over the months she grew, and on leaving today she’s a spritely sub-adult – gamboling around in the grounds of the hotel, seemingly protected from the carnage of the Chobe National Park. But not, however, entirely. One evening, a couple of weeks into my stay, in the middle of the night I heard the mother alarm barking. I said a little prayer for the fawn as there was nothing else to do. On enquiring from security the next morning, a leopard had been in the lodge grounds. As amazing as that was, I was worried about the fawn as I didn’t see her in the days that followed. Quite some time passed before I saw her again, so I’m guessing mum took her somewhere safer for a while.
Many animals call Cresta Mowana home. There is a lovely barn owl that comes into the baobab in the evenings, and hippos (who find their way around the electric fence) that also visit at night, enjoying the green grass of the lawns. During the daylight, the warthogs enjoy the grass buffet, and Kudu are often seen browsing next to the road that leads from the main gate to the reception. A band of mongooses spend their days foraging in the grounds, whilst in the trees, Blue (the alpha vervet monkey) leads his troop on many mischievous expeditions – not least of which is the regular theft of any packets of sugar they can find – much to the consternation of foreigners. Sunbirds flit about like airborne gems, and the trumpeter hornbills announce their presence with a wail that sounds like someone’s baby is crying. In the early mornings, I was regularly woken by the cry of the resident fish eagle perched on a tree directly outside my room…
Whilst many animals find this property rather special, it’s not half bad for humans either!! There’s what I call the lounging pools, complete with comfortable furniture on which to soak up the sun. Some distance away, closer to a well-equipped gym (which even has air conditioners), is a pool more suitable for swimming lengths. There are also tennis courts and a sumptuous Clarins spa.
Don’t get me started on the food… Having stayed at the venue for exactly 100 days, I originally thought I would get tired of “hotel food”. Well, at Cresta Mowana this didn’t happen. The breakfast buffet is particularly startling in its array of fresh fruit, which included everything from the usual peaches, pears etc. in juice, to the most wonderful fresh pawpaw, pineapple, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, sliced pomegranate, fresh granadilla, grapes, nectarines, seeds (sunflower and pumpkin), nuts (almond, pecan, walnut) and a selection of dried fruits including prunes, figs, mango and banana slices. This morning’s surprise was a bowl of fresh lichis – still in their skins. Add to this three different yoghurts, a variety of cereals, an extensive hot buffet and a table groaning with pastries, and you start to understand why many of the locals visit this spot on the weekends for a lazy breakfast.
Dinner is served as a buffet, or you can order off the à la carte menu. The fillet is sublime – upholding the reputation of Botswana’s beef being the best there is. Every night, beyond the more traditional dishes such as oxtail, grilled steak, and roast chicken, there was always a selection of game which, whilst I was there, included kudu, eland, crocodile tail, wildebeest, warthog and even fried mopani worms (no – I wasn’t brave enough!). Suffice it to say that you never go hungry…
The Motswana people are warm and welcoming, and the staff at this hotel are particularly so – nothing is too much trouble, and every guest is treated like a VIP. The rooms are inviting and elegantly simple, complete with air conditioning, fans and mosquito nets. The linen is crisp and cool cotton, the pillows are sumptuous and at the end of the long days, I couldn’t wait to get into that bed. The turndown service provides you with one delicious chocolate each evening – a perfect little treat to end the day.
The Savuti Bar, located upstairs in the main building, is now my favorite bar in the entire world – the sunsets here are beyond spectacular, and slightly different every evening.
There are plenty of activities to keep you busy – day trips to the Victoria Falls (to both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides), boat cruises, game drives, and so much more. The Chobe National Park delivers the most incredible sightings – big four (rhino are basically no longer found there), hippo, roan, sable, zebra, huge crocodiles… the list is endless. What is so great about the elephants here is that they really are gentle giants in this park. Not once were we threatened by an elephant – and they chose to walk right past the vehicle, with babies, less than one foot away. They must be the most mellow eles on the planet!
This is truly a perfect experience – on every level. As close as you are to the real wilderness of Africa, you also have all of life’s luxuries available to you. An idyllic world that really is worth the spoil…
Jacqui Ikin & The Cross Country Team
INFO BLOCK:
Cresta Mowana Safari Resort and Spa
https://www.crestahotels.com/hotels/botswana/cresta-mowana-safari
Chobe River, Plot 2239 President Ave, Kasane, Botswana
Tel: +267 625 0300
