Bush Skills

about the school

Okavango Guiding School:

Our training courses are conducted in the Okavango Delta which has been declared a World Heritage site because of it’s pristine ecosystems, it’s scenic beauty and abundance of wildlife. The Okavango is one of the most scenically spectacular wildlife areas anywhere in the world. The myriad of crystal clear channels and wildlife rich islands is a habitat unlike any other.

The learning experience is influenced by the natural beauty of the area and the habitat diversity. Kwapa has a combination of river channel’s, floodplains, lagoons as well as riparian woodland, savannah, mopane scrub, climax mopane woodland and grasslands.

Possibly the most amazing thing about the area is the fact that it is part of a wilderness that stretches unfenced for hundreds of thousands of square kilometres through Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, the Caprivi Strip of Namibia, southern Angola and southern Zambia.

The Trainers

Even in a great area with wonderful biodiversity you need a great field guide trainer. The trainer not only helps you to identify the species but also to interpret the behaviour and understand the complex and fascinating interactions between the species and their environment.

OGS has a team of safari guide trainers that are unsurpassed in their qualifications and experience.

course content

• Game walks – including approaching big game on foot
• Game drive skills
• Navigation and tracking skills
• Wilderness sleep outs
• Stargazing/ astronomy
• Theory lectures with power point presentations
• Mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions – depending on water levels
• Motor boating skills – depending on water levels

start dates

camps

Our training camp is situated in a private concession area in the southern Okavango. Major habitat types include savannah, woodland, mopane woodland/scrub, grassland, floodplain and riverine forest. Please note that Kwapa is not in the permanent swamps which makes it a better wildlife area but when water levels are low November-June the Kwapa River may dry up all together. Water levels in the Okavango are impossible to predict from year-to-year.

The area has resident populations of most of Africa’s iconic wildlife but our focus on all our courses is learning and discovering. We do not chase Big 5 but rather delve into the ecological interactions of all our wildlife regardless of the species.

Kwapa Camp has nine 3 x 4 meru-style tents with a short passage to an enlarged en-suite bathroom with bucket shower and short drop toilet. Each tent is furnished with two camp beds, sheets, pillows, duvet and towels. A battery-operated LED light is provided in the tents. There is a wash basin relaxing chairs on the covered verandah.
Accommodation is on a shared basis with the option of a single supplement for single accommodation.

Kwapa

transfers

The transfer is included in the course price and takes place on the first day of the course. The Okavango Guiding School trainer meets all students at the PPCC Indian restaurant across the road from Maun Airport at 14h00. The transfer to camp takes approximately 2-2.5 hours.

qualifications

OGS Bush Skills Certificate: This course is for students wanting personal enrichment rather than pursuing a formal qualification to become a guide. They will receive an Okavango Guiding Certificate for participation in the course.

price

2019 U$ 2021 pp
Single supplement 15%

INCLUDED

Shared tented accommodation
All meals at Kwapa Training Camp
Well-point water, cordial, tea and coffee
All training and activities
Scheduled transfer from Maun to Kwapa Camp return (1 transfer in and out per student)

EXCLUDED

Unscheduled transfers to/from Kwapa Camp
Travel insurance and all flights
Items of personal nature, including toiletries
Staff gratuities
Drinks other than those mentioned – these can be purchased in Maun before leaving for Kwapa camp