Destinations
General information
Pre-safari preparation
The Ju!hoasi bushmen of the Western Kalahari are a people only slightly touched by the onslaught of Western civilization. The current grandparent generation is THE LAST of the great line of knowledge gathering and information passing.
Botswana's laws on education have meant that there exists a knowledge gap between the grandparent and parent generations, and the parent and child generations, so wide, that the knowledge will almost certainly be lost forever. It is not a science, it is an art.
The immense library of information that these elders carry with them defies the belief of even the biggest of doubters. Their tracking skills, so honed after decades of experience, are second to none. The hunting skills of the men and the foraging skills of the women in the harsh environment of the Kalahari ensure their survival. But for how long?
An anthropological safari with this amazing people is an unmissable chance to catch the last of the last of thousands of years of soon-to-disappear history.
Just imagine: After your hard days walk with the Ju!hoasi, you've showered, eaten and rested a bit, then it starts..., just off in the distance..., but close enough to hear... As you walk over to their camp, the stars are out, the fire glows an eerie orange, the women are clapping and chanting, the men are dancing, the babies are silent, almost asleep, and you're 400km from the nearest signs of formal civilization.
Soon enough, one of the men falls into a trance. The women control his movement through their perfect beat and beautiful voice, and he controls his level of trance through his breathing. Never has something felt so alien, and never have you felt so involved in anything so ancient and sacred, that even shamans in other societies can't compare.
The men in trance start to heal people near the fire, ecstatic in their state of elevated consciousness. A warm energy envelopes all those who are healed by the elders in trance, a feeling which is indescribable to anyone who has never experienced it.
Experience this wonderful group of ancient people in their environment, which is harsh only to our untrained eyes.
The only way to visit the Ju!hoasi Bushmen is by mobile safari. There is an airstrip into which you will fly, to be met by a vehicle which will take you to camp, from where you will start to explore the area and most importantly meet these amazing people.
