Those of us who read travel writing and adventure novels know that much our interest in such books comes from the desire to learn about new areas and frontiers that our favorite characters’ explore. For us, a book’s lure is not just the story, character, or plot, but rather, the chance to experience an exotic land, if even through the pages of a book. 

As I set out in search of my own adventure, I realized the ironic predicament of following the fictional character, Mma Ramotswe, to Botswana. It was not that I was looking to find her, or even a storefront window in Gabarone that read: The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. But, indeed, it was the people, wildlife and beautiful natural treasures of her country that I wished to experience first-hand. In some way I thought I would make her adventures my own. 

Upon arrival in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital city, I understood why Alexander McCall Smith chose this place as the backdrop to Maa Ramotswe’s detective sleuthing – the streets buzzed with basket toting women and the sweet aromas of food and spices were in the air. There are many things that one’s mind could image when the senses are filled by the streets of this African city.

I decided to ignore my original plans to settle in at the hotel, instead, choosing to explore Mma Ramotswe’s town right away. As I ventured out into the city square, I visited numerous craft shops that were full of colorful baskets, cottons and spices. I enjoyed the activity of the city, but I could wait no longer to visit Mma Ramotswe’s favorite place to drink tea, The President Hotel.

Once at the hotel I surely must have seemed an unabashed tourist – I drank red bush tea and riddled the concierge with questions about the hotel, its guests and the stories of Mma Ramotswe’s many afternoons at the hotel.  It seems that I may not have been the first person with the idea to follow in her footsteps. With the concierge’s encouragement, the next morning I left for a short day trip to Mochudi, Mma Ramotswe’s birthplace.

A short car ride to the north-east brought me to the small village of Mochudi, Mma Ramotswe’s ancestral home and the place where McCall Smith first met the woman who became the inspiration for his story’s main character. In Mochudi I was able to visit with photographer Sandy Grant and tour her stunning gallery, which houses the original photos that are the book’s front cover illustrations. 

After visiting the gallery, Ms. Grant became my guide as we ventured through the traditional African village. It was here where I felt that I truly experienced what was the inspiration of Mma Ramotswe’s adolescence: large acacia trees giving shade to old men in the afternoon, dusty roads with children walking home from school, and herds of cattle being rounded up by men. All of this is what I thought would have made Mma love Botswana.  

After experience life in this small village, I knew that I had to venture out further into this stunning country, possibly toward the Kalahari, in search of more of Botswana. The next morning I took a short flight to the northern reaches of the country, into the area where Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet with Botswana.  As the plane swooped into the Okavango Delta, I was able to get a glance at Livingston’s Victoria Falls and the great spray that fills the air around the thunderous gorges. 

Botswana’s incredible delta country

Shinde Elephant

That afternoon an open-air Land Rover drove me a few hours north into the delta, into a Shinde Camp, which was almost hidden underneath the lush palms that surround the tented camp.

While at Shinde Camp I was completely overwhelmed with the incredible beauty of the clear delta waters that housed countless species of bird and large game. My accommodations were quite luxurious for such remote area – Shine Camp offered first class service and impressive bush cuisine. 

My first morning at the camp began with a sunrise greeting of coffee, tea and muffins, so that we could head off on the game drive and see the animals at their most active time. During that morning’s game drive I able to see and photograph lions, hippos, crocodiles, elephant, and leopards. Prior to my visit I did not know much about African wildlife, or even what the “big five” were. Luckily, the safari guides had much experience with the wildlife and were able to tell me much about the area and animals while we drove through riverine forests.

During my afternoon game drive I had one of the most exciting and frightening experiences of my life. Because Shinde Camp is in a private concession area, the game drives can be done during the night hours, when the predators are actively searching for dinner. Our guide had taken us out only a few miles from the camp when he stopped the Land Rover because he heard some noises coming from the right-side of the road. At first I did not hear anything, but when the guide told me to be still and listen for a low rumble, I finally heard what he had – lions roaring.

We slowly drove up the dirt path as if we were stalking our own prey. Just a few hundred yards ahead in the bushes was a lioness lying on her side, roaring into the air. We again turned off the 4x4 and waited to see what would happen. Soon another low growl came from the road ahead of us, but this time it was out of our sight.  We waited only a few minutes before a large male lion, with a thick yellow mane, walked up the path toward us.

Everyone in the Land Rover froze as the lion walked up the road to the car. The driver quietly whisper to us that we were perfectly safe, but that we should not move so as not to accidentally scare the lion away. I sat in the open vehicle that had no doors and watched as the lion walked next to us, literally only inches away from me. My heart was beating extremely hard as I realized that I could just stick out my hand and touch the lion, which of course would have been an extremely bad idea!

The lion and lioness continued their low roars of communication to each other, only a few feet from us. The roars were so low and loud it made my bones vibrate as if there were a base trombone in my stomach.

That night as I lay in my canvas tent that sat only a few feet above the ground, I listened for the sounds of the animals and within a short while I heard lions in the distance. My weeklong visit to Botswana was topped off with a game viewing in a mokoros, or local canoe, a walking safari and a safari on elephant back.  Botswana’s incredible beauty was breathtaking! My trip to track down Mma Ramotswe and visit the Okavango Delta was nothing short of incredible! 

If the stories and people found within The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency entice you to visit Botswana, you indeed will be happy to know that your own stories of adventure and discovery will far exceed any of those you could ever read about in a book.