For those who enjoy long road trips, the off-road vehicle fanatics and adventure tourism lovers, a trip to Khawa settlement is a perfect destination.
Having recently fallen in love with adventure tourism and willing to explore life more fully, I could not wait to experience the famous Khawa Dune Challenge and Festival.
However, on the night before the long trip, I had anxiety attacks, something that usually happens to me before I embark on long trips. I believe these were triggered by the uncertainty of what awaited me.
I woke up a bit late and fortunately I managed to catch the media ride to Khawa, courtesy of Botswana Tourism Organisation. Even though I was excited about travelling, I spent most of the journey sleeping due to lack of sufficient rest the night before. As a result, I missed the sign posts of the many villages we passed along the way. The few I remember include Gogobo, Kolokwaneng, Tsabong all in the Kgalagadi District. Khawa is located approximately 167km southwest of Tsabong in the same district.
We were excited about the long journey and assumed that once we reached Tsabong, we would be a stone’s throw away from Khawa. Little did we know that we were in for the surprise of a lifetime. After taking the long tarred road from Gaborone, we then took another long and painful journey in sandy and dusty gravel to Khawa. We could not wait to arrive and after what seemed like forever, we finally did.
Surprisingly, the village did not look bad as I thought it would. In fact, its beauty mesmerised me. Upon arrival, a number of loyal Khawa adrenaline junkies had already arrived. Most of them pitched their tents in residents’ homes, which is a good thing as they paid the villagers a certain fee for that. However, some trippers booked accommodation at tented residences. We arrived at the right time, as the cultural night and official opening of the event had just started. There were speeches from different dignitaries including (then) acting President Slumber Tsogwane, who talked of how tourism was vital in the growth of the country’s economy and changing the lives of people living in such settlements. The other speaker, Kgosi Piet Manyoro strongly warned ‘visitors’ against ‘snatching’ his people’s partners and being intimate with young girls. He said leaders in the community were tired of the fact that every time after the event, a number of young girls were left pregnant with fatherless children.
“You have visited me so that I can address and warn you.
“Visitors from Gaborone, Francistown and Maun, you came here visiting me.
“In that case I do not want any issues.
“Go back with the partners you came here with. Do not try to cheat each other. I am also warning you against being intimate with young girls. Let them grow up first. Leave our children alone. “They also want to grow into responsible adults and have families. Look for your age groups. Do not rape our children. Also beware of your drinking habits because when people drink alcohol, it goes through their veins.
“Also drive safely because we have bad roads,” he said.
He further pleaded with government to construct a tarred road since their gravel road was bad and had claimed many lives. Kgosi Manyoro however pointed out that the event has generally brought a positive impact in the village by attracting tourists. He added that if more permanent infrastructure could be built for tourism and the road built, it would make Khawa a permanent tourism village where tourists could go whenever they want.
He said since the inception of Khawa Dunes event, the community has made millions of pula, therefore positively impacting the lives of villagers. The night event was decorated with the polka dance also famed as the Namastap, which has become the epitome of BaKgalagadi culture.
However, as usual, the Khawa Dunes and Cultural Festival featured quad and motorbike challenges, fun camel rides, sand dunes monster trucks while the Muddy Face crew treated revellers to beautiful motorbike stunts. Even though the event brings a number of different activities, the sad thing about it that they all happen at the same time and far apart from each other. For someone lazy like myself, having to walk a long distance to the next event in those heavy sands was not appealing and I ended up missing other activities.
The evening festival was a good affair for the villagers who seemed to have enjoyed more than everyone else. Both the old and the young were welcoming and seemed to have been excited to see new faces in their village.
Seeing their favourite local artists up close, the villagers and visitors danced the night away.
Even though I am an adventure tourism fan, I did not enjoy the cold showers in the morning. I had to wake up early looking for water to shower and at some point, the hot water finished as I when about to get into the shower. I therefore am not sure if I would do the Khawa experience again.
