courses

Introduction

Our courses are conducted in the southern Okavango Delta and consist of 4 weeks of training. The courses are modular so students may choose to do the complete course over a longer period of time. No other guide training school offers courses in a wilderness area comparable to Kwapa Camp.

We offer 2 different courses:

The Botswana Guides Course is a guide training course that covers the syllabus commonly used in southern Africa for field guides to qualify to guide guests in southern Africa. It offers a wonderfully broad knowledge base and extended periods of practical field work in the Okavango Delta. Because we send all students the full course material as well as workbooks before coming on the courses we do not waste time with extended class-room lectures. Every student arrives with a good foundation knowledge and the bush becomes the living class-room. We spend all our time in the Okavango on foot, dug-out canoes (mokoro), motor boats and vehicle.

Our Walking and Weapons Course, as the name implies, has a very strong focus on teaching the candidate the skills of being a walking guide in the African bush. It is all about getting maximum exposure, logging time on foot in the wilderness and getting as many encounters and approaches as possible in the time we have. We move from island to island by mokoro and boat and explore the various habitats on foot.

Botswana Guides Course

Course Length:

7, 14, 21 or 28 Days

Access:

Maun Airport.
Mahube Bus Service Johannesburg to Maun.

Accommodation:  

Dome Tents furnished with camping beds.
There is an upgrade available on request. The upgrade tent is a 3X3 meter, high-wall wilderness style tent with a 2X3meter en-suite shower and toilet and a similar sized verandah.

Activities:

  • Game Walks
  • Approaching Big Game on Foot
  • Game Drives
  • Mokoro Excursions
  • Motor Boating
  • Rifle Handling
  • Shooting.
  • Theory Lectures.
  • Navigation.
  • Stargazing and astronomy

Course Synopsis:                                            

Is this the course for you? The Botswana Guides Course is a theory based course with a strong emphasis not only on the practical skills of guiding but also the theory required for a guide to lead with confidence. The focus of the course is centered around informative lectures followed by long periods in the wilderness.
This is a guide training course and not a safari. Although many people who attend the courses may not wish to qualify as guides, the focus is on training.
The emphasis is on learning and gaining experience and this requires participation from the students. You will expected to conduct game-drives, lead walks, pole your own mokoro, host other students when you are the "duty guide" and much more. It is the hands-on involvement that makes the training courses so unique.

Course Outline:

The four week course is structured to allow students to book for 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks and each student will get full exposure to all aspects and activities of the course. However the theory lectures for each week cover different aspects of the syllabus and, to cover all the subjects, a student will have to attend the entire four week course.

Your Typical Week at Kwapa Camp:

Monday- The week begins with a walking safari along the islands and floodplains of the southern Okavango. On our return to camp we have our first theory lecture. After the lecture you will be given your theory topic for the week.  The afternoon begins with weapons handling where you will learn the basic skills of safe weapon handling and this is followed by a mokoro (dug-out canoe) handling lesson. This will stand you in good stead for later in the course when you will be required to pole your fellow students through the channels and floodplains of Kwapa.

Tuesday-  In the morning we do a game drive to Baobab Plains in the north of the concession and, when we return, it is off to practice at the shooting range.
In the afternoon we mokoro or game drive depending on wildlife movements..

Wednesday- We wake up at crack of dawn for a morning game walk and return later for another stint in the "class-room" .
In the afternoon we head out on the river in the motor boat and explore the waterways of the Okavango getting to know some of the aquatic ecology that makes the Okavango so unique.

Thursday- It's another early morning wake-up for a morning game drive/ boat trip. After a short theory lecture we will listen to the first three presentations of the students’ lectures for the week.
In the afternoon we continue with basic weapon handling drills and assessments. Once this is done we head out by vehicle or boat to find a good walking area. This afternoon’s walk we cover some of the basic principles of navigation and survival.

Friday- The day begins with a game walk or drive to learn some of the skills of tracking followed by practical shooting at the  range.
In the afternoon we do our first full mokoro excursion and, by now, the students should be  proficient  with the traditional mode of transport in the Okavango Delta. There is an opportunity to swim in one of the crystal clear water-crossings of the Kwapa River interspersed with discussions on  the hydrology of the Okavango and identification of  some of the interesting aquatic plants, birds, and insects. After dinner we listen to further  presentations from our fellow students.

Saturday- After a light breakfast we head out for a morning of motor boating along the river where we do theory and practical photography teaching the student the  optimal position for guest photographers. On our return to camp we try our hand at fishing and, with a little bit of luck, we have fresh Okavango Bream for lunch!  
In the afternoon we have our final theory lesson and hear the last presentations for the week. For the academically confident, if a boat driver is available, there is a boating excursion whilst others may choose this time for revision in camp preparing for Sunday’s exam.
Sunday- Is a day of revision, exam writing and relaxation . In the morning there is time to review the weeks lecture material and, in the early afternoon, the students sit the weekly exam. When the exam is finished there is leisure time to fish, bird-watch, relax and read a book. The students returning to town will write their exam in the afternoon in Maun.
Note:
The above is an indication of a typical week on this course. It serves as a guideline but is not set in stone. The African wilderness is a dynamic place and your trainer will make changes to the program and take advantage of opportunities in order to give you the best possible experience.

Qualifications:

No prior experience is required.
Exams are weekly.
There are 3 qualifications available and students may choose to do either the FGASA or the OGS qualification in addition to the mandatory BOTA qualification.
BOTA Level 2- This is the Botswana Training Authority exam which is the national guiding qualification for Botswana.
FGASA- Level 1- This is the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa exam and is the national guiding qualification used in South Africa
OGS Level 2- The Okavango Guiding School qualification is the same syllabus as the BOTA Level 2 but the exam is more intense and for those who wish to really test themselves!.

Your Course Includes:

  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Concession Fees
  • Food
  • Drinking Water, Tea and Coffee
  • All Training and Activities
  • Transfer from Maun to Kwapa Camp and Return to Maun (1 transfer in and out per student)

Your Course Fee Excludes: 

  • Travel Insurance
  • All flights unless otherwise indicated
  • Items of personal nature
  • Toiletries
  • Staff gratuities
  • Drinks other than those mentioned above
  • All Ammunition

Cost

7 Day-   USD 2145
14 Day- USD 3253
21 Day- USD 4862
28 Day- USD 6507
Ammunition is charged separately and so each student can determine how much they want to shoot. Rounds are $6 each.

Payment

20% Deposit to confirm booking. Balance due 6 weeks prior to departure. Payment by bank transfer or credit card (card payments carry 5% surcharge).

Sponsorship

For every course OGS sponsors a free space for an aspiring local guide who cannot afford to do a training course. Each International student who attends a course with OGS contributes directly to the local communities surrounding the Kwapa Concession and the guiding profession as a whole.

 

Walking and Weapons Course

Course Length:

7, 14, 21 or 28 Days

Access:

Maun Airport.
Mahube Bus Service Johannesburg to Maun.

Accommodation:

Dome Tents furnished with camping beds.
There is an upgrade available on request. The upgrade tent is a 3X3 meter, high-wall wilderness style tent with a 2X3 meter en-suite shower and toilet and a similar sized verandah.

Activities:

  • Game Walks
  • Approaching Big Game on Foot
  • Game Drives
  • Mokoro Excursions
  • Motor Boating
  • Rifle Handling
  • Speed Shooting
  • Simulated Charges
  • Theory Lectures on Potentially Dangerous Animal (PDA) behaviour.
  • Tracking
  • Navigation
  • Survival Techniques

 

Course Synopsis:

Is this the course for you? Training to become a Trails Guide is physically demanding. Every day you will be doing muscle memory drills to learn perfect shooting co-ordination and muscle fatigue is common-place. We spend much of our time on foot and some of the walks are long and extend into the heat of the day and often through floodplains that are waist-deep.
The physical demands aside, this course offers a student an opportunity to experience Africa as few people ever will. The course requires complete commitment from the participants.

Course Outline:

The four week course is structured so that students can book for 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks and each student will get full exposure to the content of the course.

Your Typical Week at Kwapa Camp:

Monday- Our week begins with an introduction to weapons and weapon handling and, for those with some experience, we continue with the more advanced speed-shooting drills. After the rifle handling we head out on a foot safari and return to camp for lunch.  The afternoon begins with further weapon handling and is followed by an introduction to mokoro handling. These traditional dug-out canoes will be an important part of your walking course, making it possible to get from island to island in absolute silence.

Tuesday-  We wake at the crack-of-dawn to do a game walk. The direction of our morning walk is often dictated by the vocal clues from our quarry at night. When we return to camp we head to the shooting range to see how our shooting skills are progressing.
In the afternoon we do weapon handling and review the video of your morning on the shooting range. These videos are done in slow motion and allow the trainer and the student to better understand any flaws in shooting technique.

Wednesday- Another early start for a morning game walk which is followed by a theory lecture on weapon safety, ballistics and/or viewing potentially dangerous game on foot. In the afternoon we head out on the river in our motor boat and find a good area for a walking excursion and we hope to encounter some potentially dangerous game.

Thursday- We take a morning game drive to the north of camp where large herds of buffalo often drift through. Hopefully with a few approaches under our belts we return to camp for lunch. In the afternoon we begin with weapon handling drills to hone our shooting techniques and perfect our muscle memory. After our weapons "work-out" we head out on foot and continue to search for game to encounter and approach.

Friday- Yes, you guessed it, the morning  begins with another game walk! But the great thing about the Kwapa region is that there is such a diversity of habitat that every walk is different and with each student having the opportunity to lead walks we see the bush through different eyes. We return to camp  and before lunch we do a short session of weapon drills.
In the afternoon we set out for a great adventure. We pack our back-packs with the bare minimum and walk out to a favorable area where we set up our mosquito nets and make our overnight "camp". The sleep-out is a chance for ultimate intimacy with nature. With no tents, no artificial light and only the bare minimum of supplies we enjoy the bush as our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Students take turns managing the fire and keeping guard while the other students get some sleep.

Saturday- We wake up in our wilderness camp and, after erasing any sign of our presence, we walk back to camp. We continue our lessons on tracking, navigation, safe walking techniques and hoping for a few good encounters before a well earned lunch!
We head out in the afternoon on the Kwapa River to the southern part of the concession where we have our shooting range. It is time to assess what everyone has achieved in the week's shooting drills and practical shooting. After the shooting assessments we head back to camp for dinner.

Sunday- Is a day for us to rest, revise and in the afternoon we write our theory module for the week. The students that are departing on this week will write their theory module in Maun in the afternoon.

Qualifications:

No prior experience is required (for BOTA and OGS).
Exams are weekly.
There are 3 qualifications and students may choose to do the FGASA or the OGS qualification in addition to the mandatory BOTA qualification.
BOTA Lead or Back-Up Trails Guide- This is the Botswana Training Authority exam which is the national Trails Guide or Back-Up Trails qualification for Botswana.
FGASA- Lead or Back-Up Trails Guide- This is the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa exam and is the national Trails Guide or Back-Up Trails used in South Africa
OGS Lead or Back-Up Trails Guide- The Okavango Guiding School qualification uses the same assessments as the BOTA and FGASA Lead or Back-Up Trails Guide qualification. The OGS syllabus is an in depth and comprehensive and would equate to a level 4 syllabus; taking the guide to a much higher level than others in his field.

Your course Includes:

  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Concession fees
  • Food
  • Drinking water, tea and coffee
  • All training and activities
  • Transfer from Maun to Kwapa Camp and Return to Maun (1 transfer in and out per student)

Your Course Fee Excludes: 

  • Travel Insurance
  • All flights unless otherwise indicated
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Toiletries
  • Staff gratuities
  • Drinks other than those mentioned above. Other drinks are available from the Kwapa Bar.
  • All ammunition

We exclude ammunition because some students are better qualified and do not need additional rounds. Each student’s natural athletic ability is unique and so their ammunition requirements are impossible to predict.
Rounds for the large caliber are $6 each. The small caliber rounds are $3 and pellets are $7/100.

Cost

7 Day-   USD 2145
14 Day- USD 3253
21 Day- USD 4682
28 Day- USD 6507

Payment

20% Deposit to confirm booking. Balance due 6 weeks prior to arrival. Payment by bank transfer or credit card (card payments carry 5% surcharge. Please see our booking conditions for more information.

Sponsorship

For every course that has 6 or more students, OGS sponsors a free space for an aspiring local guide who cannot afford to do a training course. Each International student who attends a course with OGS contributes directly to the local communities surrounding the Kwapa Concession and the guiding profession as a whole.