Gentlemen, is there Wifi, cell service there and what's good app to call from Botswana instead of getting charged arm and leg?
Any info will be appreciated

Whats app, Viber, google voice, if you have an I phone going to an I phone just use face time.

Milan,

There is WiFi and cell service at Tholo. I communicate with Clive and Linda at the main house easily using either method.

Mark

Thanks Mark
I wish I could leave it behind
Damn business Ha Ha but it makes me money to be able to go there

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Thanks Mark
I wish I could leave it behind
Damn business Ha Ha but it makes me money to be able to go there

I absolutely, positively, refuse to deal with business while on safari.

One of my managers was in a bit of a panic one year, as he said what does he do in an emergency?

After trying my best to tell him there is no way he can contact me, and him persisting in his efforts to have a contact number, I asked him to come over to my house and I will show him a special communications device we have for this very purpose.

We have an African drum by the pool, so I took him there, and proceeded to beat the drum.

"You see what I am doing?"

"Yes"

"OK, when you have an emergency, come over here, and beat this drum just like I am doing. You have to stop every few minutes and listen for my answer"

He was looking at me with absolute amazement!

The penny dropped then, and he understood what I was saying

Yes there is near the skinning shed. Last year I wasn't aware of wifi until towards the end of the hunt and even then resisted going on line for several days.

shucks, just tell 'em:

I go on these trips/hunts to get away from you people and business!

George

All good valid points
I will have to get that drum Saeed

When in the bush of Botswana, I find myself climbing kopjes and whatever highpoints to get a signal on my cell-phone...

WhatsApp

My friend used it to call me last year, to give me a report. I was amazed at how well it worked. Definitely the way to go!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Thanks Mark
I wish I could leave it behind
Damn business Ha Ha but it makes me money to be able to go there

I absolutely, positively, refuse to deal with business while on safari.

One of my managers was in a bit of a panic one year, as he said what does he do in an emergency?

After trying my best to tell him there is no way he can contact me, and him persisting in his efforts to have a contact number, I asked him to come over to my house and I will show him a special communications device we have for this very purpose.

We have an African drum by the pool, so I took him there, and proceeded to beat the drum.

"You see what I am doing?"

"Yes"

"OK, when you have an emergency, come over here, and beat this drum just like I am doing. You have to stop every few minutes and listen for my answer"

He was looking at me with absolute amazement!

The penny dropped then, and he understood what I was saying

I agree! If anyone died while I was gone and you had to bury them, tell them I loved them and I'll be back in a few weeks.

Business will survive, stock markets might crash and friends and family might perish. I'll be none the wiser until I get back.

My father told me about ten years ago he wished he would have went on a safari with me when I got back.. I told him "let's go!". He said what if I die on safari, it would ruin your trip. I said not mine, I'd just throw you in the meat locker until I was done hunting and pack up your bones at the end of it. You'd be much quieter on the plane ride home.

My wife's grandfather died a few years ago when we were in Australia, he had tickets bought to come see us and his grown daughters and son told him he couldn't go. I really thought this was in poor taste.

Life is far too important to let business or death get in the way of it.

my inexpensive (cheap) cell service doesn't work over there, so I am lucky. If a crisis occurs at home, they can email tholo.

Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

Guys the only problem was the wifi close to camp (at the office) was weak last year and the 2nd 1/2 of t he trip, it was out. Clive's house is not close- you must drive.

As Dick said, make sure whoever needs to contact you has Tholo's email address. The wifi may work perfect this year, I just don't anyone to be stuck. I am taking a sat phone- and hope I can just use FaceTime, wifi calling, fb messenger calling.

whats app is fantastic.

Like it

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Thanks Mark
I wish I could leave it behind
Damn business Ha Ha but it makes me money to be able to go there

I absolutely, positively, refuse to deal with business while on safari.

One of my managers was in a bit of a panic one year, as he said what does he do in an emergency?

After trying my best to tell him there is no way he can contact me, and him persisting in his efforts to have a contact number, I asked him to come over to my house and I will show him a special communications device we have for this very purpose.

We have an African drum by the pool, so I took him there, and proceeded to beat the drum.

"You see what I am doing?"

"Yes"

"OK, when you have an emergency, come over here, and beat this drum just like I am doing. You have to stop every few minutes and listen for my answer"

He was looking at me with absolute amazement!

The penny dropped then, and he understood what I was saying

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

Why go hunting if you can't get away from it all?

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

Why go hunting if you can't get away from it all?

Cause hunting for me is just a vacation not some religious life altering activity. Nearly all places I go on a vacation have access to information/internet. Even most long haul flights now have Internet access.

I don't need hours of Internet access - just a minute or two a day. Not having access and being in the blind for days would add a lot of stress - why take uncertainty stress when one does not need too.


I can always find a occupation that does not require me to know what is doing on for weeks as I go hunting. But then those occupation don't pay enough to go hunting for weeks in Africa.


Mike

quote:

I don't need hours of Internet access - just a minute or two a day. Not having access and being in the blind for days would add a lot of stress - why take uncertainty stress when one does not need too.

+1..

If I can read my email and conduct a little business for a few minutes a day it helps to relax and enjoy the rest of the hunt all that much more...then I can flush it from my mind and focus on the experience even more...otherwise I'm stuck wondering and worrying.

To each his own I suppose...

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

I was happy that I didn't find about Tholo's wifi until the next to last day.

In my line of work, just knowing about a problem back home sucks because I can't do anything meaningful to fix it online or on the phone;'just knowing' only adds stress.

Getting unplugged, for me, is nice.

Everyone is a bit different.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

Why go hunting if you can't get away from it all?

Cause hunting for me is just a vacation not some religious life altering activity. Nearly all places I go on a vacation have access to information/internet. Even most long haul flights now have Internet access.

I don't need hours of Internet access - just a minute or two a day. Not having access and being in the blind for days would add a lot of stress - why take uncertainty stress when one does not need too.


I can always find a occupation that does not require me to know what is doing on for weeks as I go hunting. But then those occupation don't pay enough to go hunting for weeks in Africa.


Mike

Oh, I don't know about that.Anesthesia practice allowed me to go on 13 safaris in the last 15 years, 8 of which were for DG. Not to mention stag hunts in New Caledonia and Poland. I never wanted or needed wifi or cell service. In fact being out of contact was one of the best things about safari. I want isolation, not aggravation on my vacation..

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Get whatsapp on your phone - you will have excellent phone and text service with your cell phone with tholo's wifi.

I for one need communication where I hunt. I cannot leave the world away when I go hunting and I have no desire not to look at financial news for 2-3 weeks. Also wifi beats sat phones by mile - easy way to get a lot of data and news without asking someone a hundred questions on a sat phone conservation.

I would only hunt in a place with wifi access. Reduces my stress of being out of the information loop.


Mike

Why go hunting if you can't get away from it all?

Cause hunting for me is just a vacation not some religious life altering activity. Nearly all places I go on a vacation have access to information/internet. Even most long haul flights now have Internet access.

I don't need hours of Internet access - just a minute or two a day. Not having access and being in the blind for days would add a lot of stress - why take uncertainty stress when one does not need too.


I can always find a occupation that does not require me to know what is doing on for weeks as I go hunting. But then those occupation don't pay enough to go hunting for weeks in Africa.


Mike

Oh, I don't know about that.Anesthesia practice allowed me to go on 13 safaris in the last 15 years, 8 of which were for DG. Not to mention stag hunts in New Caledonia and Poland. I never wanted or needed wifi or cell service. In fact being out of contact was one of the best things about safari. I want isolation, not aggravation on my vacation..

Dr Dollar - I could put people to sleep - it's getting then back up I would have a problem with

Mike

if you happen to stay out in the spanish camp

there will be no e net to hook up to

the spanish camp is in my opinion the place to be put up for the hunt

one of the best hunts in africa

you will see after some 9 or ten in wild africa

Anyone who travels outside the US should have whatsapp on their phone. It turns every wifi spot into a communication spot for messaging and telephone. It's perfect for airports and you don't get raped by cell phone companies and their roaming charges. Also wifi is becoming universally available.

Mike

quote:

n fact being out of contact was one of the best things about safari. I want isolation, not aggravation on my vacation..

I guess nobody went hunting in Africa 20 years ago?

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
I guess nobody went hunting in Africa 20 years ago?

Remember when we used to have to send a letter or telegram to our outfitter and PH? And take an ocean liner to Africa?

tel x

tel a type

not quite morse code but close

that was in the early 70's in north africa in the oil patch

quote:

Originally posted by RAC:

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
I guess nobody went hunting in Africa 20 years ago?

Remember when we used to have to send a letter or telegram to our outfitter and PH? And take an ocean liner to Africa?

No one has gone on an African safari on an ocean liner in 50 years. But I get your point.