Wildlife & Wilderness of Botswana

Those on the group flight arrive in Maun and transfer (30 mins) to our

campsite located on the banks of the Thamalakane River. The campsite has hot

showers, bar, swimming pool, and the restaurant is known for its good food

and ambience. Those not on the group flight can arrive any time.

We pack minimal gear for 2 nights into a smaller bag (bag provided), before a

4x4 transfer into the Okavango Delta. At the 'polers' station' we meet a new

team of local staff from a nearby village who will look after us during our

stay in the delta. With them we travel in mokoros deep into the Okavango

Delta. We have lunch at our campsite on the banks of the river, and in the

late afternoon we head out on our first game walk. We return to camp before

sunset and enjoy our first meal in the African bush.

We get up early this morning for a game walk with a guide from the poling

team. There are never any guarantees whith wildlife, but there is the chance

of seeing elephant, buffalo, and other smaller game. We return to camp for a

well deserved brunch and some time to relax. In the afternoon we take a short

mokoro trip on the river to view the sunset before returning to camp.

This morning we board our mokoros for the trip back to the polers' station.

We meet our vehicle and transfer back into Maun for the night where we will

purchase supplies for the days ahead. The afternoon is free to relax by the

pool or take an optional scenic flight over the Delta.

After a relaxed breakfast we head east to the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pan.

Depending on the season or if the pans are wet, we will camp wild on the pan

or one of the campsites nearby. The Makgadikgadi Salt Pan covers an area over

16,000 square kilometres and forms the bed of an ancient lake - now dried up.

The sunsets on the pan are truly spectacular.

A long drive north before crossing into Zimbabwe to the town of Victoria

Falls situated minutes from the waterfalls of the same name. At the Kasangula

border we complete the border formalities and continue to our accommodation

for the next two nights. The falls themselves are over 1,700m wide and 100m

tall making them the largest waterfalls in the world and are one of

Africa’s most famous highlights. We will have the opportunity to find out

more about the various activities on offer available for tomorrow.

Today is a free day to partake in one of the many optional activities on

offer ranging from white water rafting to flights over the falls and various

others.

This morning there is an opportunity to view Victoria Falls themselves from

the Zimbabwean side. From here we drive back to Botswana. A short drive from

the border to the town of Kasane where we camp on the banks of the Thebe

River, a tributary of the mighty Zambezi. The afternoon is free, with an

option to view game on the famous Chobe Waterfront by taking an exciting

river cruise on the Chobe River. This is widely regarded as one of the best

game cruises in Africa with a very good chance of seeing the elephant herds

coming down to the river to drink before the sun sets.

We take an early morning game drive back to the Chobe Waterfront area. Chobe

is famous for its large population of elephants, but is also home to plenty

of other exciting game including lion and wild dog. After exploring the

Northern end of this huge park, we head south into remote and rugged terrain,

passing in and out of the national park, before finally reaching the Savuti

area at the southern edge of Chobe National Park.

The Savuti Marsh, often dry, is fed by the Savuti river channel which

alternately flows and then dries up for years at a time. Recent flooding has

given this area new life. This area is also home to plenty of game, but is

especially well known for its lions, and the large numbers of elephant that

walk enormous distances to find fodder.

We take morning and afternoon game drives on the Savuti Marsh. There is a

good chance to see lion, cheetah and hyena that follow the seasonal zebra

migration through this area. Large secretary birds and kori bustards are

often seen strutting around the Savuti marsh and small red-billed francolins

provide a noisy morning wake up call.

After breaking camp we drive all the way to Moremi Game Reserve. We pass

through a variety of habitats including the Mbabe depression, Mopani forest

and past great Acacia trees before arriving at Khwai village and the North

Gate entrance of Moremi Game Reserve. Moremi National Park is the jewel in

Botswana's wildlife crown. Protecting much of the northern part of the

Okavango Delta, it is made up of waterways, marshes, islands and open

grasslands.

We'll go on morning and afternoon game drives through this beautiful

protected area, trying to find the large variety of animals that live here.

Despite its wet reputation, there is plenty of dry land in Moremi, which

allows our game drives to cover significant distances while spotting game in

the sometimes dense vegetation. As well as elephant and lion, Moremi is a

good place to spot leopard and cheetah, and the red lechwe, a water dwelling

antelope, often seen grazing amongst the lilies.

We go on a final game drive through the park this morning before travelling

back to Maun, and back to our riverside campsite. We can enjoy the swimming

pool before our last dinner at the campsite restaurant.

Those on the group flights will be taken to the airport in time for their

flight home. The trip officially ends after breakfast for those not on the

group flights.