On this safari we travel through Botswana, Zambia and Namibia, exploring Chobe National Park and the vast Okavango Delta. We search for wildlife including elephant, zebra, buffalo and giraffe. Swapping land for water we stay on the Okavango Panhandle aboard our houseboat, searching for hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife. We end our trip in Zambia, visiting the thundering waters of Victoria Falls.
Itinerary
[+] Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:
Join tour Maun
Arrive Maun and check into hotel.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in Maun Lodge
Maun Lodge
This lodge is situated on the banks of the Thamalakane River and offers riverfront luxury rooms. There is a swimming pool and good quality a la carte restaurant and a traditional boma style bar for relaxation.
Day 2:
Drive to Okavango Delta; PM game drive
This morning we will drive into the Okavango Delta to our base for the next three nights. The mighty Okavango is the third largest river in Africa and its delta area covers 16,000 square kilometres of crystal clear channels, a myriad of ephemeral lakes and ever changing islands, surviving in the Kalahari desert. The river flows south east from the Angolan highlands over 1,000 km away and takes up to 6 months to reach the delta area that floods on a perennial annual cycle. The Okavango Delta covers an enormous wilderness area composed of permanent swamps, islands, forest and dry land. Exceptional though the geography of the Delta may be, it is the amazing wildlife of the waterways that draws us.
Overnight Comfortable Camping (C++)
in Mankwe Bush Lodge & Mogothlo
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mankwe Bush Lodge & Mogothlo
Tented lodges are located in the south western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve in the Khwai River area. They are ideal bases to explore the Delta and are constructed sympathetically within the surrounding bush with wooden thatched public areas and dining room. Accommodation is in fixed en suite safari tents with all bedding and linen provided.
Day 3:
In the Okavango Delta; game drives
Today we will head out on game drives to explore the diverse scenery and wildlife of the Delta. We will have the chance to see hippo, crocodile, red lechwe, and a great variety of birds are easy to spot. Bird lovers may spot fish eagle, jacana, kingfisher, heron, stork, egret, weaver and bee-eater – just some of the magnificent species found here.
Overnight Comfortable Camping (C++)
in Mankwe Bush Lodge & Mogothlo
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4:
Game drives
Today we continue with our morning and afternoon game drives
Overnight Comfortable Camping (C++)
in Mankwe Bush Lodge & Mogothlo
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5:
Drive to Maun
This morning we will have a final game drive to maximise our game viewing potential, before heading back to Maun in the afternoon. There you will have time to relax and reflect on your experiences in the delta.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in The Motsentsela Tree Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The Motsentsela Tree Lodge
A small lodge comprising 7 fully en-suite “tented safari rooms” and 2 honeymoon bungalows, accommodating only 18 people. It has a beautiful deck shaded by huge trees, and is situated outside Maun in its own little game reserve, with 3 marked walking trails.
Day 6:
Okavango Delta Panhandle Houseboat
Today we drive to the west side of the Okavango Delta Panhandle to meet our specially chartered houseboat. Due to the seasonal variations in the level and strength of the river, fed by rainfall in the Upper Zambezi basin, please be aware that for much of the year the houseboat itself remains securely moored and we explore the river by smaller launches. Our itinerary is very flexible. A typical day involves a morning on the houseboat launch followed by a stop on the houseboat for lunch. Then another optional trip in the afternoon and back to the houseboat for the night. During our time on the river there may be a good possibility of seeing a variety of game. On our launch, we may cruise past submerging pods of hippos, while crocodiles bask in the shallows and on the riverbanks. Bird life in the area is also prolific and you may care to try your hand at fishing. Local fishermen are often seen aboard their traditional dugout canoes, known locally as mokoros.
Overnight Houseboat (U)
in //kabbo Houseboat
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
//kabbo Houseboat
Situated on the Okavango Panhandle, we enjoy exclusive use of //Kabbo houseboat. The vessel comprises 8-twin berth, en suite cabins and a good size dining and sitting area and bar on its upper deck. Whilst facilities are comfortable, the boat cannot be considered ‘in style’ but we include it in our itinerary as an off-beat highlight that provides an opportunity to explore this hidden corner of Botswana.
Day 7:
Optional visit to Tsodilo Hills
Today you may choose an optional days excursion to Tsodilo Hills. We drive to this intriguing and sacred place where the San Bushmen believe was the site of the first creation. They painted an astonishing 3500 rock paintings here to celebrate this over 350 sites. For all the golden light of late afternoon will be enjoyed with a traditional ‘sundowner’. This is a home away from home where you are encouraged to enjoy this part of Africa. It is not hard to imagine yourself as David Livingstone when he was in Africa all those years ago!
Overnight Houseboat (U)
in //kabbo Houseboat
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8:
Drive to Eastern Caprivi strip; Game Drives in Bwabwata National Park
This morning we will cross the border into Namibia and drive to the eastern Caprivi strip. The Caprivi Region has a colourful and interesting history. The Caprivi, known lby local tribes as Itenge, was under the rule of the Lozi kings until the end of the 19th century, but it was administered as part of the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, now known as Botswana. As a result of the European superpower political maneuvering, Germany laid claim, in 1890, to the British administered island of Zanzibar to which Britain strenuously objected. The Germans were keen to link their colonies in German East Africa (now Tanzania) with German South West Africa (now Namibia). The dispute was settled by the Berlin Conference in 1890 when Queen Victoria acquired Zanzibar and Germany acquired the territory which became known as the Caprivi Strip. This strip of land was named after German Chancellor General Count Georg Leo von Caprivi di Caprara di Montecuccoli! Say that after a beer! In the late afternoon we will visit Bwabwata National park for our first game drive. This area boasts an expanse of dense savannah and mopane woodlands with the Kwando river at its western border. We will have the opportunity to see small populations of red lechwe, and the spotted necked otter, hippo and crocodiles in the waterways. Other animals found here are elephant, buffalo, roan antelope, kudu, impala and Burchell’s zebra as well as around 430 species of birds.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in Susuwe Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Susuwe Lodge
Situated on an island in the Kwando river and is one of the finest lodges in the area. The accommodation comprises of brick and thatch units with canopy viewing decks overlooking savannah, wetlands and woodland and private plunge pools. There is a fire pit, spacious lounge and dining areas and a small reference library.
Mazambala Island Lodge is situated on the Kwando River and consists of thatchedlounge/bar/restaurant raised for stunning views across the flood plain on stilts. Twoviewing platforms offer the chance of viewing animals coming to the river to drink. The bungalow's are constructed traditionally with brick, reeds and a thatched roof and there is a swimming pool for your further enjoyment.
Day 9:
Game Drives in Bwabwata National Park
On our second day here we will continue our exploration of the Bwabwata National park with a morning game drive and an optional walking safari in the afternoon.and maybe a sunset cruise on the Kwando river in the evening.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in Susuwe Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10:
Drive to Kasane
This morning sees us crossing the border back into Botswana and making our way into the Serondela area of Chobe National Park and base ourselves just outside the park near the riverside town of Kasane. A variety of habitats of flooded grassland, thicket, salt pan and particularly the banks of the Chobe River, one of the Zambezi’s main tributaries, is home to an abundance of wildlife. A major feature of Chobe is its elephant population and is considered to be the largest surviving continuous elephant population and is currently estimated at 120 000 strong! This population covers most of northern Botswana plus northwestern Zimbabwe and has been built up steadily from a few thousand since the early 1900s when massive poaching at the height of the illegal ivory trade decimated other populations in the 1970s and 1980s. The Chobe elephants in this area have the distinction of being the largest in body size of all living elephants, but the ivory is brittle and there are no more of the huge tuskers from a by gone era. Our lodge here is home for the next three nights and is a magical introduction into the heart of Africa.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in The Chobe Safari Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast
The Chobe Safari Lodge
The Chobe Safari Lodge is located on the banks of the Chobe River before it enters the mighty Zambezi. The area within which it is situated is famous for its elephant and buffalo herds and it is not unusual to see these majestic animals on the opposite bank. The hotel has a magnificent riverfront location that is centred around a wooden terrace overlooking the river. The trees under which the lodge and terrace are found provide a lush and very pleasant place in which to relax and enjoy the extraordinary birdlife and fauna that are found here. With its stunning location, the lodge is tastefully decorated in an Africa style to provide a very comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Waterlilly Lodge A small, private lodge with comfortable rooms around a central courtyard and swimming pool close to the edge of the Chobe River. There is a restaurant and bar and the lodge is ideally situated close to the entrance of Chobe National Park.
Day 11:
In Chobe River Area
The northern Chobe area of Serondela is the heart of elephant country. We’ll take the opportunity to spend many hours hopefully watching huge trumpeting herds in and around the river. In the river are hippo and crocodile and the waters teem with bream, barbel and tiger fish. During our stay we will spend our time on morning and afternoon game drives, for those interested, to enjoy an optional late afternoon boat safari on the Chobe River. You may also try your hand at some fishing or even take a guided nature walk.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in The Chobe Safari Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 12:
In the Chobe River area
Today we will continue with our morning and afternoon game drives in the National Park
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in The Chobe Safari Lodge
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 13:
Drive to Livingstone; view Victoria Falls
This morning, we leave Botswana and cross the border into Zambia to arrive at Livingstone. Often referred to as the ‘adventure capital’ of Zambia, Livingstone is a pleasant town with a variety of land, air and water-based activities on offer in the surrounding area. Close to our lodge is one of the natural wonders of the world – Victoria Falls. We will view the falls from the Zambian side of the river. Here, the Zambezi River plummets over a sheer cliff wall spanning more than 1676m, and drops approximately 100m into the abyss below. Like David Livingstone before us, we become aware of the awesome cataract long before seeing it. Plumes of water vapour rise like smoke into the sky accompanied by a deafening roar: a fact which inspired the natives to call the waterfall, Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. This afternoon you could take an optional afternoon game drive into Mosi-oa- Tunya National Park to search for white rhino.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in Zambezi Sun
Included meals: Breakfast
Zambezi Sun
A uniquely designed property with the look and feel of an old walled city. Each room has a private balcony and the restaurant and bar surround a cool, landscaped pool area.
Day 14:
In Livingstone
Today is left free for you to follow your own interests. You may choose to take advantage of some of the many optional activities on offer such as whitewater rafting on the Zambezi; a scenic helicopter flight or perhaps an elephant-back safari. Your leader will be on hand to advise you and to assist with any bookings.
Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++)
in Zambezi Sun
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 15:
Tour ends Livingstone
Much of today is spent free as the London flight does not depart until this afternoon.
Included meals: Breakfast
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