Botswana Wilderness Safari

The journey begins at our campsite on the banks of the Thamalakane River. You can arrive at any time and make use of the facilities – a bar, swimming pool and much loved restaurant. Around 6pm we meet our tour leader and travelling companions to hear more about the days ahead, then we share a warm welcome over a group dinner. If you would like extra time here, you can arrange additional nights before the tour through your sales representative.

We pack light for two nights into a smaller bag provided, then travel by 4x4 into the Okavango Delta. At the polers’ station we meet a team from a nearby village who look after us during our stay. With them, we glide by mokoro deep into the delta to our riverbank campsite for lunch, before our first late afternoon game walk. We return to camp before sunset to enjoy our first meal in the African bush.

We rise early for a guided game walk with the poling team. Wildlife is never guaranteed, yet there is a chance to encounter elephants, buffalo and other smaller game. We return to camp for brunch and time to relax. Later we take a short mokoro trip to watch the sunset before heading back to camp.

This morning we board our mokoros back to the polers’ station, meet our vehicle and drive to Maun for the night. We stock up on supplies for the days ahead. The afternoon is free – you can relax by the pool or take an optional scenic flight over the delta.

After a relaxed breakfast we journey east to the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pan. Depending on conditions, we camp wild on the pan or at a nearby campsite. Covering more than 6,180 sq mi – 16,000 sq km – and forming the bed of an ancient lake now dried up, the pan delivers spectacular sunsets.

Today we have a long drive north and cross into Zimbabwe to reach Victoria Falls, a town minutes from the waterfalls of the same name. We complete border formalities and continue to our accommodation for the next two nights. The falls form an astonishing curtain of water – more than 1,700 m wide and 100 m high.

Today is free – you can choose from optional activities such as white water rafting, a flight over the falls and more.

This morning we take in views of Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side, then return to Botswana. A short drive brings us to Kasane, where we camp beside the Thebe River, a tributary of the Zambezi. The afternoon is free – you may opt for a game viewing cruise on the Chobe River, renowned for close up wildlife and a very good chance of elephant herds at the water’s edge by sunset.

We set out early for a game drive along the Chobe waterfront, famed for elephants and also home to lions and wild dogs. After exploring the northern reaches, we head south into remote, rugged terrain, crossing in and out of the national park, before arriving in the Savuti area at the park’s southern edge. Here the Savuti Marsh is fed by a river channel that alternately flows and then dries for years at a time – recent flooding has brought renewed life. The area holds plentiful game and is especially known for lions and for the large numbers of elephant that trek vast distances to find fodder.

We enjoy morning and afternoon game drives on the Savuti Marsh. There is a good chance of seeing lions, cheetahs and hyenas that shadow the seasonal zebra migration. Large secretary birds and kori bustards often stride across the marsh, while small red billed francolins provide a noisy morning wake up.

After breaking camp we drive to Moremi Game Reserve, passing the Mbabe depression, Mopani forest and great Acacia trees before reaching Khwai village and the North Gate entrance. Moremi is the jewel in Botswana’s wildlife crown, protecting much of the northern Okavango Delta and encompassing waterways, marshes, islands and open grasslands.

We take morning and afternoon game drives through this beautiful protected area, searching for the great variety of animals that live here. Despite its wet reputation, there is plenty of dry land, allowing us to cover good distances and spot wildlife in sometimes dense vegetation. It is a fine place to look for elephants, lions, leopards and cheetahs, while red lechwe are often seen grazing among the lilies.

We make a final game drive through the park this morning, then return to Maun and our riverside campsite. You can enjoy the swimming pool before we share a last dinner at the campsite restaurant.

After breakfast the trip ends and you begin your journey home. If you wish to extend your time in Botswana, your sales representative will be happy to advise.