Botswana & Zambia holiday, Delta to Victoria Falls
| country: | Botswana, Zambia |
| location: | Kalahari Desert, Victoria Falls |
| departures: | 2009: 20 Nov, 27 Nov, 18 Dec, 25 Dec 2010: 8 Jan, 15 Jan, 5 Feb, 19 Feb, 26 Feb, 19 Mar, 26 Mar, 2 Apr, 9 Apr, 16 Apr, 30 Apr, 7 May, 21 May, 4 Jun, 11 Jun, 18 Jun, 25 Jun, 2 Jul, 16 Jul, 23 Jul, 30 Jul, 6 Aug, 13 Aug, 27 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Sep |
| price: | From £1999 - £2699 (17 days) including flights from the UK. From £1149 - £1399 excluding flights. Local payment $300 USD. |
| late availability: | Late availability on 27th November departures |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Wilderness journey for a true taste of Africa
Rhinos & Delta
The adventure begins in Khama Rhino Sanctuary where you’ll visit several waterholes that are prime habitat for white rhino, zebra and wildebeest. Driving on through the Kalahari you reach Maun - gateway to the Okavango Delta. You’ll journey into the waterways by mokoro (dugout canoe) and camp on remote islands in an amazing, unique ecosystem. Spending several days with the local guides gives you the opportunity to learn about their culture.
Wildlife & Zambezi
Using an open-top 4WD vehicle you’ll spend two days game viewing in Moremi Game Reserve. Its abundant wildlife includes elephant, hippo and buffalo. The Savuti Marsh grasslands are famous for large prides of lion, whilst Chobe NP supports vast herds of elephants. The finale is a visit to Victoria Falls with various optional activities available.
Don’t like camping?
If you prefer a few creature comforts at the end of your safari day then why not opt for our Into the Okavango adventure (ref. BH) following a similar itinerary to the Delta to Victoria Falls trip. The main difference is that Savuti is replaced with the chance to visit the ethereal Makgadigadi Pans. You’ll be accommodated in pre-erected tents in the Okavango Delta and the rest of your nights will be in lodges and chalets. For full details please contact us or visit our website.
Rhinos & Delta
The adventure begins in Khama Rhino Sanctuary where you’ll visit several waterholes that are prime habitat for white rhino, zebra and wildebeest. Driving on through the Kalahari you reach Maun - gateway to the Okavango Delta. You’ll journey into the waterways by mokoro (dugout canoe) and camp on remote islands in an amazing, unique ecosystem. Spending several days with the local guides gives you the opportunity to learn about their culture.
Wildlife & Zambezi
Using an open-top 4WD vehicle you’ll spend two days game viewing in Moremi Game Reserve. Its abundant wildlife includes elephant, hippo and buffalo. The Savuti Marsh grasslands are famous for large prides of lion, whilst Chobe NP supports vast herds of elephants. The finale is a visit to Victoria Falls with various optional activities available.
Don’t like camping?
If you prefer a few creature comforts at the end of your safari day then why not opt for our Into the Okavango adventure (ref. BH) following a similar itinerary to the Delta to Victoria Falls trip. The main difference is that Savuti is replaced with the chance to visit the ethereal Makgadigadi Pans. You’ll be accommodated in pre-erected tents in the Okavango Delta and the rest of your nights will be in lodges and chalets. For full details please contact us or visit our website.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London Overnight flight to Johannesburg. |
| Day 2: | Johannesburg; free day After your flight you transfer (approx. 30 minutes) to your first night’s accommodation and check in. Johannesburg lies at the centre of the Witwatersrand, literally meaning ‘ridge of white waters’. It was on this ridge that the world’s richest gold reef was discovered little more than 100 years ago. Your first day is free to relax, with the option of visiting the fascinating township of Soweto in the afternoon, on an excursion with a local guide. Shops and restaurants are all within easy reach although you’ll need a taxi after dark. Hotel - 1 night Please make sure that if you explore Johannesburg on your own that you take advice of where it is safe to walk, especially in the evening. There have been isolated attempts of robbery in recent times and although unpredictable the risk of these can be minimised by taking local advice. |
| Day 3: | Khama Rhino Sanctuary; Botswana An early start today as you head north across the rolling high veldt. Passing farming communities and game reserves, you cross the Limpopo River into Botswana (650km, approx. 9 hours). Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a reserve situated in the Kalahari sandveld with several natural waterholes providing prime habitat for white rhino, zebra and wildebeest. The reserve is run by a community based wildlife project established in 1992 to assist in saving the rhino from vanishing in Botswana, and also to restore an area previously teeming with wildlife to its previous natural state. The project also provides benefits to the local Batswana community. After exploring the park, you’ll make camp in the bush and begin to adapt to life under canvas. Camp - 1 night (LD) |
| Day 4: | Maun Skirting the northern boundaries of the Central Kalahari Desert and the huge diamond mines at Orapa and Lelfhakane, you arrive in Maun and set up camp (575km, approx. 7 hours). Maun meaning, "place of short reeds" is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and northern parks of Botswana. After preparing for your journey into the delta tomorrow, the rest of the day is free to relax and settle in. Take a stroll along the riverside or relax in the pool and recover from the journey. Camp - 1 night (BL) |
| Day 5: | Okavango Delta; mokoro game viewing The Okavango Delta, which encompasses most of north-western Botswana, offers a unique wilderness habitat – a freshwater paradise of vegetation and wildlife. Today you journey (approx. 1 ½ hours) into the heart of this wildlife sanctuary by 4WD vehicle. On reaching your pick-up point, you familiarise yourself with the ‘mokoro’ – the traditional dugout canoe of the delta. Originally cut by hand from a single log, nowadays many are moulded from fibreglass to conserve the precious stock of local hardwoods. Although a mokoro looks anything but stable, in fact it is an extremely safe and reliable craft. You set off, two people to a mokoro, poled by a skilled Tswana guide who will act as your eyes and ears until you attune to this unfamiliar watery environment. You navigate the maze of creeks and narrow channels, slipping silently through the beds of reed and beautiful papyrus fronds, past islands covered with palm trees. As you travel, you will see numerous birds and may encounter red lechwe (a rare type of antelope) or even elephant browsing in the water. After pitching camp, you set off on a short walk and learn more about this unique habitat. For the next two nights you camp wild on a remote island in the delta, enjoying the seclusion and the sense of escape. You fall asleep to the sounds of frogs croaking and may hear the distinctive sound of hippos or hyenas ‘laughing’ in the distance. Wild camp – 2 nights (BLD) Please note: Our local guides are wildlife experts and it is important to pay close attention to their requests in terms of safety. The delta is an exciting place to explore, but it needs to be understood and respected, and following their advice is paramount. |
| Day 6: | Okavango Delta; mokoro game viewing The unique Kavango River flows not into the sea but into the Kalahari Desert. The river was blocked from its original course by a series of geological shifts and flows from its mountain source in Angola to meet the desert. The waters spill out over the sandy ground to produce a vast aquatic wetland amid vast areas of aridity - a true wonder of the natural world and a unique accident of nature, which occurs nowhere else. The area is rich in bird life and home to abundant wildlife including hippo, warthog and monkey. Depending on the season lion, hyena, elephant, giraffe and buffalo are all prevalent. The day unfolds with an early awakening to catch the dawn. This is a magical time of day - cool and still, with the merest rustle of breeze - although the cacophony of birdcalls can be almost deafening! During the heat of the day there is a chance to relax in the camp or swim in the beautiful clear waters. Later in the afternoon you continue to explore the vast expanses of this watery environment, spotting an abundance of bird species which include heron, egret, ibis, stork, several species of kingfisher, hornbill and a selection of brightly coloured bee-eaters. Many live here because of the rich diet of fish they are able to find. (BLD) |
| Day 7: | Maun Your final day in the Okavango Delta allows more wildlife viewing by mokoro as you return to your pick-up point for the vehicles.You journey back to Maun arriving early afternoon. There is time for an optional flight over the Okavango River where views from the air of this enormous water wonderland are quite spectacular. Camping – 1 night (BL) |
| Day 8: | Moremi Game Reserve; 4WD game viewing The big game aspect of your safari begins as you enter Moremi Game Reserve - one of the finest wilderness areas in Botswana. Proclaimed a wildlife reserve by the Batswana people in 1963, it was the first wildlife sanctuary to be created by an African tribe in their own area, and as such it is unique. The act was described at the time as a shining mark in African tribal history. It is a rich and fascinating area, which is an intricate part of the Delta, comprising of permanently swamped areas, lily-covered wetlands, seasonally swamped area and also dryland. You drive for about two hours to the reserve and then take a game drive through the park until you reach your evening camp (+/-40-100km / anything from 1½ - 5 hours depending on which campsite you have in the reserve). During the entire six days spent in Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park you will be travelling by open 4WD game viewing vehicle. En route you search for giraffe, hyena, kudu, elephant, hippo, crocodile, buffalo, lion and leopard. At sunset there is plenty of time to relax and absorb the sounds and beauty of this region. Later you will dine under the stars and no doubt exchange stories around the blazing camp fire! Camp - 2 nights (BLD) |
| Day 9: | Moremi Game Reserve; 4WD game viewing Rising early you continue your game viewing by 4WD. Bird life is excellent both in the Delta and the dryland sections with over 500 species being recorded. You may see kingfishers, fish eagles, Pel’s fishing owls, bee-eaters and stork. During the dry season a congregation of all species along permanent rivers makes Moremi Game Reserve one of the most unforgettable experiences in Africa whilst the giant mopane trees form a canopy woodland to protect many more species. At the end of the day you return to camp. (BLD) |
| Day 10: | Savuti; game drives An early morning wake up call heralds another morning game drive as you travel north, over the sand ridge and into the Mababe depression to arrive at Savuti Marsh in the central Chobe National park. The roads through the national parks are rough and sometimes sandy as such for 4WD only. The distance is not great but the pace you travel at is determined by the conditions of the roads which are subject to the seasons (approx. 125km/5-7hrs). Chobe National Park is a compelling wilderness packed with game. The park was created in 1968, and named after the river that defines its northern boundary. The entire park encompasses an area of 11,000 square kilometres and provides sanctuary for the great herds of game that follow the ebb and flow of water. Camp – 2 nights (BLD) |
| Day 11: | Savuti; game drives This open grassland area attracts herds of zebra and wildebeest which in turn draw the large lion prides which Savuti is most famous for. Many extraordinary wildlife documentaries have been filmed in this area including “Eternal Enemies” by Dereck and Beverly Joubert depicting the struggle between lions and hyenas. The waterhole near camp is a favourite drinking point for elephant and attracts large herds from the surrounding wilderness. This evening prepare for a fantastic sunset to end your day. (BLD) |
| Day 12: | Chobe National Park; game viewing This morning you take an early morning open 4WD game drive through the park to the north western boundary. From this point you travel through the neighbouring forest reserve and then back into the Chobe National Park at Ngoma and down to the Chobe River front (200km approx. 5-7hours). The flood plains, with their different vegetation types that include thickets of bush, open grassland and riverine forest, are ideal for spotting an abundance of animals. Besides herds of elephant and buffalo, there’s a good chance of seeing other game, such as wildebeest, tsessebe, waterbuck, roan, sable antelope, eland, giraffe, hyena, kudu and the indigenous Chobe bushbuck. Tonight you camp within the National Park. Camp – 2 nights (BLD) |
| Day 13: | Kasane; Chobe River cruise The reserve is a paradise for a medley of African birds and common sightings include jacanas, skimmers and the beautiful carmine bee-eater. The principal aim of your morning drive is to spot some of the park’s big cats and there are viewing sites en route to stretch your legs and enjoy the early morning sunshine. You return to the campsite to dismantle camp and move to another part of the reserve for the middle part of the day then in the late afternoon, you explore more of this wildlife paradise by boat. Afternoons are the favoured time for elephant herds to make their way to the river, and Chobe’s population is legendary. In the river launch you are able to approach hippo, crocodiles, buffalo and hopefully elephant for excellent viewing. After watching the sunset from the river, the boat will deliver you to a jetty in Kasane from where a short transfer by vehicle will bring you to your campsite in Kasane for the night. Here you can have a restaurant meal and a refreshing swim in the pool! (BL) |
| Day 14: | Livingstone; explore Victoria Falls Crossing the Zambezi River on the Kasungula Ferry into Zambia, you make your way downstream along the north bank to Livingstone (approx. 2 hours plus possible delay at the border) and your camp on the banks of this famous river. This afternoon you can visit one of the most awesome sights in the world, "Mosi-oa-Tunya" – Smoke that Thunders (the name given to the Victoria Falls by the Makololo people). The waterfalls are without doubt one of the greatest and most unforgettable scenic spectacles in Africa. It’s hot and humid here, and standing in the rainforest which thrives in the spray from the falls, you can feel the immense power generated as the Zambezi River drops 100m causing the ground to vibrate under your feet. Camp – 2 nights (B) |
| Day 15: | Livingstone; free day for optional activities Today is free for optional excursions. For the daring, Victoria Falls is the adrenaline sports Mecca of Africa and there is a wide choice of high adventure activities to choose from such as white water rafting, bungee jumping, gorge swinging, zip-lining, microlighting, helicopter rides and canoeing. Batoka Gorge is considered one of the best stretches of rafting in the world, and provides one of the most intense sensory thrills imaginable. It has twenty-three white water rapids and striking scenery deep within the sheer black cliffs – what could be more exhilarating than rafting along a route carved over the millennia by the Great Zambezi! The guides are fully trained professionals and although no previous rafting experience is required, you should be a proficient swimmer. Nearly half the rapids you negotiate are Grade 5. Having negotiated the Zambezi’s exhilarating rapids, you climb out of the gorge and celebrate. For the less adventurous, activities include a gentle river cruise, horseback trails, bush walking, elephant-back safaris and game drives. If you want to escape it all, why not simply relax and wander along the paths through the spray-generated rainforests that flank the gorge. (B) |
| Day 16: | Fly to London After breakfast you have time for a final optional activity such as the “flight of angels” over the falls or a visit to the curio market before the trip ends for Land Only clients and those on group flights to the UK take an airport transfer to catch your return flight home via Johannesburg. Farewell to Africa, we are sure you will return! (B) |
| Day 17: | Arrive in London |
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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On this trip: Our small group adventures are designed to impact as little as possible on the regions through which we travel – this trip is no exception. We work closely with a local agent who employs local guides, drivers and the Group Leader on our behalf, providing vital employment and putting money directly into the local economy.
The mokoro’s in which we explore the Okavango Delta are part of a local co-operative. The local community of six villages administers the concession and make sure that everyone with a mokoro, of all ages and sex, take it in turn to work on a rota basis, thus ensuring that the benefits of our visit are spread evenly around the local communities. Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Other charities that we work closely with include Born Free Foundation and The Travel Foundation, a UK charity that has been established to promote responsible travel practises throughout the whole of the travel industry. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |