Wildlife safari in Southern Africa

country:	Botswana, Namibia, Zambia
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	2009: 17 Dec
price:	From US $1765 (14 days) excluding flights, local payment US $245
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

Safari holidays

Botswana holidays

Okavango Delta holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Explore with us the beauty of Botswana's nature; a land where one wishes that time could stand still.

Sunset cruise in Chobe Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi pans, Bush walk, Game Drive in the Moremi National Park, Maun, Khwai River Game Drive and Night Drive, 2-Day Okavango Delta experience including Mokoro excursion, Mahangu National Park, Popa Falls, Western Caprivi, Eastern Caprivi, River cruise on the Kwando River, Game Drive in Mudumu National Park, Victoria Falls.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Livingstone to Chobe NPs. A morning departure takes you from Livingstone, across the Zambezi River by ferry to Toro Camp on the Chobe River. We'll set up camp and enjoy the rest of the afternoon on a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. Here we can watch elephants, hippos, lions, crocodiles and a variety of birds and more without having to reach for our binoculars - you'll be close enough for close-up photographs.
Day 2:	Makgadikgadi Pans. We'll head south to Planet Baobab and stop at the Magkadigkadi Pans to have a closer look. If the conditions allow we'll take a drive onto the Pans. After appreciating the wide-open, uninhabited spaces under the endless canopy of blue sky, we step off for our final stop of the day, Planet Baobab. The rest of the afternoon we spend with a hike to the elephant hole and relaxing at Planet Baobab's facilities.
Day 3:	Maun & Khwai River. We head out for a Bush Walk with our local guide, learning about the history, flora and fauna of the area and use of various plants in traditional life. We then head off for Maun and onto a private concession and our lodge. We go on a night game drive;. this area lies between Moremi and Chobe and we'll have the opportunity to spot a variety of nocturnal animals.
Day 4:	Khwai River. Today we spend a full day in the bush on a game drive. Departing after breakfast we take our 4x4 and drive through the wilderness area of the Khwai region spotting a variety of game that frequent this region that borders Moremi and Chobe. Picnic-lunch will be in the wilderness area. With some luck we'll see the Big Five.
Day 5:	Moremi Game Reserve. After having explored the Khwai area, we'll now head into the famous Moremi game reserve, known as one of the most beautiful and varied reserves in Africa with an unprecedented concentration of wildlife. The full day is spent in the unspoiled nature of the Moremi Game Reserve.
Day 6:	Maun. After our game experience, we'll head back to Maun. Here you have the option of a scenic flight over the Delta. You have the afternoon to relax next to the pool at our Camp.
Day 7-8:	Okavango Delta. We'll drive to the Western Delta and onto Etsha 13, from where we head into the largest inland delta in the world, the Okavango Delta. We will be transferred to our Camp in the Delta where we'll spend the next two nights listening to the sounds of the wilderness. You'll float in Mokoros through the thick vegetation of the Delta discovering a variety of birds and wildlife, stopping at a secluded island & taking a 1.5 hour guided walk on one of the islands hoping to spot elephants, waterbuck or other animals living in this water filled paradise.
Day 9-10:	Mahangu National Park and Popa Falls, Namibia. Today we leave the lush verdant wetlands of the Delta, Botswana and enter Namibia. We visit Popa falls on our way to Mahangu Lodge where we spend the night. The next day we visit Mahango National Park which lies on the western banks of the Okavango River and is one of Namibia's most captivating and species-rich conservation areas. Main features of the Mahango are enormous baobab trees, flood plains with large herds of elephant, buffalo and red lechwe. We spend the day on a game drive through this National Park hoping to spot some of its highlights.
Day 11-12:	Kwando River and Mudumu Park. Today we drive along the Caprivi Strip to our camp on the Kwando River. En-route we’ll spend the afternoon on a game drive through Susuwe National Park, before heading to our overnight camp on the Kwando River. The rest of the day we can relax and use the facilities of our camp. On day 12 we make our way to Mudumu National Park, (1010 km2) which has the Kwando river as its western border and the Linyati swamp to the South. In contrast to the rest of Namibia, the area is lush with riverine forest, marshes, dense savannah and mopane woodland.
Day 11-12:	Kwando, Lynyati Rivers & Mamili Park. We drive along the Caprivi Strip to our camp on the Kwando River. Once we've arrived there, we'll spend the afternoon on a game drive through Mudumo National Park. On day 12 we'll make our way to the Mamili National Park, which is Namibia's version of the Okavango Delta. We'll experience its remoteness, beauty and wilderness, spotting some of the animals it is famous for like elephant, lion, buffalo, giraffe, rare sitatunga and red lechwe, crocodile and hippo, puku and spotted necked otters.
Day 13:	Livingstone & Victoria Falls. Today we leave Namibia behind us for Zambia, and come to the place where we started this trip full of real African experiences - Livingstone. The rest of the day is for your leisure and you can go and visit the Victoria Falls or do optional activities like white water rafting, bungee jumping, etc (at own expense).
Day 14:	Departure. Our safari ends after breakfast.

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

All our driver/guides are African born and bred, mostly from Southern Africa. The have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the surrounding areas as well as with the local cultures and customs. In Chobe, a local guide is hired for interpretation of local culture and traditions so as to maximise information and understanding, in turn creating opportunity, growth and sustainability for the community. The guide is sourced from the local community, specifically from the local Moremi tribes. On this trip, a very insightful bush walk is undertaken, giving insights into the local eco-system and specific ways of life of the San (Bushmen). This tribe has faced ongoing battles to maintain their heritage in southern Africa and this trip helps to bring to attention their plight as well as support their local economy. The guide for this walk is a Bushman himself.

At Guma Lagoon, clients participate in a Mokoro trip. The Mokoros are wooden dug out canoes, hand-made by the locals. As their main form of income, we support their venture and only ever use indigenous people to run these trips for us. Mokoros are also steered and propelled entirely by a “poler” who is also sourced locally, and this method of propulsion decreases any negative impact on the sensitive water environment. Clients are always encouraged to tip the polers too, adding more to their incomes. The owner of Guma is also actively involved with the department of wildlife in combating poaching in the surrounding areas. Guests are actively encouraged to make donations to help the local community. This money is used for funding for schools and sporting equipment to help develop young talent.

Overnight stays at Planet Baobab showcase the talent and ingenuity of local craftsmen. Each hut is designed and built by hand by a local with attractive exterior artwork using natural pigments harvested from termite mounds. Each hut features 2 traditional but comfortable beds made from mopane with cowhides covering on the floor, a bedside table and a paraffin lantern. This use of “green energy” (as opposed to electricity) is done throughout the campsite. Linen is provided.

In particular, a visit to Tsodilo Hills gives eco-travellers a better understanding for an almost lost art form and tribe. The Tsodilo Hills is one of the most historically significant rock art sites in the world with 500 individual sites charting thousands of years of human habitation. We make a point of sharing World Heritage Sites with clients, to help enrich their appreciation of places that have impacted us on a global scale.

Finally, a large portion of this trip is made up of guided walks on foot, thereby reducing the impact of vehicle fumes and machine noise on the environment.

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