Great Adventure Trips

Botswana

Deluxe / Luxury Camping / Serviced Camping / Budget Camping / Victoria Falls

Botswana Explorer

This Botswana mobile camping safari offers a stunning way to combine the Okavango Delta, the Savute marsh, the Chobe river and Victoria Falls. It is a fully serviced camping safari suitably for reasonally fit people as it involves walking and rugged conditions. It departs with a minimum of 2 people and maximum of 6 people in specially customised 4x4 safari vehicles. All meals and a reasonable amount of bottled water, local wine, beer and soft drinks are included. Enjoy boating excursions on the Okavango Delta, night drives, mokoro trips (depending on the time of year) and excellent game-viewing in the Moremi, Savute and Chobe Game Reserves. Additional nights in Victoria Falls can be easily arranged.

Day 1 & 2 Okavango Delta
Upon arrival at Maun International Airport you will be met by our representative and assisted onto the scheduled light aircraft transfer to Nxabega Airstrip where you will be transferred to the mobile camping site. A jewel in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, the Okavango Delta is Africa’s largest and most beautiful oasis - an isolated, lush green paradise with some of the richest wildlife in the world. The maze of waterways, lagoons, vast grassy plains and palm-fringed and wooded islands is home to crocodile, hippo, elephant, lion, leopard, hyena, giraffe, wild dog, rare antelope and around 400 bird species. But wildlife is just one of many elements that combine to make the Delta a treasure house. It is the brooding quietness of the waterways, the plaintiff cry of the African fish eagle, the Malachite kingfisher reflected in the translucent waters, the scent of the water lilies and the Okavango’s glorious sunsets, which will stay with you forever.

The Okavango river forms a vast, fan-shaped, astonishingly luxuriant wilderness of flood plain and forest, stream and lagoon, with the occasional large expanse of open water – the ideal breeding ground for an incredible diversity of wildlife. With the influx of the annual flood, the delta’s water levels rise steadily from May onwards, reaching further and further into the Kalahari sands, with its peak level reached in August. Explore the crystal-clear channels, islands and waterways by mekoro (dug-out canoe), and enjoy game-viewing walks on the islands. Spend two nights at the campsite in a private concession area bordering the Moremi Game Reserve.
Accommodation: Mobile camp in a private concession near Moremi Game Reserve.

DAY 3 & 4 Moremi Wildlife Reserve.
You will be transferred by light aircraft to Khwai – the North Gate region of Moremi Wildlife Reserve. Set-aside in 1963 by the Batawana tribe, the Moremi Reserve is rated as Africa's most beautiful wildlife sanctuary. The Moremi Wildlife Reserve is protected tribal land, which forms the eastern boundary of the Okavango Delta. The largest island in the delta, Chief’s Island, is located within the Moremi and is a wildlife haven. The Moremi is known for its predators, both of the mammal and feathered variety. Night drives and armed game walks are not permitted here but the quality of the game-viewing more than makes up for this. Spend your days on extensive game-drives with two nights camping in the Reserve.
Accommodation: Two nights mobile camping in the Moremi Game Reserve

DAY 5 & 6 Savute, Chobe National Park.
Travel to Savute (5 to 6 hours overland game drive) which is excellent for lion and other predator viewing – where you will spend two nights camping next to the dry Savute Channel. Depending on the time of the year, huge animal concentrations are attracted to this area. The Savute Channel is a rugged semi-arid wilderness region in the south-western part of Chobe National Park, famous for its excellent year-round game-viewing. The channel began as an offshoot of the Linyanti River and its mysterious wet and dry cycles mould this region. The channel dried up in 1982 and hasn’t seen water since. What was once a hippo-filled river is now open, particularly nutritious, grassland sustaining a marvellous array of animal and bird life. Dry season game viewing (May to October) concentrates Savute’s resident bull elephant, antelope and its world-famous lion prides around the permanent waterholes. The summer rains (November to March) bring a feast for the predators, as thousands of migrating zebra congregate on the marsh whilst undertaking the journey in search of life’s basic needs - water and food. The best times to view this mass movement of stripey animals is typically around November and again in March. The area also boasts good concentrations of giraffe, jackal, bat-eared fox, tsessebe, kudu and impala. Ancient Bushmen paintings are an added attraction. Accommodation: Mobile camping around Savute

DAY 7 & 8 Northern Chobe National Park.
From Savute, you head up to northern Chobe (4 to 5 hours overland game drive) where you will camp for two nights in the Serondela area of the National Park. This is the heart of elephant country with some of the best elephant viewing in Africa in the winter months (May to October), with huge herds of up to 500 or more at the end of the dry season. Lion are common, and almost expected, with buffalo, cheetah and an amazing variety of antelope often sighted. Enjoy game drives and boat cruises on the Chobe river. The river is alive with crocodile and hippo and marvellous birdlife, including kingfishers and bee-eaters, and is known for its beautiful scenery and magnificent sunsets.Accommodation: Mobile camping on Chobe river bank

DAY 9 Victoria Falls.
It is a short drive from Chobe National Park to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe where you will welcome the
chance to wash off Botswana's dust. Enjoy the facilities at Matetsi Water Lodge after a tour of the Falls
(entrance fee to the Falls is included in the safari fare). Overnight accommodation is at Matetsi Water
Lodge in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast, refreshments on game drives, scheduled activities and laundry are included.

Matetsi Water Lodge is situated on the banks of the spectacular Zambezi River just 40 kilometres (twenty five miles) upstream from the magnificent Victoria Falls. Set under Mangosteen and Waterberry trees, Matetsi Water Lodge comprises three small, exclusive camps, each with six elegant suites and beautiful open thatched dining areas overlooking the River. Accommodation: Matetsi Water Lodge

DAY 10
After breakfast at Matetsi Water lodge, you will be road transferred to Victoria Falls International Airport.

2009 Price:
June / July / August / September / October = USD 4385, single supp. = USD 1682
March / April / May / November = USD 3940, single supp. = USD 1419
January / February / December = USD 3466, USD 1183
Expeditions only accept children over the age of 12 years.

Departures every other day.

Includes: Twin accommodation, all meals, scheduled road transfers, scheduled excursions and sightseeing as specified, seat on charter plane, waterborne/game-viewing activities, national park entrance fees, soft drinks, house wine, local beer, teas and coffees whilst camping and at Matetsi Water Lodge (premium brand spirits and international wines to own account); domestic airport taxes within Botswana, emergency medical evacuation insurance

Excludes: Gratuities and all items of a personal nature, champagne, cognacs, cellar wines, cigars, premium brand spirits, porterage at airport, sightseeing and excursions other than those specified, visas and scheduled flight to and from Maun and Victoria Falls

Best time to go: April to November

Minimum number: Two people

Health requirements: Anti-malarial precautions essential

Accommodation: Mobile tented camps – spacious 4x4m tents with en suite (partly open air) bathroom tent with toilet and bucket shower

Notes: No children under 12 years allowed Set departure dates - approx 3 departures per week