Kalahari & Okavango Delta

Your guide will meet you at the Maun airport and you can begin your journey to the Boteti River Camp, bordering the Makgadikgadi National Park. Once at your accommodation, you have some time to relax, gaze over the ephemeral Boteti River or cool down with a swim in the pool. In the afternoon, your guide will brief you on the safari adventure that lies ahead. You spend the night at the Boteti River Camp.

Your accommodation is a short distance from the small rural village of Khumaga. After breakfast you can take a leisurely stroll to the village, accompanied by your guide. Here you might visit the local school, clinic or the “kgotla”, the tribal meeting place. The kgotla provides a general forum where tribal matters can be discussed by the community. The morning gives you the opportunity to meet some of the village locals and gain an insight into their way of life. You then head towards the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). The road takes you through some of the arid, savannah landscapes, so often associated with the Kalahari. Under a shady tree along the way, you can enjoy a lovely picnic lunch. In the afternoon, you will arrive at your mobile safari camp. Over the following days you go on game drives in areas such as Deception Valley, Passarge Valley, Sundays Pans and Letiahau. You explore the CKGR, one of the largest and most remote game reserves in all of Africa. It covers an area larger than the Netherlands and offers an unspoilt, untrampled wilderness. On your game drives you may encounter wildebeest, springbok, oryx, giraffe, cheetah, leopard and the legendary Kalahari black-maned lion. In the evenings, you return to your camp, where a delicious meal awaits you. Close out the evening around the campfire, under an inspiring starlit night sky.

Today your journey off the beaten track continues as you travel to the mercurial Makgadikgadi National Park. The next two days are dedicated to finding the roaming zebra migration. Every year, tens of thousands of zebras journey south to the Makgadikgadi and Nxai plains in search of fresh and juicy grasses. Their arrival also coincides with their calving season. Accompanying these herds is usually a host of predators. Lion, leopard, cheetah as well as both the spotted hyena and brown hyena can all be encountered. The herds are always on the move and therefore, despite their incredible numbers, can at times be challenging to find. Hence, the location of your camp will depend on where the likelihood of encountering this “secret” migration is at its highest. This is one of the reasons why a mobile camping safari is so special. You are able to overnight in far off and remote areas and yet still you travel comfortably. Your walk-in safari tents are equipped with comfy beds, and each has its own en-suite bathroom with warm water shower. You are accompanied by a safari chef who prepares delicious meals for you, all whilst you relax and soak in your wonderful surroundings.

After breakfast you head out on another morning game drive en route to the village of Gweta before arriving at your accommodation, the Planet Baobab. Once arrived, few can resist a quick plunge in the lodge’s inviting swimming pool. Thereafter you go on an outing, with a picnic lunch along the way, to the Makgadikgadi Pans to visit a special meerkat colony. The meerkats found here have, over time, grown quite accustomed to humans. The little creatures are not only adorable, but their complex social structures are also fascinating. They can keep you interested and entertained for hours on end. Once back at your lodge, you enjoy a hearty dinner before overnighting in a modern furnished, but traditionally styled thatched en-suite Baklanga or Baobab hut at the Planet Baobab.

An early breakfast awaits before you make your way to Maun. Arriving around midday gives you the perfect opportunity to have lunch at a charming local restaurant before your journey continues. Your destination is in the Khwai Area of the Moremi Game Reserve. Here you can once again enjoy your mobile safari camp, set up in the middle of this wildlife rich area. The following days will be spent on game drives in the Moremi Game Reserve. The Moremi encompasses a large section of the Okavango Delta and is famed for its tremendous wildlife. An abundance of wildlife also means a large variety of possible prey and as such, this region has a high density of predators. On your safari you can encounter, lion, leopard, hyena and even the rarely seen African wild dog. You further may come across elephant, hippo, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, and many different antelope species. For some it is the phenomenal birdlife found in the Moremi that steals the show and a great way to admire the region’s beautiful birds is from the water. On your journey you will go on a trip through the maze of waterways of the Khwai in either a “mokoro” or a motorboat (depending on the water levels). In the evenings, you can fall asleep in your mobile safari tent to the sounds of nature around you.

By now you most likely instinctively rise with the sun. Of course, early mornings are ideal for game drives, and you go on one more early game drive this morning. Then after breakfast you say goodbye to your camp crew and with your guide you make your way back to Maun. For those of you who would like to end their safari with one more highlight and a bit more comfort, you can opt to fly back to Maun in a light aircraft (optional). This flight will take you over the Okavango Delta, including Chiefs Island and on a cloudless day it provides you with fantastic views. Once back in Maun you can continue your travels with a greater appreciation for the wildlife and the beauty of Botswana.