Classic Botswana

In addition to our guided game safaris in open 4x4 vehicles, and weather permitting we have the chance to drive ATV vehicles across the endless pans and accompany Bushman trackers on foot as they take us to Chapman’s Baobab—a historic tree used by Livingstone, Selous, and other early explorers—as they explain their folklore and way of life en route.

In addition to the customary morning and afternoon game drives and walks, we may also have the option of night safaris, using spotlights to seek out rare nocturnal species.

Aboard mekoros, silently glide through the tranquil Okavango waterways amid numerous delta creatures. A paradise for avid birders, Xigera is home to Pel’s fishing owls, African skimmers, slaty egrets, lesser jacanas, and a host of eagles, vultures, and kingfishers.

A feature unique to the camp is a wooden footbridge that connects Xigera to the neighboring island. Guests are often treated to close-up views of lions, hyenas, or leopards padding across the bridge as they move between islands. Xigera also boasts the highest density of the rare sitatunga antelope found anywhere in the Okavango Delta, as well as hippos and crocodiles. We can observe the wildlife and unique delta scenery from the comfort of a 4x4 vehicle or, for the more adventurous, track animals on foot.

The Linyanti Reserve consists of 1,250 square kilometers of unspoiled wilderness and is totally uninhabited by humans. It supports a wide variety of species, but it is most noted for its very large elephant population. Herds of elephants congregate near the waterways and lagoons and at the water holes located along the Savuti Channel. The area is also home to large numbers of impalas, lechwes, kudus, zebras, giraffes, sitatungas, sables, roans, waterbucks, and buffalos. With such diverse prey, all of the major predators—lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas can regularly be sighted here. Nocturnal species include bush babies, spring hare, aardwolf, and serval. The birding is spectacular with such Okavango specialties as slaty egrets, white-rumped babblers, and wattled cranes, in addition to the bushveld species.

Activities are varied as we explore by water, 4x4 vehicles, and occasionally on foot. The many hides along the Savuti Channel and the banks of the Linyanti River also provide a chance to enjoy wildlife viewing close up and away from a vehicle.