Botswana Wildlife Safari

DAY 1: MAUN, BOTSWANA

Upon midday arrival in the town of Maun, Botswana, trip members on the recommended flight are met at the airport and transferred to Royal Tree Lodge. Set on a game farm outside Maun, the lodge’s classic yet simple chalet-type tent accommodations offer a wonderful welcome to Botswana and a delightful opportunity to slip into the world of safari. The remainder of the day is free to rest and recover from any jet lag. We gather for our group orientation and welcome dinner in the evening...D.

DAYS 2-3: MOREMI GAME RESERVE: XAKANAXA

Today we travel to the Moremi Game Reserve, the protected portion of the Okavango Delta ecosystem, gameviewing as we go. Located in the northeast corner of the Delta, Moremi is an ornithologist’s paradise, with almost every species of central-southern African bird, including bee-eaters, darters, colorful kingfishers, and a variety of waterfowl. We may also spot wildlife like tsessebe and Burchell’s zebra, along with ostrich and predators such as lion, wild dog, and spotted hyena. The mopane tree is one of the most widespread in southern Africa, its butterfly-shaped leaves and seeds offering a crucial source of protein for wildlife. Elephants are particularly partial to mopane leaves. It should be noted that this is the first national park in southern Africa to have been created and administered by an African tribe living on their own land, the BaTawana. Our campsite is at Xakanaxa, on the tip of a mopane “tongue” jutting into the delta: a beautiful setting of secret pools, tall forest, and open grassland. This mix of ecological niches ensures a good variety of birds and game, and we explore by 4WD vehicle and boat. Our campsite is ours alone (though we are sometimes joined by hippos that come out at night to feed on the grass near our tents!), and the enchanting sound of bell frogs serenades us to sleep. Overnights are in our private mobile camp, offering an authentic bush atmosphere that no safari lodge or permanent tented camp can offer...BLD each day.

DAYS 4-5: OKAVANGO DELTA

The 800-mile-long Okavango is “the river which never finds the sea,” disappearing into a remarkable maze of lagoons, channels, and islands to create the Okavango Delta. This morning we take a 6-hour boat ride from our Xakanaxa camp to Xugana Lodge in the remote western corner of the Okavango Delta. Situated on the Maunachira river system, this deluxe lodge features comfortable en suite chalets and a beautiful bar and dining area overlooking the Xugana lagoon. It’s the perfect base for exploring the Okavango on foot and by motorboat and mokoro (a dugout canoe navigated by a skilled poler). During our excursions, we should see bushbuck, a plethora of birds, lechwe (a semi-aquatic antelope), and perhaps even buffalo, elephant, and the shy sitatunga, another antelope adapted to this watery realm. As we glide the water lily–filled waterways aboard our mokoro, we enjoy the calm solitude of this quintessential delta setting. Overnights at Xugana Lodge...BLD each day.

DAYS 6-7: MOREMI GAME RESERVE: KHWAI RIVER FLOODPLAIN

From Xugana, we leave the water side of the delta behind, and fly by charter aircraft to Moremi for two more days of wildlife exploration along the lovely Khwai River floodplain. Our exclusive mobile camp is set along the Khwai River where the northern tributary of the Okavango River disappears into the sand. By June, when all the rain-filled pans dry up, wildlife is attracted to this area in ever-greater numbers. Overnights at private mobile camp...BLD each day.

DAYS 8-9: CHOBE NATIONAL PARK: SAVUTI CHANNEL

On Day 8, we leave the Okavango ecosystem and make the long drive to the southern section of Chobe National Park, where we explore the Savuti River area, a landscape of mopane woodland that’s filled with game. The Savuti Channel itself dried up in 1980, but its marsh is now a vast grassland attracting migrating herds of herbivores. This is one of the best places to find lion, leopard, and other predators and their prey—large herds of giraffe, kudu, vervet monkey, and baboon. Our mobile camp—for our group alone—is set along the banks of the dry Savuti Channel, but near a permanent waterhole that features excellent game viewing...BLD each day.

DAYS 10-11: CHOBE NATIONAL PARK: SERONDELLA

We move on to the Serondella area, in the northeast portion of Chobe National Park, famous for its elephant population numbering in the tens of thousands. The elephants here are active and vocal, shaking their heads in mock charges and sparring with each other. We take game drives among the large herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra, and wildebeest. Serondella is also home to the Chobe bushbuck and puku, two of the more rare species of antelope found in Botswana. While here we take an afternoon river cruise on the Chobe River to view animals as they come down to drink before sunset. The light at this time of day is incredible! Camping overnights...BLD each day.

DAY 12: LIVINGSTONE / VICTORIA FALLS

Crossing the border into Zambia, our safari concludes at Victoria Falls, one of the world’s most magnificent natural wonders. The huge Zambezi River is more than a mile wide when it drops 300 feet into a sheer chasm to create this thundering cascade. Above the falls, the river is placid with palm-fringed islands and rainforested banks. In 1860, David Livingstone was the first Westerner to report the falls’ existence, and since then, it has attracted visitors from around the world. There are numerous activities available (at extra cost) at Victoria Falls, from a relaxing sunset cruise on the Zambezi or the sightseeing “flight of the Angels” over the falls. Overnight at Royal Livingstone Hotel, a colonialstyle accommodation located within the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a World Heritage Site overlooking the mighty Victoria Falls...BLD.

DAY 13: LIVINGSTONE / DEPART

The morning is free for optional activities. In the afternoon, transfer to airport for departure on homeward-bound flights...B.