11 Day Safari Botswana in Style

Detailed Itineraries

DAY 1 & 2: TONGABEZI - HOUSE, LIVINGSTONE

Upon the guest’s arrival into Livingstone Airport, they will be met and transferred to Tongabezi by road where they will stay for 2 nights in a house.

Tongabezi Lodge is an exclusive lodge away from the crowds on the banks of the Zambezi River, 15 km upstream from the magnificent Victoria Falls. It is a small and secluded lodge, set in a tranquil grove of African ebony trees on a sweeping bend of the Zambezi River.

The lodge accommodates 18 guests and consists of five cottages and four spacious, open-planned stone and thatch houses. All rooms have fabulous river views and en-suite bathrooms. The four houses - Honeymoon House, Tree House, Bird House and the Dog House – are uniquely designed and constructed using local materials and have an open-plan bedroom with four poster double bed sheltered by a large airy mosquito canopy .The quirky and open plan design of the Houses ensures that guests have the best views in Africa. Each house and cottage at Tongabezi has valet service for the duration of the guests’ stay to ensure a comfortable experience and each valet has in-depth knowledge of Tongabezi and the surrounding area. The camp's swimming pool is landscaped into a natural cliff and meals are served in the large dining room or on the deck overlooking the river

Activities at Tongabezi include guided canoeing excursions, guided walks with lunch on one of the islands, fishing, a visit to the Victoria falls on the Zambian side, a game drive to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a walk in the gorges below the falls, a cultural visit to the local museum, a visit to Livingstone town and sunrise and sunset boat trips on the Zambezi.  Other activities on offer are white water rafting, horse riding, elephant back safaris, lion walks and bungi jumping - these activities can be booked prior to guests’ arrival. The camp also has its own croquet lawn (African rules apply!), a jetty, tennis courts and a school for the local children.

AREA DESCRIPTION - LIVINGSTONE

Livingstone is a historic colonial town most famous for its proximity to the Victoria Falls. The town has experienced a revival in the last decade with the old colonial style buildings which line the shaded main avenue, being renovated and now housing shops, cafes and a variety of local businesses. Livingstone offers a wide range of activities from the challenge of white water rafting and bungi jumping, to the awe-inspiring elephant back safaris and sunset cruises. Livingstone has something for everyone.

The Victoria Falls are one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is the largest sheet of falling water on earth - a spellbinding and mesmerising spectacle. The sheer mass of water cascading down the 100m drop across nearly 2km makes  a thunderous roar and creates a magnificent spray of water that can be seen for miles - hence the local name 'mosi oa tunya' meaning 'the smoke that thunders'. Water flow over the falls varies throughout the year. The river's annual flood season is February to May when the spray can reach a height of over 400m, this is spectacular from above but it makes it very difficult to see the falls at ground level as it is under a heavy shower/mist. Water levels start dropping in August and are at their lowest October - December when much of the rocky face becomes dry. At times of low water, the falls are best viewed from the Zimbabwe side or from Livingstone Island.

DAY 3, 4 & 5: ZARAFA CAMP, LINYANTI

Following breakfast, the guests will be transferred by road to Kasane Airport for a seat in charter to Zarafa Camp in the Linyanti, where they will stay for 3 nights.

Zarafa Camp re-opened in June 2008 with a beautiful new design and spectacular location to rave reviews and critical acclaim. In its November 2008 edition, National Geographic Adventure magazine honored Zibadianja as one of the world’s top 50 eco-lodges and Tattler Magazine has just recognised Zarafa Camp as one of its top 101 hotels & lodges anywhere. On the 1st January 2009 the camp changed its name to Zarafa Camp. The camp altered its name from the old Zibadianja Camp as very few guests can pronounce this. Zarafa literally means “Beloved one” or “Lovely one”. Zarafa Camp is blessed with an extraordinary location in the eastern sector of the Selinda Reserve. The site is about 2 km south east of the old Zibadianja camp and is situated overlooking the vast savannas and floodplains of the Zibadianja Lagoon under cool and shady Jackalberry and Red Ivory forests. The uninterrupted views from every part of the camp over these productive floodplains are truly breathtaking. The enormous shady trees, the palm fringed savannahs, the abundant wildlife and bird life concentrations in front of the elevated camp are characteristic of this area. Activities offered at Zarafa include game drives, night drives, and walks can be arranged on request.

AREA DESCRIPTION - LINYANTI

The Linyanti area lies to the north-east of the Okavango Delta were the Kwando and Linyanti rivers meet at right angles, forming a swamp area within this triangle. The area's relative remoteness makes it a favoured safari destination. The wildlife in the Linyanti area is spectacular and the region is famous for its enormous herds of elephant and buffalo which move down to the Linyanti area at the start of the winter months and only move back inland once the summer rains arrive in November. The Linyanti is also known as one of the best wild dog areas in Africa. The dogs start denning anytime from June onwards after which they can usually be found with relative ease for 3-4 months afterwards as they hunt from their den. An abundance of cat species also frequent this area and the birdlife is rich with the best birding months being between October and January.

DAY 6 & 7: VUMBURA PLAINS, PRIVATE OKAVANGO CONCESION

Following the morning activity (time permitting), guests will be transferred to Vumbura Plains by light aircraft where they will stay for 2 nights.

Vumbura Plains is a luxury camp situated in a private concession in the extreme north of the Delta. The concession, which is leased from the neighbouring community, includes a wide variety of habitats, diverse wildlife and an enormous traversing area of 60 000 hectares (130 000 acres).

The camp comprises two separate seven-roomed satellite camps, each with its own raised dining, lounge and bar area tucked beneath a canopy of cool, shady, indigenous trees and with a magnificent vista across the floodplains. A stargazing deck with comfortable cushions protrudes into the floodplain, and includes a campfire area. If you're expecting a classic safari-style camp, Vumbura Plains breaks all those expectations. Each large, luxurious room is raised off the ground on wooden decks and each comprises a bedroom, lounge, shower and bathroom - with indoor and outdoor shower. It is open on three sides. Each room also has a plunge pool and 'sala' - a comfortable area to lie and relax, watching the waving grasses of the floodplain while spotting birds and wildlife wandering past.

Vumbura Plains offers both land and water based activities, principally nature viewing in varied habitats in open 4x4 vehicles, nature walks, mokoro trips and boat excursions. Whilst exploring the spectacular ecology of this area, one can enjoy close-up viewing of lion, leopard, elephant, cheetah and buffalo along with all the abundant plains game. Birding is fabulous here with immense species diversity and mind-boggling numbers.

What makes the Vumbura concession so unique is its position on the extreme north of the Okavango. This position encompasses such a wide variety of habitats and species that it has representatives of just about every animal that occurs in the Okavango biome.

AREA DESCRIPTION - OKAVANGO DELTA

The Okavango Delta is one of the world's largest inland deltas situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world - the Kalahari basin. This oasis in the middle of the desert is a rich yet fragile ecosystem, providing a life source for an incredible variety of wildlife. A wealth of species have adapted to the contrasting conditions created by living in the harsh Kalahari desert which is transformed annually with the arrival of the delta flood waters originating in Angola.

The Okavango wetland encompasses Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding regions divided into areas known as Private Concessions. These concessions are wildlife management areas, carefully administrated to balance the growing community’s development and conservation, whilst empowering citizens through sustainable tourism. Many of the exclusive lodges in Botswana are situated within these concessions in the delta, providing an unparalleled wildlife experience - exclusive and remote, avoiding mass tourism and exploitation.

Flood levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, with high water levels peaking in the central Okavango during the dry winter months and water levels at their lowest during the later summer months, contrary to the seasonal rainfall.  The landscape, activities and game viewing vary considerably throughout the delta depending on your location, the season and flood levels. Some areas have larger tracts of permanent dry land which generally means there is more focus on land based activities (game drives) and big game viewing. Lodges situated on islands deep in the delta concentrate more on water activities such as mokoro excursions, walking, boating, fishing and bird watching. Those lodges situated on the outer fringes of the delta, referred to as the 'seasonal' delta, offer varied experiences at different times of the year - more water based during high flood levels and more land based as the flood recedes.

Game is more concentrated around the permanent water during the dry season (Apr - Oct) with it becoming very hot in the later months. The heronries become active as the migrant birds return to Botswana from September through November, and general bird watching is excellent throughout the summer months. The rainy season (Nov - Apr) invigorates the lush scenery with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers, spectacular sunsets and the birthing season brings great predator and prey interaction.

DAY 8, 9 & 10: JACK’S CAMP, MAKGADIKGADI PANS

After an early morning activity and breakfast, guests will be transferred to Jack’s Camp by light aircraft where they will stay for 3 nights.

Jack's Camp is located in the Kalahari Desert on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest saltpans in the world. Jack's Camp is a classic desert safari camp that offers a unique safari experience, providing guests with an insight into the areas geology, archaeology and anthropology on a range of activities.

Accommodation is stylish and comfortable in ten large walk-in tents, each with en-suite bathrooms featuring indoor and outdoor showers. The camp is spread out on an island of palm trees, with an open dining tent and Persian style ‘tea tent’ and library. There is a beautiful collection of local artifacts, presented in an informal yet educational manner.

Activities are conducted in open 4x4 vehicles custom-designed for the terrain and accompanied by knowledgeable guides. In the dry winter months, all-purpose ATV vehicles (a four-wheeled motorcycle/Quad bikes) are available, allowing guests to travel across the saltpans. Walks with a Bushman tracker and a visit to Chapman's Baobab - the historical baobab tree used by Livingstone, Selous and other early explorers - are activities also on offer. A special highlight of a visit to Jack’s Camp are the local meerkats, as a group has been habituated and is accustomed to human presence allowing incredible photographic opportunities as well as the privilege to see these lively characters up close.

The Makgadikgadi area changes greatly with the seasons and consequently the focus of activities varies throughout the year. The summer rains create a warm shallow layer of water that entices waterfowl and flamingos. After the rains (December to April), there can be enormous herds of wildebeest, zebra and springbok - with the accompanying predators - on the open grasslands.

Please note:  All activities are subject to seasonal availability and weather conditions during the month of travel. Walking and quad bike activities may be limited in the wet season due to dense vegetation and limited visibility or sticky, muddy trails.

AREA DESCRIPTION – MAKGADIKGADI SALT PANS

The network of salt pans found in Botswana's eastern regions are a striking physical feature and some of the largest of their kind in the world. The pans, huge, flat expanses of hot, sun-blasted terrain and fringed by vegetated islands and peninsulas, were once part of a great superlake that covered much of northern Botswana. This desolate landscape offers nothing but sand and sky yet its eerily silent fossil beaches and stunted red baobab trees leave an impression on every visitor. The beauty of the Makgadikgadi Salt pans lies in its stark nothingness: the sight of the vast, open pans is awe inspiring as the earth and sky blend into each other with nothing indicating the horizon but a hazy mirage. Sunset and sunrise hold a mystical quality. This area offers a unique wilderness experience full of adventure. Do not expect huge herds of animals but rather expect the unexpected, everything is interesting here especially when interpreted by the local Bushmen guides of the area. The night skies are breathtaking during the winter months with stars from horizon-to-horizon. Following the summer rains, the area is host to a spectacular migration of zebra and wildebeest.

DAY 11: SAFARI ENDS IN MAUN

Following the morning activity, the guests will be transferred to Maun by light aircraft, for their onward travel arrangements.

END OF ARRANGEMENTS