10 Day Safari - Botswana Lodge Safari

Detailed Itineraries

Day 1 & 2: WATERBERRY LODGE, LIVINGSTONE

Upon the guest’s arrival into Livingstone Airport, they will be met and transferred to Waterberry lodge by road where they will stay for 2 nights. Waterberry Lodge is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River about 22 km from Livingstone, towards Kazungula. The main double-storey lodge area overlooks the Zambezi River and the game park beyond. Upstairs the main lounge is open to the high thatch with plenty of seating and boasts a well-stocked bar and magnificent views. Meals are served in the dining area or alfresco on the sun terrace that overlooks the river. A floating pontoon gently sways on the Zambezi River, making it the perfect location for sundowners, fishing or just relaxing and enjoying the view. A large and welcoming swimming pool is set in the centre of our landscaped gardens and has a small plunge pool with a shallow end, making it safe for children. The comfortable chalets are set in sweeping lawns - some on the riverbank and some overlooking a private dam. Several of the rooms have their own private decks for sunbathing, bird watching, private dinners or just relaxing. In-house activities include a tour of falls, sunset cruise, daytime cruise, fishing, island picnics, guided birding, guided village walk and guided tour of the town and local markets – depending on the rate basis these are included or excluded. All other activities offered in Livingstone can be pre-booked or booked at the lodge on arrival.

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: ELEPHANT VALLEY LODGE, CHOBE FOREST RESERVE

Following breakfast, the guests will be transferred by road and boat to Elephant Valley Lodge in Chobe (approximately a 2 hour transfer), where they will stay for 2 nights. Nestled between Botswana and Zimbabwe, Elephant Valley Lodge lies hidden in the Lesoma Valley in the Chobe Forest Reserve, only a few kilometers outside Kasane. The lodge is set amongst massive camel thorn trees and overlooks a large waterhole which attracts regular herds of elephants thus offering around the clock game viewing. Elephant Valley Lodge offers twenty traditional meru-style safari tents with comfortabe furnishings, each with private en-suite bathrooms. The public areas consist of a dining room and bar as well as a beautiful terrace with magnificent views overlooking the waterhole. There is a swimming pool for your enjoyment in the hotter months and spacious grassy grounds in which to relax. The lodge offers two activities per day from the following options: game drives into the adjacent Chobe National Park, night drives in the Chobe Forest Reserve as well as boat cruises on the Chobe River. The large elephant population is staggering in the Chobe region and their regular visits to the waterhole offer an incredible sight – you barely need to leave the lodge to have a real Chobe elephant experience!

AREA DESCRIPTION – CHOBE

The Chobe River Front is a remarkable wildlife area due to the permanent water source of the Chobe River. However its accessibility from Kasane and neighbouring towns of Victoria Falls and Livingstone has created quite a busy tourist area with larger hotels and lodges than you find in the more remote Okavango Delta. The spectacle of all the animals coming to drink and frolic at the water's edge is one to behold, particularly in the dry season (May - Oct) where water is scarce away from the river. It is an area famous for its abundance of elephants, a variety of predators and, in addition, you are likely to see herds of buffalo and possibly even roan and sable antelope. In the rainy season (Nov - Apr) the game is much less concentrated at the river as the wildlife spread throughout the greater area of Chobe National Park due to availability of surface water from nearby pans. This assists the vegetation on the river banks in recovering from the massive herds that are attracted to the area in the dry months. The summer rains bring beautiful wild flowers, exquisite scenery, impressive bird life and an abundance of young animals usually born around November/December. The spectacular Chobe sunsets alone are worth a visit to the area. Please note that activities are restricted within the national park in accordance with government rules and regulations: these include no driving off-road, no walking and no driving after dark.

Day 5 & 6: KWARA CAMP, PRIVATE OKAVANGO CONCESION BORDERING MOREMI GAME RESERVE

Following the morning activity (time permitting), guests will be transferred to Kasane airport for their onward air transfer to Kwara, followed by a road transfer / game drive en route to Kwara Camp. Kwara Camp is situated on a private concession on the edge of the permanent waters of the world renowned Okavango Delta in Botswana, which shares a common boundary with Moremi Game Reserve. The area offers a combination of permanent water, seasonal floodplains and pans, open grasslands as well as extensive dry bush and scrub which creates a great game viewing destination throughout the year. The eight luxury safari-style tents are built on raised decks within a grove of huge and ancient African Ebony trees. Each tent has an en-suite bathroom with the luxury of a bath and indoor/outdoor shower and a private deck with views across the floodplain. There is a lounge, bar and dining area in the central lodge as well as a plunge pool and gift shop. Evenings can be enjoyed around the outside fire area. Kwara is renowned for being a camp that offers an all year round delta experience and a diverse range of activities including mokoro trips, guided walks with armed guides and motor boating trips through the waterways. In addition, day and night game drives are taken to explore the area which offers spectacular scenery with scattered herds of plains game and ever-attendant predators. Please note that Kwando Safaris game drive vehicles do not have an overhead canopy. Kwando Safaris believe this is to their clients’ advantage for optimal photographic and game viewing opportunities. This may not be suitable for some clients due to exposure to the elements.

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 7 & 8: POM POM CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

After an early morning activity and breakfast, guests will be transferred to Pom Pom Camp by light aircraft, where they will stay for 2 nights. Pom Pom is located in the heart of the Okavango Delta in a private concession to the west of the Moremi Game Reserve.

The camp offers 9 traditional Meru safari tents, built and designed in the style of safari camps of old. The large walk-in tents have en suite showers and flush toilets. The bathrooms are enclosed, but roofless - for a true bush experience. The camp has been recently renovated and offers a beautiful dining room and bar around the picturesque lagoon. Pom Pom Camp also has a nicely sized plunge pool to help guests escape the midday heat. Pom Pom offers game drives, night drives, walking safaris and mokoro excursions.

All the big predators, and Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest can be seen. If you are lucky, some of the nocturnal animals such as Serval, Civet and Genet may be seen on night drives. Hippo and Crocodile are found in the deeper lagoons in the area. Birding enthusiasts will enjoy sighting Pells Fishing Owl, African Fish Eagle, Giant Eagle Owl and White Backed Vultures.

Day 9 & 10: MENO-A-KWENA TENTED CAMP, MAKGADIKGADI/BOTETI

Following the morning activity, the guests will be transferred to Maun by air and onward to Meno-A-Kwena by road (approximately 1.5 hours drive from Maun). Meno A Kwena, meaning “tooth of the crocodile”, borders Makgadikgadi National Park in close proximity to Nxai Pan National Park.

The camp is situated on tribal land and has been built on a cliff edge overlooking the Boteti River, which is now flowing again for the first time in almost 15 years. This rustic camp is built in the tradition of eastern African tented camps, simple yet personal with attention to rich detail featuring many interesting artefacts and photographs on display in the main lodge.

Meno A Kwena offers seven meru-style safari tents, simply furnished with comfortable bedding and hanging space. Separate to each tent are private open air bathrooms with a traditional bucket shower (filled with piping hot water for daily showers) and a flush toilet. Each tent features a private sitting area, which offers a beautiful view over the river. The main lodge has a dining area, bar and lounge with small library. A covered seating area at the edge of the escarpment is popular, providing guests with a breathtaking view over a waterhole that attracts many zebra and wildebeest herds during the migration months (June to November). There is a small plunge pool built with natural rocks and a game viewing hide which offers a close yet safe view across the waterhole.

Activities at Meno A Kwena include walking trips and cultural activities with a local community guide. 4WD safaris are also available, varying from short trips to the nearby Ngandi Community Trust Area to full-day safaris with a picnic into Makgadikgadi National Park or Nxai Pan National Park. Meno A Kwena’s informal atmosphere makes for a very relaxing stay after the hectic round of activities at many camps.