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Safari Name | 7-Days Best of Botswana |
Tour Code | TATS-BW-103 |
Destination | Botswana |
Full Itinerary
Day 1:Upon arrival in Maun we depart by road to Deception Valley Lodge.
Deception Valley Lodge is located approximately 90 km (55 miles) from Deception Pan bordering the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The lodge accommodates 16 guests in private chalets, each with a spacious lounge, en-suite Victorian-style bathroom, outdoor shower and veranda. The main area, connected to the units by elevated wooden walkways, boasts dining, lounge and bar areas. From the deck wildlife can be seen at the nearby waterhole and there is a curio shop, small library, swimming pool and boma for evening meals.
A cultural highlight here is fascinating interaction, through an interpreter, with San Bushmen who will explain their traditions, hunting methods and natural medicines. Added to this is a short game drive enroute to the nature walk with an experienced Bushman guide. We also enjoy a night drive on the reserve.
Days 2 – 4: Deception Valley, Central Kalahari Game Reserve
After an early breakfast, we depart overland to our private Adventurer campsite in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with lunch en route. Deception Valley – a prehistoric riverbed, flanked by petrified dune lands – is very appealing after brief rains, when it is covered with nutritious grasses that attract vast animal herds from all over the enormous reserve. These large congregations of desert wildlife with their young are followed by opportunistic predators (including populations of lion, cheetah, black backed jackal, bat eared fox and African Wild cat), all of which makes for outstanding viewing. The rare and seldom seen brown hyena is also sighted from time to time! Bird life is prolific, with over 400 species in the region.
We have specifically allowed for a 3-night stay in Deception Valley; in a journey of this nature and at this time, it is vital to travel on guests have the time to relax and unwind, at the same time extended day trips, which affords the opportunity to explore the further reaches of the park not normally accessed and ensuring the best possible wildlife experience.
We enjoy extended wildlife game drives (with picnic lunch), taking in the game-rich Pipers Pans area of the Kalahari, as well as the Letiahau and Deception Valleys.
Day 5 – 6: Xigera Camp, Okavango Delta
After a light breakfast we depart overland to Maun (approximately 6 hours), after which we fly by light aircraft in the afternoon to the water-filled paradise of the private Xigera area, within the Moremi Game Reserve. Xigera is the Delta personified, with serene waters flowing through innumerable channels around remote islands and a profusion of plant and animal life.
Xigera Camp is a luxury tented camp situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta. It has something for everyone, in an area where there are no other camps and where year-round water allows for a variety of activities. Enjoy a true Delta experience while you sit back in a mokoro (dugout canoe) and silently glide through the tranquil Okavango waterways or watch the sunset and birds gliding home to roost from a motorboat on the Xigera Lagoon.
Nestled in a soothing riverine forest, Xigera Camp consists of 10 luxuriously furnished tented rooms with en-suite facilities and outdoor shower. Each room is raised off the ground on a wooden deck offering superb views of the seasonal floodplain and waterhole. Meals and drinks are enjoyed under the thatch of the raised lounge, pub and dining area overlooking a permanently flowing channel. A traditional boma offers alternative dining under the African stars. Wooden walkways wind through the forest connecting the rooms to the main area. There is a plunge pool for cooling off and relaxation.
The area has the highest density of the rare sitatunga antelope found anywhere in the Okavango Delta and wildlife is often seen on boating trips. Possibilities include spotted-necked otter, elephant, red lechwe and even leopard on occasion. Birding in the area is phenomenal, with Pel’s Fishing-Owl, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Swamp Boubou, African Pygmy Goose and Chirping Cisticola some of the sought-after specials. Learn about the ecology of the Delta, find a painted reed frog – Xigera certainly offers a holistic experience of this wonderland.
Day 7: Light aircraft transfer to Maun for Departure
After a last early morning activity and breakfast, we fly back to Maun, where the safari ends and catch your flight back home.
Activities/services included in the cost:
• Arrival and departure airport transfer.
• Accommodation as per the itinerary.
• Accommodation in the National Parks is based on Full Board
• Road transportation in custom made safari vehicles.
• Exclusive private vehicle and driver-guide throughout the safari
• Game drives as per the itinerary
• Park and game reserve entrance fees
• English Driver guides available for the safari
• Our 24hours support throughout the safari
Activities/services excluded in the cost:
• All International Flights/local Flights + Taxes
• Visa fees, Travel & Personal accident insurance
• Excursions, services and activities not mentioned in this program
• Flying option available for certain safaris at an extra cost
• Personal expenses e.g. laundry, telephone calls, Drinks, Tips etc
To get costs for this tour, contact our Sales Office Team on sales@trailsofafrica.co.ke
Just give us the Safari Tour Code and name of the safari you want to book and we shall revert back with costs and availability.
A land-locked country situated in southern Africa Botswana was the casting home numerous films such as The Cry of the Kalahari, the hilarious feature film, The Gods Must Be Crazy, feature stories in National Geographic and numerous documentaries all of which have given Botswana international recognition as a top safari destination. The combination of good wildlife, uncrowded reserves, small camps (chalets or tented, most 8-20 beds), with great food and the use of open vehicles for game viewing make this a destination well worth considering. You can view game by open vehicle (during the day and at night), by boat, canoe, mokoro (dug-out canoe) or elephant-back. Some walking safaris are offered outside the reserves. Flying safaris and mobile tented camp safaris (from participatory to luxury) are also available.
There are more elephants in Botswana than any other country, the big cats roam free and there’s everything from endangered African wild dogs to aquatic antelopes, from rhinos making a comeback to abundant birdlife at every turn. This is also the land of the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert, at once iconic African landscapes and vast stretches of wilderness. 38 percent of its total land area are devoted to national parks, reserves and wildlife management areas. Put these landscapes together with the wildlife that inhabits them, and it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that this is wild Africa at its best.
Botswana may rank among Africa’s most exclusive destinations – accommodation prices at most lodges are once-in-a-lifetime propositions – but self-drive expeditions are also possible. And whichever way you visit, Botswana is a truly extraordinary place. For the first time traveler, great value will be found traveling in the “green season” of November to March” when the rains have come and the animals begin their migration movements, especially to the Kalahari. April and May are also fairly good months for game viewing when choosing your camps carefully. For an all around wildlife experience in Botswana, we generally recommend that you visit 3 camp destinations staying seven nights.
Botswana’s Tourist Attractions
Botswana may rank among Africa’s most exclusive destinations. There are more elephants in Botswana than any other country, the big cats roam free and there’s everything from endangered African wild dogs to aquatic antelopes, from rhinos making a comeback to abundant birdlife at every turn. This is also the land of the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert, at once iconic African landscapes and vast stretches of wilderness. This land-locked country was the casting home numerous films such as The Cry of the Kalahari, the hilarious feature film, The Gods Must Be Crazy, feature stories in National Geographic and numerous documentaries all of which have given Botswana international recognition as a top safari destination.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Chobe National park
Jao Concession
Kalahari Game Reserve
Kwando Game Reserve
Linyanti
Mashatu Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve
Okavango Delta
Savute