DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1: INTO MAUN, WELCOME TO BOTSWANA!

Dumelang / Hello! Your safari guide will be there to welcome you on arrival at Maun Airport. The exact departure time from Maun Airport will be advised closer to the time, as this depends on commercial airlines flight schedules.

Explore Maun during the day and meet your group and your Tour Leader in the evening at 18:00 to get acquainted and review your trip details.

BIRDING: After settling in we will have a bit of time for general birding around the lodge and riverine forest around Maun. The thick riverine bush surrounding Maun is home to Western Banded Snake Eagle, African Hobby, African and Eurasian Golden Oriole, Hartlaub’s and Arrow-marked Babbler, Southern Yellow White-eye, Terrestrial Brownbul, African Paradise Flycatcher, Swamp Boubou, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, African Emerald, Levaillant’s, Black, Klaas’s and Jacobin Cuckoo as well as the beautiful and ever-present White-browed Robin-Chat.We will return to our lodge early evening and enjoy dinner at our lodge.

MAIN DESTINATION: Maun Resort Town

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: Affordable

MEAL PLAN: Group Dinner

DAY 2 TO 3: INTO THE OKAVANGO DELTA & MOKORO EXCURSIONS

We will pick you up from the Lodge and take you to Okavango Delta, a landscape that is unique and an ever changing web of crystal clear waterways. On your arrival at the Mokoro Station you will be met by experienced mokoro polers. Boarding your mokoro around 0800 hrs, you are silently poled along the Okavango Delta' s quiet waterways to one of its many islands where you will set up camp for two nights. On your way expect to be rewarded with splendid sightings of a variety of bird life among the more than 400 species that occur in this watery wonderland. At this island you will set off on foot, as soon as the heat of the day relents, on your first guided safari walk within the Okavango Delta. Expect to encounter a fantastic variety of large game during these safari walks such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, etc. Arrive back from your safari walk shortly before dark to a warm bucket shower and a hearty campfire cooked dinner.

BIRDING: home to a wide variety of herons, egrets, and kingfishers, as well as Chirping Cisticola and Southern Brown-throated Weaver. A number of rare or difficult species are regular here, such as the highly sought-after foxy-brown Pel’s Fishing-Owl. White-backed Night-Herons are also occasionally seen stalking the river’s edge.

MAIN DESTINATION: Okavango Delta

ACTIVITY INCLUDED: Mokoro Excursion, landscape Photography, Animal Tracking, Bird Watching

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: En-suite Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions

MEAL PLAN: Breakfast Lunch Dinner & Beverages non Alcoholic drinks i.e soft drinks, Juice, bottled water & Alcoholic drinks includes limited House wine, local beer

DAY 4 TO 5: INTO SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF PURE SAFARI IN THIRD BRIDGE

Awesome sightings which will be enjoyed during your authentic bush life! You will spent the next 2 nights exploring the Moremi Game Reserve where you will be blown away by a leopard kill and a cheetah kill if the nights rewards you. Talk about bush television. Our mobile camping safaris allow one to experience the wild in its purest form and explore some of the most amazing natural havens on our planet while observe its thriving wildlife.

An experience in Africa with a setup like this in the bush is definitely an opportunity you need to grab with two hands.

BIRDING: A good day for raptors with African Hawk-Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle* and Steppe Eagle* all inhabiting the mopane and adjacent woodlands. Other birds common along this route includes most of Botswana’s hornbills including Red-billed, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey, Bradfield’s and the Southern Ground Hornbills. A large number of brood-parasites may also be seen. Diederick Cuckoo*, Levaillant’s Cuckoo*, Jacobin Cuckoo*, Great-spotted Cuckoo*, African Cuckoo*, Common Cuckoo*, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Greater Honeyguide, and Lesser Honeyguide.

MAIN DESTINATION: Moremi Game Reserve

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: En-suite Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions

MEAL PLAN: Breakfast Lunch Dinner & Beverages non Alcoholic drinks i.e soft drinks, Juice, bottled water & Alcoholic drinks includes limited House wine, local beer

DAY 6 TO 7: EXPLORING DAY & NIGHT SAFARIS IN NORTH GATE

We spend a further two nights in Khwai Concession watching the superb birds, mammals and other wildlife of this outstanding reserve. Khwai is home to an incredible 450 species of bird. Classic birds of the wetlands include African crake, African spoonbill, saddle-billed stork, wattled crane and the near endemic slaty egret.

Raptors are also abundant here and we hope to see bateleur, Wahlberg’s eagle, martial eagle, tawny eagle and bat hawk. With luck we may also find the magnificent Pel’s fishing owl at its roost.

One of the great advantages of staying on a concession is that we can enjoy night drives (not permitted in national parks). Many of Botswana’s most fascinating mammals and birds are strictly nocturnal and, among many other species, after dark we may encounter fiery-necked and pennant-winged nightjars, Verreaux’s eagle owl, African civet, honey badger and lesser bushbaby.

BIRDING: Truly one of Botswana birding Mecca’s. The western reaches are prime habitat for the uncommon Rosythroated Longclaw. The entire length of the river is hunting domain for the Bat-Hawk. Other interesting raptors here are Cuckoo Hawk (rare), Long-crested Eagle and Black Sparrowhawk. More commonly Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle*, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and African Hawk-Eagle. The waterways host Africa Rail, African Crake*, Greater Painted Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule*, Lesser Jacana and Lesser Moorhen*.

MAIN DESTINATION: Khwai Concession Area

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: En-suite Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions

MEAL PLAN: Breakfast Lunch Dinner & Beverages non Alcoholic drinks i.e soft drinks, Juice, bottled water & Alcoholic drinks includes limited House wine, local beer

DAY 8 TO 9: SAFARIS & BIRDING IN SAVUTE

You wake up early in the morning to freshen up with some hot water in the face basin. This is followed by a light breakfast of some coffee, tea, rusks, cereals, bread, etc.

After breakfast you head out for your morning game drive to explore the Savuti and its marsh. The Savuti Marsh is a vast expanse of grasslands dotted with dead acacia trees, creating an intriguing, almost ghost–like landscape. You will return to camp around mid–day for lunch and some siesta time.

Another point of interest in Savuti is the Bushman rock paintings, thought to be well over a thousand years old. These are paintings of giraffe, elephant and eland. If time permits, we will pay these rock paintings a visit.

In the afternoon you head out again for your afternoon game drive and return to camp just before sunset. Dinner will follow before you turn for the night to rest or as you hold some discussions about events of the day around the camp fire.

BIRDING: The most unusual species are to be found in the teak (Baikea plurijuga) woodlands. This broad-leafed woodland, or miombo as it is locally known, provides good pickings for insectivorous birds that favour canopy habitat. Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Pallid Flycatcher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Yellow-throated Petronia, Red-headed Weaver and Violet-backed Starling are only some of the species that move around in the “bird parties” in the canopy. Dickenson’s Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon* and Lizard Buzzard are some of the raptors to keep an eye out for, while the diminutive White-faced Owl can often be seen roosting in the road-side vegetation. Flappet Lark, Fawn-coloured Lark, Dusky Lark*, Olive-Tree Warbler* and Neddicky are species more likely to be enjoyed by the birding enthusiast.

MAIN DESTINATION: Savuti Channel & Marsh

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: Animal Tracking, Morning Drives, Afternoon Drives, Landscape Photography, Bird Watching

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: En-suite Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions

MEAL PLAN: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drinking Water & Beverages non Alcoholic drinks i.e Bottled water, Juice, soft drinks & Alcoholic drinks includes limited House wine, local beer

DAY 10: CHOBE EXPLORATION & BOATING SAFARI

You wake up early in the morning to freshen up with some hot water in the face basin. This is followed by a heavy breakfast of some coffee, tea, rusks, cereals, bread, etc. before heading off to Botswana border and out into Chobe National Park for your one night game drive.

Chobe is one of the best places to see and photograph Roan and Sable Antelopes. Puku Antelope occurs nowhere else in southern Africa but only on the Chobe floodplains. On the other hand the massive herds of African Buffalo that inhabit Chobe are constantly flanked by the ever–hungry lions of the Chobe.

CHOBE RIVER BOAT CRUISE

The highlight on these two nights is a boat cruise on the Chobe River. In this way we are giving ourselves a very different angle and aspect for seeing and photographing Chobe’s wildlife.

This boat cruise gives you the chance to experience the animals of Chobe NP from a different perspective. Therefore, with this boat cruise, you might get up close and personal with hippos, crocodiles and a mind-boggling array of water birds.

BIRDING: Bat-Hawk, Cuckoo Hawk, Eurasian Hobby Falcon* and Ovambo Sparrowhawk are some of the more interesting raptors. Corncrake*, African Crake*, African Rail, Luapula Cisticola, Malachite Kingfisher, Quail Finch and Rosy-throated Longclaw are found on the edges of the floodplain. Large flocks of Great White Pelican investigate the drying pools as the floodwaters recede. Much larger flocks of the nomadic Red-winged Pratincole and also Black-winged Pratincole, numbering in their thousands, can be found on the drying floodplains. The woodlands support Racket-tailed Roller, Stierlings Wren-Warbler, Tree Pipit* and Miombo Rock-Thrush.

MAIN DESTINATION: Chobe National Park.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: Animal Tracking, Morning Drives, Bird Watching, Afternoon Drives, Landscape Photography, Boat Safari

ACCOMMODATION BUDGET LEVEL: En-suite Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions

MEAL PLAN: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Beverages non Alcoholic drinks i.e Bottled water, soft drinks, Juice & Alcoholic drinks includes limited House wine, local beer

Day 11: World Natural Wonder "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - Victoria Falls

We enjoy a hearty breakfast and then depart for Victoria Falls either Zambia side or Zimbabwe side. Thereafter we head off to the amazing Victoria Falls which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The waterfalls is 1700 meters ( 1 1 mile) wide, of which 1300 meters is on the Zimbabwean side, including the main falls.

The majestic "Mosi-oa-Tunya" - the smoke that thunders. The falls constitute one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world and you will have plenty of free time whilst in Victoria Falls to explore the bridge and Waterfalls. And later day we head off to enjoy our Sunset Dinner Cruise along the Zambezi River.

Main Destination: Victoria Falls National Park

Optional Activities: Chime morning game drive, Tour of the Falls, Helicopter flight, Batoka Gorge Hike, Zip lining, Even Boma Dinner

Accommodation Budget Level: Affordable/ Mid-Range

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 12: Explore Morning Sunrise & Homeward bound

After some days in Botswana and further days discovering Victoria Falls, you will have explored some of Southern Africa’s most enticing, evocative and unforgettable landscapes. Today, you commit them to memory and drive off to Victoria Falls International Airport for your onwards travel arrangements, the friendly reservation team of our office waiting to hear all about your journey through their incredible package.

Meal Plan: Breakfast