Botswana

Desert & Delta - Africa’s Oasis

The Okavango Delta is a water-filled oasis that rises out of one of the worlds most famous deserts, the Kalahari. The Okavango is a magnet for thousands of animals that otherwise cannot find water in the otherwise parched environment as it floods during the height of the dry season. Elephants, lions, leopards and hippo all abound in the Okavango and this is a stark contrast to the meerkats, hyena and zebra that can be found in the surrounding Kalahari desert. A safari combining time in these very contrasting environments will give you a perfect blend between dry and wet, animals and their environments, wildlife and the local cultures that have survived here for thousands of years.

Days 1-3 - Makgadikgadi Pans in the Kalahari

Arrive into Maun airport and then fly down into the Kalahari desert. Bring sunscreen! There are two main locations to consider, either the true Kalahari or the huge Makgadikgadi salt pans. Here you can find habituated meerkats, desert adapted lions, rare brown hyena and the longest annual mammal migration in Africa as Zebra and wildebeest move between the desert and the wetter areas further north in Botswana. Camps such as Jacks Camp, Camp Kalahari and Meno-a-Kwena are a few favourites sure to give you a fantastic first impression of Botswana.

Days 4-7 - Okavango Delta (Dry)

Leaving the desolate desert behind, you will have an unimaginable contrast as you head to the lush, green and wet Okavango Delta for a first stop here. The Okavango itself has wetter and drier areas and we feel the best experience is to combine the two. Starting off in the drier southern sections, places like Gomoti Plains, Chitabe and Sable Alley provide regular sightings of leopard, painted dogs, lions, buffalo, elephant and plenty of plains game. The focus in these areas is more on game drives and walks (if the conditions are right) and the overall wildlife viewing is second to none in Africa. You cannot fail to have an unforgettable time in these areas.

Days 8-11 - Okavango Delta (Wet)

Moving higher up into the Okavango will take you to wetter areas where the focus is much more on water-based activities. These are generally motorised boat cruises or being poled along in a traditional dug-out maokoro (like Venice, in Africa, with animals instead of people around you). You can expect to see more birds, and right across the colour spectrum, than you could ever have imagined to see. A fairly common treat is getting to see elephant herds swimming and playing in the waterways and as you can imagine, there are a lot of hippos across the delta. You can feel reassured that the mokoro’s do stick to the shallow (hippo free) floodplains and are therefore seasonal at most camps. Top options would be Pelo, Jacana, Xigera, Mapula and Xudum.

Days 12 - 15 - Linyanti / Savuti

Now is the time to head somewhere different. The Linyanti & Savuti areas of northern Botswana don’t get anywhere near the attention that the Okavango does, and we still can’t figure out why. These areas are famous for large herds of buffalo and the lions that follow and rely on them. The Savuti channel is an off-shoot of the Okavango Delta which provides the same contrast and range of habitats but with barely any visitors. Couple this with great game viewing and some of the best exclusive properties in southern Africa and you are in for a treat. We highly recommend considering the likes of Selinda, Zarafa, Kings Pool and Duma Tau for a guaranteed way to end your Botswanan odyssey on a high point.