Giraffe at Sunset Nxai Pan
You fly into Maun on the 16th September 2022, and overnight at The Waterfront next to the Thamalakane River in Maun. On the 17th September we meet you at 10am and we drive to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to an exclusive site near Deception Valley.
Cheetah are common in the CKGR
One of the remotest and most unspoiled parts of Africa, the Northern part of this park is one of the prime game viewing areas in Botswana. This is the largest Game Reserve in Botswana covering 52,800 km2. Nothing prepares you for the immensity of this reserve, nor its wild, mysterious beauty. There is the immediate impression of unending space, and having the entire reserve to yourself. Waist-high golden grasses seem to stretch interminably, punctuated by dwarfed trees and scrub bushes. Wide and empty pans appear as vast white stretches of saucer-flat earth, meeting a soft, blue-white sky. At night the stars utterly dominate the land; their brilliance and immediacy are totally arresting. The dry season amazes with seeing what these desert adapted animals can endure- most survive for months with no surface water to drink, getting moisture from vegetation such as tsamma melons, tubers that are dug up and dew. There are many different sites for camping in this park – all undeveloped. During the dry season water is non-existent in the park, all water used by us must be bought in by us, as the only water is available is at the entrance gates and often they have none.
s,into Makgadikgadi Pans National Park with (at this time of the year) it’s vast numbers of thirsty Zebra – Makgadikgadi Pans National Park – with an area of 3 900 km2 – incorporates the western end of Ntwetwe Pan, extensive grasslands and acacia woodland. At its northern boundary, it meets the Nxai Pan National Park, separated only by the Nata-Maun Road. The Boteti River last flowed in 1992 and started flowing again past Khumaga in early 2009. It stopped flowing again in 2018. During the dry season, the Boteti River in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park thrives with activity as literally thousands of Zebra and Wildebeest vie for water, when the deep pools in the river have dried DWNP use 3 solar power Boreholes so the animals have water to drink and the Hippo’s a place to submerge.
We use one of the 3 BOGA Operator sites here, away from other people at night. Be warned do to the proximity of Khumaga Village and the state of the Electric Fence that the Elephants had no respect for, you will also see some cattle inside the park. We have 3 nights here.
On the 17th September after a last early game drive along the Boteti River, we drive via Khumaga and Rakops Villages, to the CKGR – The Central Kalahari Game Reserve
. One of the remotest and most unspoiled parts of Africa, the Northern part of this park is one of the prime game viewing areas in Botswana. This is the largest Game Reserve in Botswana covering 52,800 km2. Nothing prepares you for the immensity of this reserve, nor its wild, mysterious beauty. There is the immediate impression of unending space, and having the entire reserve to yourself. Waist-high golden grasses seem to stretch interminably, punctuated by dwarfed trees and scrub bushes. Wide and empty pans appear as vast white stretches of saucer-flat earth, meeting a soft, blue-white sky. At night the stars utterly dominate the land; their brilliance and immediacy are totally arresting.
The dry season amazes with seeing what these desert adapted animals can endure- most survive for months with no surface water to drink, getting moisture from vegetation such as tsamma melons, tubers that are dug up and dew. Potable water is non-existent in the park, all water used by us must be bought in by us, as the only water is available is at the entrance gates and is salty, and often they have none.
17th, 18th and 19th September 2022 CKGR Deception Valley
Honey Badgers are a lot of fun to watch in the CKGR
20th September 2022 After an early morning game drive we take a picnic lunch with us and end up at The Waterfront Maun. Their swimming pool and free Wifi will be welcoming as are your hosts here Heather and Patrick Penstone. Optional extra is a sunset flight over the Okavango Delta with Helicopter Horizons, for either 30 or 45 minutes an amazing experience.
21st September 2022 we leave Maun after a hearty Continental Breakfast at The Waterfront, and drive to Moremi Game Reserve – Contained within an area of approximately 3900 km2, here Kalahari sands and and Delta meet to create an exceedingly picturesque preserve of floodplains – either seasonally or perennially wet, waterways, lagoons, pools, pans, grasslands and riparian, riverine and mophane forests. This makes for spectacular game viewing and bird watching, including all major naturally occurring herbivore and carnivore species in the region, and over 400 species of birds, many migratory and some endangered. Both Black and White Rhino have recently been re-introduced, now making the reserve a ‘Big Five’ destination, if you are very Lucky!! It is the only Game Reserve inside the 1000th World Heritage Site The Okavango Delta. Some of the exclusive campsites we use could be the in the Garden of Eden the scenery is so lovely! We have 3 nights in our first camp site here, near Xakanaxa, and one day will have a full days boat cruise to the heronry island at Godikwe.
On the 24th September 2022 we have an early morning game drive in the Xakanaxa area before driving to a beautiful exclusive site called Bodumatau (the place of the Lion)
24th, 25th and 26th September 2022 – Moremi Game Reserve Bodumatau one of my absolute favourite places in all of Moremi Game Reserve we should have the immediate area to ourselves from 4pm to 8am at least a big chance for us to watch Elephants and Hippo’s
Fish Eagle taking flight.
27th September 2022 we have a big day – an early morning game drive in Moremi, before driving out of the Park and onto Savuti in Chobe National Park, where our team will set up our camp for another 3 nights. The Savuti Channel in northern Botswana is a famous waterway in a thrilling state of flux. For a quarter of a century, the Savuti Channel was dry, creating wide-open grassland, home to both quantities and varieties of wildlife and a legendary predator’s enclave. In 2008, the waters returned, and abundant game congregated and adapted in its wake. The water dried up again and the channel stopped flowing in 2015. No one knows when it will flow again, I hope it will be in my Safari lifetime!
There are 3 solar pumped waterholes at Savuti, all well spaced – Rhino Vlei, Marabou Pan and Pump Pan, there is a lot of activity around these from May until the rains should start mid November and we will visit them daily.
There is a site where ancient San rock art can be seen after a small but steep climb. It is humbling to see and puzzle over and causes one to marvel at the people who previously inhabited the area. A beautiful island of 13 Baobab trees is not so well known but necessitates a short excursion and is a wonderful site to photograph.
On the 30th September 2022 we have a last Savuti Game drive early before leaving Savuti and driving through the Chobe Forest Area to the tarmac road at Kachikau. We have a picnic lunch with us we will eat along the way and after buying ice and refueling our cars we will re-enter Chobe National Park near Ngoma Gate. The first glimpse of the Chobe River – deep and dazzling in the sandy terrain – is always breathtaking. Undoubtedly one of Africa’s most beautiful rivers, the Chobe supports a diversity and concentration of wildlife unparalleled anywhere else in the country. Established in 1968, the park covers approximately 11700 km2, encompassing floodplains, swamps and woodland. The Chobe River forms its northern boundary. The most accessible and frequently visited of Botswana’s big game country, the Chobe Riverfront is famous for its large herds of elephants and Cape Buffalo, which during the dry winter months converge upon the river to drink. The Chobe River attracts thousands of animals searching for water during the dry season. The river is host to a stunning array of birdlife (Yellow Billed Storks, African Spoonbills, White Faced Whistling Ducks, Egyptian Geese, Vultures, Owls and Kingfishers, Secretary Birds, Dikkops, Herons, Eagles – especially Fish Eagles, in addition to many other birds), and a 3-hour boat cruise is taken on every safari to take advantage of this. If lucky you will see Elephants swimming in close proximity to you, in addition to the normal pods of slumbering Hippo’s, Red Lechwe, Crocodile, Impala, Kudu, Leguaans, Puku (this is the only part of Botswana where they can be seen), Sable, Roan, Waterbuck and numerous other animals you can view. Our crew will go ahead to set up our last camp and we will have a leisurely game drive along the riverfront, stopping at Ihaha to fill our water trailer. Our site is situated in a great game filled area only minutes from the river and floodplain. We will have a 3 hour boat cruise on the Chobe River one afternoon.
On the 2nd October 2022 after a last early morning drive and a hearty English Breakfast we will take you to the Kazungula Border Post to transfer to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe which we will arrange for you – we suggest you have 3 nights here there is so much to do.
8 places left cost pp sharing US$8000 in luxury Sahara Tents or more affordable option in comfortable 3 metres dome tents with toilet en suite US $9,550
This is inclusive of all meals and drinks at The Waterfront, and 15 nights on safari all inclusive enjoy the Continuity of having your own familiar guides and vehicles throughout this safari.