Next Adventure Custom Safari Itinerary SAMPLE Zimbabwe & Botswana Classic Flying Safari October 26 November 9, 2015

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1 Next Adventure Custom Safari Itinerary SAMPLE Zimbabwe & Botswana Classic Flying Safari October 26 November 9, 2015 Hwange Mana Pools Victoria Falls Okavango Delta Linyanti Please consult international air itinerary (booked separately) for flight details which are subject to change. Important Notes Regarding Passports & Visas for US Passport holders: A single-entry Zimbabwe visa can be obtained on arrival for US $50 per person (subject to change and payable in US cash only). Visas for Botswana are easily obtained on arrival at no cost. Important: Please be sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates. Also, you will need at least 2 blank pages in your passport for visas and entry & exit stamps. Luggage Restrictions: 44 lb. in soft-sided luggage As you will be travelling in light aircraft with limited luggage capacity while in Zimbabwe & Botswana, your luggage is required to be packed in a soft bag (no hard suitcases allowed) weighing a maximum of 44 lbs. including all carry-on items and camera equipment as well. ITINERARY IN BRIEF Oct 26 Oct Oct 29 Oct Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3-5 Nov 6 Nov 7-8 Nov 9 October 26 Arrive in Vic Falls, fly to Hwange, transfer to Little Makalolo Camp Private safari activities from Little Makalolo Camp Transfer to airstrip, fly to Mana West airstrip, transfer to Ruckomechi Camp Private safari activities from Ruckomechi Camp Transfer to airstrip, fly to Vic Falls Airport, transfer to Elephant Camp Transfer to Airport, fly to Little Vumbura via Kasane, transfer to Little Vumbura Private safari activities from Little Vumbura Transfer to airstrip, fly to Savuti Camp Private safari activities from Savuti Camp Transfer to airstrip, fly to JNB via Maun for international departure Arrival - Hwange National Park In accordance with your international flight itinerary (booked separately), arrive at Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. On arrival, obtain a visa for US $50 per person (not included and subject to change). After clearing immigration and customs, you are met by a representative and assisted with connecting to a light aircraft transfer to Hwange National Park (ETD 2:30pm ETA 3:25). At Makalolo airstrip, a camp vehicle and guide meet you for transfer to Little Makalolo Camp for an orientation and time to freshen up before departing on an afternoon activity. You have a private vehicle reserved exclusively for your use throughout your time at Makalolo. Your three-night stay also includes all meals, local drinks (premium imports excluded), and laundry.

2 Little Makalolo Camp Little Makalolo lies in the heart of Hwange National Park, in one of its best game viewing areas, overlooking a vibrant waterhole. It offers privacy for guests who enjoy small camps and a sense of remoteness. The camp's six traditional-style tents including a family unit are spacious and en-suite, with indoor and outdoor showers. Solar power is used to heat water, ensuring a lighter environmental footprint. Linking the tents to the main area are teak walkways. Here a false mopane tree in the center of the camp shades a separate dining and living area, with an open fire area for those convivial evening fireside tales. The pool is a fantastic addition especially for those hot summer days. There is a log-pile hide overlooking the waterhole in front of camp which is home to literally a Noah's Ark parade of animals as they come down to quench their thirst. October 27 & 28 Hwange National Park You have two full days for private activities from your base at Little Makalolo Camp where you have all meals and overnights. Activities include day & night game drives, wildlife viewing from a hide, guided nature walks, and sleep-outs in hides (weather permitting) and optional excursions to a local village and school. Hwange National Park Hwange is at once the largest, most famous, and most visited of Zimbabwe s wildlife sanctuaries. Covering over 5,700 square miles of bush-land along the Botswana border, Hwange is ecologically an extension of the eastern Kalahari. Here, many of the desert species reach the limit of their range. Mixed with the resident fauna of central Africa s dry woodlands, the desert species add to the park s biological diversity. Consequently, Hwange is reputed to harbor a greater variety of mammals than any other park in Africa. While that may be so, extravagant claims are made that Hwange also hosts the largest numbers. Such exaggerations are hardly necessary, for Hwange is certainly well endowed with wildlife. It has a huge population of elephant and buffalo somewhere around 15,000 of each and ample numbers of impala, giraffe, kudu, zebra, wildebeest, lion, and so on down a list that includes rarer species hat sometimes wander in from the desert.

3 Kalahari sands underlie most of the park. On Hwange s northernmost edge, the sand is shallow and basalt outcrops protrude from the underlying bedrock. The hills of the north country are cut by seasonal streams that drain toward the Zambezi. The bush here is dominated by tracts of mopane and terminalia woodlands. It s good country for a variety of game, and is particularly renowned for lion and leopard. A large tract in the Sinamatella area is an Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ) that arbors a good population of black rhino. Further south, Hwange s landscape assumes the characteristic flattened profile of the Kalahari. Yet it is not quite as flat as it seems: from the air, a pattern of fossilized sand dunes can be discerned in the vegetation below. Woodlands grow thickly on the worn ancient dune crests, which are separated by grasslands in the shallow intervening valleys (locally known as vleis). The dune woodlands are primarily forests of Rhodesian teak (Baikiaea plurijuga), although they are mixed with a variety of other deciduous trees. Much of Hwange is heavily wooded, but the dense bush is broken by numerous grassy pans. It is in the open grasslands that ring the pans waterholes that most of the best game viewing takes place. In the southeast, there are also wide grassy plains dotted with big camel-thorn acacias and Ilala palms savannas typical of the eastern Kalahari. These are the places to spot gemsbok and ostrich, or the occasional red hartebeest. But the mix of open grasslands with denser bush makes the southern sector hospitable to a wide variety of game. Its plains and pans are excellent places for viewing sable and roan antelope, as well as small herds of zebra and wildebeest. Giraffe are very common, too, especially where camelthorn acacias are abundant. Impala are the most numerous of the antelopes, and large groups can be found anywhere in the park. So, too, can elephants and lions. October 29 Mana Pools National Park After breakfast, and perhaps a short morning activity, you are transferred to the local airstrip for a light aircraft transfer to Mana Pools National Park via Victoria Falls (ETD 9:40am ETA 12:25pm). At Ruckomechi airstrip, a camp vehicle and guide meet you for transfer to Ruckomechi Camp for an orientation and time to freshen up before departing on a private afternoon activity. You have a private vehicle reserved exclusively for your use during your stay. Your three-night stay also includes all meals, local drinks (premium imports excluded), and laundry.

4 Ruckomechi Camp In the middle reaches of the Zambezi River, a hundred kilometres below Lake Kariba is the Mana Pools National Park situated in the heart of the Zambezi Valley. Ruckomechi Camp lies on the banks of the Zambezi, shaded by a large grove of acacia and mahogany trees and with a superb view of the mountains of Africa's Great Rift Valley across the river in Zambia. Ruckomechi Camp accommodates guests in ten spacious en-suite tented units, including a honeymoon suite, all of which overlook the Zambezi River. Each tent has both indoor and outdoor showers, and the camp boasts a favourite amongst guests: its outdoor 'bath-with-a-view' in a secluded, scenic spot. The central dining, bar, library and lounge areas face the escarpment and are connected to the rest of the camp by low-level walkways that minimise our environmental impact. There is a separate deck with infinity pool for swimming and sun bathing, and an inviting, cushion-strewn star gazing deck. The camp vegetation is dominated by broad canopied albida trees, much loved by elephants for their rich nutritious pods; these animals often join visitors in camp for a light meal! The area is renowned for large numbers of elephant, buffalo, hippo and eland, especially in the winter when they concentrate along the river. Predators such as lion, leopard and wild dog are all found in the area. Birdlife is superb, particularly for both mopane woodland and riverine species with numerous local specials like Collared PalmThrush, Racket-tailed Roller, Purple-banded Sunbird and Black-throated Wattle-Eyes. Activities at Ruckomechi Camp include wildlife viewing in open 4x4 vehicles, on motorised pontoon boats, on foot and in canoes. October 30 & 31 Mana Pools National Park You have two full days for private activities from your base at Ruckomechi Camp, where you have all meals and overnights. Activities include day & night game drives, boat safaris, canoeing, and guided nature walks and sleep-outs in hides (weather permitting).

5 Mana Pools Mana Pools National Park lies at the heart of the Zambezi Valley, where the Zambezi River meanders for 300km to the Mozambican border. It is a remote, beautiful place with spectacular views of the broad flowing river, floodplains, the tree canopy and the mountains of the Rift Valley escarpment over the border in Zambia. This stretch of the Zambezi River is famous for its four main pools (after which the Park is named - 'mana' means 'four' in Shona) - Main, Chine, Long and Chisambuk - which are remnants of channels of the river which stopped flowing years ago. These and smaller seasonal pools dotted further inland hold water all year round, drawing all manner of wildlife and waterfowl during the dry season. The plentiful ana trees that characterise the floodplain shed their protein-rich pods during this time too, providing vital sustenance for many species, particularly elephant. Wildlife viewing is therefore excellent, with large concentrations of buffalo and elephant to be found along the river's edges, while predators such as lion, wild dog, leopard and cheetah are often sighted. Greater kudu, Burchell's zebra, impala, warthog and common waterbuck can be seen on the surrounding plains and the grunting of hippo can be heard all day. Mana Pools offers fantastic birding, with the river and seasonal pans attracting large numbers of water birds and excellent mix of species in the riverine vegetation and mopane woodlands. Local specials include Threebanded Courser, Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Arnott's Chat, Green-capped Eremomela, African Golden Oriole, Lilian's Lovebird, Böhm's Spinetail and Meve's Starling. Unusual water birds include Rufous-bellied Heron, Long-toed Lapwing, Greater Painted Snipe, African Finfoot and colourful clouds of Southern Carmine Bee-Eaters. Even the sought-after Pel's Fishing-Owl is occasionally seen! Camp residents include woodpeckers, Eastern Nicator, Yellow-breasted Apalis and White-browed Robin-Chats with their beautiful dawn-and-dusk song. November 1 Victoria Falls After breakfast and a morning activity, you are taken to the airstrip for a light aircraft transfer to Victoria Falls (ETD 12:40pm ETA 4:40pm) where you join a short road transfer (about 15 minutes) to Elephant Camp. Your overnight stay includes all meals and local drinks (excluding premium imports). Note: Although light aircraft transfer schedules are subject to change, you will probably arrive fairly late this afternoon. You may arrive at Elephant Camp in time for the Elephant Interaction on this afternoon, or you could participate the following morning. If you wish to visit Victoria Falls the following morning, you can either take Elephant Camp s complimentary transfer into town to visit Victoria Falls (US $25 per person park fee payable direct) or arrange a private guided visit through the concierge at additional cost. Other optional activities in the area are at supplemental cost.

6 Elephant Camp Elephant Camp is situated only 10 minutes from Victoria Falls in a private concession within the Victoria Falls National Park. With an emphasis on exclusivity, the luxury tented suites all have private decks and plunge pools. The suites are all equipped with indoor and outdoor showers, huge baths, private lounges, mini bar and tea/coffee stations, overhead fans plus air conditioning and are all mosquito proofed. The panoramic views of the Falls are breath-taking from the central area and the west wing of camp whilst the Batoka Gorge yawns before one from the rooms in the east wing. The Elephant Camp overlooks a waterhole that is fed by natural streams in the rainy season that rush down to meet the Masuwe River, and the Zambezi gorges below the Falls. Walks and birding activities for guests supply boundless photographic opportunities in addition to the variety of activities available in Victoria Falls. November 2 Okavango Delta After breakfast, you taken back to the airport for a light aircraft transfer to Botswana. Please note the following international departure taxes must be paid direct as they cannot be included in your ticket. Payment should be in US cash using exact change. o o Departure tax $35 per person AIDEF (Aviation Intra-structural Development Fund) $15 per person After stopping briefly at Kasane Airport, where you obtain a Botswana visa at no cost, you are met and assisted to your onward flight to the northern Okavango Delta. At Vumbura airstrip, a camp vehicle and guide meet you for transfer to Little Vumbura Camp for an orientation and time to freshen up before departing on an afternoon activity. You have a private vehicle reserved exclusively for your use throughout your time at Vumbura. Your four-night stay also includes all meals, local drinks (premium imports excluded), and laundry.

7 Note: The timing of your shared charter flights between camps will be reconfirmed the day prior. No tickets are issued and transfer times are arranged whenever possible to allow participation in organized wildlife viewing activities at the camps. Please expect to have 1-2 stops before arriving at your destination. Little Vumbura Camp Little Vumbura Camp is situated on an island in a private concession in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta, in the same region as its sister camp, Vumbura Plains. Little Vumbura Camp is a beautiful six-roomed tented camp shaded by the canopy of an ancient Okavango Delta forest. Each tent is large and roomy and has en-suite facilities. A plunge pool and reading area overlook the floodplains and a star deck leads off the dining area. Surrounded as it is by water and lying close to large rivers, water-based activities are a focus at Little Vumbura Camp with mokoros traversing the floodplains under the guidance of experienced polers. Motor boats make their way up and down the permanent channels. Game drives in open Land Rovers allow guests to get close to animals in the savannah areas. Walks (on request) around the islands are an opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective. Game viewing is consistently good all year round at Little Vumbura Camp with lion, leopard, elephant, sable and buffalo along with extensive plains game providing an excellent all-round wildlife experience in this remote corner of the Okavango Delta. Little Vumbura Camp is also part of a community participation initiative at Wilderness Safaris - bringing the communities that live around the Okavango Delta into the tourism mainstream. The Kwedi Reserve Vumbura Plains and Little Vumbura Camp are situated in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta in what is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve. Here the vegetation ranges from open floodplains to dense mopane bushveld and offers spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round. The permanent swamp and island habitats abound with beautiful treed islands of every size, surrounded by permanent waterways created both by the summer rains and the annual winter floodwaters of the Okavango Delta.

8 Common trees found around Vumbura Plains Camp are the jackalberry, African mangosteen and the ubiquitous sausage tree, which provide shade food and shelter to a fantastic range of wildlife. Game drives in this region are incredibly productive and arriving guests often sighting their first game on the trip from airstrip to camp. The annually flooded grasslands of the Okavango Delta surrounding Vumbura Plains Camp are locally referred to as 'melapo' and offer seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalo. Encounters with hippo and crocodile are common in the waterways. Predators include the African Wild Dog, several resident prides of lion, leopard, cheetah and the African wildcat. The birding around Vumbura Plains Camp is as varied as it is exceptional all year round. In the summer many migrant species are present. Pel's Fishing Owl is regularly seen, with other specials including Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret, Chirping Cisticola, Little Bee-eater, Fan-tailed Widowbird and possibly Rosy-throated Longclaw. November 3-5 Okavango Delta You have three full days to enjoy the diverse wildlife viewing activities offered in the Vumbura area, including boating, mokoro rides, guided bush walks and day and night game drives. Your guide assists in coordinating your activities during your stay and a vehicle has been reserved for your exclusive use. All meals and accommodation will be at Little Vumbura Camp. BOTSWANA With an area of almost square kilometers, Botswana is virtually the same size as France or Texas. Situated in the center of southern Africa, it is a landlocked country, with Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe as its immediate neighbors. Botswana lies an average of 950 meters above sea level and is more than 600 kilometers from the nearest coast. The Tropic of Capricorn bisects Botswana. The most striking features of the country are its flatness and aridity. With the exception of the eastern part of Botswana where the great majority of Batswana live and where the summer rainfall is slightly higher, threequarters of Botswana is technically a desert. This is what makes the Okavango Delta even more remarkable. It is a wonderful wetland within a desert, getting its waters from rain falling in central Africa, 1000km away. Photo by Mike Myers Botswana is one of Africa's success stories. Prior to independence in 1966, it was one of the world's poorest countries. When we started to work in Botswana in the 1970s, very few people who lived outside Botswana had even heard of the Okavango. It was undiscovered, only visited by a few hardy adventurers. But South Africa's first democratic elections began a change in the area. Within Botswana, there were big changes, too. Diamonds were discovered in the Kalahari shortly after independence and this kick-started the economy. Sir Seretse Khama was the country's first postindependence president. He was a wonderful leader and one of the most pragmatic and far-thinking presidents any country could ever hope for. Seretse laid the foundations that Botswana needed to propel itself forward, without compromising democracy; the result is a booming economy in a stable country. On the wildlife front, Seretse's son, Ian, is one of the country's unsung conservation heroes. When he became head of the military, he positioned his troops to secure Botswana's borders from poachers. The game concentrations within the country multiplied overnight. Many people owe their jobs and careers to his actions.

9 The country focused on high quality / low volume tourism as the best way to create a sustainable industry that would employ a large percentage of its people, while still preserving the environment. Today wildlife and tourism employs about 45% of all the people who live in northern Botswana. Ecology & Wildlife Situated in the center of southern Africa and more than 600 kilometers from the nearest ocean, Botswana is surrounded with Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe as its immediate neighbors. With the exception of the eastern part of Botswana, where the great majority of the Batswana people live and where the summer rainfall is slightly higher, the majority of Botswana is desert. Each year floodwater flows into the Okavango from its source in the moist central African highlands over a thousand kilometers away. These floodwaters flow from their catchments southwards and into the Kalahari Desert to create a unique wetland that supports and sustains a huge diversity of wildlife. Apart from year round excellent game viewing, the beauty of this water wonderland is awe inspiring. To the north-east of the Okavango Delta are the Chobe and Linyanti Game Reserves. The many varied habitats within the Chobe and Linyanti parks - such as marshes, waterways, riverine forests, dry woodlands and the world-famous Savute Channel - have created an area renowned for its predators and large concentrations of game, particularly elephant. The grasslands of the Kalahari together with the lunar expanse of the Makgadikgadi saltpans complement and are in total contrast to the verdant, game-rich Okavango and Linyanti regions. While the emphasis of a Botswana safari is often on large mammals - and there are plenty of these - there are many other specialized creatures to be seen and enjoyed. As many as 580 bird species have been recorded in Botswana with 75 larger mammal species known to occur and more than 80 fish species identified in the Okavango. But overall it is often the sense of wilderness and pristine functioning ecosystems that has the most significant impact on visitors. Nearly 40% of the country has been set aside as private reserves and national parks! The importance of visitors and tourism to the sustainability of these areas cannot be overstated. Approximately 60% of all the people who live in northern Botswana are employed in some aspect of the wildlife and tourism industry, an industry which is now the second largest contributor to the GDP of the country. The presence of camps such as our own and the protection afforded by the concessions in which we operate, has had a spectacular impact on the sustainable conservation of all the animals and plants that live here. A case in point: white and black rhino, poached to extinction in Botswana some time ago have, thanks to a joint project between the Botswana government and Wilderness Safaris, been returned to their integral place in the hierarchy of wild Botswana.

10 Climate Summer is from November to the end of March and usually brings very high temperatures. It is also the rainy season and cloud coverage and rain can cool things down, although only usually for a short period of time. The winter season begins in May and ends in August. This is also the dry season when virtually no rainfall occurs. Winter days are invariably sunny and cool to warm; however, evening and night temperatures can drop below freezing point in some areas. The in-between periods - April/early May and September/October - still tend to be dry, but the days are cooler than in summer and the nights are warmer than in winter. November 6 Linyanti Concession After breakfast and perhaps a morning activity, you are driven to the airstrip for a light aircraft transfer to the Linyanti Concession. At the local airstrip, you will be met by your camp guide and transferred about 35 minutes to Savuti Camp. After a camp orientation, you ll enjoy an afternoon game drive before returning for dinner under the stars. You have a private vehicle reserved exclusively for your use throughout your time at Selinda. Your three-night stay also includes all meals, local drinks (premium imports excluded), and laundry. Note: The timing of your shared charter flights between camps will be reconfirmed the day prior. No tickets are issued and transfer times are arranged whenever possible to allow participation in organized wildlife viewing activities at the camps. Please expect to have 1-2 stops before arriving at your destination. Savuti Camp Savuti Camp is situated in a remote part of the Linyanti Concession along the Savute Channel, famous for the fact that between 1980 and 2008 it stopped flowing altogether, creating an unusual ribbon of grassland. Surprisingly, the Channel began to flow once more, becoming a deep, clear waterway harboring hippo and aquatic life while wildlife had to adapt to a new source of water and all the opportunities and menaces it brought with it. This intimate camp's en-suite accommodation is in seven large walk-in tents that are raised off the ground and face onto the Channel. From the camp's thatched dining area, a plunge pool and large viewing area with fire pit extend outwards on raised wooden decks, providing a wonderful view of the water and its wildlife. Savuti Camp has front row seats to watch all the drama that is played out on the water The Savute area harbors one of the densest dryseason concentrations of elephant in Africa With two-thirds of the Savute Channel located in the concession, Wilderness guests have exclusive access to the abundant game and the natural and geological marvels November 7 & 8 Linyanti Concession You have two full days for private activities from your base at Savuti Camp, where you have all meals and overnights. Activities include day & night game drives, guided nature walks (subject to availability), boat safaris (water-level permitting), and sleep-outs in hides (weather permitting).

11 Linyanti Concession The Linyanti has diverse and prolific wildlife, but is most noted for its very large elephant population which can reach enormous densities during the dry winter months. Other game concentrations are also high, and apart from abundant plains game, species such as roan and sable antelope, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyaena, black-backed jackal and wild dog may also be encountered. This area can also be excellent for the rarely-seen aardvark and aardwolf. Birding is spectacular. Due to our location on the Savute Channel and in the Linyanti Concession, Savuti has spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities. Game viewing tops the agenda here! Game Drives: Morning and afternoon game drives are offered in open 4x4 Land Rovers each accommodating a maximum of seven people, allowing each guest an outside seat. Bean bags are available to use for steadying your camera while on game drive. Night drives with spotlights allow you to find those nocturnal animals you wouldn t see during the day. Nature Walks: On request, nature walks with skilled, armed guides are wonderful ways of getting close to nature and observing the smaller things you miss when travelling by vehicle. Hides: The Savuti hide is an elevated platform from which to view and photograph animals and birds. Sleepouts are also possible here, as it is equipped with bed rolls, mosquito nets and a long-drop toilet. Birding: With the Linyanti Concession being an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (IBA), birding is outstanding at Savuti Camp. Boat Excursions: Exploring the waters by boat can be taken in the morning, during midday, or as an afternoon activity. Fishing with a limited supply of basic equipment is on offer seasonally on a catch-andrelease basis. Note that boating is a seasonal activity. November 9 Departure After breakfast, and perhaps a final activity, you are transferred to the airstrip for a light aircraft transfer to Maun. (Note: There may be stops en-route which may require changing aircraft and times for the shuttle transfer will only be determined the day prior.) At Maun Airport, you board a scheduled commercial flight to Johannesburg (SA flight 8301, ETD 2:00pm ETA 3:40pm) where you say farewell to Africa and connect with your international departure (SA flight 207, ETD 6:40pm).