Botswana Safari in the Kalahari and Okavango Delta

Transcription

1 Botswana Safari in the Kalahari and Okavango Delta SOUTH AFRICA BOTSWANA 8 Days December 16 23, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa Kalahari, Botswana Okavango, Botswana Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti, Botswana Johannesburg, South Africa

2 Botswana Safari in the Kalahari and Okavango Delta SOUTH AFRICA BOTSWANA 8 DAYS DECEMBER 16 23, 2017 Itinerary 16-Dec Saturday Johannesburg South Africa 54 On Bath 17-Dec Sunday Kalahari Botswana Kalahari Plains Camp 18-Dec Monday Kalahari Botswana Kalahari Plains Camp 19-Dec Tuesday Okavango Botswana Xigera Camp 20-Dec Wednesday Okavango Botswana Xigera Camp 21-Dec Thursday Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti Botswana DumaTau Camp 22-Dec Friday Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti Botswana DumaTau Camp 23-Dec Saturday Johannesburg South Africa Depart $9,371 Per Person This is a sample itinerary and the price is an estimate, used for rough planning purposes only and is subject to change. Actual prices and availability must be finalized by one of our trip planners who will contact and confirm pricing with all accommodations and operators.

3 16 DEC 2017 Johannesburg Start Safari: O.R. Tambo International Airport Johannesburg, South Africa (Arrival Location) Johannesburg, South Africa Sofiatown. Joburg. Gold Reef City. This is the commercial capital of one of Africa's strongest economic engines, South Africa. Johannesburg was built on a gold mining town established in the 1800's, and you can still see the slag heaps within the city limits. If you are focused on a wildlife safari, your time should be kept to a minimum in Johannesburg. But if you have time to explore the city, it s definitely worth a stay. Feel the vibe of Soweto, for example (an acronym for South West Township), then we can organize a fun bike ride that takes you through the streets of Soweto and gives you a flavor for this colorful and energetic township. 54 On Bath Discover a contemporary and fashionable haven on Bath Avenue right in the heart of Rosebank, Johannesburg s trendy suburb. Classic and sophisticated, the accent is on understated elegance and the focus is to provide an exceptional guest experience. Newly opened in July 2012, is for the discerning traveler seeking intimacy and refinement but always with stylish flair. From the moment of arrival into the elegant lobby with its delightful lounge to the luxury and comfort of your room, you will enjoy attentive and friendly service. Everything has been designed around your comfort and the stylish interiors reflect a calm tranquility with the use of harmonious colors, sophisticated design and strong graphic motifs. The 75 rooms at 54 on Bath are elegantly styled with views over the garden or over the abundantly green city skyline. Comfortable and spacious, they exude the warmth of fine living. Block out curtains, fluffy duvets, crisp white linens and feather-top beds ensure an unrivalled sleep experience in Rosebank. Each guest room has everything, and perhaps more, that you would expect to find in a hotel of international standard, including an executive desk, technological connectivity, a sleek and luxurious bathroom with separate bath and shower and the finest amenities. Suites offer a beautiful, private lounge with en-suite bedroom and bathroom. It s the simple things in life that make the difference, and at Level Four Restaurant you ll enjoy distinctive classical cuisine with contemporary influences. Classic and elegant, Level Four offers a superb a la carte breakfast, while luncheon is a casual, light affair, and dinner is the perfect opportunity to choose from the excellent a la carte menu. It s dining at its best. Sophisticated and unique, the bar offers an array of champagne, cocktails and wines accompanied by sumptuous bar snacks. Overlooking the terrace garden the champagne bar is the perfect meeting spot for business get-togethers, predinner drinks and evening sundowners. The hotel features a fitness club and outdoor pool available to all hotel guests. Ideally situated, guests can enjoy the best that this vibrant suburb has to offer. Linked from the 2nd floor to a stylish, retail shopping mall, with its designer shops, boutiques and entertainment complex. Within walking distance to the Rosebank Gautrain Station, and just minutes away from the Sandton, Hyde Park and the Johannesburg city center. Included

4 Accommodation, breakfast, 750mb per day of complimentary high-speed internet, 3 items of clothing pressed per day of stay, shuttle service to a local spa, complimentary use of hotel ipads, VAT Amenities Air Conditioning, Cell Phone Coverage, Ensuite Bathrooms, Hairdryer, Pool, Recharge Facilities, Wi-Fi, Workout Room Available at an Additional Cost Laundry, restaurant dining, Champagne bar, mini bar, daily afternoon tea on the roof garden terrace, room service, Pretoria City tour, Soweto Township tour, Apartheid Museum, DeWildt Cheetah Centre, Sterkfontein Caves, Maropeng Cradle of Humankind, Origins Centre, Elephant Educational at Hartbeespoort Dam Johannesburg Maun Commercial Flight (1 hour, 45 minutes) 17 DEC DEC 2017 Kalahari Maun Kalahari Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (55 minutes) Kalahari, Botswana You might have read "Cry of the Kalahari," and that certain mystique exists in this flat, scrub desert. It's the epitome of wide open space and wildness. During the dry African winter (June to September) the animals are present but in relatively low concentrations. This changes dramatically in the African summer (November to March) when sporadic rain showers bring the desert alive and the animals do concentrate. Here you may see impressive black-mained lions, brown hyena, herds of eland antelope, and cheetah, among a wide range of other species. Kalahari Plains Camp Located in the diverse and productive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Kalahari Plains Camp offers one of the most remote experiences in Africa today. The camp is beautifully placed within the Kalahari Desert biome, at approximately 123 million acres, this reserve is the largest conservation area in the country and one of the largest in the world. This area is characterized by vast open grassy plains, seasonal dry lakes, wooded acacia islands, prehistoric scrub-covered dunes and fossil riverbeds. The Kalahari is famed for its outstanding wildlife with vast herds of antelope followed by abundant predators - including the legendary black-maned Kalahari lions. Kalahari Plains Camp is perfectly situated overlooking an immense seasonal lake. It comprises 8 en-suite canvas tents with a sleep-out platform above each from which to enjoy moonlit or star-studded nights. The

5 main area consists of a lounge and dining area with an inviting swimming pool and deck area. The tents and main area are all raised off the ground to catch the breeze and allow visitors to take in the views across the Kalahari. Solar power provides all the electricity and hot water in the camp - making Kalahari Plains a 100% solar-powered camp - and innovative insulated canvas walls and roof keep the temperatures inside the units comfortable. Thanks to the diversity of habitats, healthy game populations are present year round. With the advent of the summer rains (end of November to April) the desert truly comes to life with short grasses attracting a plethora of plains game such as springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, steenbok and red hartebeest. In turn these plains animals are followed by predators such as lions, cheetahs, and jackals. Small predators also found here are black-backed jackals, meerkats, Cape foxes, honey badgers and a myriad mongoose species. Some 220 bird species have been recorded to date. Guided game drives unlock the fascinating wildlife treasures found in this wonderful arid area. Visits to Deception Valley or even further afield are longer excursions that are well worthwhile, as the wildlife moves to different parts of the Park. Additionally, the camp offers an interpretive "Bushman Walk" with staff members, where guests gain life-changing insights into the unique culture of the Bushmen clans that have thrived in this area for centuries. Included Accommodation, all meals, twice daily scheduled camp activities: game drives, nature walks, bushman walk, outdoor dining, all house drinks (premium imported brands and Champagne excluded), laundry, park fees Amenities Ensuite Bathrooms, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge Facilities Available at an Additional Cost Premium imported brands and Champagne, curio shop items 19 DEC DEC 2017 Okavango Kalahari Maun Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (55 minutes) Maun Okavango Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (45 minutes) Okavango, Botswana The Okavango Delta is a safari icon, and in 2014, it was named to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list for its unique habitat and remarkable wildlife densities. Its landscapes are awe-inspiring: yellow grasslands, pristine papyrus filtered rivers, ivory palm trees standing tall above the savannahs, red sunset skies punctuated by fish eagle cries and great game viewing. It is a resilient system where drainage basins in Angola capture rain water in the African summer (December to March). But because Botswana is so flat, it takes months for that water to make it down the Okavango River and flood into the Kalahari Desert. The timing is perfect - it brings water to the Kalahari during the dry season (May through October) and becomes a key attraction for wildlife at this time of year.

6 Xigera Camp Xigera Camp (pronounced Keejera) is located on a riverine island positioned on the extreme western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve, in the center of the Okavango Delta alluvial fan. This magnificent area epitomizes the permanently flooded section of the Okavango Delta: with palm-filled hardwood islands, hardwood riverine forests, a multitude of clear water channels and expansive flood plains. Xigera Camp is a classic safari camp consisting of 9 luxuriously furnished tented rooms - each with en-suite facilities and an outdoor shower. Raised on wooden platforms and walkways, each tent offers superb views of the seasonal Okavango Delta floodplains and the lagoon. Guests are sometimes treated to close-up views of lion or leopard using the footbridge connecting Xigera Camp's island to the next! Meals and evening drinks are enjoyed in the lounge, pub and dining area overlooking a permanently flowing channel or under the stars in a traditional African boma. For those hot days there is a small plunge pool in which to cool off. Year-round water allows an unparalleled variety of activities such as mokoro trips, game drives and motorboat outings. A mokoro ride is mandatory at Xigera Camp. On this traditional dug-out canoe, the only sounds are the rustling of the wind through the reeds, the lapping of the water against the boat, and the call of the African fish-eagle. The blue of the sky is mirrored in the water, broken only by large round water lily leaves and their stunning purple and white flowers. When water levels permit, game drives are an attraction. During drier years, drives are available throughout the year, but if there has been a very high flood, drives take place only from late September to April. Although Xigera Camp is considered to be a permanent water camp, one may be surprised by the presence of lions, leopards, hyenas and buffalo on the islands. These animals will happily wade and swim between islands in search of food. Xigera Camp is a delight for birdwatchers, with Pel's fishing-owl, African skimmer, slaty egret, wattled crane and a host of raptors, other waterbirds and colorful kingfishers to be seen. One of the great secrets of the Xigera Camp is the presence of Okavango-born tribesmen as guides. Some of these men were born a stone's throw from the present location of the camp and know every turn and tree in this magical wetland. Included Accommodation, all meals, twice daily scheduled camp activities: game drives, off-road game drives, mokoro excursions, boating, nature walks, fishing, outdoor dining, all house drinks (premium imported brands and Champagne excluded), laundry, park fees Amenities Ensuite Bathrooms, Laundry Included, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge Facilities Available at an Additional Cost Premium brand drinks and Champagne, curio shop items, scenic helicopter tours, in-room massages 21 DEC DEC 2017 Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti Okavango Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti

7 Okavango Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (30 minutes) Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti, Botswana Located between the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, the Linyanti and Selinda private concessions, and the Savuti Channel are characterized by a lagoon system similar to the Okavango Delta s. The Linyanti and Selinda concessions are located in close proximity to two permanent rivers: the Linyanti River (Linyanti) and the Kwando River (Selinda). The rivers are prized sources of water for the surrounding wildlife, drawing migrations from drier areas for fantastic game-viewing. Slightly south of Linyanti and Selinda is the Savuti Channel a famously unpredictable channel which is by turns flowing and dry independent of rainy seasons. Since the last dry spell, which ended in 2008, the Savuti has been restored to a watery haven for elephants, water birds, and aquatic life. Each of these three regions is surrounded by open grassland, riverine forest, mixed woodland, and water which draw and sustain a variety of wildlife such as impala, kudu, giraffe, zebras, reedbuck, steenbok, warthog, baboon and vervet monkeys, lion, spotted hyena, and leopards. Enormous herds of buffalo and elephant are also a highlight of this area. Game drives in open four-wheel-drive-vehicles with naturalists and game cruising on the river by boat provide opportunities for excellent wildlife viewing and birding, as well. DumaTau Camp DumaTau Camp is a ten-room luxury tented camp located in the private 300,000-acre Linyanti Wildlife Reserve which borders the western boundary of Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. It is situated close to the source of the Savute Channel on one of the many lagoons within the Linyanti Swamp system, which makes game drives along the Savute one of the highlights of a stay here. DumaTau Camp lies under a shady grove of mangosteen trees, raised off the ground to overlook a large hippo-filled lagoon. The tents are spacious, under thatch with canvas walls, en-suite bathroom facilities and an outside shower. Guests can enjoy the night sounds of Africa from the comfort of their rooms, and shower under the stars. There is a dining room, pub, lounge, swimming pool and a special guest bathroom with a fantastic view. The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife, and is well-known for its elephant concentrations as they congregate along the waterways and lagoons during the dry winter months. General wildlife viewing is excellent year round including impala, wildebeest, red lechwe, Burchell's zebra, giraffe, Cape buffalo, chacma baboons, vervet monkeys, and warthogs. Predator sightings of lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and spotted hyaenas are good. Wildlife viewing is the primary activity at DumaTau Camp, either on day and night game drives or while on foot and on the water (levels permitting). Short nature walks can be taken along the Linyanti River and Savute Channel, while the camp's boat takes visitors along the waters of the Linyanti, with hippo and waterfowl. There are also a number of platforms and hides from which to view and photograph animals and birds. One of the best hides is right at the source of the Savute and many species of game and birdlife can usually be seen from this hide. Included Accommodation, all meals, twice daily scheduled camp activities: game drives, night drives, off-road game drives, nature walks, game-viewing hides, outdoor dining, seasonal motor boat and river barge, fishing, birding,

8 all local drinks (premium imported brands and Champagne excluded), laundry, park fees Amenities Ensuite Bathrooms, Laundry Included, Local Drinks Included, Pool, Recharge Facilities Available at an Additional Cost Premium imported brands and Champagne, curio shop items, scenic helicopter tours 23 DEC 2017 Johannesburg Linyanti, Selinda & Savuti Maun Scheduled Light Aircraft Transfer (1 hour, 15 minutes) Maun Johannesburg Commercial Flight (1 hour, 45 minutes) Johannesburg, South Africa (Departure Location) End Safari O.R. Tambo International Airport Johannesburg, South Africa Sofiatown. Joburg. Gold Reef City. This is the commercial capital of one of Africa's strongest economic engines, South Africa. Johannesburg was built on a gold mining town established in the 1800's, and you can still see the slag heaps within the city limits. If you are focused on a wildlife safari, your time should be kept to a minimum in Johannesburg. But if you have time to explore the city, it s definitely worth a stay. Feel the vibe of Soweto, for example (an acronym for South West Township), then we can organize a fun bike ride that takes you through the streets of Soweto and gives you a flavor for this colorful and energetic township.