Gems of Botswana DAY BY DAY ITINERARY classic safari info@deeperafrica.com www.deeperafrica.com Classic Safari At its heart, this trip follows the flow of water from the Delta to the desert to show you life s incredible and breathtaking adaptability. You ll witness elephants silhouetted against brilliant sunsets, as mokoros spirit you through lagoons to spot predators, rare antelope and wildly colored birds. Then this adventure takes you southward until the Delta s waters thin to a single source: The Boteti in the Makgadikgadi Pans. Dust flies as zebras race across the pans, leaving parades of elephants in the river. Witness the San, nomadic hunters and gatherers who are thought to be the most ancient ancestral group on the planet. To learn how they thrive in a seemingly endless plain of sand and salt is a wonderment, and a further example of how life survives at the edges of what seems barely possible. Welcome to Botswana. Photo credit: Charles Sharbel
SAFARI SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD DAY TRAVEL LOCATION CAMP Day 1& 2 Arrive in Maun Chobe River Front Chobe Elephant Camp Day 3, 4 & 5: Flight to Khwai Khwai Concession/Moremi Game Reserve Khwai Tented Camp Day 6, 7 & 8: Flight to Pom Pom Okavango Delta Pom Pom Camp Day 9 & 10: Flight to Meno a Kwena Makgadikgadi Pans National Park Meno a Kwena Camp Day 11 : Return to Maun Photo credit: Charles Sharbel
DAYS 1 & 2 CHOBE ELEPHANT CAMP CHOBE RIVERFRONT WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Elephant Zebra Buffalo EXPERIENCES Giraffe Wildlife viewing Lion Boating Leopard Cultural village visit Wild dog Sunset Cruise on Huena Chobe River Roan Sable More than 300 bird species The Chobe Riverfront is an elephant mecca; home to more than 50,000 elephants, it is the largest density of African elephants in the world. Chobe will leave you feeling positively Lilliputian as giant elephant bulls stroll up to your Land Cruiser or snorkel off the bow of your boat. It will make you feel lost as hundreds of hippos and buffalo crowd you out on the flood plains. It will put your heart in your throat as prides of lions stalk antelope by the water s edge, and it will leave you alone with your thoughts while the classic red sunsets melt over the river as you listen to a soundtrack of whistling fish eagles. Elephant Camp is located on the western side of the Chobe Riverfront known as the Serondela sector, so you ll still be in the park, yet away from the crowds of tourists that congregate further east. We want you to have the wilderness, the elephants and the wildlife to yourself. INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Photo credit:
DAYS 3, 4 & 5 KHWAI TENTED CAMP KHWAI CONCESSION/MOREMI GAME RESERVE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS EXPERIENCES Elephant Lion Wildlife viewing Cheetah Bird watching Leopard Night safaris Wild dog Walking safaris Buffalo Cultural village visit Giraffe Mokoro safari Hippo Day trip to Moremi Crocodile Game Reserve High diversity of antelope INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry A wonderful mix of ecosystems means substantial diversity in animal viewing at Khwai. You should have sightings of wildebeest, zebra, kudu, tsessebe, and elephants. There are stable populations of large predators like lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, and even some African wild dogs. From time to time you can also see leopard. This is also a good area to see roan and sable antelope. You can also venture out on the Khwai River in a traditional mokoro and into the lattices of lagoons and winding channels of papyrus that branch off. There is an abundance of malachite kingfishers in these water systems, and you ll see these beautiful birds diving and darting to catch fish. As you glide along, you ll see that the water is very clear in this system; you can see right down into the sandy bottom of the Kalahari. When you re ready to come back to land, have your guide take you out into the bush for a walking safari. Photo credit: Machaba Camp
DAYS 6, 7 & 8 POM POM CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Cheetah Leopard Lion Wildlife viewing Elephant Night safaris Giraffe Walking safaris Hippo Mokoro safari Honey Badger Fishing Bird watching Hyena Monkey Many species of antelope including lechwe, impala and tsessebe Pangolin Baboon Jackal Warthog Wild dog Wildebeest Zebra EXPERIENCES INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry As your Land Cruiser negotiates its way over the water to Pom Pom Island on a one-track wooden bridge, you can t help but be enchanted with the Okavango s remote beauty. There s a reason why the camp is renowned in the Okavango; at the headwaters of the Xudum river system, it is surrounded by a picturesque lagoon rife with wildlife. Hippo and crocodile are found in the deeper waters, and big predators such as lion and leopard, as well as buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest move through the area. If you are lucky, some of the nocturnal animals such as serval, civet and genet may be viewed on night drives. Birding enthusiasts will enjoy the regular sightings of Pels Fishing Owl, African Fish Eagle, Giant Eagle Owl and White Backed Vultures. Photo credit: Under One Botswana Sky
DAYS 9 & 10 MENO A KWENA CAMP MAKGADIKGADI PANS WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Lion Cheetah Elephant Hippo Wildebeest Zebra Giraffe Wild dog Jackal Brown hyena Springbok Hartebeest Gemsbok EXPERIENCES Wildlife viewing Day trips to Makgadikgadi National Park San Bushmen guided walking experience Floating hide Sunset game viewing river cruise On the almost opposite side of the ecosystem spectrum to the Okavango Delta resides Meno a Kwena in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. (Helpful pronunciation hint; ignore the k s.) Surrounded by the Kalahari Desert, Makgadikgadi is the largest network of salt pans in the world and all that remains of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi which dried up nearly 10,000 years ago. It is a magical land of absolute isolation. It is just you and the wildlife that has learned to adapt to these austere conditions. INCLUDED Breakfast Lunch Dinner Alcohol & Beverages Laundry Once the rains arrive, the dry salty earth pans burst with life; you can witness the second largest zebra migration in Africa (and the predators that are attracted to them) as the dazzle makes their way from the Boteti River -- the only source of water in the area during the dry season -- toward the young green grasses. The wet season also brings migratory birds such Great White Pelicans and spectacular showings of Greater Flamingos. A Magkadikgadi visit would not be complete without a search for meerkats. See if you can find a group -- or a gang -- of meerkats, a somewhat appropriate name given their bandit-like appearance. Photo credit: Natural Selections
MENO A KWENA CAMP MAKGADIKGADI PANS Genetic evidence suggests that the San (Bushmen) are one of the oldest peoples in the world, putting them at the root of the human tree. Their lifestyle remains firmly embedded in Paleolithic traditions, well-suited for the adaptations needed for the harshness of the dry season here in the Pans and Kalahari. To take a bush walk with San trackers is a rare chance to see how man survives in a landscape where it seems nothing should live. A two hour walk will allow you to observe San culture, beliefs, art, morals, law and custom of day-to-day living in an authentic state of nature. You ll learn San games, songs and dance moves only to discover that those foundation abilities will also support your nascent San hunting abilities, too. The experience also give you some basic survival skills, plant identification abilities and even some introductory language lessons into the San s variant of the Khoisan language with its fascinating (to our Western ear) click consonants. Photo credit: Natural Selections
COMMUNITY DAY X CAMP & PARK CONSERVATION INITIATIVES TRAVEL FOR IMPACT TRAVEL FOR IMPACT Botswana-based Travel for Impact aims to bridge the gap between the tourism sector and civil society, allowing visitors and tourism companies to give back to the communities who host them. This is responsible tourism. The organization believes that conservation and development start with people and communities, so Travel for Impact has created a channel for travelers and safari companies to support myriad community projects they ve initiated. Deeper Africa supports Travel for Impact by making a per-night/perbed contribution to the organization on behalf of all our travelers. If you d like to do something more, talk to us. Some travelers have packed gently used scarves, gloves and knit hats to donate to a Travel for Impact community effort called AGLOW - Polokong. Established several years ago, it assists the elderly disadvantaged in Maun who no longer have family to care for them. AGLOW provides food and care for the elderly throughout Maun, making house visits and spending time with them. When the weather turns colder, your donated items are critical to and very appreciated by those that receive them. There are many other projects that can use your help. Photo credit: Travel for Impact
DAY 11 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BUSH FLIGHT TO MAUN Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #1 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT #2 Departs: TBD Arrives: TBD Photo credit: Natural Selections
ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION INCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps All meals as specified in itinerary All park and entrance fees Wildlife viewing in 4x4 Land Cruisers, boat safaris, guided walking safaris, mokoro and night wildlife viewing where available Experienced and professional naturalist guides All in-country transportation Enrollment with SATIB Evacuation Service Laundry Alcohol & Beverages Beverages provided in your 4x4 vehicle Safe drinking water provided at all times Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list, and map 2018 Custom Departure Dates and Pricing January - March, December $6,899 USD per person Single supplement: $479 USD April - June 14 $7,699 USD per person Single supplement: $479 USD June 15-30 2018 pricing $6,899 - $9,299 USD per person $7,899 USD per person Single supplement: $679 USD Best Value EXCLUDED FROM YOUR SAFARI Gratuities July - October $9,299 USD per person Single supplement: $1,999 USD We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements. Arrivals and departures are into either Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe or Maun, Botswana. All pricing is in US dollars. Prices do not include international airfare. All itineraries and prices are subject to change. Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary. 5353 Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado 80303 303.415.2574 720.565.0512 fx www.deeperafrica.com classic safaris GEMS OF BOTSWANA