BOTSWANA'S WILD KINGDOM ITINERARY:
Days 1 & 2, Saturday & Sunday - Depart for Johannesburg,
South Africa
Leave your home city bound for Johannesburg on Saturday.
Upon arrival Sunday afternoon you will be greeted and
transferred directly to your luxury hotel. The remainder of the
day is at leisure to rest after your long international flight
or to begin exploring this exciting city on your own.
Tonight enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner party to meet your
Travcoa Travel Director and fellow travelers learn about the
exciting events ahead
Days 3, Monday - Maun, Botswana & Okavango Delta
This morning we fly to Maun, gateway to Botswana. A small
aircraft will take you to an island deep within the Okavango
Delta, a rich swampland that supports an incredible variety of
plant and wildlife.
Regarded as one of the world's most beautiful camps, Eagle
Island Camp at Xaxaba (island of tall trees) is water based and
situated in the Central Delta. It lies on the banks of the Boro
Channel just south of Chief's Island, unspoiled and remote. The
camp is shaded by a canopy of indigenous trees, a cool retreat
from the African sun. This is one of the Delta's most pristine
natural locations, a region of myriad waterways, palm tree laden
islands and vast flood plains. Magnificent sunsets can be
watched from the camp's sunset cruiser or from the raised deck
overlooking the lagoon.
When the sun is about to set, the camp's 14-seat sunset cruiser
takes you on a journey through the Delta. You can enjoy the
birds, watch elephants bathing and mammoth hippos emerging from
the water before your return to the base, where you are welcomed
with a wonderful candlelight dinner served under the stars.
Your luxurious tent offers an en-suite bathroom and private
viewing deck. The air-conditioned tents on raised wooden decks
have luxurious and comfortable furnishings with ethnic themes.
There is a lovely bar in the main complex and an open-air, as
well as an under-cover dining and lounge area, with superb views
over the lazy waters, and a crystal clear swimming pool is
available for your use.
Day 4, Tuesday - Okavango Delta
Eagle Island Camp offers game viewing by mokoro (dugout
canoe), motorboats and walking trails. Attractions are geared
towards exploring the area's scenic and natural wonders.
The Okavango Delta consists of a multitude of main channels,
smaller tributaries and lagoons, as well as floodplains, islands
and mainland areas. The watercourses are constantly changing due
to annual flooding as well as a combination of sediment
movement, seismic activity, termite mounds, as well as the
opening and closing of channels by feeding hippopotami and
vegetation growth. There are two fairly distinct areas of the
Okavango Delta – the permanent swamp, which is inundated with
water all year round, and the seasonal swamp, which is flooded
annually and dries gradually with the inset of summer.
The vegetation of the permanent swamp includes groves of wild
date palm, swathes of papyrus, islands fringed with forest and
lagoons covered with floating water lilies.
We take advantage of Eagle Island’s unique and wonderful
excursion – a helicopter journey over Botswana's Okavango Delta
– offering fantastic photo opportunities for exceptional
wildlife sightings
Day 5, Wednesday - Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve
Fly to the Moremi Game Reserve and the Khwai River Lodge.
Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and fig tree forest,
overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the
Moremi Wildlife Reserve, sits the luxurious Khwai River Lodge.
Khwai is renowned for its large concentrations of mammals and it
is not unusual to see many different types of wildlife from the
comfort of your own private deck. As a year round destination
for wildlife, predators can regularly be seen in the area, rated
as one of the most prolific in Botswana for viewing wildlife.
The exceptional location of Khwai makes it a regular host to
elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dogs.
Birdlife can also be viewed in abundance with exceptional
sightings of wildfowl and raptors near the lodge.
Hippo, elephant and other big game animals can be seen from the
lodge and grounds, all other species that occur in this area can
be spotted and observed during the game drives and guided game
walks. Bird watching is excellent; it is a paradise for both
professional and amateur ornithologists.
Your tree-shaded luxury tent is covered with a thatched roof and
features an en-suite bathroom.
Day 6, Thursday - Moremi Game Reserve
At Khwai River Lodge, enjoy early morning and late afternoon
game drives (when conditions are ideal for viewing the wildlife)
in open 4x4 vehicles, as well as guided walks by one of the
experienced team of guides. Night game drives and star gazing
presentations are conducted after dinner.
In 1962, the local BaTawana people set aside a third of the
Okavango Delta to protect it for the future. This area, the
Moremi Game Reserve, now forms the core of the region's
reserves. Moremi is a lush and varied patchwork of lagoons,
shallow flooded pans, plains and forests. It is one of Africa's
finest areas for wildlife, with particularly high game
densities. The animals found here are numerous and relaxed,
often allowing vehicles to approach closely.
On the northeast tip of Moremi, Khwai River is a lovely area
where tall evergreen trees line a wide floodplain. It boasts an
excellent density and diversity of predator and prey species.
Recently there's been a large pride of lion here, hunting
buffalo and elephant, while leopard sightings are consistently
good.
This area is most famous for its raptor populations; Martial
Eagles, Secretary Birds, Bateleurs and a whole host of other
little raptors can be found here. There are wonderful water
birds to be found along the Khwai River, which is fairly open
and makes for easy birding. Birds to look out for include Purple
Gallinule, Saddle-billed Stork, Black Stork, King Fishers,
Slatey Egret and many little waders. In the surrounding woodland
there are a number of bird species, most notably Arnot's Chat
and Hartlub's Babblers. Khwai boasts over 300 bird species.
Day 7, Friday - Savute Channel & Chobe National Park
Today we fly to the Savute Channel in the heart of the Chobe
National Park. You’ll discover a diverse habitat and haven for
wildlife. Savute Elephant Camp is sometimes referred to as the
“elephant capital of the world.”
Perched on the former banks of the now dry Savute Channel, the
camp offers a spectacular bird’s eye view of elephants in their
natural habitat. With an adjacent water hole just meters away
from the camp’s main building, the area is made famous by the
massive herds of elephant and buffalo and significant prides of
lion that have become skilled at hunting large herbivores. It is
also renowned for high concentration of other predators such as
the endangered wild dog, leopard, cheetah and hyena.
Located in the northern Kalahari region, Chobe National Park
covers about 11,700 square kilometers and consists mainly of
dense thorny bush emerging from deep alluvial soils. Savute
personifies the eternal contrast of Africa. Where the first two
camps celebrate water and lush vegetation, Savute is an
objective lesson in aridity. Rain in this dry place is rare and
water is precious.
The highlight of this safari area is Chobe's animal migrations.
The animals move with the available food and water in the
district, exhibiting the ancient patterns of time. Many head for
open plains to the south and east during the rainy months
(December through March). Then, from April to November as the
land dries out and the heat builds, the animals migrate back to
the great rivers of the north and west.
Your luxurious tented accommodations are built on a raised teak
deck and include an en-suite bathroom and a wonderful view of
the water hole. Activities include daily game drives in open
Land Rovers and game viewing from a number of great hides in the
area. As the camp is situated in the Chobe National Park, park
regulations prohibit night drives and walking.
Day 8, Saturday - Chobe National Park
Savute is a tented camp in true African style. Each day in
this "elephant country" will bring new sights, sounds and an
experience that will truly never be forgotten. Early morning and
afternoon game drives in open Land Rovers are conducted from the
lodge.
Spurred northward by the aching dryness of the Kalahari, massive
herds of animals congregate along the sumptuous and cooling
floodplains of the Chobe River. Legions of elephants wallow in
the marshlands of the Chobe, joining squadrons of multicolored
birds that hover around the islands.
Savute Elephant Camp offers a unique dining experience in the
new boma, a traditional meeting place where senior tribal
members would get together for the Kgotla “meeting.” Typically,
traditional foods would be served during or after the
get-togethers. The Savute boma has been constructed to the
strict standards regulating all buildings within a National
Park, and offers spectacular vistas of the African night skies.
Dining in the boma brings you closer to nature within the heart
of a true "bush" environment.
Day 9, Sunday - Livingstone, Zambia & Victoria Falls
Today fly from Chobe National Park to Kasane, connecting to
a flight to Livingstone. Your stay in Livingstone will cap your
adventure as you explore beautiful Victoria Falls. Described by
the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as
Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the Smoke that Thunders,” Victoria Falls are a
spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the
Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as 546 million
cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the
height of the flood season), encompassing a width of nearly two
kilometers into the 100 meters deep gorge below. The wide basalt
cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from
a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series
of dramatic gorges.
Your five-star hotel lies in the lush, green-forested banks of
the Zambezi River. A stone’s throw away from the mighty Victoria
Falls, the Royal Livingstone overlooks the smooth waters of the
Zambezi, just before it plunges over the legendary waterfall
creating a permanent water spray. Relax on the sundeck
overlooking the forest as the Zambezi rainbows fill the air
creating an enchanting atmosphere. The hotel has been named as
one of the leading hotels in the world, due to its exceptional
level of service, fine dining, comfort and hospitality.
Day 10, Monday - Livingstone & Victoria Falls
Visit the Livingstone Museum, the country’s biggest and
oldest museum, dating back to the 1930s. It has five sections:
the Archaeology Gallery describes human evolution and cultural
development in Zambia; the Ethnography and Art Gallery shows
objects relating to the different cultures of the country; the
History Gallery includes the origins of the Bantu people, the
development of British colonial rule and the attainment of
independence; and the Natural History section shows various
indigenous animals in their natural habitat. The museum also
houses a large collection of David Livingstone memorabilia,
donated by the Livingstone family.
Explore the Maramba Cultural Center, an authentic tribal village
where people live and work. The remainder of the day is at
leisure for you to explore the beautiful area on your own. You
may want to take a walk through the rain forest on a well-marked
and paved path.
Tonight enjoy a farewell cocktail and dinner party with your
fellow travelers.
Day 11, Tuesday - Depart for Home
This morning we fly to Johannesburg (an intra-tour flight).
There you will connect to your flight home or onwards to your
next destination.
Day 12, Wednesday - Arrive Home
Flights bound for the United States arrive home today.
NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change
dependent upon local conditions and/or operational changes or
improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions within
each destination may also be altered to best accommodate
unscheduled closures, special events, weather, traffic, etc.
Please contact your Vacation Planner before scheduling any
coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated, itinerary
approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled
departure date.
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