Savour the natural wonders and game viewing opportunities in Botswana’s legendary wildlife sanctuaries, with this 11-days itinerary that will take you through exclusive tented camps in the Khwai community & Xudum River areas (Okavango delta), Linyanti Game Reserve (Chobe Enclave) and Nxai Pan National Park.

Safari operates: All year round except February

Safari duration: 11 days

 

Safari covers:

 

• Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)

• Khwaï community area in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)

• Xudum River in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)

• Linyanti Game Reserve in the Chobe enclave (Botswana)

• Nxai Pan National Park (Botswana)

 

Accommodation: Luxury semi-permanent camp

Safari Style: Authentic African Safari

 

Access

 

• Safari starts in: Maun (Botswana) and ends in Kasane (Botswana) both locations are accessible from Johannesburg International airport with Air Botswana. Check out our detailed map with regional access information.

• Safari Duration: 11 days

• Safari operates: all year-round except February

• Group size: Minimum 2 persons sharing, maximum 8 to 10 persons per group.

• Children: are accepted from the age of 7.

Safari Itinerary

 

Itinerary at a glance:

 

• Day 1 – 4: Nxai Pan National Park - Nxai Pan Mobile Tented Camp (3 nights)

• Day 4 – 6: Khwai Community Area - Khwai Tented Camp (2 nights)

• Day 6 – 9: Xudum River in the Okavango Delta - Kanana Camp (3 nights)

• Day 9- 11: Linyanti Game Reserve – Chobe Enclave - Linyanti Bush Camp (2 nights)

 

Detailed safari Itinerary:

 

Day 1 – 4: Nxai Pan National Park – Nxai Pan Mobile Tented Camp (3 nights)

 

On arrival into Maun, you will be met and transferred by road to Nxai Pan National Park where you will spend your first three nights.

 

The area: Situated 130km South East of the Okavango Delta, The Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans consist of a system of saltpans which once formed the largest inland lake in Africa, dating back over 50 000 years. The Makgadikgadi and Nxai pans were once the centre of the lake that has been dry for at least two thousand years, and is today thought to be the largest of the saltpans in the world. The Nxai Pan National Park is over 2,100 square kilometres. Today Nxai Pan is a flat grass covered pan dotted with islands of clustered Acacia Tortilis trees and Mopane woodland in the North, where an amazing array of wildlife can be found.

 

The Wildlife: Nxai Pan is well known for its huge Springbok population and extraordinarily large herds of Giraffe with up to 30 in a group. Also to be seen are the blue wildebeest, gemsbok, eland, greater kudu and red hartebeest. The more commonly seen predators are the spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard and jackal with the elusive brown hyena a rare treat. The rainy season, generally November to April, is when Nxai Pan is truly at its best and the birdlife during this time is exceptional. The noisy black Korhaan is the hallmark of Nxai Pan and small raptors such as Kestrel and goshawks abound. Read More »

The camp: Our luxury mobile-tented camps offer twin-bedded luxury accommodation in spacious, insect proof Meru style tents, with bush-bucket shower/en-suite toilet facilities. A separate tent is set up for breakfast, brunch and dining. All tents are set up prior to your arrival by our partner teams. Read More »

 

Day 4 – 6: Khwai Community Area in the Okavango Delta – Khwai Tented Camp (2 nights)

 

After your Nxai Pan safari you will be transferred back to Maun airport. Upon arrival at Maun airport you will connect with a charter flight over the Moremi Reserve. When you reach the Khwai airstrip, you will be game driven through the Khwai Community Area to the Khwai Tented Camp where you will spend the next two nights of your safari adventure.

 

The area: Khwai is a private community run concession on the eastern border of the Moremi Game Reserve. The Khwai River forms a boundary between the reserve and the community area and the river is the sole source of water for miles around, attracting wildlife species from afar to its banks to drink. As this camp is community run, all proceeds from tourism go directly to assisting local people and aiding local projects through the Khwai Community Trust.

 

The activities & wildlife: The camp is on an exclusive site on the banks of the Khwai River within the community area. In addition to usual day game drives, as this is a community concession, the camp is able to conduct night drives which are not usually permitted in the National Parks or Game Reserves. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. There is the added opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and enjoy up close personal encounters with the flora and fauna. The vegetation here is quite different from the Western section of Moremi where Leadwood and Mopane woodlands occur in close proximity to open grasslands and the Khwai River. Wildlife encountered includes predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, as well as a multitude of other animal species, including elephant, buffalo, zebra, hippo and giraffe to name a few. Read More »

 

The camp: Kwhai Tented Camp has the romance of a mobile camp, where there are no permanent structures and everything can be removed to leave the wilderness exactly as we found it, having little or no impact on the environment. In this remote wilderness area you will enjoy spacious and comfortable tented accommodation with beds and private en-suite bathrooms. Read More »

 

Day 6 – 9: Xudum River in the Okavango Delta - Kanana Camp, (3 nights)

 

After an early morning activity at Khwai Tented Camp you will game drive back to the Khwai airstrip from where you will be charter flown to Kanana Camp. Upon your arrival at the Kanana airstrip you will game drive to the camp for the next three nights of your safari.

 

The area & wildlife: Kanana is a hidden jewel set on the Xudum River in the southwest Okavango. The area encompasses a necklace of islands dotted with palms, figs, ebony and knob thorn, and is home to a myriad of birds, plants and animals. The area is an excellent walking and Makoro area. By game viewing on foot and by Makoro, you do not have the noise of the vehicle and therefore will experience the bush in its true form. Kanana camp is one of the few lucky camps in the Okavango Delta to have an exclusive heronry where many migratory water birds come to have their young from July onwards using the area as a nesting site. The birds you are likely to see roosting here are yellow-billed stork, marabou, open billed stork, darters, cormorants and slatey egrets. There are regular sightings of the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl, a prized sighting for bird lovers. In addition, a wide variety of game frequents the islands around Kanana camp including impala, lechwe, lion and elephant amongst others. Kanana is also the best place to see the elusive sitatunga antelope, a rare Delta antelope with special adaptations that allow it to live in the Delta.

 

The camp: At Kanana Camp guests are accommodated in eight spacious, twin-bedded safari ‘Meru’ style tents, set on raised teak decks, offering breath-taking views across the waterways. Dependent on the annual floods, the level of water transforms this dry camp into a true water experience and in the early months of the year you may actually enjoy the visible spectacle of the water rising up around the camp. All tents offer en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water, shower and flush toilet. The tents are well-spaced affording privacy, whilst still being within comfortable distance from the central dining and lounge area.

 

Day 9- 11: Chobe Enclave - Linyanti Bush Camp (2 nights)

 

After an early morning activity at Kanana Camp you will game drive through to the airstrip where you will connect with your charter flight to Saile airstrip. Upon your arrival at Saile airstrip you will game drive through the Chobe Enclave to Linyanti Bush Camp for the next two nights of your safari adventure.

 

The camp: Linyanti Bush Camp is a small, intimate 12 bedded tented camp on the banks of the Linyanti marshes in a private reserve, which borders the western boundary of Chobe in the Chobe Enclave. The camp is limited to small exclusive groups who seek a personalized experience in a private concession away from the main tourist’s routes. Activities from the camp consist of game drives, walking, spot lighting and hides. This safari camps provides the perfect atmosphere for an authentic and wild safari experience. Read More »

 

The area & wildlife: The area is best known for its large populations of Elephant and buffalo that congregate during the dry season. Lion, sable, roan, leopard, wild dog, and a number of the plains game can be enjoyed at Linyanti. The rare and elusive sitatunga antelope, red lechwe, hippo and crocodile can be found in the surrounding marshes. The Linyanti Swamps are one of the most attractive areas in the park as it is the only source of water in the dry months resulting in diverse wildlife entering the area in large numbers throughout the year. The area’s relative remoteness makes it a favoured wild safari destination and one of the best sought after areas in Northern Botswana. The area also offers spectacular birding all year round. Read More »

 

Day 11: Linyanti – Kasane Airport

 

On Day 11, after a delightful activity at Linyanti Bush Camp, you will game drive through to the Saile airstrip for your charter flight to Kasane airport in time for your onward travel arrangements.