Botswana Safaris > Zambia SafarisBest of Botswana & Victoria Falls11 NIGHT ITINERARY
Day 1. Light aircraft transfer from Maun Airport to Kalahari Plains Camp. Accommodation based on 2 nights.
Kalahari Plains Camp is situated in a remote part of the diverse and productive Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) and offers some of the best summer wildlife viewing opportunities in Africa. Located in the Kalahari Desert biome in the central part of Botswana, this reserve is the largest conservation area in this country and at 5 million hectares (12 million acres), one of the largest in the world.
The camp is beautifully situated on an immense pan and comprises 10 en-suite canvas units with a sleep-out above each one from which to enjoy the night skies. The main area with lounge, dining area and central bar also has a swimming pool and deck area. The tents and main area are all raised off the ground to catch the breeze and take in the sweeping, spacious views across the Kalahari. Solar power provides electricity and hot water – making this camp 100% solar-powered – and innovative insulated canvas walls and roof keep the temperatures inside the units comfortable. Thanks to the diversity of habitats, healthy game populations move through the area and are present to a greater or lesser degree all year long. But it is the summer months (end-November to April) with the advent of their rains that the desert truly comes to life. Short grasses sprout in the pan systems and fossil riverbeds and plains game such as springbok, gemsbok and wildebeest converge in their hundreds and thousands here to feed. This of course attracts predators such as lion and cheetah; in fact the abundance of game at this time of the year also leads to thrilling lion and cheetah hunts to be seen. During winter, the Kalahari is typically a dry desert-type system, with general game still easily seen including gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest and steenbok as well as their predators such as lion, one of the highest concentrations of cheetah in southern Africa, leopard, brown hyaena and even caracal.
Guided game drives unlock the fascinating wildlife treasures found in this wonderful area. Kalahari Plains offers an interpretive "Bushman Walk" where guests gain life-changing insights into the unique culture of this fascinating people.
Kalahari Plains is easily combined with the Okavango Delta and Linyanti regions to provide a comprehensive Botswana experience – and in summer it is simply unbeatable as a wildlife destination. Day 3. Light aircraft transfer from Kalahari Plains Camp to Chitabe Lediba. Accommodation based on 2 nights.
Chitabe Lediba is a very comfortable five-roomed tented camp in an enormous concession that is bordered on three sides by the Moremi Game Reserve. The area is surrounded by waterways and lagoons and a variety of wildlife can be seen. Accommodation consists of five spacious and luxuriously appointed East African style tents that have en-suite facilities with flush toilet, a shower and basin with hot and cold running water. Each room is on a raised deck and has an outdoor shower also. There is a dining area, lounge and pub with superb views overlooking the surrounding flood plains, and a small pool. Activities consist of game walks, day and night game drives in open 4x4 vehicles accompanied by an experienced guide. Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Reedbuck, Buffalo, Giraffe, Impala, Kudu and Hippo are among the major game attractions of the area. Wild dogs are also sometimes sighted. Access into this area is only by aircraft.
Day 5. Light aircraft transfer from Chitabe Lediba to Little Vumbura Camp. Accommodation based on 2 nights.
Little Vumbura Camp is a beautiful 6-roomed tented camp situated to the north of Mombo in a private reserve bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta. Little Vumbura offers both water and land activities. Mokoros (dugout canoes) traverse the flood plains under the guidance of our experienced polers. Open 4x4 Land Rovers allow guests to get close to animals in the savannah areas. Guests usually have the opportunity to see Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Sable and Buffalo, along with all the plains animals, providing an excellent all-round wildlife experience in this remote corner of the Okavango. Walks (on request basis only) around the islands as well as night drives give guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective. The 6 tented rooms are large and comfortably appointed and each have an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold running water, a shower and flush toilet. The camp has a plunge pool. Access into this area is only by aircraft and then guests are transferred by means of vehicle and then mokoro or boat to the camp from the airstrip.
Day 7. Light aircraft transfer from Little Vumbura Camp to Selinda Camp. Accommodation based on 3 nights.
Selinda Camp is situated in The Selinda, a 1350km2 private reserve that straddles the Selinda Spillway. This ephemeral waterway links the Okavango Delta in the west to the Kwando/Linyanti river system in the east. Here are found the vast, game-rich floodplains and ancient forests of the Selinda and the Zibadianja Lagoon – source of the Savute Channel. With only 28 guests permitted in this enormous swathe of wild Botswana, The Selinda must be one of the most sparsely populated pieces of wildlife habitat anywhere in Africa. The camp is built on a shady island overlooking the waters of the eastern Selinda Spillway. The camp comprises 8 (9 on request when required) large, luxury tents are erected under cool thatch canopies, with all units having exceptional views across palm-studded floodplains. The twin or double tents are spacious and beautifully appointed with furniture and features that have been collected from around Africa. Four-poster mosquito nets and overhead fans are standard. Each tent has en-suite facilities, including a romantic stone bath that is a highlight of the bathrooms. The bathroom is uniquely "open air" with lots of natural light, yet is screened and virtually bug-proof. The main area consists of a series of expansive decks that invite soaking up the spectacular views and wildlife that are a visual constant of the camp. The design of the main area is such that there is never a barrier to these views: whether guests are relaxing in the lounge, having brunch under the cool shade of the uniquely designed thatched roof, or sampling the fine cuisine of a three-course dinner on the open "star deck". Set apart from the main area is the photo/art gallery built above a temperature-controlled wine cellar and curio shop. Guests can also enjoy a small plunge pool and the traditional campfire. While there is no set routine, daily activities revolve around morning, afternoon and night game drives with experienced professional guides in custom-built 4x4 Land Cruisers and canoeing along the Zibadianja Lagoon and down a channel from the Selinda Spillway. Short walks from camp are encouraged. Accompanied by an armed professional guide (all walking guides are in possession of a Botswana "Full Professional Guide" licence), these walks give guests the chance to "touch the Earth" and be introduced to some of Africa’s less prominent denizens. The Selinda is host to a wide variety bird species (300+) and wildlife, including several species of antelope, hippo, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, cheetah, wild dog, lion and plenty of elephant. Night drives allow guests to see such nocturnal species as the small cats, porcupine, springhare, hyaena and perhaps even the elusive leopard.
Day 10. Light aircraft transfer from Selinda Camp to Kasane Airport. Light aircraft transfer from Kasane Airport to Livingstone Airport. Scheduled road transfer from Livingstone Airport to Toka Leya Camp. Accommodation based on 2 nights.
Within the western sector of the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park lies Toka Leya Camp, some 12km up from the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. At 1708 metres wide, Victoria Falls is the most expansive curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge. The Tonga and Makalolo peoples lived here for centuries before the Falls were ‘discovered’ by David Livingstone in 1855, who named them after his queen. Its local name – after which the national park is named – is Mosi-Oa-Tunya, "the Smoke that Thunders," which describes accurately the huge spirals of spray that can be seen 30km away.
The camp overlooks the mighty Zambezi River and some of its islands and comprises 12 spacious en-suite safari-style tents. Wooden walkways snake between the units and main area, limiting our footprint on this pristine area. Tent interiors boast cool wooden flooring, tasteful, uncluttered African décor in earthy hues, climate-control for a cool summer sanctuary and an expansive wooden deck from which to soak up the views of the Zambezi River. The camp's dining, lounge and bar areas offer ample space for relaxation and are complemented by an infinity pool. The novel pizza oven is a great hit with our younger visitors! A curio shop exhibits a fine selection of local crafts and a variety of spa and massage treatments are available.
Activities include a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, game drives within Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, river cruises from the camp, guided nature walks and visits to the David Livingstone museums and Simonga Village. Other activities on offer in the area at an additional charge include sunset cruises on outsourced boats such as Lady Livingstone & African Queen, helicopter flights, micro-lighting, canoeing, jet boating and white water rafting. Game drives into the Mosi-oa-Tunya Park offer sightings of general game species such as buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala. White rhino have been reintroduced into the park and the occasional predator is also seen. There is rich birdlife here too, including several sought-after species such as African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Skimmer (seasonal), Schalow’s Turaco and Rock Pratincole (seasonal). Good birding can be enjoyed within the confines of the camp itself, on boat cruises and out on game drives. The Zambezi River offers some fishing opportunities and tiger fishing is an unforgettable challenge for keen fishermen, particularly during the warmer months (October - December). There are several varieties of bream (Tilapia) which are a good catch. Day 12. Scheduled road transfer from Toka Leya Camp to Livingstone Airport. Rates: Based on 2 persons sharing
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