Namibia Safaris: Botswana and Namibia Epic

Botswana and Namibia Epic ~ 14nt/15 day ~ 5 Camp

Tour direction: Livingstone, Zambia to Windhoek, Namibia
Combination Wilderness Safaris lodges, hotel and fully serviced Discoverer camping in private concession areas.

ITINERARY

Day 1: The River Club, Livingstone, Zambia
On arrival in Livingstone we are met by a Wilderness Safaris representative and transferred to The River Club.

Enjoy an afternoon guided tour of the Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. At 1708 metres wide, it is the largest curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge.

Your guide will meet you in the reception area at 18h00 for a safari briefing, welcome drink and then dinner. We overnight at the exclusive River Club.

The River Club is situated on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, 18 kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls. The camp has a distinct Edwardian flavour and guests here have the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River in a peaceful and tranquil setting away from the crowds. Ten luxurious, thatched chalets overlook the Zambezi River, and have en-suite facilities including a bath, shower, toilet and basin. All the rooms have fans. The rooms are all completely open in the front giving guests the best possible views of the Zambezi. The main dining room and lounge also has an interesting library. Daily trips to the Victoria Falls are a highlight. Boating to the Zambezi River’s islands provides relaxed afternoon activities, and fishing and sundowner trips are offered. A rich bird life is found in the area. Hippos are regularly
sighted (and heard) along the river’s edge.

Days 2 & 3: Chobe River boat cruise & Linyanti Discoverer Camp, Linyanti Concession
We leave Zambia and enter the Chobe National Park in Botswana by way of the Kazangula border, a point where the four countries of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet.

Chobe National Park is famous for its vast herds of elephants in the dry season and unique species such as the elusive puku and Chobe bushbuck that move to the river in the hottest hours of the day. Enjoy a lunch served on the boat cruise in a catamaran-style shaded boat.

We fly by light aircraft to the private Linyanti Concession then game drive to our private Discoverer camp. This exclusive campsite is elegantly set up under large shade trees overlooking panoramic vistas of the Linyanti Swamps.

The landscape of the Linyanti varies from floodplains to open dry land savannah and forested habitat with sweeping views, creating a paradise for a high diversity of wildlife and bird species. Activities include game drives in the private northern sector of the Concession, exploring a range of habitats, from riverbanks to scrub and forest, which reveal a myriad of wildlife en route to slake their thirst from the river. The seldom-seen sitatunga can also be spotted in the waterways, as well as rare plains game such as roan and sable antelope, and of course their predators, the lion and leopard – with the endangered wild dog as an incredible bonus.

There’s also a game drive to a private area for lunch, then a siesta in hammocks and the possibility of an afternoon canoe trip, before returning to camp at dusk. (This activity is not always possible, as it is dependent on whether there are hippo pods moving in and out of the areas in which we canoe.)

Days 4 & 5: Ketumetse Trails Camp, North-eastern Okavango Delta
We depart this morning by aircraft to our superb Ketumetse Trails Camp. Ketumetse is located in the south-western sector of the Selinda private concession, in the seasonally flooded portion of the Okavango Delta where it joins into the Selinda Spillway.

Accommodation is in 6.3m x 3.5m walk-in hexagon Meru-style tents (maximum of two guests per tent). The tents are airy with the beds facing the best view and are beautifully designed to recreate the accommodation of the early explorers, with brass shower buckets and richly coloured teak director chairs. Separate bedside tables with 12v reading lamps, canvas and wood wardrobes, bathrobes, comfortable beds, flushing toilets and mirrors are provided. Camp amenities (conditioning shampoo, soap, shower gel and body lotion) are elegantly displayed for use and private, en-suite separate toilet and shower areas are part of the main structure.

The area in which the camp is located is scenic with generous shade provided by leadwood and russet bushwillow trees. Open floodplains and woodlands spread out in front of camp. Activities concentrate on nature walks and canoeing, providing a superb view from the canoe of big game coming to the waters edge to drink. Game drives (by day and night) are possible and often reveal sightings of the rare roan and stately sable antelopes, in addition to an array of other general game species. Seasonally, “catch and release” fishing is offered as an alternative activity.

Days 6 & 7: Xigera Mokoro Trails, Okavango Delta
We depart by light aircraft transfer to Xigera Mokoro Trails Camp. There is no better way to experience the Okavango than to travel through it by mokoro, walking and camping out on a vegetated island – all essential elements of the Xigera Mokoro Trails experience. The experience is aimed at exposing the permanently flooded inner Delta, in the serene waterways and on the islands of trees and bush. Our guest tents are specially adapted to the unique environment, with larger gauze side panels, which offer a scenic view into the spectacular Okavango Delta surroundings. A battery-powered lamp provides light in the evening and stretchers are provided in the tents.

Activities include mokoro and walking safaris, which enable up-close encounters with the excellent diversity of birdlife (including Pel’s Fishing Owl), frogs and a myriad of game species, some specially adapted to water, such as the rare sitatunga and the familiar red lechwe. Walking activities vary in length and duration through the seasons, especially in the months when the Okavango is at peak flood where they become shorter (June, July and August) as more islands become flooded.

Days 8 & 9: Ongava Tented Camp, Etosha National Park
Enjoy a scenic air charter over the shimmering wilderness of the Okavango Delta to the Etosha National Park. This flight includes some border crossings; therefore we make stops in Maun, Botswana and Grootfontein, Namibia to clear immigration formalities. At Ongava, we experience the pinnacle of Namibian game viewing – yet accommodated in the privacy of an exclusive bush camp situated on an extensive private game reserve, Ongava, just outside Etosha.

Activities include day and night drives, walks and game viewing from hides. Within Etosha we visit numerous perennial springs and pans, encountering a myriad of differing species.

Ongava Tented Camp comprises 10 large comfortable walk-in tents, each with en-suite facilities, including flush toilet and a hot shower. All meals are enjoyed in the thatched dining area that overlooks an active waterhole. There is also a small pool in which to cool off during the heat of the day.

Days 10 & 11: Damaraland Camp, Damaraland
We depart Ongava Tented Camp and drive to Damaraland Camp. This interesting journey travels westward, leaving behind the flat expanses of the shimmering white pans and entering the rock-strewn landscapes of Damaraland.

Damaraland is a land of stark desert beauty. Early morning mists, generated by the clash between the icy Atlantic Ocean and the warm desert air of the Skeleton Coast, drift inland along the canyons, providing sustenance to the flora and fauna of the region. Rare succulent plants abound in this harsh countryside. Our activities include explorations on foot, by mountain bike or 4x4 vehicles, viewing springbok, gemsbok and ostrich, and tracking the unique desert-adapted elephant.

Damaraland Camp accommodates guests in 10 comfortable tented rooms, with en-suite facilities including flush toilets and showers with hot and cold running water. (Laundry facilities are limited due to the low rainfall in the area). The dining room and pub are combined under canvas, and an open fire is enjoyed on calm evenings. A lovely feature of the camp is its unique rock pool.

Day 12: Hansa Hotel, Swakopmund
Travel by road to Swakopmund, a journey of approximately 280 km and 6 hours of interesting scenery. On the way, we are treated (time allowing) to remote petrified forests and a combination of 4 different geological periods and the diverse array of lichen species. This all-day excursion with lunch en route ends with our arrival at Hansa Hotel.
 

The grand three-star Hansa Hotel forms part of Swakopmund's architectural culture and dates back to 1905; it is said to be one of the oldest buildings in the town. It is ideally situated in the centre of Swakopmund within easy walking distance of town and the beach. The luxury of the hotel, its excellent cuisine and friendly service are well known and appreciated countrywide and overseas.

Days 13 & 14: Kulala Wilderness Camp, Sossusvlei
From Swakopmund, travel by vehicle Kulala Wilderness Camp, enjoying awe-inspiring views of the mountains and the desert floor – on a clear day you can see the fog banks of the Skeleton Coast. En route, we enjoy a lunch close to the Khomas Hochland escarpment, reaching onto sweeping vistas below.

One of the most enduring impressions of this area is the early morning light on the sea of vivid orange dunes of Sossusvlei, some as high as 300 metres. Afternoon activities include nature walks, drives to scenic viewpoints and marvelling at the unique Namib fauna and flora in the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve.

Kulala Wilderness Camp lies at the foot of a mountain facing west to catch the majestic Namibian sunsets. It comprises 9 tents on elevated wooden decks which are linked to the main dining room, bar, reception area and swimming pool by pathways. The interiors are simple yet stylish and each tent has 220V lighting and an en-suite bathroom with solar-heated water. There is a fully stocked bar and traditional 3-course dinners are served. At night, lanterns light up the main area. On the edge of the oldest desert in the world, wildlife here is sparse but fascinating. Sightings of animals such as springbok, gemsbok, ostrich, bat-eared fox and aardwolf are exciting in these rugged conditions.

Day 15: Windhoek, End of Safari
Travel by road to Windhoek International Airport where the journey ends at your hotel or the Hosea Kutako International Airport.

Tour operates in opposite direction, please inquire for dates

ADDITIONAL SAFARI NOTES

International air connection onto the safari: If arrival is planned for the day of the safari’s departure, please ensure that this is with the earliest possible flight from Johannesburg. Arrival on a later flight may necessitate additional road or air transfers (as the main group’s departure for the first camp/lodge will already have taken place), subject to extra cost.

International air connections leaving the safari: Please ensure that your departure flight is booked for after 12h30 from Livingstone. For earlier international departure flights, an additional transfer will be required to arrive for this connection. Extra transfers and flights are subject to extra cost.

Flashlights/ torches: Please ensure that a minimum 2-D cell flashlight is brought on safari, with spare batteries. Head lamps are also useful. Wilderness Safaris does not supply flashlights.

Camera battery charging facilities: Please note that a 12V cigarette lighter adaptor will be required (that is compatible with camera make) on this safari for charging batteries while on game drive or transfer drives. 110/ 240V outlets are available at the fixed lodges; however Xigera Mokoro Trails, Linyanti Discoverer and Ketumetse Trails Camp only have 12V electricity.

Dietary requirements and special occasions: Due to remote locality of Adventurer camps, please ensure that full dietary requirements and special occasions are advised at the time of your booking confirmation.

A unique and contrasting combination of two of the most beautiful countries in the world, this Exploration lives up to its name. It explores the wide open spaces of Namibia, taking in the awe-inspiring dunes of Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert, the stark beauty of Damaraland and the wildlife-rich area of Ongava Game Reserve. Guests then enter another world entirely: the lush green waterways of Xigera in the Okavango Delta, the ephemeral Selinda Spillway linking the Delta and Linyanti, and the Linyanti area itself, famed for its prolific wildlife in a variety of vastly differing habitats. A night at The River Club on the banks of the Zambezi River is a fitting end to a true voyage of exploration.

The activities provide a wide range of differing impressions, from the meandering Okavango Delta channels, the vast white expanses of the Etosha Pans, to hiking and cycling in Damaraland, walking in the Namib’s great dunes and the diverse game populations of the Linyanti Reserve.

This safari combines the exclusive superb lodges of Wilderness Safaris with the remote locations of private Discoverer campsites and the Adventurer-style Xigera Mokoro Trail.

The style of accommodation in the private Discoverer campsites takes you back to the era of Africa’s exploration. Pure linens of heavy cottons, brass bucket showers and basins, separate flushing toilets and shower areas all add to the atmosphere, while comforts and amenities are elegantly provided.

Discoverer camps are specifically outfitted to ensure that old-style camping feel with a clear emphasis on necessary and stylish comfortable interiors, creating a peerless wilderness experience.

Adventurer camping (Xigera Mokoro Trails) aims to bring the guest closer to nature, by means of lively campfires, hurricane lanterns, diverse activities and a warm atmosphere permeating the camp with its simple comforts. Adventurer camps are specifically outfitted to create an authentic camping experience in a remote location, based on essential comforts and pristine wilderness experience.

Adventurer bathrooms: There are 2 short-drop toilets and 2 bucket shower enclosures at Xigera Mokoro Trails.

Guides: The entire safari is guided and hosted by 2 professional trained guides (1 for Namibia and 1 for Botswana), each with in-depth information and experienced knowledge, creating an unsurpassed seamless safari experience.

Exclusive experience: Most areas in which we travel are private concessions, with Adventurer and Discoverer campsites being for the sole use of Discoverer guests. At the lodges and hotels en route we have the chance to meet other Wilderness Safaris guests.

Routes: To maximise guests’ travel time, a variety of travel modes that bring out the best of each area is used: flying in air charters and private overland transfers provide both a bird’s-eye view and an in-depth experience of the contrasting landscapes of Namibia and Botswana.

Transfers: 4 x 4 tracks in wilderness areas are not maintained, take time to navigate and may be bumpy. As a result certain game/ road transfers can take all day with lunch en route.