Leader | Darren Rees and local camp guides |
Flights | British Airways/SA Airlink scheduled
Outbound: Overnight, Heathrow – Maun
Inbound: Overnight, Kasane – Heathrow (Outbound and inbound via Johannesburg) |
Days 1-3 | Fly overnight to Johannesburg, then fly via Maun to Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari Reserve for
wildlife tracking and watching with the San Bushmen - 2 nights Deception Valley Lodge. |
Days 4-5 | Fly to the heart of Okavango Delta for game and bird viewing from boats, plus bush walks - 2 nights Setari Camp. |
Days 6-8 | Fly to Khwai. Bird and game viewing on night drives and bush walks in Moremi Reserve and Khwai Concession area - 3 nights Sango Safari Camp. |
Days 9-10 | Fly to Kasane. Game drives and river cruise Chobe National Park - 2 nights Chobe Elephant Lodge. |
Day 11-12 | Journey to Kasane for flight to Johannesburg, then overnight flight to UK, arriving on Day 12. |
Weather | Mostly warm dry and sunny, but can be chilly at night and on early morning game drives, when warm clothes are
needed. |
Walking | Is easy throughout over flat trails, so only a reasonable level of fitness is required. Bush walks are restricted to specified areas in the Parks/Reserves, always with an experienced guide. |
Agility | A reasonable level of agility will be required as guests will be travelling in game vehicles and small charter planes. |
Health | Botswana is a low risk Malaria area. Please take advice from your local travel clinic/doctor about Malaria prophylaxsis. |
Meals | All included from lunch on Day 2 to lunch on Day 11. |
Insects | There will be few insects, but repellent is advisable. |
Accom | Exclusive ensuite tented camps or chalets. Please note that single accommodation is not possible at Deception Valley Lodge or Sango Safari Camp. Should single rooms become available at these locations then a further supplement will be applicable. |
Group | 12 |
Soak up the atmosphere, as we watch herds of elephants,
big cats and maybe even African Wild Dogs, in the iconic
Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert.48uep6bbph|00000E4E|Spey_BESQL3|HolidayTypes|Subheading 48uep6bbphidval|BOTSWANA
| * Experience the unspoilt wilderness of the Delta and Desert
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| * View elephant herds in the world famous Chobe National Park
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| * Chance of seeing endangered African Wild Dog and Brown Hyena
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| * Pel’s Fishing Owl, Rufous-bellied Heron and Wattled Crane
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| * Local guides who know the Okavango and Kalahari intimately
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| * Scenic flight over the Okavango and cruise on the Chobe River
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| * Stay in tented camps and chalets, right in the heart of the wildlife
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Days 1-3 | We begin our exploration of Botswana in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the second largest protected wildlife area in the world. The Kalahari is characterised by vast open spaces, endless horizons and sparse grasslands dotted with camelthorn trees.
The wildlife is suited to the dry habitat, offering some unique sightings, including desert-adapted Gemsbok (Oryx), Red Hartebeest, Eland (Africa’s largest antelope), Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe and Greater Kudu. We may see predators such as Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Caracal and African Wild Cat and scavengers such as Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena and Black-backed Jackal. Smaller animals include Springbok, Steenbok, Warthog, Grey Duiker, Slender and Yellow Mongoose, Honey Badger and Ground Squirrel and nocturnal species such as Aardwolf, Aardvark, African Civet, Small Spotted Genet, Porcupine, Springhare and Scrub Hare are found. All this will be seen on game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles, night drives and walks with experienced guides, who will introduce us to the art of tracking.
A special experience is meeting a small community of San Bushman who will enthusiastically share their culture, tracking and hunting skills, as well as their extraordinary knowledge of the veld and the animals that live there.
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Days 4-5 | Next, we’ll wing our way to the heart of the Okavango, the largest inland delta in the world. The only way to view the vastness of the Delta is by air and our flight over the delta will be a highlight of the trip! Water from the Angolan Highlands flows directly into the Kalahari Desert here, forming a sea of papyrus-lined waterways, and palm-studded islands and with no vehicles here, we shall be transferred to our lodge by boat.
We explore this wonderful area by motorboat, in mekoros (dugouts) and on bush walks on Little Duba Island, accompanied by a local guide. The focus here is on peace and tranquillity (stalking game on foot provides all the excitement you could wish for).
Birds encountered may include African Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, African Crake, Tropical Boubou and Meyer’s Parrot and most exciting of all - Pel’s Fishing Owl. Elephant are here, as are Hippo, Crocodiles and ever-present Red Lechwe. Ostrich, Kori Bustard and Northern Black Korhaan are the most prevalent of the larger birds in the Kalahari, but there are many other species, including the beautiful Violet-eared Waxbill and its colourful parasite, the Shaft-tailed Whydah.
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Days 6-8 | We fly on to the wildlife-rich region near the Khwai River, which forms a natural boundary between the Moremi Game Reserve and the Khwai Concession, where game animals travel freely between the Reserves.
We shall go out on game drives in open vehicles, on guided bush walks and on night drives. The riverside and floodplains, together with the mopane woodlands and palms, makes the Khwai area one of the most scenic in the Okavango and the river hosts a high density of Hippopotamus and some large Nile Crocodiles.
We shall need to be lucky however to see the top predators: Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and Wild Dog, two packs of which frequent this area. Other wildlife includes Giraffe, Zebra, Tsessebe and Red Lechwe (a swampland specialist), while Roan and Sable Antelopes favour the more dry-land habitats.
This is another of Botswana’s birding mecca’s, with large raptors and waterbirds being particularly abundant. After dark we’ll head out in search of nocturnal wildlife with spotlights and we shall also explore the surrounding wilderness on foot.
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Days 9-10 | Our holiday continues with an exploration of Chobe National Park, where the broad, meandering river draws numerous herds which come to drink here in the dry season. Sable and Puku Antelope, Cape Buffalo and large herds of Elephant are likely and with luck, African Wild Dog and Leopard too. The herds of Buffalo that congregate on the floodplain are stalked by prides of Lion and Chobe has one of the highest Lion densities in southern Africa. Birdlife is abundant and on our river cruise we should see a plethora of kingfishers and bee-eaters, as well as African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed Stork, Long-toed and African Wattled Lapwings, Collared Pratincole and African Skimmer.
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Days 11-12 | We shall have to tear ourselves away from the magic of Chobe and journey to Kasane for our onward flight to Johannesburg and overnight flight back to the UK, arriving on Day 12.
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Just some of what we hope to see..
Elephant | Sable Antelope | Ostrich |
Lion | Greater Kudu | Kori Bustard |
Cheetah | Oryx | Black Korhaan |
Leopard | Springbok | Wattled Crane |
Caracal | Red Lechwe | African Jacana |
African Wild Dog | Meerkat | Pel’s Fishing Owl |
Spotted Hyena | Aardvark | African Fish Eagle |
Brown Hyena | Warthog | African Skimmer |
Cape Buffalo | Hippo | Meyer’s Parrot |
Giraffe | Nile Crocodile | Malachite Kingfisher |
"So many I don't know where to start: Being awakened at 1:30am on my first night in Africa
(Kalahari) by the deep roaring of a lion! Watching antelope, zebras, warthogs and a giraffe
come to the waterhole in front of Deception Lodge. Cruising the Okavango delta seeing so
many wonderful birds and towering beds of papyrus. Close encounters with leopards at
Sango and Chobe, including a close view of a mating pair, and watching a female leopard
being harassed by 6 jackals that were trying to drive her away from a watering pool. Floating along the Khwai river in a Mokoro boat, with elephant mothers and calves crossing the shallow river just in front of us. Watching a family of young lions in Moremi reserve, playing tug of war with a large stick! Watching 3 young hyena pups at their den being attended by their mother and other females; and realising how large hyenas really are! Seeing Honey Badger and porcupines around the camp at Deception valley; and going on night safaris in Khwai concession to see Genet, Wild Cats, and Springhares. I could go on; I'd better stop!" Pam Litton
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"There were so many highlights. One of my favourites was on our last morning, unexpectedly finding a wonderful powerful leopard who strolled past our vehicle to take a long drink at the water hole. 3 jackals in the area spotted her and started a harassment campaign with the leader bravely circling the leopard, yapping loudly. The lead jackal called for reinforcements and before long 6 jackals formed a vocal circle around the water hole and leopard. The leopard gave them a disdainful glance as she completed her calm drink and then elegantly strolled off into the bush. Another moment: Sitting low down in the water in a makoro watching a whole herd of elephants cross in front of us. One of the young elephants took one look at us and hid behind his mum for the crossing. His legs were so short he was almost swimming across" Jane Nickerson
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"This was our first trip to Africa and we were not disappointed. As usual Speyside provided
us with excellent accommodation, amazing experiences and brilliant guides. Special
moments included : Our first lion, or should we say pair, sitting in the shade next to the
track. Leopards resting and another pair mating. Wow. Then another going down to the river at Chobe to drink, and being hounded by six Jackals. We will never forget that howling
sound. Going down the River Khwai in Mokoro dug outs, with elephants crossing in front of
us, and our knowledgeable boatman pointing out a ground squirrel. Sitting on our balcony at
Sango Safari Camp looking across the river, we watched a herd of elephants, numbering 20
plus, coming to drink and wash. Also, going through the back waters/avenues, at Setari
Camp, with pampas grass either side of you, especially coming back at dusk at high speed
which was very exhilarating. There were lots more magic moments, including birds, night
drives and brilliant company too. A holiday experience which will be in our top Speyside
three, and in our memories forever. Thank you" David and Franky Perry
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"Nigel: Arriving at our first accommodation, Deception Valley Lodge, after only a 5 min drive from the landing strip, and seeing a Honey Badger running across the grass. I had really been hoping we'd see one on this trip, and there it was - right in front of us!
Di: The amazingly close and intimate viewings of leopards throughout the holiday, even on our last morning, the privilege of watching a group of lions for about an hour as they played together, a Spotted Eagle Owl running along the road in front of our vehicle on our night-drive. The boat trips on the river at Setari with huge numbers of birds and mammals, Springhares bouncing around like kangaroos and a beautiful Wildcat on another night-drive. A relaxing mokoro boat trip , seeing birds and mammals at eye-level while being skilfully 'punted' along by our guides. About 50 elephants crossing the road in front of us on our last morning. An amazing trip!" Di and Nigel Hardcastle
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"There were so many holiday highlights; here are a couple: I really hoped to catch a glimpse of a Honey Badger in Botswana. We saw one streak across the road in front of us one day and I thought that had been my one and only view of this lovely animal. However, a few days later we came across a lovely pair trying to flush out a small rodent for their meal. They worked as a team for several minutes while we sat in our safari vehicles watching them at work. The female did most of the work and flushed out the little rodent leaving the male to do the final job of catching it. He missed! One very grumpy female Honey Badger. We saw more at our last lodge, trying to steal food put out for the porcupine. Honey Badgers are renown for being fierce but when faced with the quills of the porcupine they retreated until the porcupines had finished their meal! Stepping out of my room early one morning, I was greeted by a lovely lioness. She had brought down a Kudu by herself and was guarding it to ensure her three cubs had enough to eat that day. I spent a lot of time watching her from my room until rescued by the camp guides who took me to breakfast by jeep to ensure I missed the buffalo as well as the lions. Dodging elephants, lions and buffalo to get to breakfast and dinner became the norm at Delta Camp but at no time did we feel threatened or scared - just very privileged to share their world at close quarters." Jane Nickerson
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"Leopard up a tree. Lion kills feeding cubs. Giraffes on alert for lions." Martin Warren
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"As always, so many highlights its hard to choose, watching from a canoe as a hippo yawns, Delta camp, the staff at Sango singing their own version of traditional songs, elephants shaking trees to displace the fruit." Sarah Sharland
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"This trip was probably the most exciting trip we have done with Speyside and we have done over 30 in the last 20 years! There were many highlights, but being told at dinner on Steve's birthday at Delta Camp that we had had a visitor at our cabin to find it was a lioness on a kill later joined by her 4 cubs was amazing! Fitting about 26 people into our cabin ( tree house) to watch next morning was very funny! Seeing Pel's Fishing Owl, our target bird,was brilliant, especially as the Okavango Delta was much drier than usual due to lack of rain in Angola earlier in the year and we thought they would be difficult to find. Local knowledge came into it s own here. Watching four porcupines gobbling up vegetable leftovers on the lawn in the dark whilst we ate our evening meal was surreal. Just so many memories, before we went we had worried it wouldn't live up to our expectations as our previous trip to Botswana was great, but it did, and some! THANK YOU!" Lynn & Steve Osborne
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"Every thing . Trip to quote Tina was simply the best!" Jayen Behenna
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Will shall be staying in exclusive ensuite tented camps or chalets
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This is a luxury lodge close to the Okavango Delta with chalet accommodation. What makes Deception Valley Lodge special, is the rare opportunity to meet and explore this remarkable environment with Bushman Guides of the Naru-speaking tribe, one of the oldest cultures in Africa. The lodge is private and restful. Each stilted unit stands separately and is connected to the main lodge by wooden walkways.
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Tucked deep within the main ‘artery’ of the Okavango Delta on a picture-perfect palm island you will find this lovely camp. Setari Camp is Setswana for ‘Tree’ and has been lovingly designed to integrate the giant riverine forest and palms trees which dominate the island. Winding walkways, high above the ground, interlink the tents, dining/sitting room, pool and gym, creating a massive tree-house from which to marvel at the panoramic views over the crystal-clear channels and papyrus beds beyond.
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Sango Safari Camp is nestled in the shade of the trees overlooking the Khwai River. Situated on the outskirts of the traditional village of Khwai and bordering Moremi Game Reserve, the camp offers guests the perfect base from which to explore the wildlife and culture of this unique habitat. This intimate safari camp was named after the Sango Family – some of the original inhabitants of the Khwai area, who collaborated with Bush Ways to develop the camp. Accommodation is in ensuite Meru tents, With its open-air showers, handcrafted furnishings and classic styling Sango Safari Camp aims to rekindle the atmosphere of the luxury mobile safari camp, successfully blending the rustic with the luxurious.
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Perched on the edge of a rocky ridge overlooking the famous Chobe River, presenting a unique design, Chobe Elephant Camp has been built to take advantage of the incredible views overlooking the sweeping floodplains. Chobe Elephant Camp has been designed to capture the feel of the traditional Farmstead located in the African wilderness. Polished floors, exposed wooden beams and weathered furniture capture the feel of rustic charm. Mix this with some contemporary style and the lodge has a unique feel of old meets new and offers the guests something different and unique.
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Accommodation may be subject to change.
Please Note: Electricity can not be guaranteed everywhere; some camps will have generators which will only be on a certain times of the day.
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