SIGNATURE WETLANDS BOTSWANA SAFARI - 10 Nights

Day 1: Maun to Jao Concession – Treehouse Safari Seclusion on Hunda Island

Fly from Maun to Little Tubu

 

The intimate Little Tubu Camp is hidden in the trees, built on stilts above Hunda Island in the private Jao Concession. Flooded plains roll out from your viewing deck, the lush colors complementing the greens of the forest. Animals congregate along the shallow banks, just beneath your tented tree house, providing a surreal introduction to authentic Africa. After landing in Maun, you’ll transfer to a light aircraft for a flight to Hunda Island in the west of the Okavango. When the Okavango floods, Little Tubu creates a dry refuge above the plains. There are only three treehouses, each with canvas walls to complete your immersion in the wilderness. Your safari experience starts from your viewing deck and continues with a short introductory game drive on the island; many animals are marooned, and there’s a tense battle between the resident leopards and the huge herds of red lechwes.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Little Tubu, airport transfer, safari, dinner

 

Day 2: Jao Concession – A Private Mokoro Journey Across the Floodplains

 

Jao Concession really changes with the seasons, the rising water levels transforming the plains into blue lagoons and reed-fringed waterways. It provides a wonderful impression of the Okavango during high water, the animals huddled onto palm islands, or migrating from the Kalahari to enjoy the bounty. Such a pristine environment encourages you to travel slowly and silently. So enter the mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe that’s paddled expertly by your gondolier guide. Circumnavigate the hippo pods, pass hundreds of lechwes taking a drink, admire a zebra skipping in the shallows, and twist through ancient channels in search of the big cats. The morning mokoro safari offers a tranquil journey that celebrates the wonders of the water. This is then complemented by an afternoon game drive around Hunda Island, where you discover the animals that lurk behind the waterline; in particular, Jao Concession has a legendary leopard population.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Little Tubu, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 3: Jao Concession to Shinde Concession – Spectacular Motorboat Safari Across the Okavango

 

For two days, you’ll have been admiring the details; the glint in a lion’s eye, gestures between rival male hippos, baby elephants playfully splashing beneath the camp. Today’s motorboat safari provides a celebration of scale. You cross the floodplains, wind down the waterways, and connect the lagoons. Hippos and elephants are seen in the hundreds, perhaps in the thousands. Buffalo herds and giraffe towers regularly grace the journey. Up to a dozen antelope species are seen along the banks. Your destination is Shinde, a private concession in the center of the Delta. Close to Moremi Game Reserve, this is where the battle between predator and prey is at its magnificent best. After leaving at sunrise, you should arrive in time for lunch, which is followed by a few quiet hours and an afternoon game drive in the concession.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Shinde Camp, transfer, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Days 4 – 5: Shinde Concession – The Best of Land and Water-Based Big-Game Safari

 

Hiding amongst the open floodplains and permanent water is Shinde Camp, where your tented chalet provides elegant vistas and luxurious accommodation. Despite the proximity to the world-famous Moremi, there’s a real sense of seclusion here. Throughout the day, you can simply sit back and watch a private nature documentary. But that’s only for part of the day, as Shinde Camp offers a very rounded collection of safari activities. Create your own safari program with the expert guides, choosing a mix of land and water-based activities to gain an impression of the Delta’s big-game heart. Mokoro and motorboat safaris remain available, complemented by exhilarating game drives across swamps and grasslands. These can continue during the night, providing a rare opportunity to discover the Okavango’s nocturnal world. Walking safaris add further charm, another tranquil means of getting incredibly close to the wildlife.

Shinde Concession is where lions roam, prowling prides beautifully juxtaposed with spirals of the forest. Nomadic herds cross the floodplains, with the water reflecting elephant trunks and buffalo horns. Zebras and wildebeests move en mass, an inspiring sight when you’re drifting off on a private viewing deck. And like every day on this signature safari, none of these animals are seen in isolation. This isn’t an animal tick-list experience, with the guide rushing to take you around as many sights as possible. Go slow, watch redolent scenes play out, and appreciate the interaction between animals. Baboons shout, alerting a herd of kudus to a hiding leopard. The antelope run, setting off a chain reaction of fear, causing a zebra herd to thud their hooves into the mud. With three nights here, you’ll discover how the Okavango world reflects nature at its untouched best.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Shinde Camp, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 6: Vumbura Reserve – Safari Chic in a Legendary Private Reserve

 

A light aircraft provides a very different impression of scale, especially when the Okavango is flooded. This is a natural phenomenon that’s visible from space, one that dances with enchantment when seen from the air. Today you gaze down onto the endless lagoons, spot elephants as the plane swoops low, and touch down in the iconic Vumbura Reserve. Located in the north of the Delta, this private reserve is where the floodplains meet the woodland, blurring the habitats and attracting a sublime wildlife cast. Most famously, Vumbura is known for the daily battles between lions and buffalos, something you might even see from your decadent suite at Vumbura Plains Camp. You have a private plunge pool overlooking the floodplains, a palatial suite with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and a shower beneath the stars. This is one of Southern Africa’s finest lodges, a kind of safari chic on a landscape with a legendary animal abundance. Like Shinde, the safari program is personally tailored, and a full range of activities is available (note that the density of big cats means that walking safaris are only intermittently available).

• What’s Included: accommodation at Vumbura Plains Camp, domestic transfer, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner
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Days 7 – 8: Vumbura Reserve – Iconic Big Cat Safari on the Floodplains

 

Three lionesses rile the herd, dragging out the big buffalo males in an attempt to separate a young calf. It’s more than a game of cat and mouse, because when the entire herd charges, a lion doesn’t stand a chance. On another drive, you watch a pride hunt for zebra, harassing the herd into a frightened gallop that sends a young female straight into a preplanned ambush. Sometimes you watch the scene through the eyes of the hunter, admiring the precision of every movement. From another vantage point, you can appreciate the tension amongst the hunted or the fearful glances shared between individuals. There are two sides to every battle and Vumbura Reserve gives you both.

Safari activities don’t just bring drama. There’s also the cute and enchanting, like the sitatungas hiding themselves in the water, or the horned oryx skirting the edge of the woodland. Birdlife is diverse and abundant, while a collection of primates adds another layer to the experience. Tranquility accompanies every day, the sounds and smells of the wild drifting across the floodplains to your private deck. A safari in Okavango is always an adventure, but in private concessions like Shinde and Vumbura, it’s also an escapist journey that helps your mind and body unwind.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Vumbura Plains Camp, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 9: Linyanti Concession – Surrounded by the Elephants of the Chobe Forest

 

Your final safari stop is on the far northern edge of the Okavango Delta. The flooding hasn’t reached here for many years, but it’s still a destination that celebrates the atmosphere of a spectacular ecosystem. When water comes to the desert, animals migrate to feast on its bounty. Linyanti Concession is on a busy migratory route, with thousands of elephants and antelopes passing through on a weekly basis. After a very short flight north, you settle into Kings Pool Camp. Named for Scandinavian royalty, Kings Pool overlooks the handsome oxbow-shaped Kings Pool Lagoon in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve bordering Chobe National Park. The camp’s nine luxurious tents (including one family unit) each boast a large bedroom area and lounge leading out onto a veranda with a private plunge pool and thatched sala from which to soak up the gorgeous views and possibly even spot elephant crossing the channel. The spacious en-suite bathrooms have double showers and hand-basins, as well as an outdoor shower for those who wish to shower ‘in’ nature!The spacious main area comprises a lounge, dining room and a convivial bar beautifully set on expansive raised decks. There is also a pool and an open-air 'kgotla' for evening dining under the stars.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Kings Pool Camp, domestic transfer, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 10: Linyanti Concession – In Search of Wild Dogs

 

Predators abound in Linyanti. Often elusive leopards and cheetahs are almost always spotted on a 3-day stay. Lions roam freely, and you’ll have lost track of how many prides this safari has provided. A new safari highlight comes in Linyanti’s exceptional wild dog population. Hunting in packs, these animals are becoming one of Africa’s rarest sights. They’re the focus of today’s game drive. Spot resplendent coats drifting in and out of the woodland, follow the echoed calls as the pack sets off on a hunt, and discover another side to a safari in the Okavango. Ten days is just a start; it would take more than ten years to discover everything that’s taking place in this remote wildlife world. And that’s why safari is so special.

• What’s Included: accommodation at Kings Pool Camp, safari, breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 11: Linyanti Concession to Kasane – Departure

After your morning activity you have a light aircraft flight to Kasane International Airport arriving in time for your homebound flight.

Type of Safari

Custom Itinerary for singles, couples, families & groups

 

Accommodation style

Luxury Lodge

 

Duration

10 nights/11 days

 

Countries

Botswana

Included

• Accommodation on a shared basis
• Scheduled activities and all internal charters 
• Soft drinks, mineral water, fruit juice, house wine and beer, as well as local spirits such as gin and Amarula 
• National Park fees 
• All meals, drinks and activities while in lodges on safari
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• Laundry

 

Excluded

• Flights (other than specified in the detailed safari itinerary)
• Visas 
• Compulsory comprehensive insurance 
• All relevant entry and departure Government taxes 
• Gratuities 
• All personal purchases (including curios, spirit liquors, telephone calls, etc.) 
• Optional extra activities 
• Pre and post safari tours 
• All other travel arrangements pre or post the safari and any new Government taxes 
• Levies 
• Fuel or industry increases which are beyond our control

 

Vehicle

Lite Aircraft, 4x4 safari vehicle, Motorboat, Mokoro

Please send us info on the safari/s you are interested in, your preferred dates, how many adults and children [+ ages] and we will come back to you with a detailed quote.

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