16 DAY BOTSWANA BUSHMAN EXPLORER ADVENTURE

Trip Description

16 DAY BOTSWANA BUSHMAN EXPLORER ADVENTURE

Trip Itinerary Overview:                                                             African dwarf frog safaris

Explore Tsodilo hills so named the World heritage site by UNESCO. These hills are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Basarwa (San) peoples of the Kalahari. Get to see an experience more than 4500 rock paintings against the magnificent stone faces of the Tsodilo Hills. Witness the large salt pan in the middle of the dry savannah of north-eastern Botswana which is Makgadikgadi salt pans. Acquaint yourselves at the rock which is engulfed by the white sea of salt which makes it to remain as an island jutting in the middle of the flats the Kubu Island.

The unique Okavango delta by mokoro, it is the great diversity of plant and animal life that makes Okavango delta so well known. The Moremi game reserve contains within its boundaries approximately twenty per cent of the Okavango Delta. The myriad of rivers, lagoons, channels, and islands of enormous trees consequently support an abundance of exotic bird and mammal life. The Savute marshlands offer year-round game viewing with incredible concentrations of wildlife; the famously feuding predators; and the infamous gangs of elephant-hunting lion. If you want to experience the marrow-curdling roar of a lion Savute’s is the place and herds of elephants in Chobe & One of the 7 wonders of the world the VICTORIA FALLS.

Trip Highlights:

Duration: 15 Nights / 16 Days

1 Night Maun

1 Night Tsodilo Hills - rock paintings /Bushmen

1 Night Maun

2 Nights Nxai Pan – game viewing

1 Night Lekhubu Island - baobab trees

1 Night Maun

2 Nights Moremi – game viewing

2 Nights Khwai – game viewing/ mokoro (dug-out canoe) excursion

2 Nights Savute –game viewing/ Savute marsh

1 Night Chobe –game viewing/ boat cruise                                                

1 Night Vic Falls

All inclusive: meals, activities, accommodations and drinks.

Type of accommodation: mobile en-suit tented camping and lodging

Minimum: 2ppl        Maximum: 8ppl            COST: $4,230.00, - (for 2p, excl. tickets)

• NB: Luggage Soft sided duffel bag / 20kg maximum inclusive of hand luggage

Trip Daily Activity:

Day 1:                                                                                     MAUN-LODGING

Arrive in Maun international airport where African Dwarf Frog Safari Tours representative will meet you at the terminal and transfer you to where you will be accommodated. Maun is the gateway to one of the best wildlife experiences you will ever have, a safari in the unforgettable Okavango Delta.

Maun has grown rapidly from its early days as a small, rural frontier good shopping centres town and has now spread along the wide, Thamalakane River. It now boasts, hotels and lodges as well as car and 4-wheel drive vehicle hire. However, it retains a rural atmosphere and, as befitting its role as the hub of the Delta's safari industry travellers pass through here on their way to the Okavango Delta. It is the southernmost part of the Delta and boasts a river tributary of the Okavango called the Thamalakane River. It is our home and this frontier “village” certainly puts things into perspective before travelling to the wilderness.

You will be staying in a lodge for 1 night on bed & breakfast basis. Lunch & dinner at (own expense), after checking into the lodge that afternoon you may take a scenic flight over the Okavango delta or mokoro, dug-out canoe (Own expense),which is optional. Keep a look out for Hippos in the waterways and Elephant and Buffalo in the shade of the trees. Observe how the water channels meander their way through the Delta in ever changing paths as this Dynamic water system evolves. The vastness of this pristine wilderness is breath-taking. Lodge Accommodation [breakfast x 1]

Day 2                                TSODILO HILLS - FULLY SERVICED CAMPING

Depart to Tsodilo Hills after breakfast it takes about 4 hours from Maun to Tsodilo hills. We stay there for 1 night visiting different hills the flat barren landscape of the western Kalahari, some 50km west of the village of Sepupa on the banks of Panhandle, the sheer quartzite cliff-faces of the four Tsodilo Hills rise majestically above the surrounding savannah. The four hills form a line and are referred to by the San people as "The Male" - the largest hill which reaches a height of 410 meters above the surrounding plain; "The Female" - a smaller hill, about 300m, but has an overall area of almost three times that of The Male; and the next in size of 40m is referred to as "The Child" and lies about 2km away from The Female. Beyond these three is a much smaller unnamed knoll, located 2.2km northwest of The Child, which legend has it was The Male Hill's first wife who was discarded when he met and married the taller Female Hill.

The enigmatic and spiritual quality of the hills was noted by the famous author Sir Laurens van Der Post in his book "The Lost World of the Kalahari". It was here that Sir Laurens's cameras inexplicably jammed, his tape recorders ceased functioning and his party was attacked by swarms of bees three mornings running. When he learned from his guide that two of his party had disturbed the Tsodilo spirits by ignoring long-established protocol and killing a warthog and a steenbok while approaching the sacred hills, Van Der Post buried a note of apology beneath the panel of paintings that now bears his name and it was apparently accepted. Camping [Lunch x 1, Breakfast x 1, Dinner x 1]

Day 3:                                                                         MAUN - Lodging

In the morning wake up early for a beautiful sunrise, come back for breakfast and we put down the camp before we depart to Maun. We will arrive in Maun in the afternoon and accommodation is in a lodge for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis. Lunch & dinner own expense. Those who feel like going to town may go to buy their necessities for the Nxai which will be the following day, while those remaining behind may rest by the pool side. Lodging [Breakfast x1]

Days 4 & 5:                NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK - Fully serviced camping

We depart to Nxai National Park via Maun after breakfast. We will do a day trip to Baines baobabs. The Baines Baobab trees derive their name from Thomas Baines (who was a member of the Livingstone Expedition); he painted a group of Baobab trees that became famously known as the ‘Baines Baobabs’ The Baobabs store up to 120 000 liters of water inside the swollen-looking trunks, to ensure survival in the rough, dry conditions that often affect Botswana.  Safaris in this area make the most of the surrounding conditions, and your Botswana safari should not miss the terrific Baines Baobab trees. We camp wild at Nxai for 2 nights enjoying some superb wildlife.’ Camping [Lunch x 2, Breakfast x 2, Dinner x 2]

Days 6:                                  LEKHUBU ISLAND - Fully serviced camping

After breakfast we depart to Kubu Island in the Makgadikgadi Pans, it is one of the uniquely beautiful features of the pans. This granite outcrop, growing up from the surrounding flat salt pans as one approaches it is about three stories high and a kilometer long. It is situated in the southwest of Sowa Pan. It is a crescent-shaped island with terraced slopes and fossil beaches of wave-rounded pebbles, indicating the prehistoric lake's erstwhile water levels.

Decorated with a display of ancient, gnarled baobabs on top and surrounded on three sides by a seemingly endless stretch of salt pan, Kubu Island looks like the birthday cake of a wild giant witch. The road is a bit long we drive through vast open land very beautiful to see, it is quite amazing area. We will have a quick lunch on the way and we will arrive at Kubu Island at 16.00pm, we put up camp, here you will have opportunity to walk around and explore the Kubu Island. Kubu Island is an amazing place with lots of Baobabs and beautiful rocks to climb and view the salt pans from above, the sunset is spectacular, you can also walk to the middle of nowhere, by being in the middle of the salt pan. Camping [Breakfast x 1, Lunch x 1, Dinner x1]

Day 7:                                                                            MAUN - Lodging

In the morning wake up early around 6.00am for a beautiful sunrise, come back for breakfast and we put down the camp before we depart to Maun at 08:00am. We will arrive in Maun in the afternoon and accommodation is in a lodge for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis. Lunch & dinner own expense. Those who feel like going to town may go to buy their necessities for the mokoro excursion which will be the following day, while those remaining behind may rest by the pool side, dinner is at (own expense). Lodging [Breakfast x1]

Day 8 & 9:                           MOREMI GAME RESERVE–Fully serviced camping

Early breakfast and then we will drive to South Gate, the entrance to the Moremi Game Reserve at Xakanaxa area, where most travellers describe it as the "best game park in Southern Africa". We will make camp in the bush for 2 nights in the private camps around the area. We will make various game drives and bird watching photography in the area.

The Moremi Game Reserve lies in the eastern corner of the Okavango Delta. One of the most beautiful and diverse of all the great game reserves of Africa, it protects both huge concentrations of wildlife and incredible scenery. The reserve consists of both seasonally-inundated areas such as Xakanaxa, and drier areas such as Khwai. On this safari, we will set out to reveal some of the secrets of this dynamic ecosystem. Camping [Breakfast x 2, Lunch x 2, Dinner x2]

Day 10 & 11:     KHWAI-MOREMI GAME RESERVE–Fully serviced camping

The safari day starts as the sun rises. Your wake-up call will be at sunrise a knock at the entrance to your tent. A camp assistant will be on hand to fill your wash basin with steaming hot water, and freshly made tea and coffee will be served around the campfire. Just enough to boost your energy without using up too much of the golden hours of early morning. Since this is one of the best times of the day to see the game. Sometimes we can experience them passing through our camp or maybe some predators chasing after their kill.

The Khwai Concession is a large area dominated by Mopane forests on the north eastern edge of the Okavango Delta. For another safari experience you will drive in the northeast tip of Moremi for another camping site at Khwai. As a privately managed concession Khwai gives you access to unrestricted game viewing, night drives that will give you a glimpse into the marvels of wildlife at might. This surely has to be among the destinations of choice due to the flexibility of its tours. We will spend two nights, and on the last day, mokoro excursion in the Khwai River is also on the program. Camping [Breakfast x 2, Lunch x 2, Dinner x2]

Day 12 & 13:     SAVUTE-CHOBE NATIONAL PARK–Fully serviced camping

Following an early breakfast, we pack up the camp and continue our journey to Savute area. Savute borders the Okavango Delta to the west and the Chobe National Park to the east, stopping for a bush picnic lunch en-route. The Savute is noted for the shifting shapes and transience of its most important landmarks: the Savute Marsh and the Savute Channel which supplies it.

The Marsh itself is one of the most exciting wildlife destinations in Africa – anything can, and often does, happen there. Rising above the otherwise level landscape of Savute are the Ghoha and Gubatsa Hills which hide perfectly preserved San Bushmen paintings. The Savute hills have a very healthy population of leopard and the best time to see them is either at first or last light as they leave their stony refuges to hunt in the surrounding bush. We will be spending 2 nights with meru tented accommodation in one of the private camp sites in the area. Camping [Breakfast x 2, Lunch x 2, Dinner x2]

Day 14 & 15:                CHOBE NATIONAL PARK–Fully serviced camping

Leaving this parched landscape, we continue our journey north to the contrasting Chobe region of the park. We spend the last two nights camping in a wilderness campsite near the Chobe River, exploring the riverbanks and surrounding flood plains on game drives. On Day 15 you will enjoy an afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe River which departs from Kasane.

Chobe National Park is one of Africa’s finest game sanctuaries. Situated in the far north of Botswana, Chobe encompasses a wide variety of habitats that are home to a breath-taking variety of animals and birds. The lush Chobe River Front is renowned for its abundance of elephant – almost certainly the highest of these magnificent creatures to be found anywhere in the world. Chobe is also noted for its huge herds of buffalo, its rich birdlife and exquisite sunsets reflected in the ripples of the river. It all adds up to an un-missable wildlife experience. Camping [Breakfast x 2, Lunch x 2, Dinner x2]

Day 16:                                     ZIMBABWE - VICTORIA FALLS- Lodging

Optional extension (with guests own expenses)

Extend your trip by one day and visit the magnificent Victoria Falls during a day tour!