11 DAY KALAHARI ADVENTURE EXPEDITION TOUR

Trip Description

11 DAY KALAHARI ADVENTURE EXPEDITION TOUR

Itinerary Overview                                                                     

This Ultimate Desert & Delta safari expedition takes you on an exploration of some of the most dramatic areas of the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari in Botswana, showcasing the best in wildlife and fauna by water and land based activities. These affordable safaris are designed for those on a budget and who really want to immerse themselves in the African bush on a safari adventure. This do-it-yourself safari is the perfect way to experience an authentic mobile camping safari.

During the 11 days on this departure, travellers will experience the vast remoteness of the Makgadikgadi Pans and Kalahari Desert, a place of endless horizons and four-thousand-year-old inverted trees. The first overnight will be in Boteti River Camp. The camp itself is basic but has been voted as one of the top 10 most extraordinary places to stay in the world by Lonely Planet and quite rightly so. Enjoy a variety of awesome activities, from baobab bushwalks, to quad bike expeditions and game drives in the spectacular Makgadikgadi Pans. Shake off the heat of the day and the dust of the desert in the largest, coolest swimming pool in the Kalahari. Spend some time with the local Batswana people and learn a little about the way of life in this extraordinary part of the world.

Trip Highlights:

Duration: 10 Nights / 11 Days

1 night Boteti River Camp - overnight

3 nights Central Kalahari Game Reserve

2 nights Makgadikgadi Pan game viewing

1 Planet Baobab – overnight

3 nights Moremi Game Reserve                                                                                     

All inclusive: meals, activities, tented camping accommodations and soft drinks.

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

Minimum: 2ppl        Maximum: 6ppl            COST: $5,720.00 - (for 2p, excl. tickets)

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

Trip Daily Activity:

Day 1                                                                            BOTETI RIVER CAMP

You will be staying in a lodge for 1 night on bed & breakfast basis. Located on the outskirts of Khumaga village, Boteti River Camp is easily accessible whether driving from Maun, Nata, Kasane, or Khama Rhino Sanctuary making it a not-to-be-missed and easy addition to any Botswana safaris offering fantastic contrasts with the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. At Boteti River Camp, you will get to explore one of the world’s largest salt pans and observe Botswana’s unique rural culture in a friendly, comfortable and serene setting. The Boteti River and the salt pans are exceptional locations and give a unique insight into Botswana’s culture and natural environment. [Lodging -LD]

Days 2, 3 & 4                                     CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE 

As the sun rises we head toward the pristine desert of the largest game reserve in Botswana. The next three days will be spent exploring the undeveloped wilderness of the northern region of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Camping is in a private designated campsite with bush ablutions for the next three nights. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is Botswana’s biggest reserve and is situated in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. This is pure, untrammeled wilderness. The inhospitable desert habitat doesn’t support the wide variety of safari animals found in greener destinations – but sightings in this arid landscape are special.

Big herds of desert-adapted antelope, such as springbok and oryx, can be seen walking along the dunes. Predators are easy to spot on the plains. The Kalahari black-maned lions are particularly stunning, and cheetah thrives in this open country. Lucky visitors might even come across brown hyenas or a solitary honey badger. Central Kalahari has very seasonal wildlife viewing. The best time is in the wet months, from December to March, when animals gather around the pans in Deception Valley. Some of the roads can become difficult to navigate during this time. April and May, at the end of the rains, are perhaps a good compromise. They offer good wildlife viewing in better weather conditions.

[African Dwarf Frog Safaris meru tent camping - Bx3, Lx3, Dx3]

Day 5 & 6                                                                         MAKGADIKGADI PAN

Makgadikgadi Pans is a salt pan located in the northernmost section of Botswana, right in the middle of the dry savanna plains. The Makgadikgadi Pans can be accessed by scenic air and road transfers. This fossil lake is one of the largest salt pans in the world and is the remains of Lake Makgadikgadi.

Within the Makgadikgadi Pans there are two conservancies - Makgadikgadi Game Reserve Nxai Pans National Park - where an abundance of wildlife roam freely. At the Makgadikgadi Pans the spectacular zebra and wildebeest migration can be witnessed in all its glory. The seasonal rains of the pans attracts migratory birds that include duck, geese, pelican, ostrich and chestnut-banded plover. Activities in Makgadikgadi Pans include game drives, bush walking safaris and cultural tours.

 [African Dwarf Frog Safaris meru tent camping – Bx2, Lx2, Dx2]

Days 7                                                                                PLANET BAOBAB

Game drives from Planet Baobab will take you deep into the Ntwetwe Pan, the larger of the two Makgadikgadi Pans, and a vast expanse of sparkling salt that extends as far as the eye can see – and a little bit further! Remarkably, there is life to be found here and game drives will reveal some of the uniquely adapted desert species such as bat-eared foxes, springbok, kori bustards, and perhaps even the magnificent desert-adapted elephant and lion. The arrival of the summer rains in December heralds the arrival of the zebra and wildebeest in the second largest migration of mammals on the continent, and life becomes frenetic as the hooved beasties feed on the fresh, green grass – and the predators have plenty to eat. And then, of course, there’s the meerkats. Semi- habituated to human presence through years of research, you’ll get closer than you might think to the cheeky creatures. [Lodging – Bx1, Lx1, Dx1]

Days 8, 9 & 10                                                                MOREMI GAME RESERVE

You will have time for a morning activity before a short flight to your new camp in Moremi Game Reserve, located in the north-east section of the Okavango Delta, where you will spend the next 3 nights. This Okavango Delta bush camp is situated on the edge of the permanent Delta and the sands of the Kalahari Desert. This unique feature provides one of the best game viewing experiences in Botswana in one of the most beautiful parts of Africa. You will explore the area on game drives and boat cruises with a knowledgeable guide showing you unique features of the area. [African Dwarf Frog Safaris meru tent camping – Bx3, Lx3, Dx3]

Day 11                                                                              DEPARTURE DAY

Today it is the last day with African Dwarf Frog Safari Tours engagements. After a morning activity and breakfast, you will head to the airstrip for your charter flight back to Maun in time for your connecting flight to continue with other travel arrangements. [B]