11 DAY SOUTHERN HIGHLIGHTS ROUTE DEPARTURE

Trip Description

11 DAY SOUTHREN HIGHLIGHTS ROUTE DEPARTURE

Trip Itinerary Overview:                                                                                                  

Visiting the colossal pounding streams of the Victoria Falls and then continuing to Botswana’s breath-taking reserves, this handcrafted 13 day safari tour is bound to share many remarkable encounters with marvellous animals and excellent birdlife, among other spectacular wilderness scenes. From Chobe National Park to the Okavango Delta, explore the phenomenally diverse environments, teeming with beautiful life, that sweep across the country. Below is a glimpse of tour highlights;

• Marvel at the magnificent pounding streams of the Victoria Falls, a one and a half kilometre wide waterfall dubbed one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
• Set off across the diverse landscapes of Chobe National Park in search of game during extensive early morning and late afternoon safari adventures to prime viewing hotspots.
• Wallow in the majesty of the surrounding scenery during a boat cruise along the Chobe River, where you will witness the wilderness from a unique vantage point.
• Traverse the staggering untamed landscapes carpeting the Okavango Delta as you tour from your Moremi campsite through the emerald greenery in search of game and birdlife.
• Join a professional tour guide and spotter for an enchanting birding tour of Botswana’s mesmerizing birdlife at spectacular viewing spots peppering Moremi’s lush landscapes.
• Discover the Okavango Delta by (mokoro) dug-out canoe as you glide across the luminous Khwai River, along tributaries and channels winding through one of the Okavango Delta’s most miraculous natural environments.

This 13 Day Southern Highlights Route Departure, is a definitive Botswana safari and Victoria Falls itinerary offers superb value, and a fantastic safari experience at any time of year. Starting at a charming boutique hotel in Victoria Falls this itinerary then moves through Botswana’s most famous safari destinations- Chobe National Park, Savute, Khwai Concession (NG 19) and Moremi Game Reserve. A comprehensive tour of the richest game areas of northern Botswana with excellent game viewing and a range of both water and land activities. African Dwarf Frog Safari Tours prepared this tour for travellers to embark on a life-altering Botswana safari tour 13 day escape into three of Africa's treasures - from the Victoria Falls to Chobe National Park to Moremi Game Reserve.

Trip Highlights:

Duration: 12 Nights / 13 Days

2 Nights Livingstone /Zambia (with travellers own expense for accommodation, activities and meals)

1 Night Kasane – boat cruise at Chobe River

3 Nights Savute – game viewing / Savute marsh rock painting

3 Nights Khwai Concession NG 19 – Game viewing/ nature walk /mokoro (dug-out canoe) excursion

3 Nights Moremi Game Reserve – game viewing                                                                                                                             

All inclusive: meals and drinks, activities; (Tour of the Victoria Falls, sunset cruise, game drives, bush walks, stargazing), meru en-suit tented accommodations with lodging.

Type of accommodation: camping & lodging in Kasane

Minimum: 2ppl        Maximum: 8ppl RATE: $485.00ppn/n - (excl. tickets)

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

Trip Daily Activity: 

Day 1 & 2: ZAMBIA; LIVINGSTONE - Lodging

You will make a pit stop in Zimbabwe before reaching Botswana to experience the magnificent Victoria Falls up close. After you touch down at the airport and transfer to your accommodation around the corner from the falls, you will meet your guide for the day and continue towards “The Smoke that Thunders.” The Zambezi River’s immense curtain of water will flow over a 100-meter vertical chasm, one and a half kilometres wide, and you will feel the chilly spray of the pounding water from a nearby viewpoint sharing panoramic views of this Natural Wonder of the World. Settle into your rooms and relax at the hotel – mature gardens envelope an inviting swimming pool area. The restaurant is friendly and serves excellent home-cooked meals and is highly recommended for a first night after a long journey.

On the next day, breakfast is served on the terrace, a chance to enjoy the wonderful African light and birds which live in the garden. You will then be met by your driver guide for your tour of the falls.  As the Zambezi River tumbles down 100 metres from a vertical chasm, the Victoria Falls is formed. Stretching across 1,700 metres and falling at heights between 80-110 metres, Victoria Falls is one and a half times wider than Niagara Falls and is twice the height making it the biggest curtain of water in the world. At its peak up to 5 million cubic square metres of water plunges over the rim every minute- a staggering sight. Across the 1,700 rim there are a number of gorges, or ‘falls’, most of which fall within the Zimbabwe side, rather than the Zambian side. The gorges are known locally as Main Falls, Rainbow Falls, The Devil’s Cataract and Horseshoe Falls in Zimbabwe and the Eastern Cataract in Zambia. Having completed your tour you will return to the hotel to dry off and enjoy lunch, or you may prefer to dry off natural under the African sun at the Lookout Café, a popular restaurant and café with stunning views over the gorge.

Later that afternoon you will be collected at your hotel for your evening sunset cruise along the Zambezi River, a wonderful opportunity to soak up the fantastic sunset views over the river and to celebrate the start of your trip. NB: please check with hotel reception for your pick up time the following day to Botswana. (Transfers) (ACCOMMODATION, ACTIVITIES AND MEALS AT CLIET'S OWN EXPENSE)

Day 3: KASANE – LODGING ACCOMMODATION   

Today, at a time advised the day before you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Chobe for the start of your safari. This will involve a road transfer of about 2 hours, depending on conditions on the Zimbabwe/Botswana border. The last section of the drive, about 35 minutes, is through Chobe National Park, so keep your eyes peeled as your safari has begun.

Arriving to a warm welcome and some refreshments you will have an introduction to the lodge and settle into your room. Your guide will discuss your activity options with you and together you will discuss your preferences. Later that afternoon you will set off on your first safari activity. Meeting your guide for high tea mid-afternoon you will then set off on your boat safari upstream. This is really a quintessential Chobe safari experience and not to be missed. Animals come to the riverbank to drink before sunset, most notably elephant in huge numbers, and the boats offer a unique perspective. The sunsets on the water are wonderful and you will stop in a scenic spot and toast the setting sun, perhaps watching a herd of elephant drinking from the water’s edge. Return to the lodge for your three course dinner. You will overnight before getting into the park for more experience for a mobile safari with African Dwarf Frog Safari Tours. Lodging [D]

Day 4, 5 & 6: SAVUTE; CHOBE NATIONAL PARK-TENTED CAMPING

We venture further south en-route to Central Chobe Region, exploring the dessert-like landscape of game drives, where we spend the following three nights camping in a wilderness private camp-site in the Savute region. Never has there been a better time to visit Savute. The water from the Savute Channel reached the marsh for the first time in 30 years in 2009 winding its way from the North

Savute has for the last 30 years been an extremely dry area and lately its claim to fame has been the lion and elephant interaction as they come for the few drops of water that remain in the waterholes. These dynamics have changed with the arrival of the water. The Savute is characterised by the Savute Marsh, the Savute Channel and the surrounding Hills. During morning and late afternoon drives your guide will alternate between these areas. Anything can happen on the Savute Marsh and it’s best to get there early in the morning. Dominant features Savute are the Hills, one of which has a few perfectly preserved San Bushmen paintings which are easily accessible. Savute has a very healthy population of leopard who live on these hills and the best time to see them is either at first or last light as they leave their stony refuge to hunt in the surrounding bush.

You will enjoy morning and afternoon 4x4 game drives as well as visits to the ancient San Rock paintings at Gubatsa Hills- the only hilly outcrop in an otherwise completely flat landscape and considered to have been formed from volcanic activity aeons ago. Setting out for your afternoon game drive you will explore the Savute area, stopping to toast the setting sun with a drink and some snacks before returning to the camp site where a fire will welcome you and more drinks and snacks follow. Meru tented en-suit accommodation [B x 3, Lx 3, Di x3]

Day 7, 8 & 9: MOREMI GAME RESERVE-TENTED CAMPING

Following an early breakfast we pack camp and continue our journey to Moremi , stopping for a picnic lunch en-route Explore the Moremi Game Reserve for 3 days on early and late afternoon game drives, accompanied by a professional guide. The safari is fully serviced with a safari chef and camp assistants taking care of the comfort of the guests. Moremi is home to diverse wildlife including predators, birdlife and beautiful antelopes. It is home to the most endangered species of large mammals: the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion. Over 500 bird species (from water birds to forest dwellers) and over a 1000 species of plants are also recognized in this region.

This ecosystem is amongst the richest in Africa. And thanks to effective protection, the flora and fauna is relatively undisturbed. Within the larger UNESCO listed Okavango Delta Game Reserve, Moremi covers about 40% of the Okavango. The Moremi and the Okavango Delta is one of the few interior delta systems that do not directly flow into the ocean or sea. The annual flood makes for a spectacular interaction between water and wildlife, as animals synchronize their cycles with this seasonal flood. Guests can discover a unique land while staying in one of the intimate camps in the Moremi and let the river take them on an adventure. Meru tented en-suit accommodation [B x 3, Lx 3, D x3]

Day 10, 11& 12: KHWAI CONCESSION NG 19- OKAVANGO DELTA-TENTED CAMPING

The Khwai Community Concession is situated in the extreme north east of the Okavango Delta and is controlled by the Khwai Community through the Khwai Development Trust. The camps and lodges of this concession benefit both from the Moremi Game Reserve’s and the Chobe National Park’s excellent game and high numbers of elephant and buffalo in particular and the enhanced activities the concession offers allowing for night game drives and walking safaris. This concession links the Okavango Delta to the Linyanti and has a focus on land activities. It has become a busy area in terms of tourist density and human traffic and Khwai village is an area of human habitation that has grown recently.

Tours of Khwai Village can be organised either directly with the community or via a lodge in order to meet members of the community and understand about their traditional way of life and also to ask how tourism is benefitting them. The Khwai Concession is a large area dominated by mopane forests on the north eastern edge of the Okavango Delta. The Khwai Concession is an 1800km (180 000 hectare) area, belonging to the local community, which is situated next to the Moremi Game Reserve. It was formed by the local Khwai villagers and is managed by the Khwai Development Trust. The area used to be a hunting concession, but is now actively managed as a conservation area.

The Khwai River flows through the concession - it is the first major water source that animals migrating down from the Linyanti concession encounter and there is always a high concentration of game along the river. The area is made up of sweeping grasslands, riparian forests and floodplains. The floodplains are flooded most of the year and there are lagoons covered in blue and white water lilies. The area also has large tracts of mopane forests. The riverine woodland consists of camelthorn, knobthorn, appleleaf and great stands of Leadwood trees. Guests join a bush walk and paddle the Khwai River on a mokoro, two very different perspectives, and a more personal exposure to Africa and its resident mega-fauna. Meru tented en-suit accommodation [B x 3, Lx 3, Di x3]

Day 13:                                                                                      DEPARTURE DAY

Today marks the end of your safari arrangements with Africa Dwarf Safari Tours. The time for your flight to Maun will be finalised the day before and your guide will advise you what time you will be leaving camping site. The flight will always be schedule to connect with any onward travel arrangements. Depending on the time of departure, as discussed with your guide, you will enjoy on final morning activity and brunch before bidding farewell to African Dwarf Frog Safari Tours crew. The flight to Maun will take approximately 20 minutes, depending on stops along the way. On arrival a representative will meet you to ensure you connect to your onward travel arrangements. [B]

Optional extension (with guests own expenses)

Extend your trip by two days and visit the magnificent Victoria Falls during a day tour! Activities include:

*White Water Rafting down the Zambezi Gorge,

*Canoeing on the upper Zambezi

*Helicopter Flights over the Victoria