From walking across the Makgadikgadi salt pans with San Bushmen to a treehouse above the Okavango floodplains, this 12-day journey uncovers the safari secrets of Botswana. You’ll spend three nights at a mobile tented camp in Chobe, four days exploring the Delta on land and water, and three nights on the surreal mirage of the pans. Explore by canoe, discover the wildlife world after dark, and then complete the journey by cruising along the Zambezi River and taking in the legendary Victoria Falls.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Makgadikgadi Pans – The Surreal Mirage of the World’s Largest Salt Pan
Many years ago, long before two-legged mammals inhabited Botswana, the Makgadikgadi was Africa’s largest lake, covering an area larger than Switzerland. It has since evaporated into a series of mystical salt pans. Everywhere you look is white, the crusted salt topped by a shimmering mirage that blurs along the horizon. Baobabs punctuate the pans, as do nomadic elephants and colonies of meerkats. It’s as surreal a setting as any, and that’s before you spot the wildlife that comes to drink from the four waterholes outside your camp.
You land in Maun and transfer onto a short local flight to Makgadikgadi, then onwards across the salt to your safari camp. It’s an escapist destination, where the silence penetrates and traditional lanterns illuminate the walkways. Evoking an old-world safari atmosphere, the camp has all the necessary comforts, including a beautiful deck overlooking the waterholes. Brown hyenas howl at night; aardwolves drink surreptitiously, and the water attracts an evocative collection of four-legged nomads. Check in, appreciate the solitude, and soak up the magical atmosphere of the pans.
What's Included:
Day 2
Makgadikgadi Pans – Walking With San Bushmen
Day 3
Makgadikgadi Pans – Quad Bike Adventure
Day 4
Chitabe Concession – An Exclusive Big-Game Experience
Day 5
Chitabe Concession – Game Drives During Day and Night
Day 6
Jao Concession – A Treehouse Above the Fluctuating Floodplains
Day 7
Jao Concession – Iconic Water-Based Safari in a Private Concession
Day 8 - 10
Chobe National Park – Mobile Tented Camp Safari
Day 11
Livingstone – Along the Zambezi
Day 12
Livingstone – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Explore the idyllic waterways of the Okavango in a traditional mokoro canoe, with a skilled gondolier taking you past wading hippos and dozens of other mammals
- Uncover the evocative big-game heart of the Okavango Delta with two days of safari in the private Chitabe Concession
- Walk across the world’s largest salt pan with San Bushmen and discover the secrets of the mirage
- Spend three days at a mobile-tented camp in the Chobe Forest, where elephants are your neighbors, and there’s no interruption to the atmosphere of the wild
- Quad bike across the Makgadikgadi Pans and discover the nomadic wildlife that seeks solace in the desert
- Spot the big cats on the move with day and nighttime drives in the Okavango
- Marvel at the grand scale and wonder of Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World
- Discover unique accommodations that maximize the feeling of becoming one with nature, including escapist camps and a treehouse above the Okavango floodplains
Starting Price
$11,700 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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