12 Days of Botswana's Wild Kingdom Tour Package

Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
Priced From: $9,495 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct

Watch a family of elephants arrive at the watering hole in the early morning light as swift white birds dart through the air above. Nearby, a lioness begins her hunt, stalking her prey in the sun-kissed savannah. The roar of a great hippo is your alarm clock in Botswana, a natural paradise of wonders. Dine under the stars, spot sleek leopards loping through the tall grass, and delight in the sights and sounds of untouched Africa.

Itinerary

Days 1 & 2 - Depart for Johannesburg, South Africa

Upon arrival Sunday afternoon you will be greeted and transferred directly to your luxury hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to rest after your long international flight or to begin exploring this exciting city on your own.

Tonight enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner party to meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers learn about the exciting events ahead

Days 3 - Maun, Botswana & Okavango Delta

This morning we fly to Maun, gateway to Botswana. A small aircraft will take you to an island deep within the Okavango Delta, a rich swampland that supports an incredible variety of plant and wildlife.

Regarded as one of the world's most beautiful camps, Eagle Island Camp at Xaxaba (island of tall trees) is water based and situated in the Central Delta. It lies on the banks of the Boro Channel just south of Chief's Island, unspoiled and remote. The camp is shaded by a canopy of indigenous trees, a cool retreat from the African sun. This is one of the Delta's most pristine natural locations, a region of myriad waterways, palm tree laden islands and vast flood plains. Magnificent sunsets can be watched from the camp's sunset cruiser or from the raised deck overlooking the lagoon.

When the sun is about to set, the camp's 14-seat sunset cruiser takes you on a journey through the Delta. You can enjoy the birds, watch elephants bathing and mammoth hippos emerging from the water before your return to the base, where you are welcomed with a wonderful candlelight dinner served under the stars.

Your luxurious tent offers an en-suite bathroom and private viewing deck. The air-conditioned tents on raised wooden decks have luxurious and comfortable furnishings with ethnic themes. There is a lovely bar in the main complex and an open-air, as well as an under-cover dining and lounge area, with superb views over the lazy waters, and a crystal clear swimming pool is available for your use.

Day 4 - Okavango Delta

Eagle Island Camp offers game viewing by mokoro (dugout canoe), motorboats and walking trails. Attractions are geared towards exploring the area's scenic and natural wonders.

The Okavango Delta consists of a multitude of main channels, smaller tributaries and lagoons, as well as floodplains, islands and mainland areas. The watercourses are constantly changing due to annual flooding as well as a combination of sediment movement, seismic activity, termite mounds, as well as the opening and closing of channels by feeding hippopotami and vegetation growth. There are two fairly distinct areas of the Okavango Delta – the permanent swamp, which is inundated with water all year round, and the seasonal swamp, which is flooded annually and dries gradually with the inset of summer.

The vegetation of the permanent swamp includes groves of wild date palm, swathes of papyrus, islands fringed with forest and lagoons covered with floating water lilies.

We take advantage of Eagle Island’s unique and wonderful excursion – a helicopter journey over Botswana's Okavango Delta – offering fantastic photo opportunities for exceptional wildlife sightings

Day 5 - Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve

Fly to the Moremi Game Reserve and the Khwai River Lodge. Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and fig tree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, sits the luxurious Khwai River Lodge.

Khwai is renowned for its large concentrations of mammals and it is not unusual to see many different types of wildlife from the comfort of your own private deck. As a year round destination for wildlife, predators can regularly be seen in the area, rated as one of the most prolific in Botswana for viewing wildlife. The exceptional location of Khwai makes it a regular host to elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dogs. Birdlife can also be viewed in abundance with exceptional sightings of wildfowl and raptors near the lodge.

Hippo, elephant and other big game animals can be seen from the lodge and grounds, all other species that occur in this area can be spotted and observed during the game drives and guided game walks. Bird watching is excellent; it is a paradise for both professional and amateur ornithologists.

Your tree-shaded luxury tent is covered with a thatched roof and features an en-suite bathroom.

Day 6 - Moremi Game Reserve

At Khwai River Lodge, enjoy early morning and late afternoon game drives (when conditions are ideal for viewing the wildlife) in open 4x4 vehicles, as well as guided walks by one of the experienced team of guides. Night game drives and star gazing presentations are conducted after dinner.

In 1962, the local BaTawana people set aside a third of the Okavango Delta to protect it for the future. This area, the Moremi Game Reserve, now forms the core of the region's reserves. Moremi is a lush and varied patchwork of lagoons, shallow flooded pans, plains and forests. It is one of Africa's finest areas for wildlife, with particularly high game densities. The animals found here are numerous and relaxed, often allowing vehicles to approach closely.

On the northeast tip of Moremi, Khwai River is a lovely area where tall evergreen trees line a wide floodplain. It boasts an excellent density and diversity of predator and prey species. Recently there's been a large pride of lion here, hunting buffalo and elephant, while leopard sightings are consistently good.

This area is most famous for its raptor populations; Martial Eagles, Secretary Birds, Bateleurs and a whole host of other little raptors can be found here. There are wonderful water birds to be found along the Khwai River, which is fairly open and makes for easy birding. Birds to look out for include Purple Gallinule, Saddle-billed Stork, Black Stork, King Fishers, Slatey Egret and many little waders. In the surrounding woodland there are a number of bird species, most notably Arnot's Chat and Hartlub's Babblers. Khwai boasts over 300 bird species.

Day 7 - Savute Channel & Chobe National Park

Today we fly to the Savute Channel in the heart of the Chobe National Park. You’ll discover a diverse habitat and haven for wildlife. Savute Elephant Camp is sometimes referred to as the “elephant capital of the world.”

Perched on the former banks of the now dry Savute Channel, the camp offers a spectacular bird’s eye view of elephants in their natural habitat. With an adjacent water hole just meters away from the camp’s main building, the area is made famous by the massive herds of elephant and buffalo and significant prides of lion that have become skilled at hunting large herbivores. It is also renowned for high concentration of other predators such as the endangered wild dog, leopard, cheetah and hyena.

Located in the northern Kalahari region, Chobe National Park covers about 11,700 square kilometers and consists mainly of dense thorny bush emerging from deep alluvial soils. Savute personifies the eternal contrast of Africa. Where the first two camps celebrate water and lush vegetation, Savute is an objective lesson in aridity. Rain in this dry place is rare and water is precious.

The highlight of this safari area is Chobe's animal migrations. The animals move with the available food and water in the district, exhibiting the ancient patterns of time. Many head for open plains to the south and east during the rainy months (December through March). Then, from April to November as the land dries out and the heat builds, the animals migrate back to the great rivers of the north and west.

Your luxurious tented accommodations are built on a raised teak deck and include an en-suite bathroom and a wonderful view of the water hole. Activities include daily game drives in open Land Rovers and game viewing from a number of great hides in the area. As the camp is situated in the Chobe National Park, park regulations prohibit night drives and walking.

Day 8 - Chobe National Park

Savute is a tented camp in true African style. Each day in this "elephant country" will bring new sights, sounds and an experience that will truly never be forgotten. Early morning and afternoon game drives in open Land Rovers are conducted from the lodge.

Spurred northward by the aching dryness of the Kalahari, massive herds of animals congregate along the sumptuous and cooling floodplains of the Chobe River. Legions of elephants wallow in the marshlands of the Chobe, joining squadrons of multicolored birds that hover around the islands.

Savute Elephant Camp offers a unique dining experience in the new boma, a traditional meeting place where senior tribal members would get together for the Kgotla “meeting.” Typically, traditional foods would be served during or after the get-togethers. The Savute boma has been constructed to the strict standards regulating all buildings within a National Park, and offers spectacular vistas of the African night skies. Dining in the boma brings you closer to nature within the heart of a true "bush" environment.

Day 9 - Livingstone, Zambia & Victoria Falls

Today fly from Chobe National Park to Kasane, connecting to a flight to Livingstone. Your stay in Livingstone will cap your adventure as you explore beautiful Victoria Falls. Described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as Mosi-oa-Tunya or “the Smoke that Thunders,” Victoria Falls are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge (at the height of the flood season), encompassing a width of nearly two kilometers into the 100 meters deep gorge below. The wide basalt cliff, over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.

Your five-star hotel lies in the lush, green-forested banks of the Zambezi River. A stone’s throw away from the mighty Victoria Falls, the Royal Livingstone overlooks the smooth waters of the Zambezi, just before it plunges over the legendary waterfall creating a permanent water spray. Relax on the sundeck overlooking the forest as the Zambezi rainbows fill the air creating an enchanting atmosphere. The hotel has been named as one of the leading hotels in the world, due to its exceptional level of service, fine dining, comfort and hospitality.

Day 10 - Livingstone & Victoria Falls

Visit the Livingstone Museum, the country’s biggest and oldest museum, dating back to the 1930s. It has five sections: the Archaeology Gallery describes human evolution and cultural development in Zambia; the Ethnography and Art Gallery shows objects relating to the different cultures of the country; the History Gallery includes the origins of the Bantu people, the development of British colonial rule and the attainment of independence; and the Natural History section shows various indigenous animals in their natural habitat. The museum also houses a large collection of David Livingstone memorabilia, donated by the Livingstone family.

Explore the Maramba Cultural Center, an authentic tribal village where people live and work. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to explore the beautiful area on your own. You may want to take a walk through the rain forest on a well-marked and paved path.

Tonight enjoy a farewell cocktail and dinner party with your fellow travelers.

Day 11 - Depart for Home

This morning we fly to Johannesburg (an intra-tour flight). There you will connect to your flight home or onwards to your next destination.

Day 12 - Arrive Home

Flights bound for the United States arrive home today.

NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change dependent upon local conditions and/or operational changes or improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions within each destination may also be altered to best accommodate unscheduled closures, special events, weather, traffic, etc. Please contact your Vacation Planner before scheduling any coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated, itinerary approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled departure date.

Contact: Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-415-446-5252 or 1-800-330-8820 

10/09