Great North Road Safari in Botswana

Duration: 10 Nights / 11 Days
Routing: Kasane to Maun
Group size: Minimum 2 pax, Maximum 12 pax
Accommodation: Serviced Camping in meru style en-suite tents on a mobile safari

Chobe National Park
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.

Chobe National Park Riverfront
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 unmissable wildlife experience.

Savute Chobe National Park
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.

The Savute Channel is known as the ‘stolen river’ and its recent history includes several episodes where it has dried up for several years, only to flow again - seemingly at random, but in fact due to tectonic movements. This means that you could encounter either a river, or a ribbon of dry savannah grassland. The skeletons of numerous dead trees stand as mute witnesses to the erratic ebb and flow of this most unpredictable of rivers. Beyond the channel, this area consists of large open game-filled plains and is home to a variety of dry-land animals, including zebra, wildebeest, kudu, giraffe, wild dog, cheetah and lion.

Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve
The Okavango is a unique ecosystem, a river delta located in the middle of the world’s largest stretch of continuous sand – the Kalahari basin. An oasis in an otherwise arid and inhospitable landscape, the Okavango Delta supports an incredible diversity of animal and birdlife. Where land and water meet, a mosaic of pans, grasslands, forests and lagoons provides an extremely varied range of habitats which is home to one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. The Okavango is one of the natural wonders of the world, a still-pristine yet fragile ecosystem that richly rewards exploration.

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.

Day 1 & 2: Serviced Camping at Chobe River Front within the Chobe National Park
Dumela / Hello! Welcome to Botswana!” We will be there to give you a warm Botswana welcome in Kasane around 12 noon. Our guide will help you feel immediately at home and brief you on what to look forward to on your safari. We will provide you with a snack pack on an afternoon boat cruise on your first afternoon on the Chobe River which departs from Kasane. Following the boat cruise we leave Kasane and start our journey driving at game drive pace and keeping an eye out for wildlife and birds. We spend the first two nights camping in a pristine bush campsite near the Chobe River, exploring the river banks and surrounding floodplains on game drives. The magic of a mobile camp becomes apparent as the sun sets and you enjoy drinks around the fire before a starlit dinner and a great night’s rest after falling asleep to the sounds of the African bush.

Day 3 & 4 & 5: Serviced Camping at Savute within the Chobe National Park
We head further south within Chobe National Park, where we spend the following three nights camping at a pristine bush campsite in the Savute region and exploring the dry landscape on game drives. Savute is an area that can change dramatically, with the character of the place changing completely depending on the flowing or drying up of the Savute Channel. In 2010, water from the Savute Channel reached the Marsh for the first time in three decades (after a long dry period during which resident lions learned to prey on elephants coming to drink at isolated waterholes). The presence of water can transform these dynamics and the only way to find out what will happen next, is to visit Savute with us and see for yourself!

Day 6 & 7 & 8: Serviced Camping in the Khwai area of Moremi Game Reserve
Following an early breakfast, we pack up the camp and continue our journey to Khwai, stopping for a bush picnic lunch en route. The Khwai River forms the boundary between the reserve and the local Khwai Community Area. We spend the next three nights camping at a campsite in the Khwai area, exploring the Khwai floodplains on game drives. You will also experience a 2½-hour mokoro trip, discovering channels and lagoons at a relaxed pace in a traditional dug-out canoe.

Day 9 & 10: Serviced Camping in the Xakanaxa / 3rd Bridge area of Moremi Game Reserve / Okavango Delta
Spending our last two nights camping in the Xakanaxa / Third Bridge area, we explore the surrounding wilderness on game drives during the day. The Moremi Game Reserve protects around a third of the entire Okavango Delta ecosystem – some 5 000km2 (1 930 square miles).

Day 11: Light aircraft transfer to Maun
Following breakfast and a short game drive your guide will drop you at a bush airstrip to meet your pilot for your stunning light aircraft flight over the Okavango Delta back to Maun. This flight gives you a fish eagle’s eye view of this amazing ecosystem. You will arrive in Maun around noon in time for the flights to Johannesburg.

Tour Price
• Price shown is for a person based on twin share accommodation, for the travel period indicated.
• All prices displayed are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice.
• Prices are guaranteed once booking is confirmed by us and paid in full by the due date.
• Depending on your needs and group size (individual, couple, family, group, etc.) we will provide the final pricing for your tour.
• Itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to weather conditions, emergencies on board or any unforeseen situation.

Inclusions:
• 2 Nights camping in Chobe, Chobe National Park
• 3 nights camping in Savute, Chobe National Park
• 3 Nights camping in the Khwai Area of Moremi Game Reserve
• 2 Nights camping in the Xakanaxa / 3rd bridge area of Moremi Game Reserve
• Comfortable walk-in tented accommodation in Meru-style tents with built-in floors and mosquito gauze at the windows and entrance. Comfortable beds include all bed linen and a towel
• En-suite bathrooms with a traditional hot water safari bucket shower and bush loo
• Experienced, licensed professional guide for the duration of your safari
• A light aircraft transfer Moremi to Maun on the final day
• Game drives and local transfers in custom-made open game drive vehicles with shade roof, game viewing seats and long-range fuel tanks
• All entrance and camping fees for National Parks and Game Reserves. Exclusive private campsites are used wherever possible
• All meals and selected drinks (wine, beer, G&T, selected soft drinks, fruit juice, bottled water, Amarula)
• Dedicated safari team including cook, camp assistant and back-up driver
• Bathroom amenities (soap, shampoo and insect repellent)
• All activities as specified in the itinerary

Exclusions:
• International and domestic and airport departure taxes
• Visas (these are guests own responsibility to check and organise)
• Laundry Service
• Travel, cancellation and medical insurance (compulsory on all safaris)
• Optional safari excursions
• Spirits other than gin
• Items of a personal nature
• Tips and gratuities

Please refer to our Standard Booking Conditions for booking terms and conditions.