Africa

Latin America

India



01582 766122
Search for your perfect holiday: 
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
Call 01582 766122
Botswana Safari Holidays Tours Okavango Chobe Savuti Victoria Falls

Zebra Migration, Makgadikgadi Pans + Meerkats: Botswana Safari, sleep out

Chobe + Savuti + Makgadikgadi Pans + Okavango
Zebra Migration Makgadikgadi Pans Meerkats Botswana Safari Sleep Out
9 NIGHTS FROM:
$7,295
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
BRK9B
• Chobe Game Reserve
• Elephants & Buffalo
• Savuti Plains
• Makgadikgadi Pans
• Meerkats
• Botswana Safari Sleep Out
• Zebra Migration
• Okavango Delta
• Mekoro Canoes
• Bird Watching

From December to April, you can see another side of Botswana (the green season) & observe the annnual zebra migration that crosses Nxai Pan & the hauntingly beautiful salt flats of the Makgadikgadi Pans. You can view meerkats on this Botswana safari & sleep out on the salt pans, as well as enjoying game viewing in Chobe, Savuti & Okavango Delta. All light aircraft flights, transfers & game viewing included.

Day 1
You will be met at Kasane Airport and transferred to your game lodge near the Chobe River.
 
Chobe National Park is Botswana’s premier wildlife reserve and is uniquely situated at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers, where four African countries meet – Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Chobe River is the life-giving force of this region and provides a border between Botswana on the southern banks and Namibia on the northern banks. The river has extensive grassy floodplains on either side, which disappear under the annual floodwaters, making boats the best way of getting around.
 
After checking in to your lodge, enjoy a boat ride on the Chobe River, which is home to some of Botswana’s most spectacular wildlife, as well as abundant bird life. Game viewing opportunities should present themselves almost immediately in this vast game sanctuary and hopefully you will see elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, antelope and other river-based wildlife today. Afterwards dine in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide.
Day 2
Rise at dawn to take advantage of the best game viewing conditions of the day and enjoy thrilling game viewing in Chobe National Park. Activities vary by lodge, but usually focus on shared open-top game drives in the national park and boat rides on the Chobe River, which gives you a different wildlife perspective. Seasonal tiger fishing is also offered by many lodges.
  
Chobe National Park is home to vast herds of buffalo and elephant, as well as numerous other species which roam in profusion and diversity. During the dry season, vast elephant herds migrate from both south and north to congregate in their thousands along the Chobe River – the largest concentration of elephants in the whole of Africa. This migration of wildlife is possibly due to the creation of protected wildlife corridors, which allow the elephants to travel between the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Park (KAZA) countries safely. Also hope to see lion, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, hippo, kudu, crocodiles, antelope, waterbuck, warthogs, baboons and many other interesting animals before returning to your lodge.
 
Bird life along the river is also plentiful and you can hope to see a Fish eagle, Tawny eagle, African openbill stork, Marabou stork, Sacred ibis, Pied kingfisher, Cattle egret, Great egret, Spur-winged goose and much more, including the glorious Lilac-breasted roller.
 
It is also possible to book an optional excursion to a Namibian village across the river to see their culture and way of life - with immigration formalities at Kazangula and in Namibia. Each African culture within KAZA has its own particular traditions with regards to song, dance and dress. However the one thing they all have in common is their staple diet of a maize meal porridge. In Botswana this is called 'sadza' but in Namibia it is known as 'inkoko' or 'pap'.
 
In the afternoon, enjoy another game drive or boat ride on the Chobe River. After a beautiful African sunset, enjoy the balmy evening and pristine stars of the Milky Way – including the spectacular Southern Cross.
 
 
Day 3
This morning transfer to Kasane Airport for your light aircraft flight to Savuti.
  
You will be met at the landing strip and transferred to your lodge situated on the vast Savuti Plains in Botswana’s premier wildlife park, surrounded by open savanna and camelthorn trees. After settling in, enjoy an afternoon game drive with your ranger to view elephants and other wildlife.
 
Note: As you will be flying in a light aircraft you must pack soft sports bags only, as rigid suitcases will not fit into the luggage pods. A baggage allowance of 15 kg (which includes your hand luggage) is strictly enforced for safety reasons.
Day 4
The Savuti Plains offer world-acclaimed game viewing – including the famous Savute lion prides, leopard, wild dogs, bull elephants, black-backed jackal, bat-eared foxes, hyena, cheetah, tsessebe, kudu, impala, ostrich and much more.
 
The summer rains bring a feast for lion, hyena and cheetah, as migrating zebra and wildebeest assemble in a chaotic pattern on the marsh. Cape buffalo herds arrive and migrant birds swell the resident population of over 300 different species, making this a bird watchers delight. Carmine bee-eaters perch on the back of kori bustards, red-crested korhaans plummet from the sky in daring mating displays and marabou stork roost in the trees whilst woodland kingfishers sing you to sleep.
 
Shared game drives are conducted twice a day (early morning and late afternoon) in open-top safari vehicles. Each evening enjoy Savuti’s enchanting sunsets, before dining overlooking the waterhole.
Day 5
After some final game viewing on the Savuti Plains, transfer to the landing strip for your light aircraft flight to your lodge near the vast and remote Makgadikgadi Pans.
 
These white shimmering pans are one of the largest salt flats on earth, covering over 6,000 square miles (16,000 sq.km) - with some covered in water during the wet season. Lodges situated in the south west have a habitat similar to the Kalahari, with scrub and small pans, whereas lodges in the eastern region have an amazing lunar landscape with very large salt pans.
 
On arrival enjoy a baobab bush walk and sundowners, before dining under the stars.
Day 6
Rise early this morning for the wonderful opportunity of observing a family of habituated Meerkats as they emerge from their burrows at sunrise, before returning to camp for a cooked breakfast.
 
In the afternoon we depart for Ntwetwe Pan where we enjoy an outdoor barbeque and an unforgettable Sleep Out under the stars. The salt pans are dramatic, both when dry and when transformed by the rains into a water wonderland (from December to April), with a spectacular array of water birds including large breeding flocks of flamingos.
 
This region is home to the largest population of zebra in the whole of Africa, and when the rains come the largest migration in Southern Africa - as vast herds of zebras, wildebeest and other antelope move across the Nxai & Makgadikgadi Pans towards the Boteti River, followed by their predators - an amazing sight. There is not much game during the dry season (May to November), but you can still enjoy spectacular landscapes and star gazing in clear night skies.
Day 7
This morning we explore more of the Makgadikgadi Pans, as we return to our lodge.
 
We also visit a local cattle post (village) and enjoy a traditional lunch.
Day 8
This morning transfer 2.5-hours to Maun for your light aircraft flight to the Okavango Delta.
 
You will be met at the landing strip and transferred to your lodge. Settle in and enjoy an afternoon game activity, before relaxing in this pristine water wilderness under spectacular African skies.
 
Note: As you will be flying in a light aircraft you must pack soft sports bags only, as rigid suitcases will not fit into the luggage pods. A baggage allowance of 15 kg (which includes your hand luggage) is strictly enforced for safety reasons.
Day 9
The seasonal Okavango Delta is flooded annually by the Okavango River, which flows inland from Angola into the dry sands of the vast Kalahari – never finding the sea, but instead forming a huge inland delta whose waters are absorbed by the desert.
 
Comprising 6,000 square miles of crystal clear channels, serene lagoons and a myriad of islands, the Okavango Delta forms a natural oasis that sustains a vast variety of wildlife and birds of all descriptions. The waters are at their height from July to October, forming an amazing wetlands ecosystem that is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.
  
Activities at your lodge centre on early morning and late afternoon shared game viewing and bird watching, with experienced local guides. These include exploring the delta by mokoro canoe and river craft, as well as guided nature walks on the islands of the delta to track some of the larger species that inhabit this water wilderness - including buffalo, hippo and elephants. Optional angling for tiger fish and wild bream is also available.
  
In the evening relax around a blazing fire under balmy African skies, whilst exchanging notes about your game sightings.
Day 10
After a final game drive, transfer to the landing strip for your light aircraft flight to Maun Airport and your flight home.