Okavango Delta Camping Safari

Departing from Livingstone, a few kilometers from Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, this budget camping safari takes you into Botswana to experience Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta, Botswana's top safari destinations.

Explore Chobe on optional game drives or take a relaxing Chobe River cruise, in this game-rich park famous for its large elephant population. Venture into the heart of the watery Okavango Delta by traditional dugout canoe and camp out under the stars on a remote island in this pristine wilderness area - an unforgettable wildlife experience!

Visit Botswana's Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a community based conservation project before crossing into South Africa and travelling to Johannesburg where this affordable Southern Africa tour comes to an end.

Tour Highlights:

• Chobe National Park elephants and wildlife
• Camping and canoeing in Botswana's Okavango Delta 
• Visiting Khama Rhino Sanctuary community project

Day 1: Livingstone to Chobe National Park, Kasane (Dinner)

Our week-long safari starts in Livingstone, a few kilometers from the famous Victoria Falls, on the Zambian side. On day one we depart from a meeting point located on the banks of the Zambezi River, near Vic Falls.

We strongly recommend that you arrive in Livingstone a few days before this safari departs to give you time to visit the spectacular Victoria Falls and enjoy some of the numerous activities available here. These exciting activities include white water rafting, scenic flights, bungee jumping, canoeing, game viewing, elephant back safaris, river cruises and more. When you witness the impressive spray rising from the plummeting waters of Vic Falls, you will see why it is called the “Smoke that Thunders” or “Mosi oa Tunya”, as Vic Falls is called locally.

Leaving the adventure capital of Vic Falls & Livingstone we take a ferry at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, crossing into Botswana. We make our way to Kasane, a town not far from the border, where we stay overnight.

We visit the game-rich Chobe National Park, boasting one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Chobe covers 10566 sq km’s of unspoiled wilderness in northwest Botswana, a diverse and beautiful country. Chobe is an excellent place for sighting elephants, as the park is famous for its large elephant population, estimated at around 40000 strong. In Chobe National Park we have the option of taking a Chobe River cruise or an afternoon game drive (at extra expense). We get to watch the sun set over the trees as elephants move slowly through the untamed bush - a highlight of any African safari! 

Day 2 - 5: Maun & Okavango Delta (4 x Breakfast, 3 x Lunch, 4 x Dinner)

In the morning you can take an optional game drive in Chobe game park, if time allows, before we set off for Maun in central Botswana. Maun serves as the gateway to the Okavango Delta, the jewel in Botswana’s crown. In the morning we head into the pristine delta and spend the next two nights camping in the Okavango Delta, experiencing this unique wilderness area up close. Experienced and knowledgeable ‘polers’ will accompany you in this extensive wetland system guiding you through the labyrinth of winding channels and lagoons in traditional dugout canoes, called mokoros, as well as on thrilling bush walks.

Our camp is set on one of the secluded islands in the middle of the watery Okavango Delta. At night you can hear the sounds of the African bush surrounding you for miles as you sleep under starry skies in this remote wilderness - an experience of a lifetime!

The Okavango is the world’s largest inland delta, a truly unique and beautiful ecosystem covering 1.6 million hectares of northern Botswana. The delta, with its source in Angola, spreads out in an intricate web of channels on the flat plains of Botswana emptying into the desert. After exploring the delta ecosystem we return to Maun and our camp near the town.

2 nights Maun Camping & 2 nights of Delta Island Bush Camping

Day 6 - 7: Maun to Khama Rhino Sanctuary to Johannesburg (2 x Breakfast & 1 x Dinner)

On day six you have a chance to take an optional scenic flight over the lush delta to appreciate the size and complexity of this pristine wetland area that you camped in over the last two days, from a bird’s eye view. Delta flights are at your own expense, but this memorable experience is definitely well worth the cost if time allows. 

From Maun we travel to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a community based wildlife project located close to the South African border. The Khama Rhino Sanctuary was formed by a group of local people in 1989 when the former hunting area of Serwe Pan was converted into a rhino sanctuary. The money generated by the Khama Rhino Sanctuary benefits the local community as well as helping to protect the rhinos. The Pan area was selected because the habitat is suitable for rhinos and is close to a Botswana Defence Force base ensuring 24-hour protection for the endangered rhinos.

The Pan is on the edge of the expansive Kalahari, a prime habitat for white rhino, zebra, giraffe and wildebeest. We visit the reserve’s natural waterholes, looking out for wildlife, including the many rhino’s that inhabit the sanctuary.

On the final day of this Budget Camping Safari we cross into South Africa travelling to Johannesburg, the City of Gold. Our adventure through Southern Africa comes to an end in the late afternoon or early evening when we arrive at our final stop, Johannesburg. 

Tour Accommodation:

Tour Transport:

Transport on this tour will be in a comfortable mini-bus or microbus. Except in Chobe Park when we embark on game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles and in the Okavango Delta where dugout canoes (mokoros) are used. 

Participation on this Tour:

On this budget camping safari meals are mostly prepared by the tour leader in camp; therefore help with meal preparation is welcomed on the tour. 

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