This Exclusive Budget Camping Safari combines the most spectacular natural wonders of Southern Africa, with Botswana's best game parks and a vibrant township tour in South Africa's famous Soweto.
Starting at the awe-inspiring Victoria Fallls and ending in dynamic Johannesburg our Botswana Wildlife, Delta & Vic Falls Exclusive Budget Safari includes the highlights of:
Explore real Africa on a camping safari adventure that offers more style and comfort than a regular camping tour.
Welcome to Africa! Our memorable adventure through Southern Africa begins at Victoria Falls, the adventure capital of Africa. We start our safari with an important tour briefing, held at 6:00 pm on the first day.
Before our meeting, you are free to enjoy optional activities and visit the spectacular waterfall of Victoria Falls. See why this natural wonder is called Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means 'The Smoke that Thunders'. Victoria Falls is the largest sheet of falling water in the world, at 1.7km's wide and 108m's high - a truly awe-inspiring sight year round. As the Zambezi plummets into the narrow gorge below Vic Falls sends up a magnificent spray reaching over 400m's into the air during the rainy season when it can be spotted from miles away. Although not as thunderous during the dry season, Victoria Falls and the gorge below are clearly visible at this time, because there is less mist rising off the falls.
We stay at a conveniently located campsite in Victoria Falls town, close to all the action and adventure activities. You have the option of upgrading your accommodation at the camp's reception (extra cost). If you arrive early on day one then you will have some free time to enjoy adventure activities before the tour briefing too.
We strongly recommend attending the tour briefing on day one, as this is when we collect your important contact information and insurance details from you. If your flight is set to arrive too late for the meeting, then we advise booking a flight for the day before the tour, so that you can join the meeting. Pre-tour accommodation can be arranged with us if required. Arriving a day or so early also gives you more time for optional adventure activities and exploring at Victoria Falls.
During your time at Victoria Falls, you may come across an optional 'Walk with the Lions' activity. We do not recommend this activity as professional wildlife conservationists advise that habituating lions to humans can shorten their lifespan and may lead to human-lion conflict.
For the optional Helicopter Flight (12 minutes or 25 minutes ) we recommend using Zambezi Helicopter co CAA Zimbabwe and your guide can help make arrangements for this activity.
On day two we cross into neighbouring Botswana and make our way to the famous Chobe National Park, renowned for its huge elephant populations.
This afternoon we take a relaxing boat cruise on the Chobe River, an excellent opportunity to get up close to elephants, as well as other wildlife and plenty of birds. As we cruise along we look out for elephants along the banks, or even swimming in the river, along with the abundance of hippos and crocodiles lurking in the shallow waters. Other wild animals that are often sighted on this laid-back boat cruise include lions, zebras, cheetahs, buffalos and a range of antelopes.
Chobe is home to some of the highest concentrations of game in Africa and was the first national park established in Botswana.
Tonight we camp near Chobe National Park at a campsite with WiFi access, hot and cold showers, and flush toilets.
This morning you have the chance to take an optional (extra cost) sunrise game drive in Chobe National Park to explore its diverse habitats in search of the wild animals and birds inhabiting this scenic Botswana game park.
Then we drive to the lively town of Maun, in northern Botswana. Maun is a popular travel hub that serves as the gateway to the pristine Okavango Delta, the natural treasure of Botswana. The Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta, formed by the waters of the Okavango River emptying into the arid Kalahari Desert from the Angolan Highlands. This beautiful wetland system is a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon, creating a 16000 km² natural oasis in this otherwise arid desert region.
Over the next couple of days, we will experience the beauty and diversity of the remarkable delta, soaking up the peace of its meandering waterways, remote islands and fertile floodplains. If we are lucky we will also encounter some of the wildlife inhabiting the scenic Delta, from hippos and crocodiles to elephants, buffalos and big cats.
We camp just outside of Maun tonight, at a basic campsite with shared facilities and WiFi access.
Our two-day delta bush camping adventure begins on day four, as we head into this watery wonderland to discover its unique magic.
We explore the intricate network of clear waterways by mokoro canoes, the traditional dug-out vessels used in the delta. The mekoros are poled along the tranquil channels and lagoons by local 'polers' who stand in the canoe and guide it through the waters with a pole, in a similar way to gondoliers.
We also experience the untamed delta ecosystems on foot, heading into the bush on guided nature walks with knowledgeable guides. Walking in this unspoilt wilderness is a great way to spot the unusual animals and abundance of birds inhabiting this watery maze. On day five we venture into the delta on a sunrise walk with experienced guides, going in search of numerous birds and wildlife, including elephants.
After our early morning bush walk, we return to camp for a well-deserved breakfast. The remainder of the day is free for you to swim in the clear streams, walk in the unspoilt bush, try your hand at poling a mokoro and simply kick-back. In the afternoon you can choose to join a guided bush walk or set off on a mokoro ride to admire more of the rich flora and fauna.
Both nights are spent camping on a secluded island in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Camping in the bush is an ideal way to immerse yourself in nature and get back to basics, with only a bush toilet and no showers. Our nights are spent under starry skies, taking in the sounds of nature in this truly wild place.
Today we break-up camp and glide out of the Okavango Delta in our mokoros. Arriving back at the poling station we return to Maun and our camp on the fringes of town.
Today you also have the chance to take an optional flight over the delta (at extra cost). The scenic delta flight provides a superb overview of this complex ecosystem from above, giving you a whole new perspective of this vast natural gem.
We overnight at a simple camp with shared facilities, outside of Maun.
We drive south through Botswana today heading to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, located on the outskirts of the Kalahari Desert.
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary was established to protect black and white rhino populations and is integral to white rhino conservation efforts in Botswana. The Khama project practises wildlife tourism and sustainable natural resource management to deliver economic benefits to the local Batswana community. Our visit here helps support the local communities and protect the highly endangered white rhinos.
At sunset we embark on an evening game drive, exploring Khama Sanctuary in search of rhinos, zebras, giraffes, leopards, ostriches and wildebeest. Sunset is an excellent time for game viewing as many animals are most active at this time of day.
Returning from our game drive in the evening we unwind beside the campfire and fall asleep under starry African skies.
Please note: If we arrive at Khama Sanctuary too late to embark on the sunset game drive, we will take a sunrise game drive on the following day instead.
On day eight we drive south into South Africa, our final destination on this Botswana Wildlife, Delta & Victoria Falls Safari.
Our next stop is the historic township of Soweto, a bustling urban area of Johannesburg. On day nine we explore the streets of this metropolitan residential area by bicycle, meeting the friendly locals and getting a real feel for this vibrant place. Cycling in Soweto is a great way to experience the mix of local cultures and gain an understanding of South Africa's tumultuous past.
Here we find out more about the renowned Soweto Uprising of the 1970's and the long struggle for freedom from apartheid, visiting local landmarks and a former migrant workers' hostel. On our Soweto tour, we witness the deep economic divide in this nation, encountering grand homes and match-box shacks standing side-by-side.
Our colourful Soweto cycling tour finishes at about 3:00 pm, bringing this adventure-filled overland safari to a close.
Avoid booking any international flights departing before 8:00 pm this evening. Post-tour accommodation can be arranged with us (when booking your safari), should you choose to stay in Johannesburg for an extra night or more.
Activities listed as optional in the itinerary are not included in the tour price and are at your own expense. See Optional Activities & Excursions tab.
This safari travels with a maximum of 16 clients and single bookings are accepted.
This tour includes 4 nights of camping accommodation (with facilities), 2 nights of bush camping (with no facilities) and 1 night of camping (with basic facilities). The tour also includes 1 night of guest house accommodation.
On this tour, accommodation is primarily in spacious two-man dome tents (larger than standard dome tents), equipped with camping beds for extra comfort. Camping is mostly at basic campsites with facilities and the option to upgrade accommodation.
On this tour 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners are provided. We recommend a budget of USD260 for meals not included in the itinerary.
This camping safari is an overland trip, which means that some group participation is required along the way. This is an exclusive camping safari, however, which means that the tour operates with 3 crew members (guide, driver and assistant). Having extra staff on board means that less participation is required from clients on this tour.
The limited participation is usually in the form of helping with meal preparation and the setting up or dismantling of tents and sometimes helping your guide/cook with shopping for supplies.
The above itinerary serves as a guide and is subject to changes (such as last-minute route changes), due to factors including weather conditions and seasonal variation.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does take children.
The minimum age for this trip is 15 years at the time of travel. Any travellers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult who is responsible for their day to day care.
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