Embark on an extraordinary journey through Africa on this affordable Botswana Camping Safari adventure into the heart of breathtaking landscapes rich in wildlife.
Start by exploring a verdant gorge hidden in the desert and the ethereal expanse of the ancient Makgadikgadi salt pans. From there you head out on two vastly different Botswana wildlife experiences. First, you explore the Okavango Delta's watery wonderland in traditional dugout mokoros, meandering through channels and lush islands that teem with wildlife. Then, on to the stark untamed beauty of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a vast wilderness that captivates with its stark Kalahari Desert scenery and the chance to encounter rare wildlife species.
_dsc04445__large.jpg "Sunset Over The Okavango Delta")
__large.jpg "Herd of Springbok in Central Kalahari Game Reserve")
__large.jpg "Safari Transport")
_(1)__large.jpg "Mekoro Excursion in The Okavango Delta")
__large.jpg "Elephants in Okavango Delta from the Air")
__large.jpg "Bush Walk In The Okavango Delta Area")
From Johannesburg we head north, crossing the border into Botswana before towards the Tswapong Hills in Botswana’s Central District where time and perennial streams fed by permanent springs have cut deep gorges into the dry dusty landscape. Waterfalls cascade into deep pools surrounded by lush vegetation alive with birdsong. The cliffs above provide one of the two breeding sites in Botswana for the endangered Cape Vulture. It is easy to see why the gorge is a sacred place for the Komana people and the area is rich in archaeological findings. We will explore the gorge and spend the first night of our Botswana safari camping in this special place.
Today we head to the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the largest salt flats in the world. Actually a series of salt pans created by an enormous lake which dried up many millennia ago, this salty crusty area transforms to grasslands after the annual rainy season attracting migrating wildlife.
Day two of our Botswana Camping Safari is spent near Kubu Island, a dry granite rock island jutting out of the flats, stained white with fossilized bird droppings and riddled with prehistoric artifacts and stone ruins whose origins are earlier than the era of Homo sapiens. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the island as "just about the most astonishing place I've ever been" on the Botswana Special episode.
Today we skirt the edges of the vast Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on our Botswana Safari. Along the way, we stop for lunch and explorations, before making our way to Gweta where we spend our next night camping. The sunset from our camp is sure to be unforgettable.
This area is known for its Baobab trees which provide a magnificent contrast to the lunar landscape of the Pans. The average age of Makgadikgadi’s Baobabs is believed to be more than 4000 years. These monster trees are also known as ‘upside down trees’ due to their distinct silhouette of swollen trunks with incongruous branches looking more like roots.
On day four of our Botswana Camping Safari, you have a slow morning in this magical place. This allows time for an optional activity: Meerkat adventure (own expense). Meerkats are a small breed of mongoose most frequently seen comically balanced on their rear legs surveying their surroundings. They live in large family groups along the edge of the salt pans, and you are able to get quite close to observe their comical antics as they are semi-habituated to human presence through years of research.
After lunch, we make our way to Maun, the main town and center of tourism operations for the Okavango Delta. Here we have time to shop and resupply in preparation for our next few days in the Delta and enjoy an evening meal at a local restaurant (own expense). There are also optional activities available (own expense) like a flight over the Okavango Delta with provides the best perspective to truly appreciate the majesty of this place.
Local guides will take us deep into the heart of the Okavango Delta in traditional dugout canoes known as Mekoro. You are perfectly placed to immerse yourself in this miraculous place – a river delta that spills straight into the ancient Kalahari Desert. The waters rise in the Angola highlands flowing into this inland delta system of permanent swamps and islands covering 600,000 hectares, which swell to 1.2 million hectares during the annual floods.
The Okavango Delta provides a lush habitat for a remarkable variety of birds and animals. We will camp wild on remote islands and enjoy bush walks, game spotting, bird watching, and swimming in clear waters. Camping with local guides we learn more about their lifestyle and culture.
The Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust is run by the communities in the southeastern sector of the Okavango Delta. Fees are paid to the trust, and wages are paid directly to the individual guides/polers. Work is split between community members on a rotation basis administered by each village. By working with the communities, we help provide sustainable economic benefits for conservation.
Return to Maun in the late afternoon of day 7 and overnight at a campsite with good, comfortable facilities.
We leave the waters behind and journey to the northern section of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to spend 4 days exploring this remote wilderness.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is vast, making up 10% of Botswana's total land area. It lies in the heart of the Kalahari Desert, the world's largest continuous stretch of sand extending from South Africa in the south right up to Zaire in the north. The Bushmen, or San, have roamed here for thousands of years.
Nothing prepares you for the immensity of this place. Dry riverbeds with fossilized salt pans mark the positions of rivers which drained into Lake Makgadikgadi eons ago. It is a UNESCO Area of Outstanding Universal Value due to its unique biodiversity including concentrated populations of some threatened species like the Brown Hyena and the "black-maned lion". Here animal species have specially adapted to the dry conditions and can survive the extremes of temperature and go for months without surface water. Deception Valley, located in the north, is one of the reserve highlights due to dense concentrations of herbivores that gather to feed on the sweet grasses that spring into life after the rainy season.
Our last day on safari in Botswana will be spent at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary run by a community-based wildlife Trust established in 1992. 100% of the staff are Motswana led by the chief warden, and all profit made from this initiative goes to the Serowe, Mabelepodi & Paje communities for development.
Rhinos in Africa are poached in ever-increasing numbers due to the demand for their horns and other body parts. Learn about the efforts to save these creatures while also seeking to restore the land to its former glory while providing economic benefits to the local community through tourism and the sustainable use of natural resources. This reserve has several natural waterholes and provides prime habitats for white rhinos, zebras, and wildebeest.
After breakfast, we say goodbye to our Motswana guides and the 4x4 vehicle to embark on our journey back to Johannesburg in a comfortable minibus. We have a short stop for border formalities and lunch en route (own expense). The Botswana Camping Safari ends at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport at 17:00 pm.
This tour does take children.
Children aged 12-17 are permitted on this Botswana Safari with an accompanying adult.
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