Each year, Botswana welcomes experience hungry travellers to some of its highly acclaimed wildlife areas such as Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai Concession and Savuti. Armed with an assortment of recording devices ranging from smart phones and tablets to film and DSLR cameras, visitors here have something in common – the will and want to record their journey, taking special memories home with them.
There are travellers who prefer the great outdoors. If you are one of them, then this option is a MUST DO! This safari provides guests with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the wilderness by staying in small, customized mobile camps in remote areas. Typically, a mobile camp consists of a central area serving as a dining area. Camp chairs are arranged around a fire-pit or beneath the shade of a tree. The accommodation is tented.
This is a comfortable non-participation private camping safari. In this safari, guests can fully relax without being involved in camp duties. You will be accompanied by a guide, chef, and a camp assistant who will cater to your needs. It offers an authentic safari experience where the camp is set up on a private site.
Accommodation is provided in dome tents (measuring 2.4 meters by 2.4 meters), featuring basic en-suite facilities – including bucket shower, basin and toilet. However, the toilet is often not of the flush type – instead it is a drop toilet (consisting of a hole in the ground with a basic seat above it), and relies on ash or chemical mechanisms for sanitation.
Guests are treated to three meals daily, skilfully prepared by the camp chef, who possesses the remarkable ability to create sophisticated and delectable meals even in the midst of the wilderness. Game drive activities primarily occur during the early mornings and late afternoons, with relaxation time back at camp during the midday hours.
The next 8 days are yours to explore the tranquil, graceful and magnificent scenery of Moremi Game Reserve; mysterious, calming, unpredictable and very wild, Khwai Concession; as well as Savuti, Botswana’s photography paradise – as you wish, on game drives. And every day as the sun sets and the moon rises, you’ll feel relaxed and inspired by all the enlightening safari experiences you have had the incredible opportunity to see and do. This tour commences and ends in Maun.
This safari is undertaken in customized safari vehicles with rear mounted game viewing seats underneath a canvas canopy – offering 360-degree views and fantastic opportunities for game viewing.
Warm clothes are necessary during winter months and rain gear during the rainy season.
Summary
DAY 1 Maun to Moremi Game Reserve
DAY 2 Moremi Game Reserve
DAY 3 Khwai Concession
DAY 4 Khwai Concession
DAY 5 Khwai Concession
DAY 6 Savuti
DAY 7 Savuti
DAY 8 Savuti to Maun
Detailed Itinerary
Pick-up at Maun international airport/accommodation by your professional safari guide,short introduction and briefly on what to expect before you head out for Moremi Game Reserve through Shorobe. The drive will take you about 3-4 hours drive depending on what to see on the way. The game drive technically starts once we have passed the Buffalo fence. Packed lunch will be carried with us.
Arrive late afternoon at your designated camping ground in Moremi, where we will be camping for 2 nights. Find your camp already set by our camp staff. Time to relax and stretch your legs, pre-dinner refreshments, take dinner under the stars and later relax for a while around a blazing campfire listening to the calls of hyenas and lions. Guests interested in astronomy will be treated to one of the most expansive displays of stars on earth, before retiring in cosy tents for the night and drifting off to the sounds of the wild.
An early morning wake up call for tea and coffee with breakfast depending on clients food preferences. Depart camp just after sunrise, as we proceed through the beautiful scenery of the Moremi Game Reserve. Our game drive will take us to the park’s most beautiful areas such as Black Pools and Xini Area. These areas are in the south western part of Moremi. There is plenty of game in these areas with a very good chance of seeing elephant, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, lion, leopard, hyena, jackal, and many different antelopes, including red lechwe and sitatunga, the web-footed antelope perfectly adapted to life in the swamps, as well as a wide variety of birdlife. Wild dog whose numbers are so rapidly dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted in the Moremi Game Reserve.
Return to camp for brunch and a siesta before heading out for a late afternoon game drive.
A late afternoon game drive will take you to explore the Black Pools and Xini Area till sundown with drinks( G&T, beer, wine, bottled water & soft drink) . Catching up at the fire at dinner enjoying the animal calls. Good night sleep under canvas.
You have an early start this morning – leaving after breakfast we head out for our final game drive in the Moremi Game Reserve. Break camp and cross the Khwai River and enter Khwai Concession through North Gate. The Khwai Concession is a private game reserve comprising lagoons, channels and grassland adjacent to the stunning Moremi Game Reserve.
Upon arrival at your designated camping ground in Khwai, you will find your camp ready with tents erected. Time to relax and stretch your legs during which the safari guide will deliver a short briefing about Khwai Concession, where you will do your morning, afternoon, and sometimes night game drives, as well as other information regarding the safari, before heading out for an afternoon game drive through the beautiful scenery of the concession. There will be a good chance of seeing leopard, lion, African wild dog, hyena, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, elephant, buffalo, rhino and impala – to name a few. Birdlife is quite amazing in the area with birds such as secretary bird, hornbill, lapwing, vulture, African jacana, African fish eagle, hamerkop, kori bastard, lilac breasted roller, and crested crane among-st many other species.
Return to camp for pre-dinner refreshments, take dinner under the stars and later relax for a while around a blazing campfire listening to the calls of the hyenas and lions. Guests interested in astronomy will be treated to one of the most expansive displays of stars on earth, before retiring in cosy tents for the night and drifting off to the sounds of the wild.
After a very early morning light breakfast, we take you for an early morning game-viewing experience. On this drive you will get a chance to see ‘The Cats’ – lions, leopards and cheetahs as they hunt in the morning, taking advantage of the cool temperatures.
Return to camp for brunch and a siesta before heading out for a late afternoon game drive.
A late afternoon into evening game drive will take you exploring other areas of the concession a chance to find nocturnal beauties.
A game drive along the banks of the Khwai River will get you even closer to nature and provide an opportunity to learn more about the indigenous flora and traditional medicinal uses of plants. This time also allows our guides to impart their tracking knowledge with hands-on experience and share the rich history of Botswana. The concession also provides a unique opportunity to discover the unusual and secretive nocturnal members of the animal kingdom.
We return to camp after sunset, enjoy a refreshing sundowner, followed by a hearty dinner again under the expansive display of the stars.
Wake up early. Have a light breakfast, break camp and say good bye to Khwai Concession and the spectacular views of the Khwai River, before setting off on about 4-5 hour’s drive to your campsite in Savuti. You will have a rest in camp before a late afternoon game drive.
Savuti lies in the more remote central region of the Chobe National Park and displays a stark contrast to the Chobe Riverfront – the park’s northern boundary, which has water all year round.
Savuti offers dramatic game viewing and a somewhat eerie atmosphere. It is also well known as one of the best areas for big cat viewing. The Savuti lion pride has earned a fearsome reputation for hunting elephant, but other predators like leopard, wild dog, spotted hyena and even cheetah are also abundant in the area.
Your evenings will be spent enjoying a bush dining experience around a roaring campfire, after late sundowner refreshments, followed by relaxing to the sounds of the night.
The second and third day at Savuti will be spent on game drives in the morning and afternoon.
fascinating history of the changing ecology of the area, renowned predator interaction, and area undergoing dramatic change at present, Savuti has undergone great change over the past few years, from a semi-arid wet season refuge to a dry season haven for wildlife. Arrive late to the camp, find camp already set, shower, siesta, dinner around the fire, with Guide and camp team. Interaction and get ready for tomorrow. G&T for sundowns, drinks, water, snack available.
Early wake up call for breakfast, break the camp as we transit back to Maun.
End of Tour