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Tours - 1. Botswana |
BotswanaClick here for a orientation map DAY 1: Depart from JHB International Airport in a northern direction via Pretoria and Potgietersrus, then cross the border at Martinsdrift. We set up camp at Khama Rhino Camp. Here you will have your first opportunity to go on a late afternoon game drive. We sleep outdoors tonight and will be self dependant for the next 2 days – seeing that we left civilization 600km behind! Distance: 600km
DAY 2: We enjoy breakfast to get a kick-start for today’s adventures. After breakfast we head for Rakops. This is where the fun starts - we taste our first of many 4x4 challenges! Rakops is close to the Boteti river which forms the western boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. We set up camp in the vicinity of Kwaraga - next to the Boteti river with her lush riverine forest outlining the banks. This will be a truly unique experience, sit down to a tantalizing meal and sleeping out in the open with only the skies above you! Distance: 380km
DAY 3: Today we travel up to MAUN. Here we can stock up for the next 4 days and taste civilization again. Maun experienced rapid change in the past 20years. It has grown from an almost Ghost town to a modern haven with shopping complexes and speciality shops. No more dusty streets or trading stores. The only remaining landmark is the Riley Hotel and Riley’s Garage. Maun is also the gateway to the wellknown Okavango Delta. After strolling through the town, we embark on a trip over the Okavango Delta with a Cessna 206. This will give you a bird’s eye view of this astonishing delta with over 400 bird species recorded up to date. After the aerial trip we return to Maun and treat ourselves with a traditional meal at one of Maun’s restaurants. Distance: 150km
DAY 4: After a rejuvenating night rest you will enjoy a healthy breakfast before departing to Xakanaxa via Magogelo and enter the MOREMI GAME RESERVE at South Gate.. The pans in this area offer exquisite birding opportunities – colonies of storks, egrets, ibises and herons breed here. We will take a motorboat ride into the delta to get a better view of all the animals and birds. Tonight we sleep at Xakanaxa camp and listen to the nocturnal sounds of the Moremi Game Reserve. Distance: 150km
DAY 5: Today we face a rough 4x4 challenge as we travel from Moremi to SAVUTI via North Gate. The Savuti has often been described as an area with jam-packed game! Bird life is superb and animals such as elephant, lion, leopard, hyena and some antelope can be seen. This trip promises to be an exhilarating experience. Another attraction at Savuti, is the channel. The main channel stretches over a distance of 100km from Chobe to Mababe Depression. Tonight we relax in our own camp and spend the night out in the open just outside Khawai, Distance: 60km
DAY 6: The 4x4 test continues and another day of rough and tough lies ahead. Today we travel just past Savuti where we will spend another night. A lot of game can be seen today and many wild animals lurk around the camp at night. You will be treated like a King by our hosts while you lay back and enjoy the tranquillity in the heart of Botswana. Distance: 120km
DAY 7: We take the route from Savuti to Sweizepan and the panveld of the Nogatsaa. This route stretches through the Chobe National Park with a diversity of vegetation – floodplains, mopane forests and brachystegia woods. The Nogatsaa area lays approximately 60km south of Serondela and is characterized by a number of pans, bushwillows and grassland. During the winter months, these pans are occupied by a vast amount of game and other wild animals. Camp will be set up next to a waterhole in a secluded boma (circular wall). Distance: 120km
DAY 8: From Nogatsaa we head to Kasane. At Kasane we can fill up our stock again. Kasane is a popular tourist destination with various lodges close by. We will make use of Kuba Lodge. You can also take a boat ride at Serondela Island if you wish to. Distance: 60km
DAY 9: We lock up camp at Kuba Lodge and head for the Victoria Falls. This is spectacular and well-known waterfall in Zimbabwe. This waterfall is also regarded as one of the natural wonders of the world with 550 million litres of water dropping per minute from the Zambezi river. A walk through the rain forest on the banks of the river is a must, this route takes you to Danger Point where you can have a better view of the gushing water. Bungi jumping and river rafting might be tempting for the adrenaline junkies, for the more surefooted there are a few restaurants and pubs to keep you busy. We return to Kuba Camp for a good night’s rest. Distance: 100km
DAY 10: From Kasane we go to Nxai Pan, which offers a combination of dry pans, thick bush and flat grassland. During December – April this area is swamped with wild animals such as Springbok, Gemsbok, Eland, Zebra and predators are plentiful (lion, hyena, jackal and cheetah). Early morning and evening can be spent watching the game gather at one of the man-made waterholes. Distance: 280km
DAY 11: Today we head towards Gweta via Makgadikgadi Pans and Baines Boababs. The Makgadikgadi Reserve is a 4144 km2 piece of land including a small portion of the Ntwetwe Pan. At the beginning of the rain season, large herds of wildebeest and their predators cross these plains. At Kudiakam we find an isolated group of boabab trees – Baines Boababs. Thomas Baines painted these trees over a 100 years ago and since then they haven’t changed a bit. This is an area that can be explored for a few days without seeing the same things over and over. We end our journey for the day at Gweta. Distance: 160km DAY 12: Some 4x4 funs lies ahead today when we revisit the Makgadikgadi Pans. These salts pans are one of the favourites on this tour and are believed to be part of an ancient inland sea which covered the whole area from Sowa to Ntwetwe. After the fun and games we head to a rising island in Sowa pan - Kubu Island. In the summer time, this island is occupied by flocks of flamingos and pelicans. These birds decorate the island like frosted icing while zebra and wildebeest feed on the grassy shores before their long trek north for the winter. Distance: 120km DAY 13: The route takes us to Francistown – the second largest town in Botswana - where we buy our supplies for the last evening spent in the bush. From there on we head via Serule and Selibe-Phikwe to a spot next to the Limpopo River and set up camp Distance: 450km DAY 14: After an early breakfast we travel down to Martinsdrift we cross the border and head for Johannesburg. Distance: 380km Total Distance: 3130km
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