Join us on a 7 day / 6 night adventure packed Botswana Green Season safari to explore two iconic and contrasting destinations in Botswana – the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland water system and Makgadikgadi Pans, a huge salt pan system in the Kalahari that during the January-May wet season is home to the last great wildlife migration in southern Africa.
You start with a 3-night mobile safari expedition in Moremi Game Reserve where you can track lion, follow herds of elephant and experience the Okavango Delta in all its lush wet season splendor, then head off for another 3 nights at Camp Kalahari, a traditional bush camp in the heart of the Makgadikgadi Pans where you can explore with Bushmen guides, get up close and personal with meerkats and experience the desert’s wet season congregation of 30,000 zebra and wildebeest and the lions, cheetah, leopard and wild dogs that hunt them.
You will be guided by naturalists with years of experience in the Kalahari. Safari vehicles are comfortable Toyota Land Cruisers with roof top seats, leather beanbags for photography and blankets for sunrise game drives. Camp feature large tents equipped with full beds, flush toilets, bucket showers, down pillows, pure cotton sheets, Persian rugs, bone handled silver cutlery, damask table linen, and teak and brass styled safari furnishings. Three course meals under the stars include treats like fresh tomato and basil soup, ostrich piccata, roast Botswana beef, delectable orange tarts and impossibly rich chocolate puddings. Teas are indulgent affairs with treats like triple layer, banana caramel cake, tangy lemon curd biscuits and the best brownies in the bush! All bread is baked daily, and delicious full cooked English breakfasts are on offer every morning.
Day 1 Travel Day to Africa
Day 2 Moremi Game Reserve
Day 3 Moremi Game Reserve
Day 4 Moremi Game Reserve
Day 5 Makgadikgadi Pans
Day 6 Makgadikgadi Pans
Day 7 Your Journey Ends
- Okavango Delta
- Congregation of 30,000 zebra and wildebeest
- Makgadikgadi Pans
- Zu/’hoasi bushman interaction
A Magical Journey Awaits!
Talk To a Botswana Green Season Safari Specialist today! Call (800) 405-9463
Botswana Green Season Safari
KEY: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner
Please note that premium import brands are not included with beverages
Call for More Info: 800 405 9463
DAY 1TRAVEL DAY – TO AFRICA
Your journey beings today as you board your international flight to Africa!
DAY 2 MOREMI GAME RESERVE
On arrival, you will be met at Maun airport and transferred by air into the Moremi Game Reserve, where you will meet your guide. Once in Moremi, a slow game drive will familiarize you with the area as you make your way into camp in good time to shower and unpack before sundowners and dinner.
Enjoy breakfast in the first light of day and head out in the safari vehicles for your introduction to some of the animals of the dry floodplain environment, looking for zebra, wildebeest, impala and predators such as wild dog and cheetah. Return to camp for lunch and a siesta. After a delicious spread of tea and cake, head out for sundowners. Park at the edge of a lagoon and watch herds of elephant and a myriad of birds coming down to drink while the sun sets and you are given an informal talk on the geological history of the area. Return to camp for a sumptuous dinner.
DAY 3 MOREMI GAME RESERVE
After breakfast, take a game drive to the lagoon’s edge and board a boat to explore the waters of the delta. The open lagoons provide a wonderful contrast in habitat after the dry forest areas and floodplains. Putt along the maze of channels, stopping to admire rare birds and the diversity of aquatic life. Keep your eye out for small crocodiles basking in the sun on sparkling white sandbanks and hippos jousting for territories with spectacular splashes and clashes of jaws with some serious dental equipment. Have a picnic lunch on a sandy bank in the river and cool off at a safe swimming spot. Relax and sneak in a short siesta. Return to your boat and head back along the waterways towards camp. Search out creatures typical of the ecosystem and explore the interrelationships of species and the systems in which they live. Arrive in camp. Enjoy a relaxing time around the camp fire, and your last lamp lit dinner in the Moremi.
DAY 4 MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Today you will transfer out of the Delta to Camp Kalahari. Arrive at Camp Kalahari, nestled amongst the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyena Island, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, adjacent to the Makgadikgadi-Nxai Pans National Park. Camp Kalahari has 10 spacious Meru tents. All tents have en-suite outdoor bathrooms, flush toilets, hot and running water along with comfy beds, soft cotton sheets and stripy African blankets. A thatched library, lounge and dining area allow your to relax and enjoy the serenity of this enchanting area. Head off after tea in the beautiful afternoon light, stop to watch the sun set and listen to an explanation of how the Makgadikgadi pans, the remnants of the world’s largest ever super-lake, were formed. Return to Camp Kalahari for dinner.
DAY 5 MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK
Set off in the morning to visit some of the Kalahari’s most fascinating inhabitants, the meerkats. Due to an ongoing habituation program, it’s possible for you to get up close and personal with these captivating creatures. Remember, they are not tame – just used to our non-threatening presence. On chilly mornings, you might well find a meerkat snuggling up to you for warmth or using your head as a sentry post. By spending quality time with these incredibly social, superbly adapted animals you will be able to see how they interact with each other and their environment. You also get the chance to see the Kalahari Desert through the eyes of a meerkat, a pretty spectacular vantage point and definitely one of the most memorable game experiences you will have in Botswana. After a picnic breakfast, visit a remote cattle post to learn about the traditional culture of the Batswana people. Close by is the famous Chapman’s Baobab (also known as the Seven Sisters) which is the third largest tree in Africa and was the campsite of early explorers like Livingstone and Selous. Return to camp for a refreshing lunch and siesta.
After tea, head off in search of some unique desert species such as aardvark, bat eared foxes, aardwolves, and the elusive brown hyena, one of the rarest carnivores in Africa with only about 8,000 in the wild. Brown hyenas are the consummate desert specialists, surviving in arid areas where both food and water are scarce. A timid nocturnal species rarely seen by humans, they are very social animals, living in clans of up to 10-12. Enjoy an evening game drive back to Camp Kalahari and a lamp lit dinner.
DAY 6 MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK
Wake up to a delicious breakfast and head off for a full day in the Makgadikgadi National Park to see the zebra and wildebeest migration. In the Kalahari Desert rain is the ‘currency of life’ and it is incredible to see how, as soon as the rains arrive, the desert transforms into a green oasis teeming with life. Within days of the first rain, thousands of Burchell’s zebra and blue wildebeest make their way across the Makgadikgadi National Park to feed on the sweet summer grasses and benefit from the high mineral content of the salt pans. Until recently it was thought that the zebra and wildebeest came from the Boteti River, but new research has shown that some of the zebras come from as far away as the Okavango Delta. The route to the Makgadikgadi from the southern delta is no easy trot and this new data has emphasized just how incredibly important the Makgadikgadi area is to these animals. While enjoying a picnic lunch in the shade of a grove of trees, you will see the awe inspiring spectacle of the last surviving zebra and wildebeest migration in Southern Africa with an estimated 30,000 animals. Close behind the zebra and wildebeest are the predators and you might encounter lion, cheetah, leopard or wild dog. Also benefiting from this influx of life are the birds. The bird life in the Makgadikgadi is as fascinating as the animals and you are sure to spot unique desert birds like ostrich and sand grouse along with water birds that arrive with the rains. Waders, ibis, ducks, geese, storks, as well as the rare wattled crane can be seen during this time. Towards the end of the season flamingos, can be seen resting on the pans before continuing on their migration. Your guide will explain how mammals evolved and how this process by the fascinating relationship between predator and prey. The origins of hunting and water sourcing and its influence on man’s development will also be explained. Our guides are specialists who are able to convey all the nuances of the desert and the clever adaptations of its inhabitants. Return to Camp Kalahari after a jam packed day for hot showers and a final delicious dinner.
DAY 7 YOUR JOURNEY ENDS
This morning you are privileged to have a small group of extraordinary Zu/’hoasi bushman of the Western Kalahari guide us on a morning’s walking safari. Offering a window into the past, they teach us how they have survived in this harshest of environments, using their vast and ancient knowledge of plants, animal behavior and survival skills. After lunch you bid farewell to Camp Kalahari in preparation for your onward journey.
A Magical Journey Awaits!
Talk To a Safari Specialist today! Call (800) 405-9463
Safari Cost
FROM $4,009 per person sharing double occupancy
Minimum 2 Guests / Maximum 12 Guests
Contact Rothschild Safaris for dates
INCLUDED:
Besides what is listed above, the following additional items are included in your trip price:
- National parks and concession fees
- Services of professional English-speaking guides and staff
- Comprehensive safari preparation
- Accommodation
- Activities
- Internal Transfers
- Food & Beverages (Mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine & guest laundry)
EXCLUDED:
- Items of personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities (estimate approx. $15 per person per day)
- Excess baggage fees
- Airport departure taxes
- Passport and visa fees
- International airfare (available upon request)
AIR TRANSFERS
Air Transfers from Maun to Maun are included in the package rate.
Luggage is restricted to 20kgs per passenger in soft carry-on bags.
Departure Dates 2012
Dec 31-Jan 6 / Jan 26-Feb 1 / Jan 29-Feb 4 / Feb 27-Mar 4 / Mar 1-7Mar 30-Apr 5 / Apr 10-16 / May 14-20 / May 31-Jun 6
CAMP INFORMATION
MOBILE SAFARIS CAMP – A Private Camp comprising 6 traditional comfortable Meru tents with en-suite
bathrooms & flush loos.
CAMP KALAHARI – 7 Twin tents, 3 Double tents. 1 Family tent: 2 adjacent tents, accommodating 2 Guests in each with an interconnecting bathroom. All tents have en-suite outdoor bathrooms with a flush loo.
Booking Conditions
Rothschild Safaris: Terms and Conditions applicable on all tours. Cancellation insurance is highly recommended.
Deposit Requirements: 20% per person deposit is required to confirm the booking. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure.
Additional Information
- Packing list, detailed information on each country, a suggested reading list, medical information, and other pertinent travel information will be sent to you once your safari is booked.
- International flights can be arranged upon request utilizing our excellent consolidator airfares.
- All of our safaris can be customized to suit your specific interests, time frame and budget.
A Magical Journey Awaits!