Wild Botswana: Rivers, Delta and Desert

On arrival in to Maun you will be escorted to the charter area where you will catch a light aircraft flight across to the Linyanti region in the West of the Chobe National Park. A short game drive transfer will take you to Lagoon Camp where you will be spending the next 3 nights. Enjoy lunch and some time to relax in the lovely surroundings of the lodge before heading out for an afternoon game drive to orientate yourselves with the area. Return to camp for drinks around the campfire before dinner.

Your first full day in Botswana will start before the sun rises with coffee and a light breakfast in the dining area before heading out for a dawn exploration of the area. This is a great time of day to spot predators returning from a night out hunting, whilst the beautiful light of early morning makes it a favourite time to take photographs. Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast and some time to relax before lunch, perhaps taking a siesta or a dip in the swimming pool. The afternoon will be a chance to enjoy some further safaris, perhaps going on a boat cruise or even a guided walk through the area surrounding the camp.

One of the key attractions of Lagoon Camp is that it offers unparalleled wild dog viewing opportunities and plenty of time will be spent out searching for these incredible predators. The chance to watch them hunt excites even the most experienced safari-goer and with many mouths to feed in the pack it is a common occurrence. Overall, this is a superb area to spot predators, with high concentrations of both lion and leopard, as well as some large herds of elephant. Whatever you want to see, your guide and tracker will do their utmost to give you some of the most incredible wildlife interactions that you will ever experience.

After a morning activity from the camp you will enjoy breakfast before being transferred back to the airstrip for a light aircraft flight down to the heart of the Okavango Delta. A guide will be waiting for you to take you through to Splash Camp where you will be spending the next three nights. There will be time for you to have lunch and relax before heading out for an afternoon safari activity. With game drives, guided walks, boat trips and mokoro canoe safaris on offer, there is plenty to choose from, with all activities enjoyed in the company of the outstanding guides for which the camp is renowned.

A polite pre-dawn knock on your door will signify the start of the day which is a chance to explore the delta in full. Whether you are in a vehicle, on foot or on the water, you'll be assured of a wonderful safari experience. There isn’t much you won’t see wildlife-wise here, with large herds of elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog amongst the “highlight” species you will encounter as you explore the bush. In between activities you can relax in the lovely surroundings of the camp, enjoy superb food and lounge by the sparkling swimming pool to soak up the African afternoon sunshine.

The sheer variety of activities on offer from Splash Camp are what make it such an attractive option to visitors. Game drives are naturally the most popular offering here, allowing close encounters with all manner of big game and superb photography opportunities. Guided walks are superb for learning more about the smaller things often missed on game drives as well as the medicinal uses of plants and trees by the local people. Being out on a mokoro canoe or boat is a wonderfully relaxing way to spend some time and, whilst they don’t often allow for spotting masses of wildlife, they are great for getting a contrasting feel to being on land.

You will be able to enjoy a final activity before breakfast in the camp this morning, after which you will be transferred to the airstrip where a light aircraft will take you across to the Nxai Pan National Park, to the East of the Delta. A guide will be waiting to transfer you from the airstrip to Nxai Pan Camp where you will be spending the final three nights of your Botswana adventure. As this is the only permanent camp within the park, there is a wonderful feeling of isolation and privacy when staying here. After lunch on the deck gazing out across the dry, stark pan you will head out to explore the area on a game drive with your guide.

One of the main attractions for coming to the desert is the chance to spend the time with the indigenous San Bushmen who have lived in these deserts for thousands of years. You will be able to go on a guided walk with them, learn about the fascinating way of life and how they have survived in the harsh deserts of Botswana. They will teach you about uses for plants and trees, how they have hunted all manner of wildlife using only bows and arrows and get an insight in to the challenges facing them as Botswana has modernised over the years. A truly fascinating way to spend a day and one not to be missed.

Nxai Pan is home to a grove of towering baobab trees, known as Baines’ Baobabs after the explorer Thomas Baines who was the first explorer to come across them. This is a full day out so a picnic lunch will be taken along which you will enjoy beneath the shade of the baobabs. It is also a chance to learn more about the wildlife of the park and how they have adapted to living in the seemingly waterless wastes of this part of the country. Return to the camp in the latter part of the afternoon where you will have some time to relax by the pool before sundowner drinks beside a roaring campfire.

After a final morning activity and some time to relax you will be collected and taken to the airstrip for the short flight across to Maun, arriving in time to connect with a regional flight to Johannesburg. From there it's time to fly home.