ITINERARY

Day 1 & 2: VICTORIA FALLS (Old Drift Lodge)
This privately hosted safari starts at Victoria Falls Airport where you’ll be met by Richard and transferred by road to for your short road transfer to the Old Drift Lodge situated inside the Zambezi National Park.

Old Drift Lodge is the perfect base to explore Victoria Falls and the surrounding area. It is located only 7kms upstream from the hustle & bustle of Vic Falls town and ‘The Falls’ but you could be in the middle of the bush. Sit back and recover from your flight while you watch herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, kudu and many more go about their daily business from the comfort of the lodge.

Accommodation at Old Drift Lodge is unashamedly luxurious. The large canvas safari tents offer kings size beds, indoor and outdoor showers, an outdoor bath and sky bed, and large private patio with a plunge pool, all on the edge of the mighty Zambezi River.

As lovely as the accommodation is, our time in Vic Falls is a busy one … Richard will take you on a guided tour of Vic Falls, which will be spectacular. The Falls will be at the fullest in April and the amount if water rumbling over the falls is breathtaking. You will also enjoy morning or afternoon game drives in the Zambezi National Park, morning or afternoon game viewing Zambezi River Cruises, bush walks and a sumptuous lunch at The Lookout Cafe. Each evening there will be a relaxed dinner at the lodge as you settle in to the laid-back atmosphere of the safari.

For those of you with enough energy, additional activities such as flights over ‘The Falls’ can be arranged at an additional cost.

Day 3 & 4: KWANDO PRIVATE RESERVE (Lagoon Camp)
On the morning of day 3, we transfer by road from Old Drift Lodge, through the Zambezi National Park, across the border into Botswana and Kasane Airport. At the airport we board our light aircraft for a 45min scenic flight across northern Chobe and Linyanti and onto the massive Kwando Private Reserve located the far north of Botswana.

Richard has a long relationship with Lagoon Camp. He first visited the camp when it was still being built and it was the raw untamed beauty of the area that captured his heart. Lagoon Camp is located in the Kwando Private Reserve which is the the largest private concession area in northern Botswana. Covering an area of 2320sq kms this unfenced wilderness areas is massive. With only two camps (Lagoon and Lebala) in the area, you are guaranteed a very private and intimate wilderness experience. Game viewing in the Lagoon Camp area is legendary with large herds of elephant and buffalo and other plains game. The buffalo attract lion, and the abundance of other general game means that the Kwando concession boasts a very healthy population of the rare African wild dog.

We will explore this area on morning, afternoon and night game drives. As it is a private reserve, we can also track wildlife off road and at night with spot lights. It’s also possible to enjoy a guided bush walk or boat cruises on the Kwando River.

The accommodation at Kwando can only be described as understated luxury. Each luxury safari tent has a large outdoor deck overlooking the Kwando River along with a comfortable indoor lounge area. Bathrooms are en-suite with indoor and outdoor showers and large clawfoot baths with amazing panoramic views across the African wilderness.

The thatched main area of the camp is multi-level, the top area being the library which almost always has a breeze sweeping through. The main area was designed to fit perfectly into the natural landscape and allow views of the river and wetlands from all areas. Just off the main area is a swimming pool to cool off on those hot summer afternoons.

To maximise the game viewing experience, the game drives are operated with a guide and tracker – this adds to the experience on two levels. You have two sets of eyes searching for the action and looking for tracks – this ensures a good chance of sightings, particularly of predators. In addition, having the tracker out front concentrating on tracking, the guide is more able to talk to you and keep you informed and answer all you questions. This all means that there is a more relaxed, convivial game drive atmosphere.

Day 5 & 6: OKAVANGO DELTA (Pom Pom Camp)
On day five we head south via light aircraft to the intimate Pom Pom Camp – an old favourite.

While not as glamorous as some of the other lodges, Pom Pom is known for its ‘soul’ and appeal to safari traditionalists. Pom Pom Camp is an eco-friendly camp located on Pom Pom Island in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The area lies on the western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve and not only offers superb Okavango scenery but also consistent game viewing all year round. Pom Pom is the real deal for those who live and breathe Africa.

The tents are located on raised platforms that overlook the Pom Pom lagoon. Sitting on your deck looking out over this stunningly beautiful scenery will stay with you for a long time. With large king size beds and massive outdoor showers, you don’t need anything more in the way of luxury while in the Delta. The central area is located under large shady trees and offers wide open views of the surrounding area.

What makes Pom Pom so special is the diversity of habitats and wildlife that we hope to see. We will explore the area on foot, mekoro (traditional dug-out canoes), motor boats and on morning, afternoon and night game drives. The area always delivers when it comes to game viewing and we expect to see plentiful wildlife in this small piece of African wilderness paradise.

Day 7 & 8: NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK (Nxai Pan Camp)
Days seven and eight are spent at Nxai Pan Camp, located on the western edge of the fossil pan from which the camp takes its name, in the Nxai Pan National Park. The area is famous for the towering Baines’ Baobabs and plentiful wildlife.

Nxai Pan is a special place for Richard as he used to visit the area often as a child on family camping safaris. He also helped map out the GPS coordinates for Nxai Pan Camp – the result of which was torn and bloody clothes from all the thornbushes in the area!

Richard has chosen April for this safari to coincide with the migration of large herds of zebra and wildebeest into Nxai Pan and the Kalahari. Of course where the zebra and wildebeest go, so do the predators and we hope to see lots of predator/prey action.

The camp faces east over the open grasslands of the pans and accommodates a maximum of eighteen guests in thatched units, which are specifically designed to provide a continuous and comfortable temperature throughout the year. Game viewing is possible from the comfort of your room, as the permanent water hole in front of the camp draws a multitude of mammal, and bird species.

Your time at Nxai Pan will be spent on game drives, day trips to the famous Baines’ Baobabs and Khama Pan, staring up at the magnificent night skies, and nature walks with Bushman trackers.

Day 9 & 10: CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (Tau Pan Camp)
On day nine we will head to the starkly beautiful Central Kalahari Game Reserve (via light aircraft), and Tau Pan Camp. The area is known for it’s severe beauty, desert-adapted animals, plains antelope, and black-maned lions. Your home for two nights, Tau Pan, is the first safari camp to be built in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, and the model of ecological sensitivity.

In Richard’s mid-teens he was lucky enough to take part in an Ostrich research program in which he got to fly over the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in a microlight looking for Ostrich nets. Once the nests were located he had to drive to the nest site, sneak up to the nest, and count how many eggs were in each nest. Ask Richard to tll you some funny stories about having to escape from the angy Ostrich parents 🙂

Tau Pan accommodates up to eighteen guests in luxuriously designed thatched units on raised decks. The camp offers astonishing views from the ridge of an ancient sand dune, an unusual experience in a land as flat as Botswana, and overlooks the famous Tau Pan, known for its simple, remote beauty.

Activities offered at Tau Pan are game drives, day trips to the well-known Deception Valley, and the Sunday, Piper and Passarge Pans. Dining out under the dazzling night skies, bush brunches on Tau Pan, and nature walks with Bushman trackers are some of the other highlights you can look forward to.

Day 11: MAUN – SAFARI ENDS

There is time for one last morning game drive in the Kalahari, or you can enjoy a relaxed morning in camp as you get ready to end your amazing safari with Richard of the highlights of Botswana.

Leaving Tau Pan Camp by light aircraft, you’ll arrive at Maun Airport in time to catch your international departure flight.

Price:
US$ 9 350 per person sharing
US$ 2 360.00 (single supplement)