Botswana Tours - Tour 12.1
BOTSWANA WILDLIFE TOUR OR
SELF DRIVE TOUR 5 VEHICLES
17 DAYS / 16 NIGHTS
This tour goes through a malaria area.
This tour covers 5 National parks and 3 Reserves parks.
DAY 1. UPINGTON – KGALAGADI
Depart from Upington to the largest camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Twee Rivieren. On the route, we stop at the last indigenous San tribe in South Africa, the Khomani. Today these earliest residents of the Kalahari, living here for 40 000 years, consist of only 400 people and are resident in an area between 40 and 70 km south of Twee Rivieren. Clients will have the opportunity to view and purchase their handcraft at one of the roadside stalls. Check in at Two Rivers on the Botswana side.
Game drive to Rooiputs Campsite on the Botswana side, in this 37 000 square km park, which is one of the largest conservation areas in the world and one of the last truly unspoilt ecosystems. Endemic game such as gemsbok, springbok, eland, giraffe, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest roam the sparsely vegetated red sand dunes and the dry river valleys of the Nossob and Auob where a variety of acacia species thrives.
The Park is well known for good sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah, and spotted – and brown hyena are common residents. Because of an abundance of prey in the form of mice, whistling rats, birds and insects, smaller predators thrive in the park. The park is home to caracal, honey badger, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, cape fox, African wildcat, mongoose and the ever-popular suricate (meerkat).
Kgalagadi is a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 300 species recorded including at least 20 larger raptor species. The worlds heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard and the stately secretary bird patrol the riverbeds while the noisy northern black korhaan rule in the dunes.
Camping in the wild with no protective fencing is an experience. Enjoy dinner around the fire, while listening to the sounds of the night. Do not be surprised if you hear lion, hyena, leopard and black backed jackal during the night. Lions are regular visitors to Rooiputs at night.
(The facilities at Rooiputs are very basic. Each campsite has an A-frame shade structure, pit toilet and a shelter for a portable shower bag.)
Accommodation: Rooiputs camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 2. KGALAGADI NATIONAL PARK
Game drive to Polentswa Camp at the Botswana side north of Nossob Camp. As with Rooiputs, Polentswa has no protective fencing too. This remote campsite overlooks the vegetated Polentswa Pan and is known for beautiful sunsets. Lions, hyenas and brown hyenas are regular visitors to Polentswa at night.
(The facilities at Polentswa are very basic. Each campsite has an A-frame shade structure, pit toilet and a shelter for a portable shower bag.)
Accommodation: Polentswa camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3. KGALAGADI – MABUASEHUBE
Game drive and 4×4 trail to Mabuasehube Gate on the eastern border of the Botswana part of the Park.
Vast herds of game can still be seen in typical Kalahari field with rolling grass plains and Acacia woodland. The area is dotted with pans (dry lakes) which fill up with water after good rains in summer and attract large herds of eland, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, some predators and many birds.
Accommodation: One of the campsites in Mabuasehube area
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4. MABUASEHUBE
After breakfast do game drives and relax.
Accommodation: One of the campsites in Mabuasehube
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5. MABUASEHUBE – GHANZI
Continue on 4×4 trails to the Trans Kalahari Highway. Proceed to Ghanzi, where the feeling of a frontier town still lingers. Replenish supplies.
Accommodation: Tautona lodge Chalet/Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 6. GHANZI – CENTRAL KALAHARI
Early departure to Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which covers 51 800 square km. The Central Kalahari is a place where you find your soul, where the modern world recedes and you get in touch with the earth, the sky and the space. Animals to be seen are Gemsbok, Wildebeest, Springbok, Tsesebe and Steenbok. The most common predators are Lion, Brown Hyena, Cheetah, Leopard and African Wild Cat. Many bird species can be seen, including bird of prey.
(Each campsite has a pit toilet and a shelter for a portable shower bag.)
Accommodation: One of the camps/ Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 6. CENTRAL KALAHARI
Game drives. Relax.
Accommodation: One of the camps/ Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7. CENTRAL KALAHARI – MAGADIGADI PANS
We depart on 4×4 trail and tar road to Khumaga Campsite on the banks of the dry Boteti River in Makgadigadi Pans National Park. The first elephants, white rhinos and hippos on the tour can be seen in this Park. Huge numbers of zebra migrate from the Makgadigadi Pans to the Boteti River during the dry season. The dry Boteti River is known for lion activities during the night.
Accommodation: Khumaga camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8. MAGADIGADI PANS – MAUN
Proceed to Maun. Replenish supplies check vehicles and fill up with fuel and water. Take a rest. Optional flight over the Swamps and boat trips.
Accommodation: Okavango Lodge Chalet/Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 9. MAUN – MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Depart to Moremi Game Reserve. Moremi is definitely one of the best game reserves within Botswana, offering the visitor a magnificent variety in landscape and marvellous wildlife all year round. Birdwatchers will be amazed. Optional boat trips on the Delta can be done from Xakanaxa.
Game drives in Moremi.
Accommodation: Xakanaka camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 10. MOREMI GAME RESERVE AREAS
Morning and afternoon game drives in Khwai area
Accommodation: Xakanaxa camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11. KHWAI – CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Depart to Savuti in Chobe National Park. In sharp contrast with the Khwai River and lush Chobe River front, the Savuti is almost a desert-like landscape, with many elephant impatiently lining up to get to the ever-dwindling water supply. A pride of about 30 lions, known, as ‘the elephant killers of Savuti, are residents of the Savuti area.
Accommodation: Savuti camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 12. CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
The Linyanti is one of the best wildlife destinations in Botswana, equal to the Okavango Delta especially during the dry season when the Kwando and the Linyanti rivers attract vast numbers of game.
Accommodation: Linyanti camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 13. CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
This is elephant country. Chobe National Park is very famous for its abundance of elephant. This Park has the highest concentration of elephant anywhere in Africa, an estimated 70 000! Chobe is also famous for its huge herds of buffalo and its rich birdlife. Afternoon game drive.
Accommodation: Kasane Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 14. CHOBE NATIONAL PARK – VICTORIA FALLS
Do a guided day-tour to Vic Falls. The tour goes through the Zambezi National Park to Vic Falls and back in the afternoon. The Victoria Falls & Zambezi National Parks is a world Heritage Site and the falls is one of the ‘Seven wonders of the world’ and one of the largest and most spectacular waterfalls on earth. The falls are 1,7 km wide and nearly 550 million litres of water cascade 70 to 108 meters into the chasm below – every minute – during the Zambezi River’s peak flow. Victoria Falls is made of five different “falls”. Four of these are in Zimbabwe: The Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls and Horseshoe Falls – and one, The Eastern Cataract, is in the bordering country of Zambia.
Zambezi National Park together with Victoria Falls National Park covers an area of 56,000 hectares. The northern border of the Park is formed by the great Zambezi River which also forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia for much of its length. A wide variety of larger mammals may be found within the Zambezi National Park including The Big Five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and white rhinoceros. In addition, herds of sable antelope, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck and impala as well as many of the smaller species of game can be viewed.
Optional activities at own cost include bungee jumping and a helicopter flight over the falls.
Accommodation: Senyati camping/Chalets
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 15. KASANE – MAGADIGADI PANS
Proceed to Nata via the Kazuma and Sibuyu Forest Reserves. Visit Nata Sanctuary. The Nata Sanctuary at Sowa Pan, which is part of the Makgadikgadi Pans, is a community project and one of Botswana’s premier birding destinations. Nata Sanctuary is home to 165 bird species including flamingos and pelicans. After good rains, hundreds of thousands of globally threatened Lesser Flamingos, along with Greater Flamingos, Chestnut-banded Plovers, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, and a host of other water birds converge on the nutrient-rich waters of the pans. As the pan dries out, the Sanctuary hosts the largest congregation of Lesser Flamingos in Southern Africa.
We drive through the Magadigadi pan to Lekhubu Island the lost city.
Accommodation: Lekhubu camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 16. MAGADIGADI PANS – MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK
Early departure to the South African border post at Grobler’s Bridge. Proceed to Marakele National Park in the Waterberg Mountains, home of the worlds largest colony of cape vultures. Big game species flourish in this transitional zone between South Africa’s dry and moist regions. Marakele is home to most of the large mammals synonymous with the African bush, including elephant, black and white rhino, buffalo, leopard and cheetah. Large Predators such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, leopard and now also lion, occur in the park. Rhinos are seen very often at sunset at the waterhole near the camping area and they are regular visitors to the camping area after sunset.
Accommodation: Bontle Camping Site camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 17. MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK – JOHANNESBURG
Depart to Johannesburg. Drop off at Lodge/Guest House or airport. Accommodation at own cost.
Accommodation can vary from the itinerary depending on the availability of Lodge/Chalet or camping.
Please keep luggage to a minimum – 1 soft bag maximum 15kg
+ Small day bag (up to 5kg)
TOUR PRICE
Rates on request
PAYMENTS
Deposit 50% when reservation is confirmed
Balance 50 % 40 days prior to commencement of tour
INCLUDED
Air -conditioned transport 4×4 double cab
Accommodation as per itinerary including camping equipment
Meals as per itinerary
Activities as per itinerary
Guided books about the flora and fauna etc.
Park fees
EXCLUDED
Air or bus ticket to/from Upington
Bottled water, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks
Hiking fees, boat trip and night drive fees
Own 4×4 vehicle and radios
INFORMATION NEEDED
Where to pick you up on day of departure 8h30.
State of health and any dietary requirement (vegetarians etc.)
BOTSWANA WILDLIFE TOUR OR
SELF DRIVE TOUR 5 VEHICLES
17 DAYS / 16 NIGHTS
This tour goes through a malaria area.
Subscribe to Newsletter
Contact Us
Richters Safaris
August Richter
Tel: +27(0) 54 332 1983
Fax: +27(0) 54 332 1983
Cell: +27(0) 72 8603 391
E-mail: info@richterssafaris.co.za
Website: www.richterssafaris.co.za
