Okavango Delta, Chobe & Victoria Falls

Departure every Wednesday

Depart from: Johannesburg, Pretoria Any Backpackers hostel, hotel, guest house

End in: Johannesburg, Pretoria Any Backpackers hostel, guest house, hotel or airport

Day 1: Nata (Botswana)
We depart early morning from Johannesburg & Pretoria. Your guide will stop en-route for breakfast (own cost) and last minute shopping, before reaching the Botswana border. You will get an  opportunity to change money, after crossing the border, from where we head further north to Nata, where we stay the night.
Dinner included

Day 2: Maun (Botswana)
The day starts with an early morning breakfast, before heading west along the northern border of the Kalahari Desert to Maun. We stay the night at a great campsite just outside Maun, where you can visit the crocodile farm, & relax by the swimming pool.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

Days 3, 4, 5: Okavango Delta (Botswana)
The Okavango Delta must be one of the best experiences offered in southern Africa, and offers a large variety of mammal, reptile and bird species.
We start the day with a large breakfast, before heading into the Okavango Delta with 4x4 open-sided game viewing vehicles. The local guides (polers) will be waiting for us in the park at the waterline, where we transfer all the equipment and our personal belongings into mokoros (traditional dug out canoes).
From here we glide down the water channels deeper into the Okavango Delta, searching for the ideal place to set up camp. There will be no fences, no running water, no showers, no buildings and no electricity. We camp in the wild with only what we take with us. After lunch you cool off by swimming in a natural swim hole in the rivers.
Every day we will do early morning and late afternoon game walks, searching for as many different animal species as possible. The guides will explain more about all the animals, tracks and the Delta during these walks. You will have the opportunity to get as close as possible (safety first) to the wildlife of the Okavango Delta.
After dinners you can relax with the guides around a campfire, while listening to their stories about the bush, animals, their cultures and of course listening to the sounds of animals at night in Africa.

You start your last morning in the Okavango delta with a cup of coffee before doing your final game walk. After the walk you will enjoy breakfast, break down camp, and then return by mokoros to the place where the 4x4 vehicles will meet you.
Your guide will prepare a light lunch on return to camp in Maun. This afternoon you have the opportunity to do an optional one hour flight over the Okavango Delta, during which you are guaranteed to see many large herds of animals, as well as many single or smaller groups of animals.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

Day 6: Nata (Botswana)
This morning we head back to Nata, where you can relax by the pool or do an optional quad bike excursion.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

Day 7: Chobe National Park (Botswana)
We head further north through the Kasane forest where we always see herds of elephants, rare antelopes and sometimes lion, hyena and wild dog. We arrive mid morning in Kasane where we will be staying on the shores of the Chobe River at Chobe Safari Lodge that is at the gate of Chobe National Park. Here you can relax at the swimming pool overlooking the river where you stand a good chance to see animals like elephant, buffalo and hippo, as well as a large variety of bird species. This afternoon we do an open vehicle game drive inside Chobe National Park, which is well known for its large variety and numbers of wildlife.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included

Days 8, 9, 10: Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
A short drive takes us across the border and on to the adventure capital of the world, Victoria Falls, which is considered to be one of the safest tourist destinations in southern Africa. On arrival the guide will assist you with the changing of money and booking of your optional activities, before going to one of the seven natural wonders of the world - the magnificent Victoria Falls. The waterfall is 1700 meters (1.1 mile) wide, of which 1300 meters is on the Zimbabwean side, including the main falls. Late afternoon we do a sunset cruise on the 4^th largest river in Africa (Zambezi River), which has national parks on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean side of the river.  We normally see a wide variety of wildlife such as hippo, elephant, antelopes, giraffe and much more while on the cruise, during which all soft drinks, wine, beer and finger snacks are included.
You will have plenty of free time to explore the town, meet the local, visit the African arts and craft markets, or to relax by the pool in the heat of the day.
Victoria Falls is well known for offering great activities (optional excursions) such as the best 1 day white water rafting, the 2^nd highest bungi jump in the world, elephant back safaris, flights over the waterfall, canoe safaris, day trips to Hwange National Park, fishing, game walks, horse back safaris and much more. The last night is dinner out at a local restaurant (own cost).
Days 8 & 9: Breakfast, Dinner included
Day 10: Breakfast included

Day 11: Palapye (Botswana)
This morning we head south to Palapye, where you can relax by the pool.
Breakfast, Dinner included

Day 12: Return to Johannesburg & Pretoria (South Africa)
We depart early morning for Johannesburg & Pretoria. Your guide will stop en-route for breakfast (own cost).
No meals included

Included: 

• All transport

• All accommodation

• Qualified and registered guide

• Meals as specified below

• Okavango Delta Polers & mokoros

• Chobe National Park

• Entrance to Victoria Falls waterfall

• Sunset cruise on Zambezi River

Excluded:

• All drinks (except coffee & tea with meals)

• Meals not specified below

• Optional flight over the Okavango Delta

• Optional activities in Victoria Falls

• Visas if needed
   

Camping

Camping is pretty much camping throughout the world. The tents that we use are: 2.4 x 2.4 meters in size with built in mosquito nets over the door and windows. All camping equipment is provided by us. The mattresses used are proper sponge mattresses with covers that are washed after each tour.

Clients must have a sleeping bag, but can rent one from us at R50 per person per tour, if they do not have a sleeping bag of their own.

Okavango Delta free camping

We enter the Okavango Delta with traditional transport used by the locals for a very long time. This form of transport (left) is called mokoros and the guy at the back with the long stick is called a poler. It is an awesome experience and very relaxing. More often than not, we will see animals such as elephant while travelling deeper and deeper into the Okavango Delta.

The area that we visit while in the Okavango Delta is totally untouched. No power boats or planes and landing strips, no fancy lodges or villages. Just us and mother nature. Probably one of the most untouched areas in southern Africa, with an enormous variety of wildlife.

This also means that you will not be staying in a fancy lodge or camp ground, will be doing free camping.

What is free camping? Well, any one of our guides will tell you that it is the best way of camping. We find an ideal patch of trees along the waterways that is suitable for us to camp. This means that there are no fences, electricity, buildings or bathrooms. All that it is, is us plus what we are able to carry with us in the mokoros.

The polers will dig a hole and build a toilet seat from palm tree leaves. Unfortunately we do not have a shower for these days, but we do have many natural swim holes in the rivers. These swim holes has crystal clear water and are extremely welcome when the temperatures reaches Africa style maximums during the afternoons.

Bedded Accommodation

Nata: Clients who book bedded or lodge accommodation will normally stay in safari tents with bathrooms, built on platforms. Please note that two people from the same sex might have to share a safari tent. We will pay for the next upgrade available, if there are no safari tents available. It might happen during the high tourist season that the lodge is full, and that you will be staying in a 4 bed chalet with bathroom.

Maun: The camp that we stay at in Maun, is an overland campsite with a few wooden rooms. You will be using shared ablutions (bathrooms). No further accommodation upgrades available.

There are crocodile farm with hundreds of small, medium and very large crocodiles. Make sure to do a guided tour for only a few dollars.

Maun is one of those places where it gets extremely hot, like most of Botswana. Cool off in the pool or have a refreshing cold drink at the bar. Other services is hand washed (super clean) laundry.

This camp is definitely a great place to stay over, where you will meet many other travellers, and have a great relaxing time after coming out of the Okavango Delta.

Chobe national park: Please note that we stay over in Kasane, and not inside the park, although the game drives are done inside Chobe National Park. The accommodation booked is safari tents with two single beds or rondawels with two single beds, some with en-suite bathroom and some without, if safari tents are fully booked. Please note that it might happen that a single person might have to share a safari tent or rondawel (with 2 single beds) with another person of the same sex.

Victoria Falls: The accommodation booked is chalets with two single beds, without bathroom. Please note that it might happen that a single person might have to share a rondawel (with 2 single beds) with another person of the same sex. It might also happen that you can be booked in a chalet with two bedrooms (each with two single beds) and a joined bathroom.

Palapye: The accommodation in Palapye is in safari tents with two single beds, and without bathroom.

Important tour / safari information

Participation tours: All tours are participation tours. This means that the clients are responsible for pitching their own tents (except inside Kruger Park), and washing up after every meal, which is social event where people chat and get to know each other. Some guides may ask the clients to assist with the chopping and cleaning of vegetables, while the guide prepares the meals.

Group sizes: We operate a variety of different vehicles. Our largest vehicles seats a maximum of 14 clients. Therefore , except for our open vehicles inside Kruger National Park which are not allowed to seat more than 10 clients. It occasionally happen that we will have two vehicles on the same tour.

What to take on tour: Clothing and personal effects Comfortable shoes for walking Warm clothing for the evenings Basic first aid kit Insect repellent Anti-Malaria medicine Sunblock and cap or hat Comfortable shoes for walking Slip slops or trainers Camera with extra film & batteries Torch with extra batteries

Tent, sleeping bag and roll matt: We provides all the camping equipment including a roll matt with cover that is washed after every tour, and a 2.2 x 2.2 (meters) or 2.4 x 2.4 (meters) tent with built in mosquito netting over the door and windows, as well as a built in floor. You must have a sleeping bag on all of the camping tours, which you can rent from us at R50 per person per tour, if you do not have one of your own. Inside Kruger National Park we have a permanent camp. We do not use roll matts on these tours, but have single bed mattresses with fitted sheets that are washed after tour.

Malaria areas: Many of the areas and destinations in southern and east Africa are malaria areas. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that you have insect repellent and a course of anti-malaria tablets. Consult your local doctor or pharmacist.

Water: All drinks (except coffee & tea with meals) are excluded from the tour price. All tap water in areas where we do tours to, are 100% safe to drink, and tastes very good. Bottled water is freely available (every day), for those who prefer bottled water.

Laws and clients: We expect our clients to uphold the laws of each country that we visit while on tour. We do not accept any responsibility for any client on our tours, who breaks the laws of any country visited during a tour.

Be considered: Sometimes our guides are asked to stop at local villages along the road, so that clients can take photos. Nothing wrong with that, but then we often see the people just walking into a village taking photos, instead of doing it from the road. Keep in mind that a village will normally be a family living together. How would you feel if a stranger just walks into your yard or home and start taking photos?

Our clients:  All our clients are international travellers from different countries. The ages of our clients range from 18 to 60, with the majority being between 20 and 40. All that we require from our clients is that they must enjoy travelling and be fun-loving people. You do not need to be super fit to participate in any of our included activities or adventures.

Our crew (guides & drivers): All our guides and drivers are registered with the authorities as per government regulations.

Our vehicles:  All game drives inside Kruger National Park will be done in open sided game viewing vehicles.

Our tours: We offer a variety of tours and safaris to a variety of destinations, from 3 days to 16 days. You have the option of camping or lodge (bedded) accommodation, while on any of our tours / safaris.

Important: Before you travel please check your Tour Voucher and Arrival Information for the latest joining instructions. This will be sent to you upon receipt of final payment.

All itineraries are subject to change without prior notice.

Prices for - Botswana Safaris