itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL, WELCOME AND INTRODUCTORY EVENING GAME DRIVE
After a 50 minute light aircraft journey from Maun, make the 15 minute 4WD transfer to Jack’s Camp, an upmarket, stylish and remote camp set amidst a lovely palm grove in a private concession adjacent to Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Unpack, settle in, and enjoy afternoon tea with your guide followed by an introductory evening game drive in the surrounding grasslands. Return to camp for a lantern-lit dinner.
Accommodation: Jack’s Camp
DAY 2: MEET THE MEERKATS AND GO QUAD BIKING ON THE PANS
Spend the morning with the meerkats. Due to an ongoing habituation programme, it’s possible to get really close to these inquisitive and endearing creatures. Return to camp for a rest and lunch. In the afternoon, head off on quad bikes across the vast and silent salt pans with not a landmark in sight. Kalahari wildlife is scarce in the dry season, but if you're lucky you might glimpse aardvark, gemsbuck or springbuck. The itinerary is flexible, and an alternative afternoon’s activity might be a guided walk with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, learning about local flora, fauna and culture. Return to camp for dinner.
Accommodation: Jack’s Camp
DAY 3: ARCHAEOLOGICAL ADVENTURE AND GAME DRIVE
Today begins with an early morning palaeontological walk to the edge of an extinct lakeshore, a site of intense archaeological interest where stone-age tools and fossils reveal the early origins of man. Return to camp for a substantial brunch and rest. Following afternoon tea, head off on a game drive in search of unique desert species such as springbok, gemsbok and red hartebeest. The camp’s location on a private concession means that spot-lit night game drives back to camp are offered. Nocturnal animals such as the elusive brown hyena, bat eared foxes and honey badgers can be spotted, and you may even glimpse one of the Kalahari’s famed black-maned lions. Arrive back at camp in time for dinner.
Accommodation: Jack’s Camp
DAY 4: TRANSFER TO MOREMI GAME RESERVE, OKAVANGO DELTA
After breakfast, journey northwards via light aircraft transfers to Chief’s Camp, a recently renovated, high-end bush camp located in the Moremi Game Reserve. Settle into your secluded and spacious luxury bush pavilion, complete with air-conditioning, private deck with plunge pool, attractive outdoor shower, and splendid bathroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and large bath. There is also a delightful pool and spa to enjoy during down-time between activities. Enjoy a sundowner and dinner on your private covered deck, or in the dining area.
Accommodation: Chief’s Camp
DAYS 5&6: EXPLORE THE OKAVANGO DELTA
The sparkling waterways of the Okavango Delta are a wetland paradise with wonderful birdlife and dense concentrations of antelope, zebra, buffalo, giraffe, baboon and elephant, and sightings of lion, leopard, rhino and wild dog are not uncommon. Activities generally centre on thrilling twice-daily game drives, and slower-paced mokoro canoe excursions may be offered, subject to water levels. Helicopter flights can also be arranged on request. Although Chief Camp’s location within the Moremi Reserve means that national-park regulations prohibit off-road driving, night drives and walking safaris, the landscapes surrounding the camp vary from desert and dry savannah, to lagoons and swamps, and there is no shortage of prolific wildlife to explore.
Accommodation: Chief’s Camp
DAY 7: TRANSFER TO LINYANTI
Following a light aircraft transfer from the Okavango Delta to the Linyanti region, settle into Zarafa Camp, an intimate and luxurious camp located in northern Botswana’s private Selinda Reserve, overlooking the Savute Channel’s Zibadianja Lagoon, water source for a tremendous population of wildlife. Designed with privacy at its core, Zarafa is one of Botswana’s most exclusive camps, and is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy superb facilities including a lovely pool, fitness centre and in-room spa service. Siestas can be spent in the sunken hide at the nearby waterhole’s edge, and private wine tasting evenings are available on request.
Accommodation: Zarafa Camp
DAYS 8&9: EXPLORE THE LINYANTI’S PRIVATE SELINDA RESERVE
The year-round waters of the Linyanti attract phenomenal concentrations of game and the private Selinda reserve, with its combination of wet and dry habitats, affords some of Africa’s finest dry-season wildlife viewing. Day and night-time game drives facilitate superb sightings of elephant, lion, leopard and wild dog. Guided bush walks are offered and although water levels can vary, excursions on the camp’s pontoon boat, with regular hippo sightings and spectacular birdlife on show, may also be possible. Catch-and-release fishing might also be offered depending on the season.
Accommodation: Zarafa Camp
DAY 10: DEPART
