Botswana Luxury Camping Safari - 15 Days

Luxury Mobile Camping through the Nxai Pan, Moremi Game Reserve, Mboma Island, Khwai Concession and Chobe National Park

Day 1.2.3

MOREMI GAME RESERVE

A representative of John Chase Safaris will meet you upon arrival in Maun, and we have scheduled a light aircraft charter flight to the Moremi Game Reserve. The 20 minute flight gives you the opportunity to view the southern reaches of the Okavango Delta, sightings of elephant, giraffe, zebra and buffalo are common from the air. It is a short drive to our private camp, game driving en-route.

The JCS supply team travels ahead to set up camp, spacious meru tents with twin beds, fitted with sheets, blankets and warm duvets. The bathroom is ensuite, with a bush bucket shower, and a "long drop" toilet. A fibre-glass base sits over a deep hole, providing a toilet seat and we supply a bucket with ashes and a scoop to maintain a clean environment. Activities consist of game drives in the early mornings and afternoons. We have an early light breakfast, and then head out on our morning activity, returning for a hearty brunch. Then there is a short siesta time, to relax, read about the local wildlife, and your showers are filled with warm water at your request, usually in the afternoon, as the morning breeze can be quite cold. As the midday hours are very hot, most of the animals retreat to the shade and are harder to spot during this time.

After tea we embark on the afternoon game drive. As the sun sets on the African savannah, we enjoy sundowners and head back to camp for dinner. Three course meals are cooked over an open fire and dinner is served either in the marquee tent or under the stars. The evening is spent around the fire listening to the sounds of the wild, discussing the events of the day.

On one day we will have a full day excursion to the Mboma Island Boat Station, here we will depart on Mokoros, the traditional canoes used by the river men to transport reeds and other materials. The mokoro is ideally suited as transport in the delta as in can move quietly through shallow water, being pushed by the boatman using a long pole, moving along the narrow channels or cutting through the long grasses or papyrus. We depart early from camp with a picnic lunch, and enjoy a scenic game drive to the boat station. Here we meet our Delta Guides and set out to explore the southern reaches of the Okavango Delta. We return to the boat station and find a nice shady area to enjoy our picnic lunch, and then slowly return to camp in the late afternoon game driving along the way.

Moremi Game Reserve is completely surrounded by either company owned or community based wildlife management areas. It is accessible by both road and by air with landing strips in both Xakanaxa and Khwai. The road conditions in Moremi vary drastically; the roads can very sandy in places particularly around Xakanaxa and Third Bridge areas during the dry season and in the wet season entire sections of road may be under water. During the rains, in the Mopane woodlands the water puddles in the road, making it practically inaccessible, the end result can be driving in water so deep it flows over the bonnet of a Toyota Land Cruiser!

The reserve enjoys a wide diversity of habitat and is well known for the height of the trees in the mopane tongue, which covers the central area. Birdlife is prolific and varied, ranging from water birds to shy forest dwellers. Elephants are numerous, particularly during the dry season, as well as a range of other wildlife species from buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyaena, jackal and the full range of antelope, large and small, including the red lechwe. Wild dog, whose numbers are so rapidly dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted in the Moremi and have been subject to a project being run in the area since 1989 so these animals are often seen wearing collars placed on them by the researchers. It is claimed that the Moremi area contains about thirty percent of all remaining wild dog.

After breakfast, we will depart for Savute, taking a packed lunch for the journey, while the supply team packs up camp.

The Savute area is a prime game viewing destination and covers almost 5,000 square km in the south west of the Chobe National Park. Good sightings of cheetah and leopard are possible and the endangered wild dog also occurs here. Savute is famous for its large concentrations of elephants that congregate around the waterholes at sunset. This makes for exceptional observation of the interaction of Africa’s wildlife. Large secretary birds and kori bustards are often seen strutting around the Savuti marsh and small redbilled francolins provide as a noisy morning wake up call. Interesting summer migrants and water birds include Abdim's storks, carmine bee eaters and even fish eagles. A spectacular sight is the redbilled queleas that gather in their thousands.

The Savute Channel has a fascinating history of flooding and drying up independently of good rainy seasons and flood levels elsewhere - a mystery that has intrigued geologists and other researchers for many years. The channel dried up in 1885 and started flowing again in 1967 until the end of 1982. Since 1982, the channel has been dry.

The dead Camelthorn (acacia erioloba) trees on the marsh have become one of the most prominent features of the landscape and are the result of drowning. This is closely related to the flooding and drying up of the Savute Channel.

The Magwikhwe sand ridge is 100km long and 20 metres high and is situated on the western edge of Savute. This ridge is the ancient shoreline of a super-lake that covered much of northern Botswana. It is difficult to imagine that this dry landscape was once covered by a huge lake. Watching the sunset on the eastern part of the marsh is an experience remembered by travellers for many years.

We spend 3 nights at Savute before moving on to the Chobe Riverine Area.

After breakfast in camp, it is another travel day, we take a packed lunch for the long day from Savute to the northern boundary of Botswana; the magnificent Chobe River. By staying within the park, we have the advantage of exploring a greater area, as we are not restricted by having to return to the gate each day. At night time, when all the day visitors have departed, we are left alone in our exclusive camp, listening to the sounds of the African bush, as the stars shine brightly overhead.

The Chobe National Park takes its name from the Chobe River, a permanent source of water, which forms the parks natural northern border. The park was established in 1968; the river is the lifeblood of the reserve. Chobe boasts one of the largest elephant populations in Southern Africa. In the dry season, massive herds of elephants are forced to come down to the river and the waterholes to drink. Many other animals are found in the Park including buffalo, lion, leopard, giraffe, bushbuck, kudu, waterbuck, impala, puku and lechwe.

Chobe offers a large variety of contrasting vegetation and geological features, changing from Thorntree and Mopane forest into open grassland. Unlike Moremi which is quite flat, the floodplains along the river climb into high ridges, and these fascinating transformations make Chobe an unforgettable stay in Botswana.

Three nights are spent camping and exploring in this rich and fascinating area. Activities include morning and afternoon drives, and one boat cruise on the river. Seeing the park from the river is a magical experience, as you drift along the shores, watching the animals as they come to drink and play. Additional boat excursions can be arranged upon request, but may incur added expense.

After a hearty breakfast in camp, we return to Kasane, game driving en-route if time permits. We will transfer to a closed bus for the short journey to the Botswana borderpost and then the ferry crossing into Zambia. You will need to have $135 in cash to pay for your visa into Zambia at the border. It is then a drive of approximately an hour to reach the hotel.

The Zambezi Sun, located on the edge of the eastern cataract of the Victoria Falls, reflects the richness and diversity of the country’s heritage; capturing the very soul of Africa – unpretentious, fun and welcoming. With its warm, earthy architecture, inspired by an African walled village and simple finishes highlighted in bright mosaics and fabrics as well as intoxicating Zambian artworks and accessories, the Zambezi Sun is set to turn your stay into a memorable experience. The guest rooms acknowledge their African roots in the deep rich red earth colour of the rounded planes of its walls. In the early evening the dark outline of the hotel is set against iridescent curls of smoky vapour that dance above its roofline.

David Livingstone explored this land of potent beauty and discovered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In his footprints, only moments away from the mighty Zambezi River with the dramatic torrent of the Victoria Falls as its natural milieu, a magnificent Resort has been created as a testament to his discovery and in reverence to the splendour of this World Heritage site. Journey to this magical place and witness the greatest mass of falling water on earth as it plunges down a sheer rock face, spraying its mystical mist hundreds of metres in the air. The awesome Victoria Falls is much closer to you here - literally on the doorstep of The Falls Resort - it feels as if you could reach out and touch it, as it plummets into the chasm far below.

As the African sun sinks behind the rolling hills, sending ripples of gold and amber across the river waters, hippo and Fish Eagles can be heard calling out into the approaching darkness. Then it’s time to start preparing for a truly memorable night full of fun, romance and dancing to the sounds of live entertainment. Whether it’s a candlelit dinner for two with the promise of fine cuisine, a lively gathering of friends at the pool bar.

You are booked at the hotel for bed and breakfast only. Any activities and additional meals including lunch, dinner, and all beverages are to be settled directly with the hotel.

THE END

After a luxurious breakfast at the hotel, your morning is at leisure until the transfer to Livingstone Airport to meet your return flight to Johannesburg

Further Information

Mobile Camp Description
John Chase camps consist of spacious meru tents with twin beds, fitted with sheets, blankets and warm duvets. The bathroom is ensuite, with a bush bucket shower, and a “long drop” toilet. A fibre-glass base sits over a deep hole, providing a toilet seat and we supply a bucket with ashes and a scoop to maintain a clean environment.

Game Viewing
Game drives are conducted in open sided 4 x 4 vehicles ensuring maximum visibility.

Rates include:
 Meet and Greet at Maun Airport
 Air Charter Maun to Moremi Game Reserve
 Accommodation for 3 nights in ensuite meru tents in the Moremi Game Reserve
 Activities including game drives in Moremi and one full day tour with picnic lunch and mokoro excursion
 Vehicle transfer Overland from Moremi to Savute
 Accommodation for 3 nights in ensuite meru tents in Savute
 Activities in Savute consisting of Game Drives
 Vehicle transfer Overland from Savute to the Chobe Riverine Area, Chobe National Park
 Accommodation for 3 nights in ensuite meru tents in the Chobe National Park
 Activities including game drives and one motor boat excursion in Chobe
 Return open vehicle transfer to Kasane
 Transfer to Livingstone via Ferry and vehicle
 Accommodation for one night at the Zambezi Sun Hotel
 Breakfast at the Zambezi Sun hotel
 Transfer to Livingstone Airport for flight to Johannesburg
 All National Park Fees and Camping Fees in Botswana
 All meals and beverages including mineral water, soft drinks, beer, and local wines ( cash bar for Spirits is available on request.
 Daily Laundry Service while camping when there are no water restrictions
 All National Park Fees and Camping Fees in Botswana

Rates exclude:
 International flights to Maun and from Livingstone
 Alcoholic Spirits, these can be provided via cash bar on request
 Any activities and additional meals including lunch, dinner, and all beverages are to be settled directly with the hotel.
 Any extra activities not mentioned on original itinerary and quote
 Rates quoted for guests are from midday on date of arrival to after breakfast (leaving camp latest 8.30am). This is to avoid additional Park fees due to strict Park regulations. Guests wishing to arrive/depart before or after these stated times will be liable for additional Government Park and Guides fees.
 Tips and gratuities for guides and staff