9 days from £3360pp plus international flights.
This is a holiday for the real safari enthusiast, with boat trips, night drives and guided walks adding extra dimensions to the traditional game drives. Expert guides and trackers make the most of your valuable time and you'll have a great chance of breath-takings sightings of predators including big cats and, of course, wild dogs.
Botswana is renowned for its varied scenery and profuse wildlife. Your safari takes place in 2 private reserves, where you'll have ample time to immerse yourself in the natural environment. You'll have close up encounters with wildlife which will live long in your memory. The thrills don't stop there, as you're whisked away to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, surely one of the most iconic natural sites on earth.
The camps are at the core of this holiday. The two bush camps are beautifully located, so you can start each day watching game from the privacy of your veranda as you sip a steaming mug of tea. Your mornings and evenings are dedicated to game activities, leaving you free to enjoy creature comforts in the middle of the day: taking a dip in the pool and savouring fine, freshly-cooked food washed down with a good wine. Your third camp, high above a gorge of the Zambezi, is opulently luxurious, with huge tented suites each with its own deck and plunge pool.
This holiday is full of enough activity, excitement and unforgettable experiences to last a lifetime, and you might not be just falling for wild dogs!
You'll arrive in Maun where a representative will meet you and help you board the light aircraft to Kwara in the Okavango Delta. Your destination is Splash, an excellent tented camp offering secluded and luxurious accommodation. It's the perfect place to unwind after your flight, on your shaded veranda or with other guests in the open-sided lounge while enjoying a drink from the bar. Full board
Safari time! All the game viewing activities are included in your stay, giving you a choice of game drives, guided walks, boat and mokoro trips. You'll usually have two activities a day, in the early morning and following afternoon tea, leaving the middle of day free for relaxation. If you plump for a game drive you'll have a tracker as well as a guide to optimise sightings. Lion, leopard and cheetah are among the predators often seen here. The afternoon safari includes an exciting night drive spotting nocturnal species. Back in camp you'll be served a hearty, home-cooked dinner. Full board
Today you can take to the water in a traditional mokoro, with your guide poling you gently along the labyrinthine waterways. It's a relaxing way to see wildlife, sitting back on the padded seat and seeing animals at eye-level. You may also have the chance to stretch your legs with a short walk in the bush, an opportunity to concentrate on the finer details such as plants, insects and tracks, which cannot be easily observed from a vehicle, all of which adds another aspect to your safari experience. Full board
This morning you'll be transferred to the airstrip for the 20-minute flight to Lagoon Camp. The camp offers the same high standard of accommodation and service as Little Kwara, so you'll soon feel at home. The lounge leads out to a swimming pool and large deck, with great views of the Khwai River. There'll be time for a game drive or boat cruise this afternoon, giving you a glimpse into what the Kwando Concession has to offer. Tonight you'll sit down to dinner at the long table, for some tasty food and lively conversation. Full board
Today you'll head out in your 4x4 vehicle with a guide and tracker. This area is known for its large herds of elephant and buffalo. With so much game around it's no surprise that predators are evident. These include the wild dog, a formidable hunter but an endangered species. Here, however, there is a large pack that regularly dens near the camp and Lagoon is widely considered one of the places to see wild dog in Botswana. If you see them it's sure to be a major highlight of your safari, and there is little to compare to the excitement of bumping through the bush in pursuit of wild dogs in full hunting mode. Hold on to your hat! Full board
As the day dawns you'll enjoy a light breakfast round the camp fire while you decide how to spend your day. Mornings are generally dedicated to game drives, giving you another chance to try for a thrilling encounter with wild dogs. The guides will also do their best to show you lions and leopards and, of course, their prey. This is nature in the raw, in all its untamed glory. In the late afternoon you can take a leisurely cruise on the double deck boat, a very civilised safari option. Sit back, enjoy the scenery and watch the glorious sunset. Full board
You can linger a little longer over breakfast today, before the hour's flight and short road transfer to your third destination, The Elephant Camp. It's a stunning setting, overlooking a series of deep gorges through which the Zambezi flows. Sitting on your private deck or soaking in the plunge pool, you'll be able to relax in comfort. If you can tear yourself away, the lodge offers free return transfers to Victoria Falls just 10kms away. You'll have the chance to sample traditional African fare tonight, the camp's speciality. Full board
You have a choice today. You will undoubtedly want to spend time exploring the Vic Falls and taking advantage of at least some of the activities on offer, ranging from a sedate cruise to a white-knuckle rafting trip. All can be arranged and paid for locally. It's easy to spend all day at the falls, but you should also consider visiting elephants at the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary, where staff introduce the different individuals in their care and you'll have time to interact with them. Of course you might just want to take it easy by the pool or indulge in a spa treatment. It's entirely up to you! Full board
Enjoy breakfast in the main lodge terrace, watching spray from Victoria Falls in the distance, a fitting conclusion to your African holiday which has had so many highlights. Later you'll be collected and driven the 15kms to Victoria Falls Airport, where the holiday ends. Breakfast
Guide price from (pp sharing): £3360 (ex. international flights) Price notes: 2019 price from (pp sharing, exc international flights): 01 - 14 Nov 2019 from £5920 15 - 30 Nov 2019 from £3995 2020 price from (pp sharing, exc international flights): 11 Jan - 31 Mar 2020 from £3360 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 from £6680 01 - 31 Jul 2020 from £8385 01 - 14 Nov 2020 from £6475 15 Nov - 30 Nov 2020 from £4175 Includes: Accommodation on a twin share basis; transfers and domestic flights as specified in the itinerary; all meals and drinks at Splash Camp and Lagoon Camp; all meals, local brand drinks and house wines at The Elephant Camp; all game viewing activities at Splash Camp and Lagoon Camp; 2 daily transfers to Victoria Falls a day at The Elephant Camp; meeting the Wild Horizons elephants from The Elephant Camp; laundry service at all camps. Excludes: International flights and taxes; visas; vaccinations; travel insurance; tips; items of a personal nature. Getting there: This holiday starts at Maun Airport and ends at Victoria Falls Airport. It would be best to get an international flight via Johannesburg, possibly using South African Airways. Return flights from the UK into Maun and out of Victoria Falls will cost from about £1200 per person, depending on season and availability. Departure dates: This is a tailor-made holiday that operates from January to November and can begin on the day of your choice. |
Riverside tented camp in northern Botswana offering land & water based game viewing.
A small, welcoming camp set by a large pan in the private Kwara Reserve, offering land and water based activities year round.
This upmarket tented lodge offers access to Victoria Falls and the chance to see African elephants up close.
5/5 from 136 reviews
Find the best time to visit Botswana
Time: GMT +2hrs
Flight time: Overnight flights to Johannesburg then connections to Maun, total flying time about 13 hours.
Language: The official language is English. Tswana is spoken widely.
Visas: Not required for British travellers (up to 90 days). EC nationals can ask us for further advice.
Health: There are no compulsory vaccinations, except yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area. Malaria prophylactics are recommended in the north.