Botswana & Victoria Falls - Deeper Africa and Victoria Falls 20… · planet and one of the Seven...

classic safari

Botswana & Victoria Falls DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

888.658.7102 [email protected] www.deeperafrica.com

Classic Safaris with Deeper Africa

It’s all about the wildlife. Embark on the classic safari experience: endless wilderness, great guides, spectacular wildlife, and no civilization. We’ll get you to the best locations during the right seasons. Learn animal identification, tracking, and spotting wildlife in the landscape. Accommodations are comfortable and the food is delicious. Come with us and discover the brilliance and serenity of Africa in the company of experts who can give you a closer look, a richer taste, and a deeper understanding of an astonishing landscape.

BOTSWANA & VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI 888.658.7102

OVERVIEW: BOTSWANA & VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI

Experience the majesty of Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall on the planet and one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. Cruise and canoe down the Zambezi river, dine on local Zimbabwean cuisine, and glimpse the 355 foot falls (108 meters) from the very top of Livingstone Island.

Explore the wilderness of Botswana, Lonely Planet’s top travel destination for 2016, as you journey through its iconic and diverse national parks and reserves. Enjoy sunset views of bathing elephants along the banks of the Chobe River – home to the largest concentration of elephants in Africa. See the coveted “Big 5” in the Moremi Game Reserve, now home to reintroduced populations of endangered rhinos. Wind through the serpentine channels of the Okavango Delta on a Mokoro canoe and track wildlife on foot through its islands. Watch lions and other predators stalk the enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest at the watering holes of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

© African Bush Camps


INCLUDED

Sundowners

Swimming Pool

Wifi

Arrive at Victoria Falls Airport in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Your guide will be waiting for you once you clear immigration and customs. Look for him holding a Deeper Africa sign that has your name on it.

He’ll transport you to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, where you will be staying while exploring the Victoria Falls area. Take some time to get settled before heading out for an afternoon guided walking tour of the Falls. Victoria Falls is the world’s largest water fall and is part of the Zambezi river system, situated on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The noise of Victoria Falls can be heard from a distance of 25 miles (40 km), which is how it earned the local name of Mosi-oa-Tunya: “the smoke that thunders.”

In the evening, board the Ra-ikane for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Enjoy a sundowner cocktail and take in the outstanding natural, scenic beauty of the river system. Elephants, crocodiles, and hippo are frequently sighted in this area.

DAY 1 VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI LODGE | VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE

Arusha Hotel© Ilala Lodge/Ra-ikane

BOTSWANA AND VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI 888.658.7102

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Wifi

This morning, you’ll have some options. Canoe safaris are available for those who want to paddle down the Zambezi. Accompanied by an experienced river guide, explore narrow channels and peacefully drift down the endless stretches of this majestic river. If you are looking to view wildlife boat-side, then a river safari can be your choice. Either option will bring you views of the Zambezi’s local elephant population, as well as herds of sable antelope, eland, zebra, giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, and impala.

This afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to get a unique bird’s eye perspective of one of the World’s Seven Natural Wonder, as you take a helicopter flight over the Falls.

Dinner tonight will be at the Boma Restaurant which specializes in serving traditional Zimbabwean dishes. For adventurous eaters, try sampling the famous warthog steak. If warthog is not your cup of tea, the Boma caters to all tastes and dietary needs. Dinner here is more than just a meal – it’s an evening filled with entertainment from Amakwezi traditional dancers, a local story teller, a fortune teller, and a drumming extravaganza.

DAY 2 VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI LODGE | VICTORIA FALLS

© Livingstone’s Adventure


Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is located close to the Falls as well as the Victoria Falls town center, so take the morning to explore at your leisure. The lodge is also located right next to the Zambezi National Park and has exceptional views of an on-site watering hole which elephants frequent.

Today’s outing will be to Livingstone Island, the place where Dr. David Livingstone first glimpsed the Falls. This tiny island is situated in the center of the Zambezi and provides some of the most exquisite views of Victoria Falls. You’ll have lunch on the island and get as up close as you dare with the Fall’s massive drop-off. This island is right on the edge of Victoria Falls, just before the water thunders down a 108 meter (355 ft) drop. Standing on top of the world’s largest waterfall is a breathtaking and adrenaline inducing experience.

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Swimming Pool

Wifi

DAY 3 VICTORIA FALLS SAFARI LODGE | VICTORIA FALLS

African Bush Camps Foundation

© Victoria Falls Safari Lodge


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Sundowners

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

After breakfast, we’ll transport you by road to Botswana. Your safari guide will be waiting for you. He’ll be with you as you travel through the bush and will act as your teacher, tracker, and mentor on all of the sights – and of course, wildlife – that Botswana has to offer.

You’ll arrive at the iconic Chobe Game Lodge for lunch. The lodge sits on the Chobe River, and happens to be the only lodge within Chobe National Park. After lunch, your guide will have you out in the park watching wildlife. Chobe National Park is famous for its huge herds of elephant and buffalo that congregate along the banks of the Chobe River.

In the afternoon, we’ll have you out for a sundowner cruise on the Chobe River, with the opportunity to observe the wildlife that gathers on the water’s edge – all while enjoying the fiery African sunset. Sundowners are a classic safari tradition.

DAY 4 CHOBE GAME LODGE | CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, BOTSWANA

© Desert & Delta


Chobe National Park’s diverse wildlife roams in abundance – it is, for instance, home to the largest concentration of elephants in Africa. During the dry season, these vast herds of elephant as well as buffalo, congregate on the fertile flood plains along the Chobe River to drink, bathe, and play. There are frequent sightings of lion, African wild dog, puku, red lechwe, sable, giraffe, and roan antelope.

Spend your day exploring on the water and get up close with wildlife – some of which will be lounging on the banks, while others may be taking a playful dip in the river.

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

DAY 5 CHOBE GAME LODGE | CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

© Karen Zulauf


After rising early for breakfast, you will depart Chobe Game Lodge in your Land Cruiser for the Savute area of Chobe National Park. The majority of the day will be spent moving west through the bush, taking in the sights of Chobe’s wild areas.

Depending on the time of year, your guide may take a detour to the Nogatsaa area. Nogatsaa is just south of the Chobe riverfront area. It is a series of natural pans and man-made artificial watering holes, which hold water into the winter. This area is largely untouched and is a great place to catch a glimpse of wildlife. Four of the artificial watering holes also have “hides” (raised wooden platforms), where you can sit quietly and observe animals such as elephants and aquatic birds. While en-route, stop in the shade of a towering tree and enjoy lunch.

By afternoon, you will arrive at Savute Safari Lodge. Located on the banks of the dry Savute channel, Savute is an small lodge where guests get up close views of the local elephant population and resident predator species from the comfort of their own private decks. There is a stream and a waterhole near the lodge that attracts wildlife. Visitors are frequent.

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

DAY 6 SAVUTE SAFARI LODGE | CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

© Desert & Delta


Savute is a special place. Wild and unpretentious. Mysterious and unpredictable. When David Livingstone – the first European to visit the area in 1851 – saw the Savute Channel, it was flowing. Thirty years later it had disappeared and the Savute Marsh had dried out. This cycle repeats itself at irregular intervals. Since 2009, the river has been flowing, but no one is quite sure how long it will remain that way.

There is a lot of exploring to do in the Savute. By this time, your guide will know you well, and he’ll make sure to customize your adventures accordingly. You’ll definitely visit the Savute Marsh and Channel which currently teems with wildlife. You can also enjoy a visit to the ancient San rock paintings at Gubatsa Hills – a small hilly outcrop which forms a prominent landmark in the otherwise flat landscape.

Savute boasts the second-largest summer zebra migration in Africa. Migration timing is determined by the rains, but usually occurs between November and December and then again between February and April. The zebras move from the rivers in the north in search of the rain-ripe grasslands and full waterholes in the southwest of the park. The migration is always followed by large numbers of predators, including hungry lions.

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

DAY 7 SAVUTE SAFARI LODGE | CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

© Desert & Delta


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

Have an early morning breakfast at Savute Safari Lodge before departing to the southwest and into the Moremi Game Reserve. In the process, you’ll cross the well known Khwai River Bridge.

Moremi Game Reserve is known for its gorgeous scenery and abundant wildlife, including the coveted “Big Five.” Once you enter this reserve, you will enjoy an extended game drive on you way to camp. You may catch a glimpse of an elusive white or black rhino, which have recently be reintroduced in this park. Along the way, you will break for lunch. Take some time to relax, as your vehicle comes equipped with hammocks – the perfect opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy the bush.

The Land Cruiser will pull into Camp Moremi mid-afternoon, so you’ll have some time for wildlife viewing. You’ve arrived in the Okavango Delta; a most remarkable place on Planet Earth. Have your dinner tonight out on the deck so you can see the sun set over the marshes.

DAY 8 CAMP MOREMI | MOREMI GAME RESERVE

Beverly Joubert © Desert & Delta


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

DAY 9 CAMP MOREMI | MOREMI GAME RESERVE

Moremi Game Reserve is renowned for frequent sightings of lions, leopards, and cheetah. African wild dogs are also prospering here, even though their numbers dwindle in other areas. Moremi is the first reserve in Africa that was established by local residents, and is the only officially protected reserve in the Okavango system. This makes it a spectacular place for wildlife viewing and bird watching. Moremi is unique and precious. It is home to all major naturally occurring herbivore and carnivore species in the region, as well as over 400 species of birds.

Moremi has also recently become home to rhinos relocated from South Africa. Rhinos are the most endangered species on the African continent. In fact, prior to the rhino relocations, Botswana had only about 60 rhinos left. It is hoped that the Okavango can support a new breeding nucleus.

Join your guide on a motorboat this afternoon, exploring the channels of the Okavango and the Xakanaxa Lagoon. This is a quintessential Delta afternoon: marshes, reeds, elephants, and some of the best kingfisher viewing ever. Not to mention, channels that stretch on infinitely. If bird watching is your passion, you have arrived in paradise.

© African Bush Camps


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

Today is about what the Okavango is famous for: water, water and more water. You’ll leave the safari vehicle behind at Camp Moremi and depart by boat into the heart of the Okavango Delta, journeying through its serpentine channels and expansive lagoons on your way to Camp Okavango.

Camp Okavango is situated on Nxaragha Island located within the permanent area of the Delta. Once you’ve arrived at camp, you’ll have a truly unique Botswanan experience as you head out on a mokoro safari. Mokoros are local dugout canoes which are very maneuverable and are a great way to watch wildlife while being part of their world, down close to the water. A mokoro glides silently through shallow water allowing you to drift upon some very interesting creatures such as aquatic antelopes like lechwe, waterbuck, and sitatunga.

DAY 10 CAMP OKAVANGO | OKAVANGO DELTA

© Desert & Delta


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

Today you can take a walking safari along one of the islands in the Delta. Your guide will help you learn to identify animal tracks left in the Kalahari sands. Despite the abundant water flowing into the Okavango Delta, you are still officially in the Kalahari Desert. Above the waterlines, the desert sand is the best place to find wild animal tracks. Follow a track and you just might find its owner. That’s a heart pounding experience no explorer can possibly forget.

You can also explore via motor boat safari and catch sight of some larger wildlife. Elephants and hippos will be bathing in the river waters, while leopards, lions, and other predators stalk their prey in the tall grass.

In the evening, kick back with a cocktail and watch the sun descend over the horizon. The Delta is renowned for its brilliant orange sunsets.

DAY 11 CAMP OKAVANGO | OKAVANGO DELTA

© Desert & Delta


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

In the morning, you’ll have time for some action before departing via bush flight over the Okavango Delta. Your destination is Leroo La Tau, located in the remote desert climate of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Filled with sand and salt, Makgadikgadi is quite a different environment than the Delta.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is bordered on the west by the Boteti River, whose waters have been flowing since record rainfall in 2009. Before these rains, the area had multiple disconnected waterholes in the riverbed, which offered refuge to a small pod of landlocked hippo and crocodiles. These animals became completely terrestrial, making dens in the riverbank. The now flowing river and the nutrient-rich western grasslands supply the essential water and sustenance for the herds of wildlife that inhabit the park.

Leroo La Tau Lodge overlooks the Boteti River and has a raised watering hole that allows guests to enjoy spectacular wildlife sightings. You’ll be able to watch elephants all day by the river if you choose. Enjoy wildlife viewing before dinner in the bush under the expansive sky.

DAY 12 LEROO LA TAU | MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK

© Desert & Delta


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Alcohol & Beverages

Laundry

Swimming Pool

Today you can count on catching a glimpse of some of Makgadikgadi’s herd animals. Zebra and wildebeest are local residents of the park, and you’ll see them in high concentrations. You’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of the predators that trail these herds, as well as ostriches that reside near the pans during the dry season.

Make sure you have take the time to simply relax on the deck of your cottage, put your feet up, and watch the elephants frolick in the river right below.

After sunset, head out for a night game drive and see the wildlife that prefers to move about after dark.

DAY 13 LEROO LA TAU | MAKGADIKGADI PANS NATIONAL PARK

© Desert & Delta


DAY 14 MAUN | INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

INCLUDED

Breakfast

After a morning adventure and breakfast, you will bid farewell to your guide and betransferred form Leroo La Tau to Maun International Airport for your international flight home.

Flight #1

• Departs: Maun, Botswana

• Arrives: TBD

DAY 15 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL | INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Flight #2

• Depart: TBD

• Arrives:TBD

© Karen Zulauf

INCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI

• Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps

• All meals as indicated in itinerary

• Game drives in private 4x4 safari Land Cruisers

• All park and entrance fees

• Experienced and professional safari naturalist guides

• All in-country transportation

• Laundry available at some lodges and camps

• Beverages provided in your 4x4 vehicle

• Bottled water available at all times

• Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list, and map

EXCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI

• Gratuities • Premium alcoholic beverages

We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements.

Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circum-stances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitu-tions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary.

2017 GROUP DEPARTURES DATES

Departure Dates: Victoria Falls to Makgadikgadi route • April 17 - 30, 2017 • May 21 - June 3, 2017 • August 17 - 30, 2017 * Departure Dates: Makgadikgadi to Victoria Falls route • May 1 - 14, 2017 • June 4 - 17, 2017 • August 31 - September 13, 2017 *

* These high season dates additionally have single supplement costs of $2,499 USD. Arrivals and departures are into either Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe or Maun, Botswana. All pricing is in US dollars. Prices do not include international airfare. All itineraries and prices are subject to change.

5353 Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado 80303

888.658.7102 303.415.2574 720.565.0512 fx

www.deeperafrica.com

classic safaris

ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION


2017 pricing $11,599 USD per person

Botswana & Victoria Falls - Deeper Africa and Victoria Falls 20… · planet and one of the Seven...

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