Explorer’s Plus

Day 1 - Maun

Dumela / Hello! Welcome to Botswana!” We will be there to give you a warm Botswana welcome when you land at Maun Airport from your respective flight around 1pm. As soon as all clients have arrived you will be transferred to Maun Lodge for check-in and a quick refreshing shower.

You’ll then be transferred back to the airport just ten minutes away, for a 1-hour afternoon scenic flight at 1600hrs, giving you a fish eagle’s eye view of the amazing Okavango Delta. After this incredible experience, you will return to the hotel for the relaxing night before the Okavango Delta adventure the following morning.

Accommodation: Maun Lodge
Facilities: Two per double chalet
Route: Maun – Okavango Delta
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast (Drinks Excluded)Included Highlight: 1 hour Delta scenic flight.
Option: Cultural dance night available on request

Day 2 - Moremi (Okavango Delta)

The safari departs after breakfast from Maun Lodge at around 0730hrs, passing through the village of Shorobe en-route to South Gate, where we enter the Moremi Game Reserve of the Okavango Delta. We are heading into an area cited as the most beautiful game reserve in Africa and rated as Africa's premier wildlife reserve.

The drive to South Gate normally takes two hours, provided we are not delayed by fortuitous game spotting on the way. The journey continues through the Moremi Game Reserve, game spotting all the way to our designated camping ground, about a two-hour drive from South Gate.

Time to stretch the legs and enjoy a leisurely lunch, followed by a relaxation period, during which the professional guide will deliver a short briefing about the reserve and other information regarding the safari. At around 1530hrs we’ll go on an afternoon game drive into areas of interest renowned for excellent game viewing. The Moremi Game Reserve protects around a third of the entire Okavango Delta ecosystem – some 5 000km2 (1 930 square miles).

Return to camp for pre-dinner refreshments, followed by a 3-course dinner under a tented canvas gazebo or under the southern, Milky Way. Relaxing for a while in conversation, reflecting on the day’s activities and sightings in the warm ambiance of the campfire. Listen to the calls of hyenas and lions before retiring for the night in cosy tents fitted with comfortable beds.

Accommodation: Camping
Facilities: En-suite tents sleeping two, with a traditional hot water safari bucket shower and bush loo
Route: Okavango Delta
Meals: All meals and selected drinks Included
Highlight: Moremi Day Excursion
Optional activity: Boat Cruise

Day 3 - Moremi - Khwai - Maun

Following an early breakfast, we pack up camp and continue exploring Moremi, later exiting via the northern gate of into Khwai, stopping for a bush picnic lunch en-route. A 21⁄2-hour mokoro trip, discovering channels and lagoons at a relaxed pace in a traditional dug-out canoe is also an available option here in Khwai.

The Khwai River forms the boundary between the reserve and the local Khwai Community Area. This transit game drive will continue through the approximately 400 populated BaBukakhwe (River Bushmen) tribe’s Khwai village into an 180 000 hectares community managed concession (Managed by Khwai Community Trust). The area is made up of sweeping grasslands, riparian forests, and floodplains.

The floodplains are flooded most of the year and there are lagoons covered in blue and white-water lilies and generally good wildlife sightings. There are stable populations of large predators, such as lion, spotted hyena and, if we are lucky, African wild dogs. We may also spot leopards. From Khwai we will head for Maun, a drive of just over 3 hours back to Maun Lodge for the night.

Accommodation: Maun Lodge Facilities Two per double chalet
Route: Okavango Delta - Khwai - Maun
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast (Drinks Excluded)
Included Highlight: bush picnic lunch en-route.
Option: 2 hour late afternoon visit to Elephant Havens, baby elephant orphanage

Day 4 - Makgadikgadi Planet Baobab

Leaving Maun behind us this morning, we will spend about 2-3 hours journeying across the northern reaches of the Makgadikgadi Pans to the village of Gweta. Here, you will experience modern African village culture, learning about the history and traditions of the Batswana from a local guide, who has inherited knowledge from the forefathers.

Get a glimpse of rural Botswana life and join your hosts for a traditional Kalanga meal of sorghum, mealie meal, “seswaa” (beef stew), wild spinach, mophane worms (optional!!) and wild beans, followed by a lip-smacking baobab fruit milkshake. The tour takes approximately 3 hours and you will be back in our accommodation at Planet Baobab at around 1230hrs, with time to relax.

Accommodation: Planet Baobab
Facilities: Bakalanga Twin Hut (sleeps 2)
Route: Maun- Makgadikgadi (Gweta)
Meals: All meals
Included Highlight: Cattle post visit & village tour
Option: 2 hours evening baobab bush walk

Day 5 - Makgadikgadi Planet Baobab

The early-bird wakeup call invites you to jump on a 4x4 safari vehicle at 0600hrs to visit the delightful meerkats & explore the Ntwetwe Salt Pans. Get up close and personal with a resident gang of habituated meerkats; see how these incredibly social, superbly adapted animals interact with each other and their environment.

You also get the chance to view the desert through the eyes of a meerkat – which, even though it is only a foot off the ground, is a spectacular vantage point, and one of the most special and memorable game experiences you will encounter in Botswana. You will explore the vast nothingness of the Makgadikgadi, a place where the expanses of sparkling saltpans extend as far as the eye can see. The tour is 6-7 hours approximately and you will be back at the lodge around noon.

Accommodation: Planet Baobab
Facilities: Bakalanga Twin Hut (sleeps 2)
Route: Makgadikgadi (Gweta)
Meals: All meals
Included Highlight: Meerkat’s visit + Ntwetwe Pan exploration
Option: Ntwetwe pan overnight with quads

Day 6 - Elephant Sands Bush Lodge

After spending a magical two nights on this fascinating vast saltpan desert, an area that is bigger than Switzerland that was once the largest expanse of fresh water on the planet, we will take a relaxed departure around 1000hrs to Elephant Sands for one night stopover.

Driving northwest towards Nata, it takes 3-4 hours before we arrive in Elephant Sands, the lodge set on a private conservancy of 16000 hectare. Since there are no fences, all wildlife can roam freely from one waterhole to another and you can expect to see anything during your stay at Elephant Sands, usually including lots of elephants.

Accommodation: Elephant Sands Bush Lodge
Facilities: Twin chalet (2 S/beds)
Route: Makgadikgadi – Elephant Sands
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast
Option: 2 hours Bush walk

Day 7 - Kasane Chobe Safari Lodge

After an early breakfast, we depart around 0800hrs heading to Kasane 2-3 hours drive. On arrival in Kasane, we check into the famous Chobe Safari Lodge, situated on the banks of the Chobe River. In the late afternoon, we take a 3-6pm game drive with a Safari vehicle into one of Africa’s finest game sanctuaries Chobe National Park, popularly known for its abundance of elephant.

Buffet dinner offering wide variety of meals from exotic game meats, roasts, barbecues, stir fries and vegetarian dishes, awaits you upon arrival from your evening game drive. Dinner Cruise under the stars abord a boat in Chobe is an available option.

Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge
Facilities: Luxury River Twin Room (sleeps 2)
Route: Elephant Sands- Kasane
Meals: All meals
Included Highlight: 3-6pm Game Drive
Option: Dinner Cruise in Chobe

Day 8 - Chobe Safari Lodge/ Unguided Vic Falls day trip

After breakfast get ready to cross into Zimbabwe to see the magnificent Victoria Falls “Mosi O Tunya”, “smoke that thunders”, one of the seven wonders of the world. This is the largest single curtain of falling water in the world and 70% of the exquisite views can seen from the Zimbabwe rain forest along the rim of the falls.

Victoria Falls offers many activities, such as white water rafting, bungi jumping and aircraft or helicopter flight over the falls. Visa fees, Falls entry fees & lunch excluded in Zimbabwe.

Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge
Facilities: Standard Twin Room (sleeps 2)
Route: Kasane- Vic Falls
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Included Highlight: 8am -5pm Vic Falls Day
Trip Option: Fishing (catch and release)

Day 9 - Namibia Zambezie Region- Ngepi Camp

The adventure continues, leaving Kasane after breakfast and driving through Chobe National Park, for a short 1 hour 30 minutes to Ngoma border post, where we cross into Namibia. Crossing the border can take up to 45-mins. A smooth tar road takes us to through Katima Mulilo village to Divundu, taking 4-5 hours drive. We will arrive right around lunch time at Ngepi Camp (meaning Hello).

After check in and lunch, we can have a relaxing time at the unique floating swimming pool – in the river – world famous “croc and hippo cage dive. Get a true feel of the area as we glide through the quite water on a traditional Mokoro (canoe) for 2.5hrs and get the best sunset view on the the Okavango Panhadle. Get back to camp for a home cooked meal, served buffet-style while listerning to nature melodies of the banded rubber frogs.

Accommodation: Ngepi Camp
Facilities: Standard Double Tree House (sleeps 2)
Route: Kasane, Botswana to Zambezi Region, Namibia
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Included Highlight: 2.5 hrs Traditional Mokoro Trip
Option: Fishing (catch and release)

Day 10 - Namibia Caprivi Ngepi Camp

After breakfast get ready as we jump on 4x4 game viewer truck and venture on a 3 hour game drive into Mahango Game Reserve, just about 30 minutes drive from the lodge. This is one of the smallest game reserves in Namibia located in the north east of the country, near the border with Botswana covering 24,462 hectares (60,450 acres) on the banks of the Okavango River.

With over 300 species of birds, it has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. About two thirds of the bird species found in Namibia are located here as it includes both wetland and tropical terrestrial species of birds. After about 3 hours of this rich educational adventure you will head back to camp for lunch break and siesta. Around 1600hrs tie your comfortable walking shoes for +-2hrs Guided Walk into Hambukushu and Xwe Bushmen Village.

Accommodation: Ngepi Camp
Facilities: Standard Double Tree House (sleeps 2)
Route: Caprivi Namibia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Included Highlight: 3 hrs Game Drive & 2hrs Walk
Option: 1.5 Hours Boat Cruise

Day 11 - Shakawe River Lodge.

Following an early breakfast, we will kiss goodbye to the lovely Ngepi and Zambezi region, as we drive for 10km towards Mohembo Border back into Botswana. Just 4km after crossing into Botswana you will be welcomed by a calm, green village in the north West District of the country.

We will take a quick peep at the newly built iconic Mohembo bridge that now connects this area with the rest of the country, which has been for decades separated by the Okavango river. We will then proceed into Shakawe where we will check into Shakawe River Lodge, before continuing with our 1hr 30minutes drive (gravel road) to the mystical and spiritual Tsodilo Hills “Louvre of the Desert”, one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world.

The Tsodilo Hills are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of rock art, rock shelters, depressions, and caves. It gained its WHS listing in 2001 because of its unique religious and spiritual significance to local peoples, as well as its unique record of human settlement over many millennia. UNESCO estimates there are over 4500 rock paintings at the site. The site consists of a few main hills known as the Child Hill, Female Hill, and Male Hill. We will spend a day learning about this interesting place, packed lunch will be provided here. We will arrive back to Shakawe River Lodge where we will spend a night before proceeding to Maun.

Accommodation: Shakawe River Lodge
Facilities: Two per Double Chalet
Route: Caprivi Namibia – Shakawe Botswana
Meals: Dinner & Breakfast
Included Highlight: A Day Guided Trip to Tsodilo Hills
Option: Guided birdwatching

Day 12 - Sitatunga Camp Maun.

After breakfast we will follow the A5 tar road to Maun through few villages,such as Etsha, Gumare, Nokaneng and Sehithwa into Maun. It’s normally a 5-hours drive, but might take longer due to road conditions. A bush picnic lunch will be provided. We will arrive at the beautiful Sitatunga Camp, 13 km out of Maun under the the shady Mosu trees with a massive swimming pool, making this a perfect stop after a long day drive.

Accommodation: Sitatunga Camp
Facilities: Standard Twin Room (sleeps 2)
Route: Shakawe - Maun
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Option: Horse Riding on a Game Farm.

Day 13 - Maun Airport

Following breakfast, your safari ends, and instead of connecting with an international flight normally around lunchtime, we suggest you stay a night in Maun at accommodation we can arrange for you. If pre-departure Covid testing is required, you will need 24-hours to get the test done and we can arrange an optional Maun tour while you wait for results.