Highlights of Botswana Safari - 9 Days

Once you’ve arrived in Johannesburg and have cleared customs and immigration, you’ll find a representative of African Sky waiting for you as you enter the arrivals hall. First, we’ll take care of a few formalities. Our representative, as an experienced guide, will also gladly answer any questions you have. Once formalities are completed, you’ll be escorted to the appropriate departure terminal where you’ll be assisted in boarding a regional flight to Kasane, from where a short overland transfer will bring you to your lodge. Your first afternoon is spent exploring Chobe either on an open-air 4x4 vehicle game drive or from a boat on the Chobe River.

Your activities in Chobe alternate between daily open 4x4 game drives in the park - for the most part keeping reasonably close to the river, and water-based game viewing on the Chobe River, arguably the single most rewarding wildlife activity on offer in southern Africa today.

The Chobe River flows along the northeastern border of the park and is a favorite watering 'hole' for large herds of elephant, buffalo and other mammal species during the dry season. The area is characterized by lush plains and dense teak forest. Elephant are often spotted swimming from island to island in search of good grazing. The day is devoted to two game activities alternating between land- and water-based safaris. The presence of an experienced ranger and tracker will enable you to explore the wonders of this wilderness area and enable you to gain some insight into the habits and behavior of the animal species. The Chobe National Park is one of Botswana's most popular safari areas .

A last morning game drive in the northeastern corner of the Chobe National Park is followed by breakfast, after which guests are transferred to Kasane for a 30-minute charter flight to the Savute section of Chobe.

When off-road traveling in Botswana was laborious at best, the Savute area of Chobe National Park was considered true wild Africa just as it was in times past, a remote, almost mythical place, teeming with wildlife of every description, often spoken about but seldom seen. Since the late 60’s, when photographic safaris replaced hunting as the primary wildlife activity in Botswana, Savute became accessible as lodges were constructed and a runway built, allowing visitors for the first time to experience one of Earth’s most primal corners, a place where elephants rule and where all fear the roar of the mighty lion. Not much has changed.

On this day you will enjoy two game drives in this, one of Africa's most unique safari areas . Savute is the only area in Africa where lions prey on mature elephant. This rare phenomenon has been captured on film by world-renowned wildlife photographers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The possibility of sighting a pride of lion feeding on an elephant will add to the excitement of a day devoted to exploring one of Africa's most remote wilderness areas.

Recent tectonic shifts have tilted the Okavango Delta ever so slightly, resulting in a year-round water supply flowing along the Savute Channel, finally draining into the sands of the Kalahari in the Mababe Depression. Permanent water means an influx of wildlife in the dry winter months and sightings of crocs and hippos, extremely rare not too long ago, are now not considered unusual. During dry months, with just a little water remaining, animals congregate around waterholes and elephants dominate the supply, resulting in interactions that can only be described as thrilling. The largest zebra migration in Southern Africa moves south from the Linyanti Swamp in summer months to take advantage of the rich grasslands in the Savute area. Following the herds are large numbers of lion, dogged every step of the way by their archenemy, spotted hyena. Cheetah, wild dog and leopard compete for their share. Elephants trek great distances across a harsh landscape to reach this Eden. Birdlife is impressive, and around April you might just witness the greatest gathering of animals on the planet: red-billed queleas, flocking in tens-of-thousands like a swirling cloud on the horizon.

he last morning safari in Savute is followed by a transfer to a local airstrip from where guests fly to the Okavango Delta . Here some time for relaxation is followed by a first-afternoon safari activity in one of Africa's internationally renowned safari areas.

The Okavango Delta offers visitors the opportunity to develop an intimate relationship with the wilderness during their stay. From meeting water-dwellers like hippo and crocodile up close in a Mokoro to following the spoor of a herd on foot. Safaris in the Okavango Delta are characterized by extraordinary scenes which visitors will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere on the continent. From herds of water-loving lechwe splashing across the waterways to riveting encounters between predators and their quarry, the lodge’s experienced team of rangers and trackers will ensure you do not leave disappointed.

The days are spent enjoying safari activities which include motorized boat rides, open 4x4 game drives, and bush walks. The opportunities to view game and the delta’s astonishing bird life are unsurpassed. Professional rangers are experts in their field and their knowledge and insight into the habits and behavior of the different species are sure to add to the wonder of your safari experience in Botswana . The Okavango, hunted by the Bushmen since as many as 10 000 years ago, may be described as one of the most beautiful and unique of all of Africa's wildlife refuges. It supports the greatest diversity of animals of all Botswana's national parks and it is the only place in the world where the waters of a great river vanish into the sands of a harsh landscape, creating a wild oasis.

Your luxury Botswana safari ends with a last morning game activity followed by breakfast. Guests will then be transferred to the airstrip for a charter flight to Maun and from there a flight to Johannesburg. You will be met upon arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport and transferred to any location of your choice in either Johannesburg or Pretoria, or assisted with checking in to an onward connecting flight.