Overview

This remarkable adventure includes three superb lodges set in three exceptional locations, allowing you to explore the best of Botswana’s wild attractions.

All transfers are via light aircraft ensuring you see more in less time. The lodges are handpicked for their superb settings, friendly staff and authentic safari ambience.

Discover the lush Okavango from two locations. Enter a world of swaying palm trees, grassy floodplains and meandering waterways, a veritable haven for wildlife in the midst of the Kalahari thirstland. Glide silently along papyrus-lined waterways in a traditional canoe, cruising past elegant African jacana as they hunt among the water-lilies.

Then explore the deeper channels by motorboat, slipping past huffing hippos and primeval crocodiles basking on sand banks.

Fly to the haunting grasslands of the Savuti – a rugged wilderness renowned for its dense herds of plains game and feuding lion prides. Each November, a migration spectacle unfolds as vast herds of zebra move south from the permanent waters of the Linyanti to foal in the Savuti ahead of the summer rains (December to March). The herds thrive here, feasting on tender grass shoots and raising stout foals ahead of the return journey to the Linyanti in autumn.

This abundance of browsers provides a banquet for predators. It is in the Savuti that you find the densest concentration of lion, and the opportunity to see a hunting pride in action. Their eternal enemies, hyena, are never far behind, along with scavengers like jackals and vultures. It is a stage set for high theatre, from the endearing antics of zebra foals to the terrific skill of Africa’s reigning predators.

Itinerary Highlights

• See the best of Botswana
• Discover the Okavango Delta
• Explore the Savuti plains
• Superb predator sightings
• Big 5 & excellent bird watching
• Game-viewing by boat & vehicle
• Migration spectacle from November to March
• All-Inclusive

Day to day itinerary

Days 1-2

Your adventure begins

Arrive at Maun Airport, reputedly the busiest little airport in Africa, and board a light aircraft transfer to Nxabega Okavango, an exclusive camp nestling under a canopy of mature ebony trees.

Remote and luxurious, Nxabega’s nine safari-style tents are raised on timber platforms overlooking the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta. Spacious and inviting, your tent features an en suite shower and tranquil décor. The main lodge overlooks reeded floodplains from its expansive viewing decks and sparkling pool.
Explore the land, home to elephant, leopard and antelope, on game drives and guided nature walks.

Discover the waters on both mokoro (traditional canoes) and motor boat excursions. Canoes allow you to float dreamily along papyrus-lined waterways, encountering the rich diversity of birdlife, serenaded by fish eagles and caressed by waterlillies. Motor boats transport you to the deeper channels, past harrumphing hippo in peaceful lagoons, finding the perfect place to salute the close of day with refreshing sundowners.

Days 3-4

Thrilling night drives

A light aircraft transfer whisks you away from Nxabega to Xudum Delta Lodge in the south-eastern Okavango. Similarly exclusive, Xudum features nine sophisticated suites with rooftop decks, private plunge pools and breathtaking views. The lodge is situated in a private concession area, allowing you to explore on both day and night game drives.

Go on a gentle guided cruise, experiencing the waterways at eye-level in a traditional canoe. Pass stony-faced saddle-billed storks and perhaps catch a glimpse of the rare, semi-aquatic red lechwe antelope. Gorgeous kingfishers sparkle as they hover above the water, diving suddenly to snatch small fish in their powerful beaks. If you keep a sharp look-out, you may even spot an elusive Cape clawless otter.

Game drives provide the chance to see the Big 5, while guided nature walks offer a rare opportuity to track the shy species, such as sitatunga antelope. Night drives are a special highlight: your guide is adept at spotting nocturnal creatures and will regularly switching off the motor entirely to interpret the sounds of the night for you – the deep cough of a roaming lion, the sullen snorts of dozing buffalo, and the mad cackle of hyena. Expect to encounter a rich variety of species after dark from busy porcupine to lithe-bodied civets and stripey genets.

A highlight of Xudum’s delicious cuisine is the invitation extended to guests to interact with the chef as he prepares dinner, and the delightful folk entertainement provided by the staff while you dine.

Days 5-7

Intimate encounters in Savuti

An air transfer leaves the jewel of the Kalahari behind for the rugged plains of a wild and remote corner of the Chobe National Park. This open savannah grassland is home to an exclusive tented camp, Savute Under Canvas, home to just six guest tents. The camp relocates every few days, providing a truly authentic and richly rewarding African experience.

Encounter the Big 5, plenty of predators and herds of plains game on twice daily drives. During the dry season, animals are concentrated around the sparse waterholes dotting the landscape. In the wet summer months, vast herds of zebra migrate into the area to foal, setting the stage for high drama as predators circle the herds to feast on the old and very young, battling each other for the spoils of this annual banquet.

After a thrilling day on the savannah, return to the simple comforts of a mobile camp: a steaming hot shower and delectable dinner served by your private butler. Beneath the vast, inky arch of star-studded sky, you gather with your fellow adventurers around a crackling campfire to listen to the nocturnal symphony of the Savuti.

Day 8

Reflect on a spectacular trip

Transfer to Maun Airport for your onward flight home, reflecting on the time you have spent in Botswana’s wild paradise: the scent of wild basil, the warm hearted people, the call of the fish eagle, and the thrill of watching lions hunt. You carry home a treasure of memories and photographs, newfound friends and insights gained into both this unspoiled wilderness and your own untamed heart.