Botswana Lodge and Mobile Safari Tour

12 Nights Botswana Lodge and Mobile Safari Tour

Highlights: Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve & the Okavango Delta

Safari Includes:

Starts Victoria Falls, Ends Maun

Road transfer VF / Ilala Lodge
2 Nights Ilala Lodge, Victoria Falls (Bed & Breakfast)

Road transfer Victoria Falls/ Kasane
*2 Nights Kubu Lodge, Kasane (Lunch, Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Includes a choice between a game drive and boat cruise on the afternoon of arrival and a morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise the following day within the Chobe National Park (3 Activities & 2 Days Parks Fees)

Seat in charter Kasane / Moremi Game Reserve
6 Nights Letaka Safaris Mobile Tented Safari, Moremi Game Reserve & Khwai Community Area (Fully Inclusive)

Seat in charter Moremi Game Reserve / Gunn’s Camp
2 Nights Gunn’s Camp, Okavango Delta (Fully Inclusive)

Seat in charter Gunn’s Camp / Maun

*Optional upgrade from Kubu Lodge to Elephant Valley Lodge or The Pride Of The Zambezi Houseboat at a surcharge – please see details above

Safari Excludes:

• Lunch, dinner, beverages and activities at Ilala Lodge
• Beverages and additional activities at Kubu Lodge
• Spirits while on safari with Letaka Safaris (drinks provided include water, soft drinks, beer & wine)
• International flights unless otherwise specified
• Visas & Vaccinations – Please check with your local embassy
• Errors and omissions

DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1&2:  ILALA LODGE – VICTORIA FALLS

The guests will be met on arrival in Victoria Falls and transferred by road to Ilala Lodge.

Ilala Lodge is situated close to the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe as well as to the town centre. Wild animals are often seen grazing the hotel lawns as the National Park borders the front of the property.

The Lodge offers 32 rooms: 24 twins, 8 doubles and 2 suites. All rooms have an en-suite bathroom with a separate shower, air-conditioning, overhead fan and satellite TV. Guests are served early morning tea/coffee and fruit. The rooms are spacious with railway sleeper teak furnishings and patio doors leading onto either an open lawn or a balcony where you are afforded a view of the Victoria Falls. There is an à la carte restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a comprehensive wine list and cocktails. Dining outside under the African night sky amidst the sound of the mighty waterfall makes for a very romantic evening.
Victoria Falls has become the premier adventure resort of Africa with a multitude of activities to suit every traveller. Some of the most popular are elephant back safaris, exploring the local craft market for African treasures and taking a helicopter flight over the mile-wide Victoria Falls, guided walking safaris and game drives are activities not to be missed and are arranged at the lodge. Game drives take place in 4x4 safari vehicles providing guests with the chance to see big game and enjoy a buffet meal on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River. Other activities are white water rafting in the river, walking with lions and horseback riding through areas with a high concentration of game and beautiful scenery. Day and overnight trips to Chobe (Botswana) and Hwange National Park are also possible.

AREA DESCRIPTION – VICTORIA FALLS

Victoria Falls town lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the eastern end of the Victoria Falls. It is a lovely tourist town which is easy to explore on foot and which offers a wide range of activities from the challenge of white water rafting and bungi jumping, to the awe-inspiring elephant back safaris and sunset cruises. It has something for everyone

The Victoria Falls are one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is the largest sheet of falling water on earth - a spellbinding and mesmerising spectacle. The sheer mass of water cascading down the 100m drop across nearly 2km makes  a thunderous roar and creates a magnificent spray of water that can be seen for miles - hence the local name 'mosi oa tunya' meaning 'the smoke that thunders'.

Access to Victoria Falls is within easy walking distance from the town centre. Water flow over the Falls varies throughout the year. The river's annual flood season is February to May when the spray can reach a height of over 400m, this is spectacular from above but it makes it very difficult to see the Falls at ground level as it is under a heavy shower/mist. Water levels start dropping in August and are at their lowest October - December when much of the rocky face becomes dry. At times of low water, the falls are best viewed from the Zimbabwe side or from Livingstone Island.

DAY 3&4: KUBU LODGE, KASANE

Following breakfast, the guests will be transferred by road and boat from Ilala Lodge in Victoria Falls to Kubu Lodge in Kasane (approximately 2 and a half hour transfer including the border crossing).

Kubu Lodge is a small, privately owned and run lodge set on 30 hectares of riverine forest on the banks of the Chobe River, on the doorstep of the world famous Chobe National Park, and only an hour away from the mighty Victoria Falls.
Set upon rolling lawns and shaded beneath giant ebony and wild fig trees, the lodge offers a haven just outside the centre of Kasane, with panoramic views of the Chobe River. Accommodation consists of eleven charming thatched chalets on stilts with full en-suite facilities, ceiling fan, mosquito nets and tea and coffee making facilities. Each chalet has a view of the river and it is an excellent choice for families offering several family chalets and warm hospitality.
The main lodge facilities include a bar, restaurant, curio shop and a secluded swimming pool. There is also a nature trail for bird watching enthusiasts. The lodge co-ordinates game viewing activities which can include game drives into the Chobe National Park and boat cruises on the Chobe River as the option of day trips across to Victoria Falls, the local snake park or crocodile farm.

AREA DESCRIPTION – KASANE
Situated on the banks of the Chobe River, Kasane is the administrative centre of the Chobe District. This little town supplies the tourism industry that surrounds it including the Chobe National Park and Chobe Forestry Reserve. There are a number of hotels, guest houses and camp sites located along the river. The Chobe National Park is only a 10 minute drive from town. Wildlife such as warthog, elephant and buffalo is often seen wondering around and walking down the road. Activities in the area include drives into the park and boat cruises on the Chobe River. Fishing trips on the river and day trips to the Victoria Falls across the river in Zimbabwe or Zambia can also be arranged.

*Please see information regarding optional alternatives for Kubu Lodge at the end of this itinerary. These include Elephant Valley Lodge and the Pride of the Zambezi Houseboat.

DAY 5-11: LETAKA SAFARIS MOBILE TENTED SAFARI, MOREMI GAME RESERVE

Following breakfast, you will be transferred from the lodge to Kasane Airport for your onward flight to Xakanaxa in Moremi Game Reserve.

Your guide will meet you upon arrival at the airstrip and take you to your private pre-erected camp. The following 7 days will be spent exploring the Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding areas on game drives, including a full day boat excursion in the Xakanaxa Lagoons. Your 6 nights will be split between two different locations within the reserve and the neighbouring Khwai community area.

Letaka Safaris mobile tented safaris are exclusive (maximum 9 guests), comfortable and fully serviced providing the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation.

Guests are accommodated in spacious (3m x 3m), walk-in wilderness safari tents with large windows, a private bathroom en-suite and a shaded veranda. The tents are furnished with two single beds, complete with comfortable mattresses, duvets and pillows (bed and bath linen are provided). The en-suite bathroom includes a hot water bucket shower, traditional long-drop toilet and hand basin.

There is a dining tent where meals are served but due to the excellent weather and skies often dinner will be served beneath the stars. All meals are prepared by the camp chef, dinner is 3-course.

Each tent has an oil/paraffin lamp on the veranda and in the bathroom and within the tent itself, a LED rechargeable camp light is supplied along with a side table in the sleeping area and in the bathroom.  Although each tent has lighting and there are lamps strategically around the camp for navigation, an essential tool for your safari is a headlamp which lets you read a book at night in your tent or catch up with your safari journal as you listen to the sounds of the wild outside!

As well as our professional guide you will also be accompanies by a  back up team consisting of a chef and camp assistants who are there to make your safari even more enjoyable.  The camp staff set-up and break down camp as required as well as carrying out various daily camp chores ensuring our guests enjoy total relaxation on safari.

Letaka Safaris safari vehicles are spacious and comfortable, ensuring guests enjoy the best possible game viewing experience. All vehicles are fitted with inverters and strip plugs allowing guests to charge batteries whilst on safari with us using the ac charger that came with your appliance.

Letaka Safaris use Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana Sites (HATAB) within the National Parks and Game Reserves which are exclusive wilderness sites and can only be booked by members of HATAB. There are no fixed buildings or facilities at these sites and the entire camp is erected and removed by the supply team.

A detailed itinerary for the mobile safari is available on request.

AREA DESCRIPTION – MOREMI GAME RESERVE & KHWAI COMMUNITY AREA

Moremi Game Reserve is a rich and diverse wildlife sanctuary, encompassing the Okavango Delta. The reserve is unfenced and its boundaries are defined naturally by river systems. The vegetation is varied, with dry land complemented by permanent and seasonal swamplands, resulting in an excellent diversity of both wildlife and birdlife. There is a network of game drive routes through the reserve as well as access to the permanent delta waterways in Xakanaxa where boating can be enjoyed (not available from lodges in the Khwai area).

Moremi is amongst the best game reserves in Africa for viewing the endangered African wild dog. Xakanaxa is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least 4 prides of lion which may often be seen flanking the ever moving herd. Breeding herds of elephant move between their browsing areas in the Mopani forests and the fresh water of the Okavango. Red Lechwe are one of the more unusual antelope species commonly found here. Game is more concentrated around the permanent water during the dry season (Apr - Oct) with it becoming very hot in the later months. The heronries become active as the migrant birds return to Botswana from September through November, and general bird watching is excellent throughout the summer months. The rainy season (Nov - Apr) invigorates the lush scenery with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers, spectacular sunsets and the birthing season brings great predator and prey interaction.

Please note that activities are restricted within the national park in accordance with government rules and regulations. These include no driving off-road, no walking and no driving after dark.

Moremi Game Reserve is surrounded by wildlife management areas of the Okavango, with no boundaries between the concessions and the reserve allowing wildlife to move between the woodlands in the wet season when water is plentiful and back to permanent rivers and lagoons in the dry season. The prior inhabitants in the area (the River Bushmen) were moved to the periphery of the reserve, establishing Khwai village near the North Gate exit of the park. The Khwai area is managed by the community through the Khwai Development Trust. This area offers the same wildlife experience as the reserve itself. However, a key advantage of being outside the park is the freedom to do walking safaris and night drives as the area is not governed by the same rules.

DAY 11&12: GUNN’S CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA

Following breakfast, the guests will be transferred to the airstrip for their onward flight to Gunn’s Camp by light aircraft.

Overlooking the legendary Chiefs Island and bordering the Moremi Game Reserve, Gunn's Camp is one of the few remaining luxury, vintage safari camps. Set under leafy palms and African Ebony to blend naturally with its unique surroundings, Gunn's Camp achieves a fine balance of comfort without isolating guests from the sights and sounds of the wilderness.

The accommodation offered at Gunn's Camp consists of 6 deluxe meru tents with en-suite bathrooms featuring standalone baths and outside private showers. Set on raised platforms overlooking the delta plains Gunn's Camp is ideal for honeymooners or guests looking for a more intimate and personalised safari experience. All 6 tents are discretely set within the densely treed island ensuring privacy and tranquillity. Each has been traditionally furnished with an eclectic mixture of solid wood and African furniture and offers a lounge area as well as private veranda.The accommodation area is connected to the main camp via raised wooden walkway crossing the wetlands and magically lit by a series of fairylike lanterns. Guests have access to the elevated bar, lounge and dining room, campfire boma and swimming pool.

The Delta is an oasis amidst the vast plains and pans of the desert that covers most of Southern Africa. Its waterways are a collection of meandering channels, creating a haven for Africa's most notable wildlife. Activities on offer are motor boat cruises, mokoro excursions and guided walks which allow you to experience the beauty of the unique Okavango Delta.

Please Note: All activities are subject to seasonal availability and weather conditions during the month of travel.

AREA DESCRIPTION – OKAVANGO DELTA

The Okavango Delta is one of the world's largest inland deltas situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world - the Kalahari basin. This oasis in the middle of the desert is a rich yet fragile ecosystem, providing a life source for an incredible variety of wildlife. A wealth of species have adapted to the contrasting conditions created by living in the harsh Kalahari desert which is transformed annually with the arrival of the delta flood waters originating in Angola.

The Okavango wetland encompasses Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding regions divided into areas known as Private Concessions. These concessions are wildlife management areas, carefully administrated to balance the growing community’s development and conservation, whilst empowering citizens through sustainable tourism. Many of the exclusive lodges in Botswana are situated within these concessions in the delta, providing an unparalleled wildlife experience - exclusive and remote, avoiding mass tourism and exploitation.

Flood levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, with high water levels peaking in the central Okavango during the dry winter months and water levels at their lowest during the later summer months, contrary to the seasonal rainfall.  The landscape, activities and game viewing vary considerably throughout the delta depending on your location, the season and flood levels. Some areas have larger tracts of permanent dry land which generally means there is more focus on land based activities (game drives) and big game viewing. Lodges situated on islands deep in the delta concentrate more on water activities such as mokoro excursions, walking, boating, fishing and bird watching. Those lodges situated on the outer fringes of the delta, referred to as the 'seasonal' delta, offer varied experiences at different times of the year - more water based during high flood levels and more land based as the flood recedes. 

Game is more concentrated around the permanent water during the dry season (Apr - Oct) with it becoming very hot in the later months. The heronries become active as the migrant birds return to Botswana from September through November, and general bird watching is excellent throughout the summer months. The rainy season (Nov - Apr) invigorates the lush scenery with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers, spectacular sunsets and the birthing season brings great predator and prey interaction.

DAY 12: SAFARI ENDS IN MAUN

Following the morning activity, the guests will be transferred to Maun for their onward travel arrangements.

Alternative options available in the Chobe area at a surcharge

Alternative 1
DAY 3&4: ELEPHANT VALLEY LODGE

Nestled between Botswana and Zimbabwe, Elephant Valley Lodge lies hidden in the Lesoma Valley in the Chobe Forest Reserve, only a few kilometers outside Kasane. The lodge is set amongst massive camel thorn trees and overlooks a large waterhole which attracts regular herds of elephants thus offering around the clock game viewing.  

Elephant Valley Lodge offers twenty traditional meru-style safari tents with comfortabe furnishings, each with private en-suite bathrooms. The public areas consist of a dining room and bar as well as a beautiful terrace with magnificent views overlooking the waterhole. There is a swimming pool for your enjoyment in the hotter months and spacious grassy grounds in which to relax.

The lodge offers two activities per day from the following options: game drives into the adjacent Chobe National Park, night drives in the Chobe Forest Reserve as well as boat cruises on the Chobe River. The large elephant population is staggering in the Chobe region and their regular visits to the waterhole offer an incredible sight – you barely need to leave the lodge to have a real Chobe elephant experience!

Alternative 2
DAY 3&4: PRIDE OF THE ZAMBEZI

The Pride of the Zambezi is a luxury houseboat berthed on the Chobe River near to the entrance to the Chobe National Park. You are able to view wildlife in their natural habitat, experience amazing sunrises and sunsets from the decks, fish the Zambezi in tender boats, as well as being offered the opportunity of  visiting one of the 7 wonders of the world. This is the perfect luxury escape. 

The Houseboat accommodates up to 10 passengers in lavish en-suite cabins. Five cabins are situated on the bottom deck and each offers superb views over the river, whilst the cabin on the bow boasts its own private deck.

The Pride of the Zambezi is equipped with an open plan lounge, dining and a fully serviced bar area all with unobstructed views of the surrounding area, a Jacuzzi and a 2 sun decks.

Activities range from bird watching, fishing, and game viewing. There are 5 tender boats for fishing and up close bird watching and game viewing.  Also offered at an extra cost are 4 x 4 game drives into Chobe National Park and day trips to visit the majestic Victoria Falls.