Botswana Adventure Safari – Okavango Delta

Botswana Adventure Safari – Okavango Delta Itinerary:

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• Day 1 Welcome to Africa! Meet your guide in Livingstone, Zambia and tour spectacular Victoria Falls. Sunset cruise on the Zambezi tonight.

  Your trip begins today in Livingstone, Zambia. We're welcomed by our safari guide at the Livingstone airport and begin the short drive to breathtaking Victoria Falls. Located at approximately the midway point along the Zambezi River's journey from source to sea, the Falls create the largest curtain of falling water in the world and plunge over 300 feet into the smoking chasm below. We'll view the thundering cascade from the Zambian side before transferring to our lodging at lovely Toka Leya Camp, on the banks of the mighty Zambezi approximately six miles upstream from the Falls. After checking in and enjoying some afternoon tea and snacks, we'll embark on a late-afternoon boat cruise along the river, getting an initial glimpse of local bird and animal and enjoying a sundowner as the twilight colors fill the African sky. We'll gather for an orientation briefing at Toka Leya tonight after which dinner will be served. Afternoon snacks and dinner included.

• Day 2 Cross into Botswana and watch for elephant, hippo, and crocodile on a river cruise in Chobe National Park. Fly to the Linyanti.

  After a full breakfast, we'll board our vehicle this morning and drive towards the international border at Kazungula, crossing into Botswana and making our way directly to the Chobe Riverfront on the northern boundary of Chobe National Park. A 3-hour boat cruise on the Chobe offers the perfect introduction to the wonders that await us as many animal species rely on these waters and surrounding vegetation for cooling and for nourishment. Elephant, hippo, crocodile, buffalo, giraffe and antelope are commonly seen bathing and grazing along the river and the deck of our small boat offers the perfect vantage point from which to observe and photograph all of the activity. After brunch on board, we'll return to shore and transfer to nearby Kasane Airport for the scenic 50-minute flight to the dirt airstrip nearest to our remote tented camp in the 300,000-acre Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. After our aircraft touches down, we'll jump aboard our waiting Land Rover for the drive to camp itself, keeping our eyes peeled as the entire two-hour drive takes place within the reserve and animals can be spotted at any point along the way! We'll arrive camp in late afternoon, greeted warmly by the camp staff who will show us the way to our individual tents. Our roomy 9'x9' walk-in tents include separate twin mattresses on cots with full cotton bedding and attached open-roofed bathrooms with hot bucket showers and eco-toilets. After a refreshing shower and some time to relax, we'll gather at our dinner table – illuminated by the soft glow of hurricane lanterns – and savor a delicious meal prepared by the camp chef.

  After dinner, when darkness has completely fallen, our guide will help us identify the various stars and constellations visible in the night sky. As we become more familiar with the inhabitants of the surrounding wilderness, we learn to recognize the sounds of hippos calling from their nearby waterholes, elephants feasting on the leaves of acacia trees, and hyenas whooping to announce their presence to other members of a clan. There is simply nothing that can compare to camping in the African bush and we have the next three nights to enjoy the experience to the fullest. All meals included.

• Days 3-4 Search for lion, African wild dog, and large elephant herds in the 300,000-acre Linyanti Reserve. Camp under the African stars.

  Located on the western boundary of Chobe National Park, the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve is made up of diverse habitat that includes open floodplains, dry savannah, riverbank and scrubland, creating a paradise for a large number of mammal and bird species. Access to the reserve is private and, with only a small number of camps located in the vicinity and our ability to drive off-road, our wildlife encounters are intimate and often very close-up.

  Our daily activities in the Linyanti will include both day and night game drives as well as short walks led by our guides allowing us to learn more about animal tracking and view the landscape from a new and unique perspective. We get an early start each day to ensure we're out and about just after sunrise when wildlife activity is at its peak. We take our time, our guide using his tracking skills to help us spot as many different species as possible and taking "requests from the audience" if there's a desire to search for any species in particular. We return to camp for lunch and an early afternoon siesta before gathering again in mid-afternoon for another wilderness exploration. Throughout our time in the reserve, we'll be on the lookout for lion, leopard, spotted hyena and African wild dog, a beautifully-patterned canine that is highly endangered with only 3,000-5,500 dogs left on the continent. Witnessing these social animals hunt for prey as a pack is an experience never forgotten. While the population of predators is high, the Linyanti is also known for its elephant herds as well as zebra, Cape buffalo, baboon, red lechwe, impala, warthog, hippo and giraffe. The region plays host to a large variety of bird species as well including the Bradfield's Hornbill, Racket-tailed Roller, Bennett's Woodpecker, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and Arnott's Chat. Raptors found here include a number of eagle species as well as Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, African Scops Owl and Dickenson's Kestrel. All meals included.

• Days 5-7 Off to the Okavango! Fly to Khwai and visit the Moremi Game Reserve, prime habitat for leopard, antelope and a host of bird species.

  We'll bid farewell to the Linyanti and our camp staff on the morning of Day 5 and, after a final game drive back to the airstrip, board our waiting Cessna and climb into the bright blue Botswana sky. As we fly southwest towards Khwai and our next camp, we'll survey the landscape below for wandering herds of elephant or grazing giraffe. The Khwai Concession (in the Moremi Game Reserve) is one of the most diverse areas in northern Botswana and seldom disappoints when it comes to producing extraordinary wildlife experiences. The life source for this area is the Khwai River – the northernmost finger of the Okavango Delta alluvial fan – which provides vital sustenance to a host of animals.

  Our private Khwai camp consists of five spacious 20' x 11' walk-in canvas tents that can accommodate two guests very comfortably. The tents are airy and designed to recreate the accommodation style of the early explorers with proper beds with cotton linens, richly-colored teak chairs, bedside tables with 12-volt reading lamps, canvas and wood wardrobes, and en-suite bathrooms with separate toilet and shower areas.

  Over time, the Khwai area has metamorphosed into a wide range of exciting wildlife habitats – some of the most varied to be found in the entire Okavango Delta comprised of a blend of forests, floodplain, wetland and grasslands. The narrow Khwai Channel is home to large mammals such as hippo and crocodile with buffalo and red lechwe often seen grazing along the fringe. The beautiful riverine woodland found along the river provides further sanctuary to birds, primates and leopard. Elusive roan antelope often come to the river to drink. Away from the river there is a wonderful mix of acacia and Leadwood trees of varying sizes as well as mopane woodland. The latter, together with the permanent presence of water, attracts large numbers of elephant to the area. Larger predators include lion, wild dog and spotted hyena, while birdlife found here is just as varied thanks to the broad mix of habitats.

  Our three days in the Khwai area will be filled with an adventurous mix of early morning and late afternoon/nighttime game drives, longer (2-3 hours) bush walks and mokoro excursions when water levels permit. One day will include an epic all-day exploration of the protected Moremi Game Reserve, allowing us to take full advantage of the fantastic game-viewing this gem of a national park has to offer. All meals included.

• Days 8-9 Spend two days at a deluxe safari camp in the western Okavango and discover its tranquil beauty through mokoro and boat excursions.

  On Day 8, our flight path takes us from Khwai directly over the shimmering waterways of the Okavango to Seba Camp, located on the west side of the Delta. We'll spend the last two nights of our safari in style as Seba offers secluded, luxurious accommodations overlooking a lagoon and seasonal floodplain teeming with animal and bird life. The camp has eight well-appointed and elevated tent rooms which have been designed specifically to blend in with the Okavango landscape. Each has its own en-suite bathroom and a private deck on which to relax and observe the passing wildlife in and around the perennial lagoon. Well-marked paths lead to the communal dining area and a lounge-library replete with reference and pictorial books. There is also a secluded swimming pool enabling guests to refresh themselves and relax during the warmest part of the day.

  As Seba has year-round water sources nearby, marine activities are always a focus here. No visit to the Okavango would be complete without an opportunity to ride in a mokoro, the traditional canoes still used by local inhabitants to navigate around the Delta. As we sit in the front of our mokoros, experienced polers (guides standing at the rear of the vessel using a long wooden pole to move the boat forward and change direction) propel the canoe through the Delta's crystal-clear channels. We'll gliding silently through the papyrus-lined waterways, past scores of floating purple and white lilies and islands dotted with palm trees. In addition to allowing us to experience the Delta from a water-level perspective, mokoros provide excellent platforms for birdwatching as well as occasionally spotting larger animals swimming or along the shore. Motorboat excursions and game drives are also planned during our stay allowing us to range even farther from camp.

  Each morning, after a piping hot cup of coffee or tea and a light breakfast, we'll begin our morning adventure and head out in search of the many animal and bird species present in the vicinity. The winter months offer premier game viewing in the Okavango and apart from the large elephant population, there is a seasonal abundance of game in the area including giraffe, zebra, baboon, impala, wildebeest, tsessebe and lechwe. Large herds of buffalo are occasional visitors, too. For bird enthusiasts, some 380 different species are found in the region including the spectacular Malachite Kingfisher, White-browed Coucal, Red-billed Teal, Rufous-bellied Heron, Great Egret, African Fish-Eagle and African Barred Owlet. After our morning exploration, we return to camp for lunch and have the middle of the day to ourselves to read, swim, watch for passing wildlife from the camp's viewing deck or just relax out of the midday sun. Each afternoon, we gather again for tea at approximately 3 p.m. and begin our late-day activity shortly thereafter. In the evenings, following cocktails around a traditional camp fire, superb al fresco dinners are served in the dining area. A pride of lion frequents the greater area around Seba and their thrilling calls can sometimes be heard filling the surrounding jungle at night; a sound that will forever live on in your memory when thinking of the wild Okavango. All meals included.

• Day 10 Say farewell to your guide and traveling companions in Maun, Botswana before departing for home.

  After a final early morning game drive, we enjoy lunch at camp before transferring to the Seba airstrip for our final bush flight back to Maun. We arrive in Maun by early afternoon allowing time to catch connecting flights back to Johannesburg or a number of other destinations in southern Africa. Breakfast included.

Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

All accomodations as specified on the itinerary; all light aircraft transfers as noted on itinerary; all meals beginning with dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 10; professional guide accompaniment throughout; all daily actvities (game drives, mokoro/boat excursions, bush walks);guided tour of Victoria Falls; Chobe River boat cruise; transfer from Livingstone airport to Toka Leya on Day 1; all soft drinks, beer, fruit juice, mineral water and house wine.

Round-trip international airfare to Livingstone/from Maun; international entry/departure taxes; travel insurance; excess baggage charges; alcoholic beverages other than those specified under "Included"; pre and post-trip tours; items of a personal nature; gratuities.

Please check with us before purchasing your airline tickets to ensure your trip has the necessary minimum number of participants required to operate.

If you are traveling alone and specifically request single accommodations, you will be asked to pay the full single supplement noted on the trip itinerary.  If you wish to share accommodations, we will assign you a roommate if one is available.  If a roommate cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a reduced single fee, which is half of the full single supplement.  Please be advised that there are a limited number of single accommodations available.

Our Okavango Delta Adventure Safari departure dates coincide with the Botswana winter and spring months, an ideal time to be in the Delta. Rainfall is uncommon in the Okavango during these months and vegetation will dry up as the season progresses making game viewing easier. The temperature variances between day and night are more pronounced with average daytime temperatures generally falling between the high 70s and low 90s (warmer in October than in June-September) and nighttime temperatures often dropping into the 40s. Although midday temperatures are always warm, early morning and nighttime on game drives and at camp can be quite cool and participants should plan on following the recommendations on our Gear List and bringing some warm clothing.

This safari trip is rated Relaxed [1]. This is a safari itinerary with game-viewing being the primary focus. Most days will include multiple game drives, bush walks, and/or mokoro/boat excursions. Safaris are not physically demanding but they are in remote locations and can include some travel over rough terrain. This trip is perfectly suited for active people in good health with a spirit of adventure and an interest in learning more about the natural world.

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and pre-departure information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased at the time of your initial reservation, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

The key to staying comfortable on safari is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation. This gear list is provided to help you in choosing your equipment and clothing for this trip. Try to bring only what is necessary.

Gear Checklist

Things to Consider

• Always pack essential items such as your passport, REI Adventures trip final bulletin, money, eyewear, medications, camera and a change of clothes in your carry-on baggage in case your luggage is delayed.
• The checked luggage allowance on all light aircraft flights within Botswana is 44 pounds per person. Please pack accordingly. Overweight luggage may incur a substantial additional fee.
• Casual attire is completely acceptable for our camps and Africa in general. Neutral, light-colored clothing is best for the safari, to blend into the landscape and not stand out to wildlife. Khaki is always a good color while on safari. Camouflage and bright colors are not recommended.
• Laundry services are available in camps but it’s good to come prepared to occasionally hand wash your clothes (quick drying materials are best). Travel packets of detergent and a travel laundry line come in handy for this purpose.
• Stuff sacks are great for sorting your gear. Plastic bags are also helpful to separate wet clothing from dry.
• If you normally wear contacts, bring a pair of glasses in case of irritation from dust in your eyes.
• Many of the roads in Africa are deeply rutted and dusty. It is a good idea to pack camera equipment and binoculars in plastic bags to protect them from the dust. This is in addition to their normal cases. Also bring lens cleaning materials.