Botswana | Sept 2022

Because of COVID - all retreat dates, and pricing are tenative.

No paved roads, shops or fuel stations. Nothing but the sights sounds and smells of a place barely touched by man. Botswana is home to the largest elephant population on Earth and as you'll come to see they behave as if they own the place…because well, they do. They were here; first and you will be a guest in their home, and it's big, and there are a lot of them! 

There is nowhere else on earth like the Okavango Delta. It's the reason National Geographic and BBC come here to make their wildlife films (have you seen Planet Earth?!) and this is where I lived for a year, in a tent with no running water, no electricity, no media messages or man-made noise to pollute the senses. Again, simply the purest form of life on earth and I invite you to return with me to the most magical, the most incredible, the most beautiful and the wildest place left on earth. 

We'll be spending 9 days in Moremi. Located in the northeast corner of the Okavango Delta. Moremi Game Reserve is an ornithologist’s paradise, with almost every species of central-southern African bird, including bee-eaters, darters, colourful kingfishers, and a variety of waterfowl. We may also spot wildlife like Tsessebe and Burchell’s zebra, along with ostrich and predators such as lion, wild dog, and spotted hyena. The mopane tree is one of the most widespread in southern Africa, its butterfly-shaped leaves and seeds offering a crucial source of protein for wildlife. Elephants are particularly partial to mopane leaves. This is the first national park in southern Africa to have been created and administered by an African tribe living on their own land, the Batawana.

Here is a snapshot of what our itinerary might look like… though I hesitate because it’s impossible to detail this experience!

Overnights are in our private mobile camp, offering an authentic experience of the African bush that no safari lodge can offer! 

Every day includes Game Drives in the early morning light and later afternoon haze in search of the wildest of the wilds of Africa! 

Days 1-4:  Upon arrival at the Maun Airpot, we will be met by our professional guides who will assist us onto our safari vehicle and depart to Moremi game reserve, the protected portion of the Okavango Delta Ecosystem. This will be in the form of a game drive. Our campsite is at Xakanaxa (pronounced Ka-kan-aka), on the tip of a mopane “tongue” jutting into the delta: a beautiful setting fo secret pools, tall forest, and open grassland. This mix of ecological niches ensures a good variety of birds and game, and we explore by 4WS vehicle and boat. Our campsite is ours alone (though we are sometimes joined by hippos that come out at night to feed on the grass near our tents!), and the enchanting sound of bell frogs serenades us to sleep, we may even hear the lions calling off in the distance. The Xakanaxa Pride of Lions are the ones I spent a year documenting, it will be amazing to meet the newest generation! 

Days 5 -6: After an early morning breakfast, we drive back to Maun and all way through to The Tshilli farm. The Tshilli Farm itself is on an island surrounded by a floodplain and consists of different vegetation areas including an ancient forest, sage fields, and scrub as well as pans of water. There is great diversity in flora and fauna and the birdlife is incredible. There are usually nesting woodpeckers, hornbills, marshall eagles, fish eagles, white-faced ducks and fly-catchers on the farm at any one time. At night, one can hear the calls of the spotted hyena, the resident hippos, elephants, lion and sometimes leopard!

Days 7 - 9:  From the Tshilli Farm, we leave the waters of the Okavango behind and drive to Makgadikgadi where we explore the Pans. THIS IS AMAZING! There are animal and bird species here not found in the northern parks, such as Gemsbok, and flocks of flamingoes that come to the Makgadikgadi to breed in the wet season, the essence of a safari to this part of Botswana is to experience space and tranquillity. A visit to Kubu Island in the middle of the salt pans, where Bushman spirits are purported to take on the shapes of birds, is an experience that will remain with you forever… Makgadikgadi Pans - Your 5 billion star hotel - this place is spectacular at any time of year, but after the rains and before the onset of winter, they truly blossom. The remnant of a vast ancient lake bed, the pans posses a stark beauty. The pans are also home to an extensive zebra migration. The sight of these equids galloping across vast open spaces dotted with the iconic Illala palm is to see an Africa from the Pleistocene era. 

Included:

- Private guide to accompany us for the duration of the itinerary.

- Scenic flight over the Moremi game reserve

- Twice daily game drives 

- Accommodation, scheduled activities and laundry service.

- Daily Yoga Under an African Sky / Evening meditations 

- Stargazing, campfires, Laughing and new friends

- All meals, refreshments, local spirits and wines.

- Emergency medical evacuation insurance. (All guests must have personal travel insurance and medical cover). 

- National park fees and all government levies and taxes. 

- Airport transfers to/from scheduled/charter flights. 

- In Northern Botswana: Additional medical evacuation insurance through Okavango Air Rescue from anywhere in Northern Botswana (including Delta / Chobe / CKGR / Nxai & Makgadigadi Pans) to Maun in daylight hours.

- WILD - Lions, elephants, zebra, giraffe, hyena, buffalo, impala, millions of birds, hippo, rhino and so much more! 

Excluded:

- International flights and airport taxes. You would fly to Johannesburg and then take Air Botswana to Maun, Botswana. 

- Additional meals, drinks, activities and transfers not specified on the itinerary (applies specifically to Victoria Falls). 

- Premium import drinks. 

- Passport & Visa Fees. 

- Comprehensive Travel Insurance (Strongly recommended). 

- Gratuities and items of a personal nature. 

- Any Government taxes, levies, fuel or industry increases beyond our control. 

- Any errors & omissions excluded 

- All guests must have personal travel insurance and medical cover

** There is a possibility that the Botswana Government decides to increase park fees, we will not know this until much closer to the date -  if this is the case guests will be responsible to cover the difference in cost.