Day 1 & 2 Fly USA to Johannesburg via
Europe
Please note international air from the USA has not been included in
the package price.
Day 3 Arrive Johannesburg
On arrival at Johannesburg Airport, you will be met by our
representative, and assisted to the complimentary shuttle service to
Emperor’s Palace.
A city of astonishing
contrasts, a huge metropolis where opulent wealth and desperate
poverty live side by side: Johannesburg is the intriguing, dynamic
heart of this turbulent country. If you want to see the real South
Africa - and try to understand it - Jo'burg has to be on your
itinerary. Jo'burg, Jozi, eGoli or 'the city of gold' (never
Johannesburg) is by far the largest city in South Africa. It's
brash, fast-growing and often ugly, but it's got wealth, energy and
a beautiful climate. If you take reasonable precautions and listen
to the locals, you can enjoy it in safety.
Accommodation: 1
night
Standard Metcourt Laurel
Day 4 Fly Johannesburg to Livingstone
Today, make your way to Johannesburg Airport aboard the shuttle
service and check in for your scheduled flight to Livingstone.
After arrival in
Livingstone you will be met by a representative and transferred
directly for a guided tour of the Victoria Falls, one of the Seven
Natural Wonders of the World. At 1708 meters wide, it is the largest
curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 meters into
the sheer Zambezi Gorge.
This evening, we will
stay at Chundukwa. Situated on the grassy banks of the Zambezi River
just 25km upstream from the mighty Victoria Falls, our elevated
open-fronted chalets boast stunning views of the Zambezi River,
Chundu Island opposite and the Zambezi National park across the
River. We are located in a game-rich area and sightings of hippo and
elephant, among other animals are common. There is also an abundance
of plant and birdlife to be found surrounding the lodge and although
the sounds of the bush might briefly keep you awake, this is
short-lived as their chatter soon softens to a uniquely African
lullaby.
Accommodation: 1
night
Standard Chundkwa River Lodge, Zambia
Day 5, 6 & 7 Chobe River boat cruise &
Linyanti
After a full breakfast, we leave Zambia and enter the Chobe National
Park in Botswana by way of the Kazungula border, a point where the
four countries of Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe meet.
The Chobe National
Park is famous for its vast herds of elephants and unique species
such as the elusive puku and Chobe bushbuck that move to the river
during the hottest hours of the day - even more so in the dry
season. Enjoy a light lunch served during the boat cruise on the
catamaran-style shaded boat, after which we depart by aircraft in
the late afternoon for the Linyanti region, from the airstrip game
driving to our pre-erected Adventurer campsite. The north-eastern
corner of the Linyanti is famed for its myriad of changing
landscapes with sweeping views, from riverine to savannah and from
forest to plains.
The Linyanti region's
life-giving perennial waters attract herds of wildlife that walk
well-worn game paths to slake their thirst in the dry season.
Predators follow in their footsteps and, coupled with the area's
diversity of habitat, make for exciting game viewing.
Accommodation: 3
nights
Standard Linyanti Adventurer Camp (tents)
Days 8 & 9 Lechwe Island Camp,
North-eastern Okavango Delta
We travel west into private concessions, stopping en route for game
sightings through parts of the area. This long but interesting drive
gives the perfect introduction to the varying habitats of a dry and
flat northern Botswana, from the open savannah of the Savuti
Channel, known as the "Stolen River", to lagoons with a plethora of
wildlife to the geographically interesting Selinda Spillway (Great
Rift Valley fault line). This can be a full-day game / transfer
drive, with lunch en route at a shady place in the Savuti Channel.
We arrive at our
pre-erected Adventurer campsite in the mid-afternoon, in time for a
short sunset game drive.
Lechwe Island Camp is
located in the south-western sector of the Selinda private
concession, in a seasonally flooded portion of the Okavango Delta
where it joins into the Selinda Spillway. The campsite is situated
on a wooded island overlooking a floodplain area, the channel in
front of camp alternately flooded or dry, depending on the season.
Activities
concentrate around the bushy and wooded islands, open plains and the
seasonally flooded channels surrounding the camp. In this area local
populations of plains game allow for game drives by day and night.
Experiences are magnified on nature walks, where the guide is able
to delve into interesting topics such as tracking, medicinal (and
traditional) uses of plants and a full array of smaller
invertebrates and other species not usually noticed from a vehicle.
Canoeing is also seasonally offered.
Accommodation: 2
nights
Standard Lechwe Island Camp
Days 10, 11 & 12 Xigera Mokoro Trails,
Okavango Delta
We fly by light aircraft to the water-filled paradise of the private
Xigera area, within the Moremi Game Reserve. Xigera is the ultimate
Delta experience, with serene waters flowing through innumerable
channels around remote islands and a profusion of plant and animal
life.
There is no better
way to experience the Okavango than to travel through it by mekoro,
walking and camping out on a vegetated island - all essential
elements of the Xigera Mokoro Trails experience. The experience is
aimed at exposing the permanently flooded inner Delta, in the serene
waterways and on the islands of trees and bush. Our guest tents are
lighter here than the rest of the safari, with a gauze main frame,
thus enhancing the views, and with comfortable mattresses at ground
level.
Activities include
mekoro and walking safaris on inner remote islands, which enable
up-close encounters with an excellent diversity of birdlife
(including Pel's Fishing Owl), frogs and a myriad of game species,
some specially adapted to water, such as the rare sitatunga and the
familiar red lechwe. Walking activities vary in length and duration
through the seasons, especially in the months when the Okavango is
at peak flood (June, July and August) where they become shorter as
more islands become flooded.
Accommodation: 3
nights
Standard Xigera Mokoro Trails (tents)
Day 13 Fly Maun to USA via Johannesburg and
Europe
Transfer to Maun Airport and bid farewell to the adventure. Connect
with your scheduled flight to Johannesburg and then onward to the
U.S. via Europe.
Day 14 Arrive USA
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