Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, and Chobe National Park
Botswana: Okavango Explorer
Overview
Botswana's diverse ecosystems are astounding, from magnificent Chobe National Park, sheltering the world's largest elephant herds, to the wildlife paradise of the Okavango Delta, an exquisite wetland surrounded by the great Kalahari thirstlands. Our Botswana: Okavango Explorer is designed with extra time in the Okavango, exploring the papyrus-lined waterways of its farthest reaches during the best season for wildlife in the delta. On this special safari, we overnight at a special lightweight camp for a true experience of the bush, and also have terrific game viewing on the teeming grasslands of Chobe. We track game by 4WD vehicle, riverboat, and—a Botswana specialty—mokoro (dugout canoe), all in a breathtaking mix of Botswana's most beautiful environments. No one else gets you this close to the action—and in such comfort!
Arrive: Maun, Botswana
Depart: Kasane, Botswana
Highlights
- Five full days exploring the famed Okavango Delta
- Exciting game tracking by 4WD vehicle and boat in Chobe National Park
- Extend your trip at Victoria Falls, one of the wonders of the world
Itinerary
We explore by 4WD and boat in Moremi Game Reserve in the northeastern Delta, looking for tsessebe and Burchell's zebra, along with ostrich and predators such as lion, wild dog, and spotted hyena. Our camp at Xakanaxa is in a beautiful setting of secret pools, tall forest, and open grasslands.
By mokoro (dugout canoe), we float through a labyrinth of creeks and lagoons in search of crocodiles, hippos, swamp antelope, white-necked otters, and fantastic birdlife. Day 5 is in a very remote lightweight camp on the Maunachira River, with two nights at an atmospheric lodge overlooking Xugana Lagoon.
Regular sightings of lion, leopard, and cheetah are one of the joys of Khwai Camp on the floodplain of the Khwai River.
Heading into the southern reaches of huge Chobe National Park, we explore the Savuti area, a vast grassland interspersed with game-rich woodlands. Savuti attracts large migrating herds and their attending predators.
Chobe's Serondella region is world-famous for its teeming elephant population. We set out for game drives among huge herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra, and wildebeest, and take a memorable sunset cruise on the Chobe. Transfer to Kasane and Depart on Day 14, or extend your stay at Victoria Falls.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 2, Easy to Moderate. It is a vehicle-based camping safari, with nine nights in our mobile private camps (with one night in a simple lightweight camp). It will be enjoyed by anyone in reasonably good health. Although the trip is not rigorous, it does involve some long driving days over rough roads and game tracks. Any African safari is an adventure, and the traveler to Africa should bring along flexibility, a sense of humor, curiosity about new peoples and places, and an openness to the unexpected.
Review Trip Level Details
This trip is scheduled for optimal game viewing conditions in the Okavango Delta. The best game viewing period is during the “dry” season, which runs from late March to October. Because of the minimal rainfall during this season, the bush turns golden brown and in many areas is beaten flat, so game viewing is easier and animals concentrate around major water sources. The Okavango Delta's water level starts to rise during these months.
October to April can be very hot, with most of the rainfall between December and February. This season characteristically has hot sunny days with afternoon thundershowers. This season is excellent for the viewing of newborn mammals, summer flowers, and the migration of rare birds. Predator viewing during this time remains quite good.
Our mobile tented camping safaris in Botswana provide a true bush experience without sacrificing comfort. Our comfortable walk-in tents feature cozy beds, linens, tent lamps, and have en suite bathrooms with a toilet, mirror, sink, and hot water shower. Our crew sets up camp and prepares all meals. Delicious food is served in a comfortable dining tent. You'll find camping delightful and very comfortable, and you will appreciate how close to nature you feel, away from the lights and distractions of the lodges. We spend one overnight (Day 5) in a simple lightweight camp that allows us access to very remote areas. The camp consists of dome tents in which it is (just) possible to stand. The tents have bedrolls, thick foam sleeping pads, duvet, sheets, and pillows. There is a shared toilet tent. We enjoy our meals sitting around the fire as this lightweight camp has no dining tent.
We travel by Toyota 4WD Land Cruiser "go-anywhere" safari vehicles equipped with a refrigerator for cold drinks and a reference library on flora, fauna, and avifauna. They carry five trip members per vehicle, with guaranteed window seating.
During drives and walks, we can at times get quite close to wild animals. Being very quiet improves everybody's chances of observation. In the interest of safety, your Trip Leader explains limitations on movement while on game drives, in the safari vehicles, and around camp. Incidents with wild animals are extremely rare on safaris, but no trip can guarantee immunity from such incidents. Wilderness Travel is not to be held responsible for incidents involving the behavior of wildlife.
Client Testimonials
"It was a fantastic trip, a lifetime dream come true. I am so glad we chose Botswana and Wilderness Travel. We could see other trucks and groups and it was always clear we had some of the best guides and best in the "bush" experiences. The camps were clearly traveled though at night by the animals and the sounds of hippos and lions and hyneas was a welcomed nightly chorus. You don't get that in lodges!"
Aimee S.
Lagunitas, CA
"We had a simply amazing experience, exceeding our already lofty expectations. Best travel experience I've ever had. As I sit here writing this, all I want to do is get on a plane back to Maun!"
Andrew P.
Belmont, CA
"Everything was fantastic. What great care the team took of us! Nothing went unnoticed, and the team members were skilled and kind and generous and they made us feel welcome."
Bonnie B.
Princeton, NJ
"The trip was amazing. It was everything I was hoping for and more. It was so great that we are already planning our next safari with WT. I'm not much of a camper, but WT made things so easy that 2 weeks of camping went by in a flash. I already miss the sights, sounds, and camaraderie of the trip! I loved traveling with the same staff the entire time, as we all got to know each other pretty well. All the staff were so incredibly welcoming and upbeat, kudos to all of them. "
Carol E.
Underwood, WA
"How do you improve on perfection?"
Chris L.
Daly City, CA
"The extended itinerary of the Okavango, combined with the tented camping and wildlife viewing, is what sold us on this trip. The level of camping was as expected, as this was our third tented safari in Africa. The crew does a really excellent job—the extra effort to set up a spike camp deep in the delta was amazing and much appreciated. Having Xugana Lodge in the middle of the trip was just right."
David N.
Albuquerque, NM
"This was the trip of a lifetime. Every day was an unparalleled adventure, expertly arranged and professionally guided. The Okavango Delta is an amazing miracle of water in an otherwise arid landscape—a true miracle of the natural world. We saw so many exquisite birds and hundreds of animals. The lodges and hotel were gorgeous and the mobile tent camping felt like a real safari. We traveled by 4-wheel-drive jeep, boats, and bush airplanes taking off from airstrips that were little more than a strip of grass traversed by impala and elephant. The people, the land, and the animals of Botswana came alive for us and will live in our memories and in our hearts for all our days."
Eva D.
Makawao, HI
"The combination of the venue, the wildlife, our leader guiding us through the adventure, and the superb support camp staff simply provided a perfect trip."
Hans L.
Plymouth, MN
"We had a fantastic trip. It was our first trip to Africa and when people ask what we saw in terms of wildlife, we tell them to ask us what we didn't see. The trip was so much more than we imagined."
Jim and Carol B.
Kensington, MD
"Our Botswana safari was beyond expectations. I was amazed by the sheer number of beasties we saw, not to mention how close we were able to get to them. Adam’s ability to track, spot, and identify were nonpareil. Also, his short history talks before the afternoon drives helped put today’s Botswana in perspective. And then there was the c(gl)amping. Adam’s camp crew made it a luxe experience. At 71, I want to have my cake and eat it too, and that’s what I got. I was ‘out there’ in comfort. The tent was spacious and well set up. The hot water bottle at the foot of my bed each night was a nice touch. I loved having a ‘just right’ coffee handed to me seconds after arriving at the fire in the morning. The food was good."
Michael K.
South Pasadena, CA
"Trip of a lifetime, with many memories. Our guides added a wonderful perspective of growing up in Africa, tribe life, customs, history."
Nancy K.
Granite Bay, CA
"The itinerary and pace of the trip was perfect. I saw more wildlife than I have seen on previous trips to Africa. Camp was charming and very comfortable with attentive and helpful staff. Kay, the cook, was amazing!"
Willma E.
Seattle, WA
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Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.