ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Botswana - Wild
Adventures Visit: Maun, Okavango Delta, Moremi, Linyanti / Savuti, and Victoria Falls Highlights: all inclusive, high quality tented camps and lodges, transfers by air, day and night wildlife viewing from open sided 4x4 vehicles, professionally guided hikes and walks including a multi day walking safari, a village overnight, excellent wildlife and birding, boat cruises, and a guided tour of Victoria Falls This itinerary is designed for adventurous travelers who want Botswana's best wildlife and culture. From Duba Plains - reputed to have the highest density of lion Africa, guests will continue Gudigwa where they will overnight at a small Bushman Village. Continue with a multi day professionally guided walking safari through the Okavango Delta before visiting the land of the elephants - the Savute / Linyanti area. Your safari ends at Victoria Falls where you may enjoy viewing white rhino, touring the Falls, visiting a local school, and sipping a drink on a sundowner boat cruise. Full itinerary and trip details below: DAYS 1, 2, 3 OKAVANGO DELTA From Maun you will fly by light aircraft (included) to Duba Plains Tented Camp. Duba Plains is one of the Okavango's most remote camps and has the distinction of having the highest density of lion of any area in Africa! The camp has been built on a tree shaded island surrounded by expansive plains which flood each year from about May to early October. Duba Plains accommodates 12 guests in six tented rooms with ceiling fans and en suite facilities, and private outdoor shower. Wildlife in the area includes large herds of buffalo (in the thousands), lion, hippo, elephant, lechwe, sable and numerous other plain's game species in addition to a tremendous variety of birds. As the camp is situated on a private concession professional guides are able to offer guests day and night wildlife viewing drives in open 4x4 vehicles, walks, and mokoro trips when water levels allow it (mekoro excursions are best between May and September). This camp has a small pool. OKAVANGO DELTA, Duba Plains, all inclusive DAY 4 OKAVANGO DELTA Today you will be transferred by air to Gudigwa Camp. Gudigwa Camp offers guests on safari the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of Botswana. Gudigwa village is a settlement of 800 "Bukakhwe" San Bushman or "people of the dry country". The Bukakhwe people are indigenous to the Okavango Delta, and though their physical attributes vary from the Bushman tribes of the Kalahari, their traditional ways of living off the land are very much the same. The Gudigwa experience highlights the intimate connection between the Bukakhwe people's cultural heritage and the natural environment. By sharing this linkage with their guests, they are reviving a dying culture and passing on intricate knowledge to the future generations within the village. Activities focus around various aspects of both traditional and modern life in Botswana. Walks will reveal the secrets of the bush and guests will learn about the medicinal uses of plants, discover where to find underground water, and will be given basic tips of how to survive off of nature's abundant resources. Villagers will perform traditional dances and songs, tell animated stories in their mother tongue - a language of "clicks" and guttural tones - and will cook local dishes for guests to sample. Guests stay in large, cozy grass huts made from local materials and modeled after traditional bushman shelters. Each of the 8 units has comfortable beds and linen, solar lighting and its own open air toilet and hot shower. This "camp" and its activities take place 5 kilometers from the Gudigwa community so as not to disturb the daily life of the people. Guests are welcome to take a quick tour of the village. As the largest remaining Bushman village in Botswana, the Gudigwa people are proud to be reviving their culture that is rapidly changing due to modernization, and to be promoting cross-cultural exchange with the rest of the world. OKAVANGO DELTA, Gudigwa Camp, all inclusive DAYS 5, 6, 7 MOREMI / OKAVANGO DELTA On day 5 you will be transferred by light aircraft (included) to Chitabe Tented Camp. From here you will depart on a two day walking trail. You will be accompanied by a professional walking guide who will take you on an informative and adventurous walk through the grasslands and woodlands of the Okavango Delta. This two day walking trail experience allows guests to get their feet on the ground and really feel, smell and touch Africa. You will walk for several hours a day, but it is not a strenuous walk and can be enjoyed by almost all guests. You will sleep out at two of the hides which are located in the Chitabe concession. Both hides accommodate guests on elevated platforms and each guest will sleep in the hide under a mosquito net. Long drop toilets and hot bucket showers will be provided. Dinners will be cooked over an open campfire. Beautifully appointed dining tables and chairs will help complete the dining experience. The two hides at Chitabe are located in very different habitats. One hide is situated on the edge of a floodplain which often contains water and enables one to see the wet side of the Okavango and the other hide is within the woodland on the edge of an extensive pan system, which often sees an abundance of elephant activity. The absolute silence, except for the nocturnal sounds of the Okavango's insects and wildlife which one can experience by sleeping "out in the bush" is a magical one that most guests will mark as one of the highlights of their African safari. On day 7 your walking safari will end with an overnight at Chitabe Tented Camp. Situated in the eastern central Okavango bordering the Moremi Game Reserve, guests are accommodated in 8 luxury twin bedded east African style tents, each built on raised wooden decks with ceiling fans and en suite facilities, verandah and private outdoor shower. The main area includes a dining room, bar, lounge and plunge pool. Wildlife in the area includes elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog along with numerous plains game species. As the camp is situated on a private concession Chitabe's professional guides are able to offer guests day and night wildlife viewing drives in open 4x4 vehicles, walks, and mekoro (canoe) trips when water levels allow it. MOREMI / OKAVANGO DELTA, Chitabe Walking / Chitabe Tented Camp, all inclusive DAYS 8, 9, 10 LINYANTI / SAVUTI On day 8 you will be transferred by light aircraft (included) to Duma Tau Tented Camp. Near the confluence of the Linyanti River and Savuti Channel on a private 125,000 hectare concession, this small luxury tented camp is composed of 10 large walk in tents under thatch each with en suite facilities, ceiling fans, and an outdoor shower on the verandah. The main dining area and lounge overlook a plunge pool and beyond - an enormous lagoon. Wildlife abounds with large herds of elephant, zebra, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, sable, roan, eland, giraffe. In addition you are likely to see crocodile, hippo, buffalo. And then there are the predators - lion (the lions in this area have been documented in National Geographic's films), leopard, cheetah, wild dog and hyena. Birding is also fantastic. Activities include day and night wildlife viewing drives from open 4x4 vehicles, along with boating (when water levels allow it) and professionally guided walks. Sundowner drinks may be enjoyed from the pontoon boat as hippos snort nearby at this beautiful camp. LINYANTI / SAVUTI, Duma Tau Tented Camp, all inclusive DAYS 11, 12 VICTORIA FALLS On day 11 you will be transferred by light aircraft (included) to Kasane and road and boat to the River Club for 2 nights. Overlooking the Zambezi River upstream from Victoria Falls in Zambia, this small luxury lodge exudes colonial elegance as it takes guests back to a forgotten time. Each of the 10 airy open fronted chalet enjoys en suite facilities and fantastic sunset views over the Zambezi River and Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe. The main lodge building with its colonial style tin roof, house the elegant dining room, lounge, drawing room, and library. There is also a lovely swimming pool. Activities include visits to the Mosi oa Tunya National Park (home to white rhino), the historical town of Livingstone and the Railway Museum, the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls, village / school visits and sundowner boat trips on the river. In the evening guests may enjoy croquet on the expansive lawns while hippo snort in the background. The perfect place to relax at the end of your wildlife safari! VICTORIA FALLS, The River Club, all inclusive DAY 13 HOME Today you will be transferred to the Livingstone Airport and board your onward flight.
Trip name: Botswana - Wild Adventures Type of safari: Premier Collection - Top quality all inclusive lodge and tented camp safari with light aircraft transfers which departs upon request on any dates. This is not a group safari and accommodations, activities, and total number of days can be altered to suit your needs. Trip length: 13 days Trip cost: US $5,495 per person April through June and November 2004. US $6,995 per person July through October 2004. US $1,900 single supplement if traveling with others. This safari does not operate January through April and during December each year as several of the camps and lodges are closed. Price excludes international airfare, includes internal flights. Air tickets: Click here to view airfares to Africa. Extensions:
When to travel: Wildlife viewing is best during the period April through October each year. Departures: This safari departs upon request for one or more travelers. This is not a group safari and accommodations, activities, and total number of days can be altered to suit your needs. Accommodations: The accommodations on this trip are all good quality and comfortable. All of the rooms have proper beds with mattresses and duvets, en suite toilets, basins and showers with hot and cold running water. Age limits: The minimum age on this safari is 12. There is no maximum age limit. Guides: You will enjoy game drives and walks in the company of professionally licensed guides. Botswanan guides have had to endure many years of intense training, both academic and in the field. Your safety and comfort are their highest concerns. They are also trained and prepared to respond to medical emergencies. Luggage: As small aircraft are used for several of the transfers between lodges and camps baggage is strictly limited to 12 kilograms (26 pounds) packed in one soft sided bag per person. Suitcases will not be permitted. Trip price includes: all airport meet and greets and transfers to and from camps, lodges, hotels and airports (including light aircraft transfers from Maun to Duba Plains, from Duba Plains to Gudigwa, from Gudigwa to Chitabe, from Chitabe to Duma Tau and from Duma Tau to Kasane), all inclusive stays at Duba Plains, while walking, at Chitabe, Duma Tau and at the River Club, guided game viewing (in open vehicles, by boat, and on foot), tour of Victoria Falls, Park's fees, village / school visit from the River Club, MARS (Medical Air Rescue) coverage in Botswana and Zambia, most drinks, 10% Botswana VAT, and current Zambian taxes. Trip price excludes: international and domestic flights (unless stated), airport taxes, entry visas, and all items of a personal nature i.e. extra activities at the Falls, trip insurance, tips and gratuities, some drinks, telephone calls. Visas: American passport holders traveling as tourists DO NOT require an entry visa for Botswana. However an entry visa IS REQUIRED for Zambia. The cost of this visa will be paid by the River Club. Reservations: Phone toll free 1 800 461 0682 within the United States and speak with one of our safari consultants or send us an email including the trip name, your full name, the number of people traveling, and proposed travel dates. Questions: If you would like to ask any questions send us an email or phone toll free within the United States on 1 800 461 0682 and speak with one of our safari consultants. Return to Ultimate Africa's Botswana Safari Collection Links to other pages: ULTIMATE AFRICA
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