Delta to Victoria Falls

Skirting the northern boundaries of the Central Kalahari Desert and the huge diamond mines at Orapa and Lelfhakane, you arrive in Maun and set up camp (575km, approx. 7 hours). Maun meaning, "place of short reeds" is the gateway to the Okavango Delta and northern parks of Botswana. After preparing for your journey into the delta tomorrow, the rest of the day is free to relax and settle in. Take a stroll along the riverside or relax in the pool and recover from the journey. Camp - 1 night (BL)

The big game aspect of your safari begins as you enter Moremi Game Reserve - one of the finest wilderness areas in Botswana. Proclaimed a wildlife reserve by the Batswana people in 1963, it was the first wildlife sanctuary to be created by an African tribe in their own area, and as such it is unique. The act was described at the time as a shining mark in African tribal history. It is a rich and fascinating area, which is an intricate part of the Delta, comprising of permanently swamped areas, lily-covered wetlands, seasonally swamped area and also dryland. You drive for about two hours to the reserve and then take a game drive through the park until you reach your evening camp (+/-40-100km / anything from 1½ - 5 hours depending on which campsite you have in the reserve). During the entire six days spent in Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park you will be travelling by open 4WD game viewing vehicle. En route you search for giraffe, hyena, kudu, elephant, hippo, crocodile, buffalo, lion and leopard. At sunset there is plenty of time to relax and absorb the sounds and beauty of this region. Later you will dine under the stars and no doubt exchange stories around the blazing camp fire! Wild Camping - 2 nights (BLD)

An early morning wake up call heralds another morning game drive as you travel north, over the sand ridge and into the Mababe depression to arrive at Savuti Marsh in the central Chobe National park. The roads through the national parks are rough and sometimes sandy as such for 4WD only. The distance is not great but the pace you travel at is determined by the conditions of the roads which are subject to the seasons (approx. 125km/5-7hrs). Chobe National Park is a compelling wilderness packed with game. The park was created in 1968, and named after the river that defines its northern boundary. The entire park encompasses an area of 11,000 square kilometres and provides sanctuary for the great herds of game that follow the ebb and flow of water. Wild Camping – 2 nights (BLD)

This morning you take an early morning open 4WD game drive through the park to the north western boundary. From this point you travel through the neighbouring forest reserve and then back into the Chobe National Park at Ngoma and down to the Chobe River front (200km approx. 5-7hours). The flood plains, with their different vegetation types that include thickets of bush, open grassland and riverine forest, are ideal for spotting an abundance of animals. Besides herds of elephant and buffalo, there’s a good chance of seeing other game, such as wildebeest, tsessebe, waterbuck, roan, sable antelope, eland, giraffe, hyena, kudu and the indigenous Chobe bushbuck. Tonight you camp within the National Park. Wild Camping – 1 nights (BLD)

Crossing the Zambezi River on the Kasungula Ferry into Zambia, you make your way downstream along the north bank to Livingstone (approx. 2 hours plus possible delay at the border) and your camp on the banks of this famous river. This afternoon you can visit one of the most awesome sights in the world, "Mosi-oa-Tunya" – Smoke that Thunders (the name given to the Victoria Falls by the Makololo people). The waterfalls are without doubt one of the greatest and most unforgettable scenic spectacles in Africa. It’s hot and humid here, and standing in the rainforest which thrives in the spray from the falls, you can feel the immense power generated as the Zambezi River drops 100m causing the ground to vibrate under your feet. Camp – 2 nights (B)