Chameleon Holidays & Travel for Safaris & Vacations in Africa | Ultimate Kalahari Desert, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls Safari Safari

10 Days Ultimate Kalahari Desert, Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls
Safari

Day 1    Motswiri Lodge
This morning you will be collected from your respective accommodation establishment or from the Windhoek International Airport (assuming you land before 09h00). You then depart Windhoek in your safari vehicle with your personal guide and drive east, through rural Namibia and commercial farmland to reach the border with Botswana at Buitepos. After completing passport and customs formalities you continue into Botswana and on to Motswiri Lodge within the Kanana Wilderness Area of the Kalahari Desert.

After lunch and settling into your tented accommodation, you will be taken on an exciting game and nature drive in the late afternoon to explore this wilderness area. The game drive offers you the opportunity to see the variety of game on the Kanana reserve, as well as giving an unforgettable sense of the vastness and diversity of the bush. You will hope to see zebra, giraffe and rhino, as well as many types of antelope, from the corkscrew horned kudu and face-painted gemsbok (oryx) to the mighty eland. As your drive crosses the reserve you will be able to appreciate the changing flora and fauna, which mirrors the geological transformation from hard calcrete pans to soft sand-veldt. In the southern parts of the reserve, where there is an abundance of ground water, you will see this reflected in the size and variety of some of the trees. (LD)                         

Day 2   Motswiri Lodge, Botswana
After breakfast this morning you will set off on foot into the Kanana Wilderness with a San guide, who will interpret the world of the Kalahari and demonstrate their distinctive clicking language. You will discover how the San read the seemingly invisible clues left by animals, which give away their movements, and may even be fortunate enough to stalk some game. Your guide will also explain the nutritional and medicinal uses of the various plants, shrubs, roots and insects, which will give you some understanding as to how the San have survived in this harsh environment so successfully for thousands of years. If you are feeling brave, you can participate in the creation of a traditional meal using natural bush products found on the walk.

Return to the lodge for lunch and a leisurely afternoon, before heading out for another game and nature drive later this afternoon if appeals. (BLD)

Day 5  Nunda River Lodge, Mahango Game Reserve
You will leave the tranquil waters of the Okavango Delta this morning and head due north to enter Namibia’s Caprivi region at the Mohembo border. En-route you will detour to visit the Tsodilo Hills and enjoy the fascinating geology, rock paintings and extensive history dating back thousands of years. You then make your way across the Namibian border and enter Mahango Game Reserve for some exciting game viewing. This small game reserve is well known for its excellent concentration of game including herds of elephants and buffalo, the rare and elusive sable, tsesebee and roan antelope and with any luck you may even encounter some of the more secretive predators such as lion and leopard. 

You will arrive at Nunda River Lodge in the late afternoon, in time to enjoy a sundowner overlooking the Okavango River before dinner is served. (BLD)           

Day 6   Susuwe Island Lodge, Bwabwata National Park
Wake up to the wonderful sounds of the river and the evocative grunt of hippos and call of coucals and swamp boubous around you. After breakfast you will depart to continue into the heart of the Caprivi region. First you will stop along the Okavango River to view Popa Falls and then head east into Bwabwata National Park to reach Kongola. Here you will stay at the fantastic Susuwe Island Lodge, with lunch served on arrival. After a short afternoon siesta, you will head out on a magical game drive with your guide to the famous ‘horse-shoe’ river bend where game congregates to drink from the Kwando River. Bwabwata National Park is well known for its diverse wildlife, ranging from herds of antelope, elephant and buffalo to elusive predators such as lion and leopard. During your stay here you should have some incredible game-viewing experiences, combined with excellent birding opportunities amidst the picturesque and tranquil riverine surroundings. You return to Susuwe Island Lodge just after dark for a sumptuous dinner and first night stay. (BLD)                      

Day 7   Susuwe Island Lodge, Bwabwata National Park
After an early morning wake-up call and a light breakfast you will head out for another exciting game drive. The coolness of the early hours is ideal for tracking and, with luck, encountering some of the more elusive nocturnal and crepuscular species. The later morning will be great for viewing general game coming down to the river for a much needed drink. You will return to the lodge for lunch and an afternoon siesta. Later this afternoon you will be treated to a memorable boat excursion, exploring the Kwando River which is well known for its bird diversity. (BLD)

Day 8         Chobe Safari Lodge, Chobe National Park
Today you will continue east across the Caprivi region, driving via the administrative capital of Katima Mulilo and crossing the border back into Botswana at Ngoma Bridge. Just beyond the border you will enter into Chobe National Park and game drive your way through the Park to reach the town of Kasane. Kasane is a small but busy town situated along a hillside on the eastern boundary of Chobe National Park, with lovely views over the Chobe River and flood plains. You will stay two nights here at Chobe Safari Lodge which has a prime location on the Chobe riverfront, minutes walk into Kasane town and a short drive from the entrance to Chobe National Park.

You will arrive at Chobe Safari Lodge in the early afternoon, with time to settle in before you head out on a magical boat trip along the Chobe River where you will cruise beside Chobe National Park riverfront and a number of river islands where a remarkable variety and quantity of game can be seen. Birdlife is prolific from a variety of raptors, geese and ducks to flocks of yellow-billed and open billed storks; and game that may be seen includes hippo, crocodile, red lechwe, waterbuck, reedbuck, the rare puku antelope (this is the only place in southern Africa where puku occur), giraffe, impala, lion, buffalo, and an amazing number of elephant that are attracted to the rivers edge for their daily afternoon drink and bathe. With luck you may also witness elephant swimming across the river to reach Namibian savannah on the northern banks. (BLD)                          

Day 9            Chobe Safari Lodge, Chobe National Park
This morning you will spend game driving in an open game-viewing vehicle within Chobe National Park, exploring along sandy tracks within the wooded interior and along the lush riverfront in the hope of spotting some of the many inhabitants of this wonderful Park. You will return to Chobe Safari Lodge in the late morning for lunch and some leisure time. Later this afternoon you will enjoy another superb boat cruise along the Chobe River. (BLD)

Day 10                   Victoria Falls - End of safari
After an early start you will depart Chobe Safari Lodge on a transfer to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe or Zambia side). A combination road and boat transfer brings you to the edge of the mighty Victoria Falls. You will conclude your safari with a guided tour of the Falls and then bid your guide farewell, before you are transferred to the airport (either Livingstone or Victoria Falls International Airports as required) in time to check-in for your international departure flight (please note your departure flight must be no earlier than 13h00 to allow time to visit the Falls this morning).(B)