Southern African Safaris: Botswana 2009

Trip Leaders Nicole Apelian & Mike Houck
June 2 - June 17, 2009

This safari is centered in northern Botswana, in Southern Africa. We will spend the first part of our journey in the Okavango Delta, which covers an area of 15,000 square kilometers in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world. From its origins in the highlands of Angola, this vast wetland is the home of an unparalleled diversity of wildlife. The Okavango is a wilderness of channels sided with stands of papyrus, lagoons mantled with water lilies, and palm-fringed islands. Hippos are the biggest permanent residents in the Delta. Sharing the waterways are crocodiles of up to 16 feet. On the edges of these swamps, where delta meets desert, the floodplains attract an abundance of game and birds. It is unspoiled Africa at its best. For our first few nights we will camp in Moremi National Park, which is in the heart of the Okavango. Elephants, lions, cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena, buffalo, impala, zebr a, giraffe and baboons are just a few of the animals you can expect to see and Africa's "Big Five" are all present here. Moremi also boasts over 400 bird species including the lilac-breasted roller, the carmine bee-eater, the wattled crane and the saddle-billed stork. At the end of each day in the wilderness, we return to camp for a bush-cooked meal and sundowners followed by a comfortable night's sleep in accommodation prepared for you.

Bordering on the Moremi Game Reserve, our next destination is Chobe National Park. Chobe boasts a variety of vegetation - from the tropical Linyanti swamp, to the severe desert like landscape of Savuti, from lush floodplain grasslands to deep sands and woodlands. Here migrations of buffalo, zebra and wildebeest are dramatic. The Savuti channel has a very interesting history of flooding and drying. Presently the Savuti marsh is grassland where a cheetah or lion hunt is often seen in action. Finally, there is the Chobe riverfront, which is renowned for its game throughout the year. The herds of elephants are amongst the largest in Africa and over 450 bird species have been recorded in this region. Sunset over the Chobe River is truly an unforgettable experience.

We wrap up this ultimate safari in the mists of Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and one of the world's most spectacular waterfalls. The falls are situated on the Zambezi River, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and are roughly 1.7 km (1 mile) wide and 128 m (420 ft) high. They are considered a remarkable spectacle because of the peculiar narrow slot-like chasm into which the water falls, so one can view the falls face-on. Your trip to see the largest curtain of water in the world will be an awesome experience.

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What to bring to Botswana 2009
About Travel in Botswana for 2009

**Round-trip international airfare, taxes, visa fees and tips are not included. Credit Card payment is available over the phone with a additional 3.5% fee added onto your payment.

Single Travelers If you are traveling alone and request single accommodations, the full single supplement of $950 is required. If you request to share accommodations, we will assign you a roommate if one is available. We have a limited number of single rooms available. Requested single tents may or may not be a possibility due to the size of group and camp site requirements.

For Botswana

$400 non-refundable deposit to secure reservation.
50% of Trip Cost due by November 1, 2008
100% of Trip Cost due by April 1, 2009

Botswana Abridged Itinerary

Day 1 Depart your home town for Johannesburg, South Africa.

Day 2 (June 3rd) Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa. Trip orientation. Hotel is included.

Day 3 Johannesburg. Hotel is included. Today you may use your time to relax at the hotel, go on a tour of Soweto and Nelson Mandela's home, or visit one of the wonderful African art museums in Johannesburg.

Day 4 Today we meet up with our Botswana safari guides. Fly to Maun, Botswana (10:00AM flight)– the gateway to the Okavango Delta. We will be collected at Maun Airport on arrival at 11h40. All meals and drinks are included during the Botswana safari. We will drive in open game drive vehicles through traditional villages before entering Moremi Game Reserve. Be assured that the guides on your safari will not only be a fountain of information, but wil l have your personal safety be their number one priority.

Lunch en route. We drive through Mopane woodland to reach our camp in the Xaxanaka area. The accommodation is a 2.4 x 2.4 m dome tent, furnished with comfortable mattresses. Bedding and towels are provided. We provide insect repellent, soap and a flashlight in every tent. Ablutions are shared between 3 tents/4 people. We make use of long drop toilets and warm bucket showers. Game drive all the way to our camp. There will be time to shower and freshen up before dinner under the stars. Meals are prepared on the open fire and traditional 'Dutch oven'. Overnight at our Xaxanaka private camp.

Day 5 Early morning game drive in Xaxanaka in search of the fast numbers of game that roam this well-known area. Return to camp for a delicious brunch. Then time for a siesta. In the afternoon we do some more exploration around the permanent lagoons in the area. We find a beautiful setting to w atch the sunset. A hearty bush meal awaits us back in camp. Overnight again at Xaxanaka.

Day 6 Today we do a boat excursion on the Okavango river, and have the opportunity to get close to a variety of water birds. We have a picnic lunch on an island in the delta. Back in camp for a short siesta before we go out on a late afternoon drive and sundowners. Overnight again at Xaxanaka.

Day 7 Today we rise early and head off to Khwai community area, just outside Moremi Game Reserve. Game drive all the way. Lunch in camp. Afternoon siesta.

This afternoon our game drive is combined with a night drive. This is the best time to see predators. Late dinner in camp. Overnight Khwai private camp.

Day 8 Today we do an early morning walk through the bush. On foot you see so much more and it is a thrilling experience to be one with the wilderness.
Brunch in camp followed by a well deserved siesta. Late afternoon game dr ive into the night. Late dinner under the stars in camp. Overnight Khwai private camp.

Day 9 We have an early rise. We leave the Khwai area and our route leads to Savuti in the north. Lunch en route. Game drive all the way, over a sand ridge and through the Mababe depression. Our camp is set up along the Savuti channel. Overnight at our Savuti private camp.

Day 10 Savuti is renowned for its dense population of predators, especially lion and hyena. Morning and afternoon game drives, including a visit to ancient bushmen paintings. Sundowners watching the resident bull elephants of Savuti at Pump pan. Overnight Savuti private camp.

Day 11 Today we drive through teak forests towards the famous Chobe River. This area is renowned for its elephant breeding herds, and large herds of buffalo and also sable antelope. Packed lunch on the way. Overnight Chobe private camp.

Day 12 Morning and afternoon g ame drives along the Chobe River. This is prime elephant country. Dinner under the stars. Overnight Chobe private camp.

Day 13 Early rise. Game drive on our way out of the Chobe National Park as we head for the Kazungula border where we will be transferred to Livingstone, Zambia.

Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning "the smoke that thunders") is one of the most magnificent waterfalls in the world. Columns of spray over a width of nearly two kilometers can be seen from miles away as it plunges into a deep gorge over 100 meters below. A late afternoon sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River is an exciting way to see the African sunset (included). Dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning are also included.

Day 14 Your day is free to enjoy various options: visiting Victoria Falls National Park, flight seeing over the Falls, shopping in town, crossing the bridge into Zimbabwe, or just relaxing at the hotel.

Day 15 Fly to Johannesburg from Livingstone. Leave that evening on your flight home from JHB.

Day 16 Arrival back in the States .

Please note that we begin and end the trip in Johannesburg, so there is flexibility with arrival/departure and extensions are easily organized.

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Your Trip Leaders

Mike Houck, Executive Director of the Portland-based Urban Greenspaces Institute, has also served as Urban Naturalist for the Audubon Society of Portland since 1980. He has for more than thirty years led natural history tours throughout the Pacific Northwest and internationally for Audubon, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, The Nature Conservancy, and the Urban Greenspaces Institute. He has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally for his work on urban nature conservation

Nicole Apelian, a biologist, is our international travel expert. She has spent much time in Africa for the past 13 years, working in Botswana for 3 years both as a game warden for the Dept. of Wildlife and National Parks and doing lion research with Dr. Pieter Kat - a well-known carnivore biologist. Together they started the Okavango Lion Research Project - a 10-year project that yielded a great amount of new information about these big cats.

Please Contact Us about our international expeditions.