For a couple years, I lived and worked in the little town of Maun, in northern Botswana, on the edge of the Okavango Delta. This is where our adventure begins. Maun was founded on the shores of the Thamalakane River in 1915 as the tribal capital of the Batawana people, and still feels like an outpost, overrun by wild donkeys. It is the gateway to the Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta in the world ~ where the river flowing down from Angola, just stops in the middle of the desert ~ and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Delta is one of the last unspoiled wilderness areas in the world. Here is a short video (be sure to start it at the beginning) about this unique place which after two nights in Maun, we will begin our expedition: Click here
Botswana is a very unique country... There are no political problems as we encounter in other African countries; crime is unusual. The man who was groomed his entire life to be King (Seretse Khama), abdicated his throne for the Englishwoman he met during law school at Oxford, due to pressure from the white-minority government in South Africa. He then founded the Botswana Democratic Party and was elected its first President in 1965, a position he held until his death in 1980. Botswana is now considered the model for democracy on the continent of Africa. It is the top producer of quality diamonds, an industry that is strongly monitored by the government which feeds profits into the country's infrastructure. The New York Times best-selling books, and the BBC movie, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" originated here and are a perfect snapshot of this gentle culture. I feel safe here. The people are friendly and you will be warmly welcomed.
It is a landlocked country directly above South Africa and is the size of France, with just over 2 million people. More than one-third of the country is completely devoted to animals, in their own environment. The people have learned from other examples in the world and do not want what they have destroyed, so tourism is limited. Often my little group has been the only one in a vast area full of animals. You will see things very few people have the opportunity to see and experience things you will remember for the rest of your life.
"I had the pleasure of being led by Peace, and his colleague, Disho, on Deb's 10-day safari throughout northern Botswana, in June 2019. I am a long-time wildlife enthusiast and, while fairly knowledgeable in the subject, was so grateful to have at hand the local knowledge of guides who have spent their entire lives in the area. Peace is so familiar with the geography and its furred and feathered and scaly inhabitants that he knows where to go at any given time for the best possible wildlife-viewing experience. Not only is he a superb naturalist, he lives by a 'safety-first' mindset, as our comfort and well-being are obviously critical to a top-shelf safari. Having a guide of his quality enhanced my experience immeasurably!" ~Steve Spangle, Retired Wildlife Biologist, Phoenix, AZ 
There are 450 species of birds in the Okavango Delta. This is where I first became a birder...it is hard not to when some of them are so dramatic! The African Fish Eagle remains my favorite as its haunting call woke me every morning when I lived in Maun. It flew down the Thamalakane River in the morning, and back up every evening. Click here to hear the call of the Fish Eagle.
|
Peace, my friend, and long-time safari guide, and I have been putting our heads together to plan a very special trip to Botswana and Zambia for a small group of friends/guests. Peace, born in a tiny village in northern Botswana, and graduated from one of the most rigorous guide training on the continent of Africa 20 years ago, has been guiding people through what he thinks of as his backyard, ever since. Yet, it is one of the best places in the world to see animals in their own environment.
The Okavango Delta, where we will spend three nights in Moremi Game Reserve (1900 square miles), at Xini lagoon, on the eastern side of the Delta. This is where I first saw wild dogs, after searching for them for 15 years! They are still some of my favorites.
Our staff is phenomenal, and has gone ahead and set up our little village for us ~ very similar to the camps Ernest Hemingway stayed in years ago, with large walk-in tents, wonderful dinners seated under the stars, campfires to share at night, and two excursions per day to track animals. We'll see some of the most beautiful places imaginable with Peace and Disho, our guides. There is an abundance of lion, elephant, hyena, leopard, cheetah, rhino, wild dog, impala, and 450 species of birds here. The Delta is often referred to as a Garden of Eden.
Our fourth night, we'll stay in a safari lodge located on the banks of the year-round river Khwai, while our staff drives our "village" a long day to our next camp. We'll be going on a mokoro (traditional canoe poled through the waterways of the Delta) excursion before hopping on a bush plane the next morning to fly over the Delta to our next camp in Savuti. We will camp for the next three nights in Savuti (the name means "mystery"), which is a unique part of the almost 4600 sq. mile Chobe National Park. Savuti is known for its mysterious and fascinating channel. It runs a distance of 62 miles from the Chobe River, through a gap in the sand ridge, to the Mababe Depression. This channel brings water from the Chobe to Mababe, creating a small marsh where it enters the Depression. Flowing in Livingstone's time, the channel was dry in 1880, and remained dry for about 70 years. It flooded again in 1957. Savuti Marsh has been dry for the past 18 years. So, there are vast plains where animals gather in what was this huge marsh. Savuti is famous for its predators.
There is a 3000 year old Bushman painting, and a grove of 2,000 year old Baobob trees, standing like ancient cathedrals, on little hills here, some of the only hills in Botswana.
Northwest of Savuti and off the main tourist track lies Botswana's best kept secret: Linyanti and the western reaches of the Savuti Channel, where we will spend the next two nights in a permanent camp. This is considered one of the most beautiful areas in all of Botswana, and really off-the-beaten-path. Because this area is a private game reserve, the vehicle concentrations are very low and the wilderness experience is one of the best in all of Africa.
Our last three nights camping in our mobile village will be near the Chobe riverfront. I never tire watching great herds of animals come down every evening to drink from the river. One afternoon, we saw a lone lion emerge from a bush next to our vehicle to go for a drink. Gradually, 19 of her friends joined her, coming out of bushes on all sides of us! One of our days will be spent on a boat, on the river, having lunch while watching animals along the river banks, and even swimming in front of us to some of the little islands. A real treat! 
People often comment that they have never seen so many stars at night as we do when on safari. There is no light pollution at all, and the night is silent except for the occasional roar of a lion in the distance; a sound I have come to love and long to hear when I'm home and think of Africa.
Silence....something we rarely have in our often hectic lives, is a quality that we'll experience on our mobile safari. We'll be in places that are extremely remote; more so than most people have ever experienced in their lives and may never again. Often, our guests comment they'd just like to sit for awhile and absorb it all, which is something we have started to incorporate into our time in the Bush.
Everyone has their own way of appreciating Nature, so, if desired, one of our two vehicles can, on occasion, be for those who'd like to experience "P&Q time" (peace and quiet) for a couple hours; just sitting in companionable silence. It is very restorative! And, you notice things you never did before… |
Finally, we will cross the mighty Zambezi river and arrive at our exquisite safari lodge for our last two nights, near the town of Livingstone, Zambia, and "Mosi-oa-Tunya" ~ the smoke that thunders, which is what the local people call Victoria Falls.
The Falls is the largest continuous sheet of falling water in the world - 5,604 ft. wide (over one mile!), and 354 ft. tall. The spray rises 1300 feet above the falls during the dry season when we will be there, and can be seen from many miles away.
The Falls is the largest continuous sheet of falling water in the world - 5,604 ft. wide (over one mile!), and 354 ft. tall. The spray rises 1300 feet above the falls during the dry season when we will be there, and can be seen from many miles away.
Price: $7650 USD. Includes all lodging (double occupancy), and breakfasts during the dates above; welcome dinner in Maun July 8, mokoro excursion in Khwai, Chobe river lunch excursion, airport transfers last day of adventure. During mobile safari: expert guides and staff 24 hrs./day (see review above), all meals freshly prepared, wine/soft drinks/purified water, all camping equipment, all ground transport, campsite fees, bush plane flight from Khwai to Savuti, transport and assistance through Zambia border to Livingstone hotel, entrance fee to Victoria Falls.
Not included: airfare to Maun, Botswana or from Livingstone, Zambia after the safari. Tips, some meals, extra activities you may want to do on your own.
*** Please also see the pages "Africa Logistics", and "A Wild Night" on this website for more info. And, Click here to read about the pre-trip in the Kalahari desert with the San Bushmen, just before this safari.
This is not a challenging trip, physically, in fact, you may want to bring a travel yoga mat with you....but, you will need mobility to climb into and out of the safari vehicles, unattended, several times every day. And, to get into and out of mokoros (canoes), unattended.
Space on this adventure is limited to 10 guests ; this trip is to a remote place that is difficult to plan. For this reason, it is necessary to reserve your space with a nonrefundable deposit of $1500. To do so, please click on the green "Book Now" button below, and it will take you to a secure page. Balance due before April 1, 2023.
**Please note: Full covid vaccinations have been required to enter Botswana, until just recently. Now, if you can supply proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival in Botswana, that is sufficient. Botswana was hit harder by AIDS than any other country in the world just 20 years ago, and it affected 1/4 of the population. There are just over 2 million people in the country, so it was devastating. Therefore, they are very cautious with covid.
Not included: airfare to Maun, Botswana or from Livingstone, Zambia after the safari. Tips, some meals, extra activities you may want to do on your own.
*** Please also see the pages "Africa Logistics", and "A Wild Night" on this website for more info. And, Click here to read about the pre-trip in the Kalahari desert with the San Bushmen, just before this safari.
This is not a challenging trip, physically, in fact, you may want to bring a travel yoga mat with you....but, you will need mobility to climb into and out of the safari vehicles, unattended, several times every day. And, to get into and out of mokoros (canoes), unattended.
Space on this adventure is limited to 10 guests ; this trip is to a remote place that is difficult to plan. For this reason, it is necessary to reserve your space with a nonrefundable deposit of $1500. To do so, please click on the green "Book Now" button below, and it will take you to a secure page. Balance due before April 1, 2023.
**Please note: Full covid vaccinations have been required to enter Botswana, until just recently. Now, if you can supply proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival in Botswana, that is sufficient. Botswana was hit harder by AIDS than any other country in the world just 20 years ago, and it affected 1/4 of the population. There are just over 2 million people in the country, so it was devastating. Therefore, they are very cautious with covid.
