Delta to Desert

Highlights

• A safari for the adventurous traveller
• Journey across the desolate Makgadikgadi Pans
• Selinda's vast floodplains and ancient forests
• Explore by mokoro the floodwaters of the Okavango Delta

Day 1 - Arrive Johannesburg
A personal welcome to the safari gateway of Southern Africa. Assistance to your airport hotel.
InterContinental Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (Standard Room)

Day 2 - Johannesburg - Maun - Selinda Reserve
Early this morning, return independently to the international terminal. Your flight* takes you to Maun in the northern regions of Botswana, where you connect by light aircraft to the Selinda Reserve. The Selinda Reserve is a wild, unfenced, 320,000 acre private wildlife sanctuary straddling the Selinda Spillway, and offering the best of both the Okavango Delta and Kwando/Linyanti river systems. Selinda's vast floodplains and ancient forests provide an authentic and timeless African experience. Time to settle into your safari surrounds before heading out on your first afternoon game activity (B,L,D).
Selinda Camp (Standard Tent)

Days 3-4 - Selinda Reserve
At Selinda Camp there is no routine per se. The wildlife knows the most forgiving times of day, and we follow its lead. Early morning, late afternoon and evenings are the prime time - when the colours are vibrant, the sun is low and spirits are at their highest.

Setting out at dawn, when predators are active, guides are as keen as the guests to discover the riches of each day. Once the sun is high and strong, retreat with the herds to your mid-day resting post, Selinda Camp. Then, as the sun begins to wane again, head out late afternoon to evening, searching for nocturnal wildlife and the action that comes with sunset. Short walks from camp with the guides are offered as well. Between activities, and during siesta, there is access to an elevated hide overlooking the floodplains. This is a great spot for bird watching during the heat of the day (B,L,D).
Selinda Camp (Standard Tent)

Day 5 - Selinda Reserve - Okavango Delta
Fly south to the Okavango Delta and Sanctuary Chief's Camp, situated in the world-renowned Mombo Concession, Africa's 'predator capital'. The Mombo Concession is located on Chief's Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Here the sheer numbers and variety of wildlife all year round defy description - elephant and buffalo to tiny steenbok and vast herds of herbivores which are trailed by numerous predators on the hunt. Set out this afternoon on your first game drive in the Delta (B,L,D).
Sanctuary Chief's Camp (Luxury Bush Pavilion)

Days 6 - 7 - Okavango Delta
Two days to explore the spectacular Okavango Delta. Your expert guide is always on hand to share a wealth of wildlife knowledge, and will take you game driving deep into the bush to find the secluded places where elephant families congregate in search of the tastiest fruits and berries. The game viewing opportunities at Sanctuary Chief's Camp are awe-inspiring. On the plains one may find the roaming lions that prey on the thousands of antelope, zebra and buffalo who live here all year round. You may spot wild dogs. These extremely rare predators have been hunted to the point of extinction in most areas of Africa and this is one of their last strongholds. Intensely curious, 'painted dogs', as they are known here, are extremely rewarding to view and accessible to only the few.

Sanctuary Chief's is the ideal place to spot the big 5 - including the rare rhino. In contrast to a game-drive, take the opportunity for a mokoro (dugout canoe) excursion. The quiet, gentle pace of a mokoro is an insightful introduction to a means of transport still used in the Delta by the 'river bushmen' or Bayei people. Each June, the whole area around the camp floods and turns the Okavango Delta into a labyrinth of lily-filled lagoons and streams where hippos fight for bathing rights and crocodiles wait for unsuspecting antelope to linger over a drink. Poling through the byways created by the floodwaters is a magical experience that allows guests to get very close to the biggest of game and to see the world from a totally different angle. The mokoro activity is seasonal and subject to water levels (B,L,D).
Sanctuary Chief's Camp (Luxury Bush Pavilion)

Day 8 - Okavango Delta - Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Leave the wetlands and fly to the arid Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the largest saltpan in the world and an oasis of peace and quiet. Journeying into this magical land and across the desolate pans is to sense its ancient mystique. The subtle hues at sunset transform the Makgadikgadi into a surreal and unique wonderland. During the day, the dusty pans, with whirlwinds skirting across a seemingly endless desert, offer the best way to come face to face with true isolation. Your elegant 1940s-style safari camp is located in a palm grove, creating an oasis of civilisation in what can be the harshest of environments (B,L,D).
Jack's Camp (Standard Tent)

Days 9-10 - Makgadikgadi Pans
Two days to explore a relic of one of the world's largest super-lakes, the Makgadikgadi, which dried up thousands of years ago as a result of the continued shifting of the earth's crust. When the lake was formed some five to seven million years ago, its shores were the setting for the mysterious transition from ape to man. Venturing far into the centre of the Makgadikgadi by 4WD quad bike (seasonal), you will be able to explore remote archaeological sites, periodically discovering undocumented fossil beds of extinct giant zebra and hippo.

A safari to Jack's Camp is also a complete desert experience focusing on species unique to the area such as aardvark, gemsbuck and springbuck. It is the only place where you are virtually guaranteed to see the rare and elusive brown hyena and be able to walk through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated but wild meerkats (B,L,D).
Jack's Camp (Standard Tent)

Day 11 - Depart Makgadikgadi Pans
End your safari adventure with a light aircraft flight to Maun airport for your onward flight* (B).

*Flight not included in pricing

A&K Special Inclusions
A&K airport welcome, assistance with luggage and transportation by 4WD vehicle, complete with bottled water - All meals, selected drinks and laundry in Botswana - Game viewing activities on shared basis with professional safari guide - Mokoro experience (seasonal) - Emergency evacuation insurance.

Pricing
At A&K all of our journeys are individually tailored to suit your needs and timescale. As a guide, this 11 day suggested journey in Botswana will cost from $10,535 per person based on two adults sharing and is subject to availability.