Compare Botswana Flying Safari by MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) vs Essential Botswana by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: Arrive in Maun – Central Kalahari

Meals: Dinner

Arrive in Maun by midday. (Flights from Johannesburg to Maun are available on Air Botswana and  South African Airways.) After claiming your luggage and clearing customs, a Mountain Travel Sobek representative will meet you outside the customs area of the airport and transfer you to your  connecting small aircraft flight to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Upon arrival, we’ll do a game drive en route to our deluxe tented camp, where we will enjoy private tents complete with attached bathrooms, hot showers, flush toilets and private decks overlooking the Kalahari Plains—each tent also has a roof platform for those wishing to sleep out under the stars.

Day 2: Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, we might head to Deception Valley, one of the best  places to observe the wildlife of the fragile Kalahari ecosystem (it was the site for researchers Mark and Delia Owens’ study on lions and brown hyenas). Deception Valley is one of a number of “fossil” riverbeds that are crucial features of the Kalahari ecosystem. In times past, huge rivers flowed through the Kalahari. Now, only the ancient beds of those streams remain. Though the rivers do not flow, water collects in pans on the river bed, and sweet short grasses attract concentrations of herbivores during the desert’s sparse rainy season. In the harsh Kalahari, game only collects into large groups during the rains, when an abundance of pasturage is available. In the dry months, the animals must disperse to wander widely in search of forage. Wildlife includes herds of golden springbok gazelle, gemsbok—the giant oryx of southern Africa, red hartebeest, eland, greater kudu, and a number of smaller antelopes. This area of the Kalahari is also noted for its fantastic predatory game viewing, which includes cheetahs and wild dogs.

Animals are more shy in the Kalahari than in many of Africa’s more visited game parks, and we must take care not to disturb them. The Kalahari is a harsh environment, in which the expenditure of undue energycan be the margin for an individual animal’s survival.

Day 3-4: Okavango Delta: Santawani Concession

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Fly to Gomoti Tented Camp in the southeastern section of the Okavango Delta.

Gomoti Tented Camp lies in the centre of the private 6 000-hectare Santawani Concession, in the  south-east corner of the Okavango. The camp is nestled under large Acacia trees in a diverse game rich area. Most of the concession area is covered by a mixed woodland habitat that gives way to open grasslands that can transform into floodplains in years of plentiful water.

Accommodation is in five 5.1 x 3 metre Savannah canvas tents, which are spacious and comfortable, designed to recreate the style of the early explorers, with richly-coloured teak director chairs and comfortable interiors. Separate bedside tables with 12-volt reading lamps, wooden-framed wardrobes, comfortable twin beds and mirrors are provided. A private, en-suite toilet and shower forms part of the structure. Enjoy the view from your director chairs, under the shade of your veranda area during the mid-day. Paraffin hurricane lanterns and a crackling campfire set the ambience in the evening, while fresh, sumptuous meals are prepared by your warm Explorations staff and served at a long table in the thatched dining area. An after-dinner digestif may be enjoyed around the fire or taken in the cosy lounge adjacent to the dining room.

Day 5-6: Okavango Delta: Xigera Concession

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Fly by small aircraft into the interior of the Okavango Delta. This great inland marsh, similar to Florida’s Everglades, is one of the most pristine and unique wilderness areas of Africa. Here the Okavango River spreads out through a sea of grass. Reeds and papyrus filter out the sediments of the Angola floods, leaving crystal clear waters to flow through channels covered in water lilies. Bird life is fantastic: the magnificent fish-eagle is a common sight, as are a wide variety of storks, herons, ibises, and other water birds, including pygmy geese, African darter, and malachite kingfishers. Larger wildlife is interesting, too: lechwe stamp through the grassy shallows while sitatunga take shelter in the reeds (both are types of antelopes). Hippo and crocodile are common.

To explore the Delta, we board eco-friendly fiberglass canoes, modeled on the traditional African wooden canoes called mekoro (we don’t have to cut down a huge old tree to make them), and paddle into its m aze of meandering waterways. (Mokoro is the singular form, mekoro, the plural.) It’s a unique way to travel—our expert boatmen pole us through narrow channels that cut through mats of floating papyrus, then paddle us across lovely deep-water lagoons. We also enjoy wildlife viewing by vehicle and motor boat as we explore the larger Delta islands—an opportunity to see elephant, lechwe, sitatunga, or the rare and beautiful fishing owl. We explore our special private concession area—far from the normal tourist routes—and overnight at a special wilderness “water activity” camp on a Delta Island. We’ll enjoy the isolation and silence of the Delta night, punctuated only by the calls of the fishing owl and the comic snorting of hippos.

We will stay at Xigera Camp on the extreme western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Delta. Xigera is a paradise for avid bird-watchers and also boasts the highest density of the rare and elusive sitatunga found anywhere in the Delta. An interesting feature of Xigera is a wooden footbridge connecting Xigera Island with the one next to it, and you may be treated to close-up views of lion, hyena, or leopard sneaking across the bridge as they move between the islands. Luxuriously furnished tented rooms have en suite facilities and an outdoor shower. Along with the main dining and lounge areas, they are set on raised wooden platforms that allow great views over the floodplains. There is also a small plunge pool.

Days 7-8: Linyanti Concession

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Fly to Duma Tau Camp in the Linyanti Game Reserve. This area is rich in game—there are excellent hippo pools, plenty of elephant, sable and roan antelope, and it’s great lion country. This is elephant country par excellence; it’s possible to see large congregations coming down to the river to drink and bathe, and it’s great fun to watch their social interactions.

Other wildlife is abundant here, too, either along the Savuti Marsh or in the wooded hills behind: leopard, kudu, giraffe, zebra, and warthog are all resident species. We’ll search for reclusive  redators such as the African wildcat, civet, and the beautiful long-legged serval cat. Another  specialty is the beautifully marked Chobe bushbuck. Bird life on the Linyanti marsh is always  spectacular: storks catch thermal currents, herons, egrets, waterfowl, hornbills, kingfishers, and lilac-breasted rollers are always in abundance; seasonally, we can find colonies of gaily-colored white-fronted and carmine bee-eaters. In addition to superb game viewing aboard our safari vehicle, we may be able to go on game drives at night in search of nocturnal animals. Lions and leopards are most active at night, so we will have a good chance to observe the big cats on the prowl (water levels permitting). Our camp features large walk-in tented rooms with attached bathrooms, a thatched dining area, bar, and plunge pool. The camp is built on raised boardwalks under a shady grove of mangosteen trees, overlooking a large hippo-filled lagoon on the Linyanti waterways.

Day 9: Depart

Meals: Dinner

Today we'll transfer to Duma Tau airstrip for a late-morning flight back to Maun, where you can board your international flight home. If you'd like to stay longer, we offer an amazing extension trip to Victoria Falls—one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! Optional activities at Victoria Falls include strolling through lush, tropical vegetation, rafting on the Zambezi River, elephant-back safaris, microflights over the falls, bungee jumping, and more.

Day 1 Johannesburg

Sawubona! Welcome to South Africa. Touch down in Jo’burg (as the locals like to call it). You’ve got a free day before you join up with your crew at a 6 pm welcome meeting tonight. We recommend visiting the eye-opening Apartheid Museum to start your journey with some crucial history before meeting up with your group. After your important meeting this evening, why not head out for an optional group dinner and get to know your newfound travel crew? Your leader can point you in the right direction with bar and restaurant recommendations.

Day 2 Khama Rhino Sanctuary

See ya South Africa – cross the border into Botswana and travel toward the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. It sits on the Kalahari Desert, and is an old hunting area transformed into a conservation project. It now protects what’s left of Botswana's black and white rhino populations, but there are plenty of other beasties hanging around too – zebras, giraffes, leopards, ostriches and wildebeest, all of which chill out around many natural waterholes. Not only do you get to check out awesome animals here, but you’ll also be benefitting local communities and helping protect the white rhino. When the sun begins to set, hop in a jeep to see the rhinos at their most active. About 35 rhinos roam around this 400 ha community-based reserve. Don't forget your binoculars, or you'll be getting them confused with big rocks.

Day 3 Maun

Get up real early, jump aboard the truck and head to Maun. Catch up on your beauty sleep or play some roadtrip games to get know your crew better. This journey also includes a free massage service (meaning the road might get a little bumpy). In Maun there’s the chance to stock up on any supplies you might need for the journey ahead – maybe hats, sunscreen and scarves (for the morning chill and the afternoon sun). Maun’s the gateway to one of the world's most renowned and complex ecosystems, the Okavango Delta. This is a one-of-a-kind kinda place – a 16,000 sq km maze of wetlands made up of meandering waterways, green islands, lush plains and loads of wildlife. You might see hippos, crocodiles, elephants and big cats. But honestly it's not really the animals that are the main attraction – it's the incredibly diverse ecosystem and atmospheric waterscapes. Tonight you'll stay on the outskirts of Maun at a simple campsite with shared facilities, wi-fi and optional upgrades.

Day 4 Okavango Delta Pan Handle

Make your way to the north-western part of the Okavango Delta, close to the Pan Handle. Now’s the time to find out everything about your fellow travellers – you’ll be old mates by the end of it. Leave the truck at some secure parking and take a 4WD transfer for the last 12 km. Your destination for the next two nights sits on the edge of the Guma Lagoon area. Set up camp and relax on the edge of the lagoon for the rest of the afternoon, then fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush at night – is that noise a hippo or your mate snoring?

Day 5 Okavango Delta Pan Handle

Today, you get to paddle the mighty Okavango Delta. There's nothing more relaxing than feeling the African sun on your face as you lie back in a mokoro (traditional dugout canoe), while your expert poler propels you down calm waters through papyrus and reed beds to lily covered lagoons and islands. Watch out for elephants, lechwe, warthogs, sitatunga and other plains game in the open. Stop at one of the islands for a swim before returning to camp. If you are interested in the culinary side of Southern Africa, feel free to join your cook for an in-depth cooking class while they prepare tonight's meal.

Day 6 Kwando River (Caprivi Strip)

This morning, transfer in the 4WDs back to the truck and then make your way to the border to cross into Namibia. Your next camp is on the banks of the Kwando River, in the Caprivi Strip. This strip of land is sandwiched between Botswana and Angola and connects with Zambia and Zimbabwe at its end. Take the opportunity to discover your new surroundings on our favorite mode of transportation - a mokoro. On your return, maybe relax at your camp or jump on one of the optional activities, like the late afternoon boat trip, or a game drive in Mudumu Game Park (look out for buffalo, elephants, antelope and zebras). You can also take a village tour, or join in on a fishing trip – the locals will give you the heads up on the best spots.

Day 7 Chobe National Park

This morning, zip over to the edge of Chobe National Park, further through the Caprivi Strip and back into Botswana. Botswana's first national park is perhaps best known for its high concentration of elephants, which can often be seen swimming in the Chobe River. The river also attracts wallowing hippos, lots of birdlife, crocodiles sunning themselves and cheetahs and lions venturing out for a drink. When you arrive, you can head out on an optional late afternoon boat cruise on the river. A sunset cruise is an ideal way to spend the afternoon and toast to another day in Africa. Or, just kick back at camp with a book and relax.

Day 8 Chobe National Park

Today, you'll head out on a 4WD game drive in Chobe National Park. There's a huge range of wildlife here, all packed into one tiny area, making it unlike anywhere else in the world! Huge herds of buffalo and elephants are often seen roaming around the savannah, matched by the size of the local lion prides. An estimated 70,000 Kalahari elephants roam the park, too – these majestic beasts are the largest known subspecies of elephant in the world. As well as these fantastic creatures, you might also see zebras, impalas, wildebeest, giraffes, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, baboons, monkeys and heaps of birds!

Day 9 Victoria Falls

This morning there will be time to join an optional game drive in the Chobe National Park. Then, it’s on to the town of Victoria Falls this afternoon. Cross the border into Zimbabwe and arrive in the early afternoon. Before your trip officially ends, your leader will provide a quick orientation walk through town. Even though your trip ends today, there is so much to discover in Victoria Falls that it's highly recommended you stay a few days. The entrance fee is a bit steep, but for the Beyonce of waterfalls, it’s well worth it. If you'd like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent.