Day 1 - Flight to Botswana
Begin your exclusive safari to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and a private reserve in the Okavango Delta with a scheduled overnight flight from London Heathrow, via Johannesburg, to Maun in Botswana.
Includes dinner on the flight.
Day 2 - Central Kalahari Game Reserve
On arrival in Maun you transfer to a light aircraft for your flight to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve: the largest game reserve in Botswana, covering an immense 52,800km². Here you will meet Grant Truthe, your exclusive guide.
From the airstrip it's about a 90-minute drive to reach your mobile safari camp at Deception Valley, where a light lunch of warm, freshly fire-baked camp bread, assorted cheeses, various salads, pickles/chutney and fruit will be served. After a briefing on the daily activities, you can relax and take a siesta during the hottest part of the day before setting off on your afternoon safari drive.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Days 3 & 4 - Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the most remote and unspoilt parts of the continent, and you spend the next few days exploring this stunning area. Mornings usually begin with tea or coffee and biscuits before you set off on your early-morning game drive. The vehicle carries supplies for a mid-morning coffee break; then you return to camp for a full brunch before your siesta. Later, after a snack of fresh bread, cheese board, fruit and cake, you'll start your afternoon game drive.
Deception Valley has many interesting safari drives, one of which takes in some of the better-known pans in this vast expanse. A kaleidoscope of animals can be seen grazing on the new sweet grass surrounding the water pans that have swelled with the Kalahari storms. Great black clouds gather in the early months of February, March and April and roll over the undulating valleys of ancient sand ridges. Red hartebeest, eland, oryx and spreading herds of springbok wander freely in the timeless Kalahari.
After watching the colourful sunset, sundowner in hand, you return to camp for hot showers and a candlelit dinner, with a choice of good white and red wines. An after-dinner port will be served around the campfire where you can listen to bush tales and the general history of Botswana.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 5 - Maun
Leaving your guide and camp staff to transfer the mobile camp to the Okavango Delta area, you board a light aircraft for your flight to Maun. On arrival you are met and driven to Motsentsela Tree Lodge, a delightful tented lodge situated on the outskirts of town. The lodge lies on a small private game farm which is home to animal species that include springbok, oryx, giraffe and zebra, and you can spot some of these when taking a stroll on one of the property's marked nature trails.
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Days 6 to 8 - Santantadibe, Okavango Delta
Grant will meet you at Motsentsela Tree lodge, and from here you will drive northward through rural Botswana, passing villages and cattle posts, to the veterinary cordon fence that separates wildlife from cattle - this drive lasts almost an hour. From the fence onwards, your game-viewing experience begins. The rest of your journey to the exclusive mobile camp at Santantadibe usually takes about two and a half hours, maybe longer depending on what you see on the way. The Okavango Delta's exceptional flood in 2010 altered the terrain in some places and navigating the affected areas could mean an extended road transfer taking up to twice as long.
The pretty Santantadibe area is made up of a patchwork of palm-covered islands, lily-filled lagoons, open floodplains and river systems that fill with water after good rains. Herds of buffalo, elephant and giraffe can be found here, along with lion, leopard and, occasionally, cheetah and wild dog.
You spend the rest of your stay exploring this area with your private safari guide, Grant. He grew up here, so knows it like the back of his hand, and is hugely informative about the resident wildlife. As this is a private reserve area, you can drive off road in search of elusive game, take a guided walk, or do night drives to find nocturnal wildlife - as well, of course, as normal daytime game drives. Canoeing on the crystal-clear channels here is a lovely relaxing option whilst a spot of fishing is always a highlight - bring your catch proudly back to camp for dinner!
Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 9 - Flight to London
After a leisurely breakfast, you begin your game drive back towards the vet cordon fence and the end of the private wildlife reserve, reaching Maun in time to connect with your scheduled flight to the UK.
Includes breakfast and lunch. Dinner is on the flight.
Day 10 Arrive in London
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