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  Marabou Stork Safari
This mobile camping holiday to Botswana takes you from deep into the diverse landscapes of the Moremi Game Reserve in the fascinating Okavango Delta; to the magical experience of fly camping under the tall makalani palms on an island in the Delta; to the game-rich Khwai Community Area (a private community reserve on the north-eastern border of Moremi Game Reserve); to the internationally renowned Chobe National Park; and finally to the stylish cottages of Stanley Safari Lodge in Livingstone (Zambia), with its long-distance view across the Zambezi River and chance to visit the mighty Victoria Falls.

Marabou Stork Safari Summary:
 
Day 1   Flight to Botswana
Day 2   Maun, lodge
Day 3, 4 & 5   Moremi Reserve, mobile camp
Day 6   Okavango Delta, island fly camp
Day 7, 8 & 9   Khwai area, mobile camp
Day 10, 11 & 12   Chobe, mobile camp
Day 13 & 14   Livingstone, lodge
Day 15   Flight to London
Day 16   Arrive in London
  Map of Marabou Stork Safari Itinerary

DETAILED ITINERARY:

Day 1 – Flight to Botswana
Scheduled overnight flight from London, via Johannesburg, to Maun: Botswana’s gateway to the Okavango Delta.

Day 2 – Maun
On arrival you are met and driven to Motsentsela Tree Lodge, to relax after your flight. This delightful tented lodge is situated on a small private game farm on the outskirts of Maun: you could choose to spend the afternoon by the pool, or stroll around some of the property’s marked nature trails. The reserve is home to game species including springbok, kudu, zebra and giraffe.

Day 3 – Moremi Game Reserve
After a leisurely breakfast you return to Maun Airport. From here you transfer to a light aircraft for the flight of approximately 30 minutes into the Okavango Delta and the beginning of the safari part to your Botswana holiday. On arrival at the airstrip you will be met by your guide and vehicle, and taken on a game drive to your first campsite, which is in the Third bridge/Xakanaxa area of the Delta. The camp crew will have arrived before you, to make your mobile camp ready to welcome you when you arrive.

The Moremi Game Reserve comprises an area of 3,900km² and is situated in the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Moremi encompasses a large area of the Okavango Delta’s wetlands and the main dry peninsula that juts into the Delta, known as the Mopane Tongue. There are several prime wildlife areas on the edge of the Mopane Tongue, where the land meets the Okavango’s permanent waters, and it is here that you spend your next few days exploring from your mobile safari camp.

Day 4 & 5 – Moremi Game Reserve
The Okavango Delta has a great variety of wildlife and habitats. The animals on view are astonishing. All the major predators are found there, as well as elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, waterbuck, red lechwe and many more. The habitats vary from cathedral-like mopane forests and ebony groves to open flood plains and palm-fringed lagoons.

Leopard and cheetah are regularly seen and the density and variety of antelope is amazing. The area’s birdlife is exceptionally diverse: from innumerable herons, egrets, storks and other waders to many species of harrier, buzzard and kite.

Activities include game drives, motorboat rides and trips by mekoro (traditional dug-out canoe), which take you into the heart of the delta where you can explore its many channels, waterways and islands.  

Day 6 – Okavango Delta, island night
After three days exploring the Okavango Delta from Moremi you will depart for your next camp, idyllically situated on an island in the heart of the Delta; a boat takes you through lagoons and narrow channels lined with evergreen trees such as water figs and African mangosteens, and you wind your way between the ever-present papyrus reed banks, stopping for lunch on a sandbank. A wonderful and tranquil way to enjoy your holiday in Botswana.

The papyrus beds and the underlying Kalahari sand act as natural filters, which is why the waters of the Okavango Delta are so clear and sparkling.

The bird life here is abundant and there’s the chance that you may see elephant crossing the channels. After a day of exploring the lagoons and channels, you will arrive at the island for your night fly camping under the stars. Here, accommodation will be in smaller tents with comfortable camp stretcher-beds, bedrolls, bed linen, duvets and towels. Facilities are not en-suite. Between every two tents there’s a small enclosure with a bucket shower filled with water at your chosen temperature when needed, and an enclosure with a ‘bush’ toilet.

Day 7 – Khwai Community Area
After exploring the Okavango Delta, you will head off on a game drive towards your next camp, stopping on the way for a picnic lunch.

Your destination is the Khwai Community Area, a community-run private concession, which forms the eastern border of the Moremi Game Reserve along the river Khwai. This river is the sole source of water for miles around and consequently attracts wildlife from far a-field. As this is a community-run project, all profits gained from tourism go directly to help fund the Khwai Community Trust.

Day 8 & 9 – Khwai Community Area
Here you go on safari drives, and, because our camp is on a private community concession, you are also allowed to go on walks and night drives, which are not permitted in the national Parks or game Reserves.

The vegetation here is quite different from Moremi, with great stands of leadwood and mopane woodland lining a wide floodplain and the banks of the Khwai River. It is home to a high density and diversity of predator and prey species. In recent years there has been a large pride of lion here, hunting buffalo and elephant, while leopard sightings are consistently good.

Day 10, 11 & 12 – Chobe
From Khwai you will fly by light aircraft to your next camp, which is a private mobile tented camp in a private reserve known as Chobe Enclave, situated on the western boundary of the national park.

During the dry season, between June and November, this area has the largest concentration of elephant anywhere in Africa. Large buffalo herds of up to a thousand strong gather here in the marshes of the Linyanti, attracted by the water and the grassy plains. With such great numbers of animals, which also include the rarely seen sable, roan antelope, bushbuck, and many more, come also the big predators, such as lion, leopard and hyena. Activities here include day and night safari drives as well as guided walks.

Day 13 & 14 – Livingstone, Zambia
After breakfast you bid farewell to your guide as you connect to a light aircraft transfer to the border town of Kasane. Here you connect with your road transfer to Livingstone (Zambia) where you will stay overnight at Stanley Safari Lodge near the Victoria Falls.

The lodge is the perfect getaway from the tourist crowds, safely hidden in a wild area. Each of its seven luxury cottages is individually designed and decorated with local materials. Each of the cottages has its own private garden and dining area. The open-sided design affords a unique view across the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park to the mighty Zambezi River.

The main house provides the setting for the lodge’s French-style cuisine; alternatively you can dine out on the lawn under the stars or in the privacy of your own cottage, whilst enjoying the personal service of the Zambian staff.

Livingstone itself is not a wildlife destination, but rather an access point for the Victoria Falls area. This offers a number of exciting optional activities such as white-water rafting and bungee jumping, as well as visiting the massive and spectacular falls. Activities in and around Livingstone are arranged locally and paid for directly by you (a tour to the Victoria Falls will cost about £15 per person). You can spend your days out and about enjoying the Victoria Falls area, or more quietly by the pool at the lodge, doing some gentle bird-watching or spotting elephants at the nearby watering hole.

Day 15 – Flight to London
Stanley Safari Lodge will arrange your transfer to Livingstone Airport, to connect with your scheduled homeward flight and the end of your holiday to Botswana and Zambia.

Day 16 – Arrive in London


Find out more about this safari on the general Stork Safaris page.

Departures:
Cost is per person sharing, departing and returning UK
There is a single supplement of £860.
Contact us for any scheduled safari departure dates with discounted prices.
 
4 Pax 6 Pax 8 Pax
10/01/08 - 20/03/08£4163£4003£3960
21/03/08 - 10/04/08£4270£4094£4051
11/04/08 - 17/06/08£4143£3967£3924
15/05/08 - 30/05/08£3984£3984£3984
18/06/08 - 18/07/08£4804£4594£4551
19/07/08 - 18/08/08£4948£4738£4695
19/08/08 - 31/10/08£4879£4669£4626


This itinerary can be downloaded from our Downloads Page


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