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First
stop
for two nights in Maun
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| Maun By Air |
Arrive at
Maun the gateway to the Okavango Delta with its mixture of the old and new
properties and shopping complexes, mud huts and office buildings nestling
together. Maun has developed rapidly from its early days as a rural frontier
town and has spread along the wide Thamalakane River. Hippos and antelopes can
be seen grazing along the riverbanks of the Delta along side the cattle and
the goats.
While
staying at Maun in our pre erected deluxe tents, there will be opportunities to
relax around the pool, take a walk and stretch your legs, sample the local
beverages around the bar and take a mokorro trip or boat trip on the Okavango
River depending on the water levels at the time.
Second
stop for one night in Shakawe
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| Shakawe |
After a freshly made
breakfast around the camp, we
will take a comfortable drive northwards to Shakawe. Shakawe
serves as a Botswana entry or exit stop and a staging point for trips into the
Tsodilo Hills. At Shakawe we will be staying at ‘Drotsky’s Cabins’ a lovely welcoming
lodge and camping ground set amidst a thick riverside forest. The lodge is the
ideal setting for fishing for tiger and bream, and to be able to sample the
abundant and impressive bird life, and fine views across the reeds and papyrus.
Third
stop for two nights in Ngepi, Namibia
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| Ngepi River |
From
Shakawe in Botswana, we will travel further north going through the border for
Namibia and along the Caprivi Strip.
Our first stop in Namibia will be camping at ‘Ngepi Camp’. Ngepi
Camp is situated on an island in
the unspoilt upper reaches of the panhandle in the western Caprivi Strip. Ngepi
is a laid back paradise of beautiful trees and shady lawns, surrounded by
seasonally flooded swamps with permanent river frontage. Teeming with wildlife
and nestled between Manhango Park to the south and Bwabwata Park directly
opposite where we can take an early morning and afternoon game drive.
At Ngepi
Camp we have access to various activities mokorro/canoe safari, game drives,
traditional dancing, sunset boat cruises guided bird walks and village walks.
Fourth
stop for one night at Katima Mulilo in Namibia
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| Wood Carving |
We will be
heading for Katima Mulilo in Namibia and staying at a lodge. Katima Mulilo, a
very African town, is at the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip and features lush
vegetation and enormous trees, and was once known for the elephants that
marched through.
Caprivi
Arts Centre, run by the Caprivi Arts and Culture Association, is a good place to
look for local curios and crafts, such as woodcarvings, baskets, bowls and
traditional weapons.
Fifth
stop for three nights in Kasane
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| Victoria Falls |
Back into
Botswana and at Kasane you will be able to add a few stamps to your passport
when visiting one of the natural wonders of the world, a truly magnificent
sight to behold, Victoria Falls, ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. (Mosi-oa-Tunya)
While
camping in Kasane, which sits in a riverside woodland at the meeting of four
countries – Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe we will be in an ideal
position to take a game drive into Chobe National Park.
Chobe
National Park, which encompasses 11,000 sq km, is home to Botswana’s most
varied wildlife not to be missed.
Sixth
stop for three nights in Gweta
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| Gweta Lodge |
Saving the
best till last, we will take a game drive along the Kasane road and
head for ‘Gweta Lodge’.
Set
around the central pool, Gweta Lodge is a rare ‘oasis in the desert’ where we
can sample the meals in the high class restaurant or unwind in the relaxing lounge. In the evening you can drink cocktails
and party around
the open thatched bar . The Lodge is ideally
situated to take advantage of the gateway to wilderness and a vast range of
activities, excursions and game drives which are available within easy reach of
the Makgadikgadi Pans.
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| Makgadikgadi Pans |
Game drives
far into the vast wilderness of the Makgadikgadi Pans, sleeping under the
blanket of stars, is a ‘not-to-be-missed’ experience.
During
the wet season the pans fill up and attract flamingos that use the area to feed
and nest, and in the dry season and lack of water, a salt crust is created
covering some 7,400+ square kilometres creating several migratory routes for
the animals.
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| Quad bikes on the pan |
We can take
a drive further North into Nxai Pan which holds such wonders as Baines Baobab,
drawn in 1867 by Sir Thomas Baines, and encounter the animals taking a much
need drink around the watering hole during ‘sundowners’.
At
Ntwetwe Pan, another section of the Mkgadikgadi Pan System, there will be the
opportunity to participate in Quad Bike tours, Power Kiting (with boards or
buggies depending on experience), Land Yachting and Windsurfing, all
environmentally friendly activities.
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