DAY 1 | ARRIVAL IN VICTORIA FALLS
After a brief stop in Johannesburg, you'll arrive at one of the world's natural treasures: Victoria Falls, twice as wide and twice as tall as Niagara. You�ll be whisked from the airport to your hotel. The Victoria Falls Hotel, built in 1904, perfectly sets the tone for your journey, steeped in old-world charm and five-star luxury. New hotel wings have been added and deluxe rooms refurbished in this historic building, combining amenities such as mini-bars and hair dryers with the grand Edwardian architecture. You'll have the day to relax and drink in the surroundings, although you'll probably waste no time heading down the private path to the Falls themselves (just a ten-minute walk). Gather late in the day with your guide and your group for a welcome cocktail reception and safari orientation. Dinner will be topped off with a traditional dance around a large open fireplace at the local African village. Shona and Ndebele dancers twirl in hand-made costumes as ancient stories are told through hypnotic music and movement handed down through generations. It's a dramatic introduction to the continent. Overnight at the Victoria Falls Hotel.
DAY 2 | VICTORIA FALLS/NORTHERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Begin the day with a guided tour of Vic Falls. Then you'll mount the Landcruisers to head off into the Serondela. Northern Chobe National Park is a prime wildlife viewing area, with the megafauna vying with the striking birds for popularity. Chobe is elephant country, with the world's largest herds drawn to the waters of the Chobe River. And you will stay right in the thick of it. Your camp carries on the elegance of the Victoria Falls Hotel, albeit in spacious tents, with a dedicated staff just as attentive and food just as sophisticated. This will be your home for the next two days, with numerous game drives determined by the interests of the group. Overnight at our Serondela camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 3 | NORTHERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK/SERONDELA
Spend another day in Northern Chobe. In addition to the abundance of elephants, Chobe also boasts large buffalo herds, bushbuck, and numerous species inhabiting the veld and floodlands. The highlight of today is a boat cruise on the Chobe. See the animals anew from the water, with hippo, crocodiles, and monitor lizards adding to the larger game coming to drink from the banks. In late afternoon, a flat-bottom boat (open but topped with a protective canopy), will cruise on through sunset, landing at a spot called White Sands. Your staff will greet you and transport the group back to camp for the evening. Ovenight at our Serondela camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 4 | SOUTHERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK/SAVUTE
You�ll break camp this morning; actually the staff will, as you head to the drier part of Chobe, the Savute. Elephants are still ubiquitous, but huge numbers of zebra, impala, antelope, and wildebeest also roam here. And where there is so much food, predators swarm. Leopards, cheetah, hyena abound--but it's the lions that are stars of this savannah. Game drives will wind all through this region, including the sweeping expanse of a relic marsh, where Savute's extraordinary flat countryside is relieved by the spectacular fortress of the Gubatsa Hills. Your accommodations here are in the Savute Elephant Camp, set amidst towering acacia trees in a rugged, wilderness region of the national park. This deluxe lodge, overlooking the dry Savute Channel, is comprised of 12 luxurious twin-bedded tents with private timber decks, "his and hers vanity units," and a dressing room area. Comfort is ensured with an ensuite heater, overhead fan, and mosquito net. Overnight at Savute Elephant Camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 5 | SOUTHERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK/SAVUTE
There is much to see in the Savute, and you'll arrange your drives to the interests of the group. Birding is equally compelling here, with the large yellow-billed hornbills and kori bustards; follow the vultures to a kill for drama. There are also cultural sightings: San (Bushmen) rock paintings are preserved in the Gubatsa Hills a short distance from the camp. In between game drives, however, take a dip in the camp's specially constructed "elephant-proof" swimming pool. Pesky pachyderms are known to seek out any waterhole, even manmade ones; take advantage of the lodge's unique solution to an interesting problem. Overnight at Savute Elephant Lodge. [B,L,D]
DAY 6 | MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE/KHWAI
Today, head to another reserve reputed to be Botswana's--and much of Africa's--most beautiful. And it's one of the more diverse, with permanently swamped areas, seasonally swamped areas, and dryland, plus an amazing range of wildlife. Moremi is unique in that it was the first wildlife sanctuary created by an African tribe, namely the Ba Tawana, in their own area. Your mobile camp will have been pre-erected by the camp staff, with the same amenities as in Chobe, and the same attentiveness. Overnight at our Khwai/Moremi camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 7 | MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE/KHWAI
Spend another day in Moremi's North Gate (Khwai) region. The Reserve has the Big Five--elephants, hippo, buffalo, lion, and leopard--and a host of giraffe, zebra, and other hoofed species, but the birds are not to be missed, with kingfishers and cranes, large flocks of quela and shrike, ostriches and storks. Overnight at our Khwai/Moremi camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 8 | OKAVANGO DELTA
Load into your charter plane after breakfast to head to Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp, tucked into the heart of the permanent Okavango Delta. Arriving by air is the perfect introduction to this, the world's largest inland delta. Though technically a swamp, it is not typical marshland as we know it. Clear waters, unusual flora, islands created by termites, stunning fishing, and birds...birds like nowhere in the world. And you'll explore it best, by canoe, powerboat, and on nature walks guided by the resident naturalist. Your camp, ten luxurious tents on raised platforms resting in the forest, continues our pampering amongst strangler figs and African ebony. A design combining Afro-chic and classic safari adds in ostrich-egg chandeliers, bedside lamps, verandahs, and ensuite showers. Overnight at Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 9 | OKAVANGO DELTA
The Okavango can never be seen in one day, but you�ll cover as much "ground" as possible. Don't expect the Big Five here (though an occasional lion or buffalo appears), but delight in the large concentrations of fish eagles, hamerkops, cormorants, cranes, and herons, just a few of the more than 500 species living in this ornithologist's paradise. Sit back and enjoy the silence of your canoe tour, through the reeds and papyrus, amidst crocs, hippos, and water dwellers of all stripes. Overnight at Nxabega Okavango Safari Camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 10 | CENTRAL KALAHARI RESERVE
From the rich beauty of the wet to the stark beauty of the dry. You�ll take to the air once again to head to one of the world's largest reserves, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This is Africa at its most remote and unspoiled. And harsh: the Kalahari Basin is the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world. Summer rains, however, create grasslands in the region that provide some of the best wildlife viewing in Botswana. Lion, cheetah, and jackal are plentiful, as are giraffe, gemsbok, and springbok. Once again, the staff has gone ahead to set up camp in the Valley. You'll set out on extensive game drives as the group desires, then retire for the first of two nights here. Overnight at our Central Kalahari camp.[ [B,L,D]
DAY 11 | CENTRAL KALAHARI RESERVE
Spend another full day getting to know the Kalahari. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is unique in that it was initially set aside primarily for the local people to continue their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life. Tomorrow you'll meet with some of these Bushmen--today, you'll spend as much time as possible learning their land and meeting local creatures. Overnight at Central Kalahari camp. [B,L,D]
DAY 12 | DECEPTION VALLEY LODGE
Today you�ll say goodbye to the Central Kalahari. End your African stay in Deception Valley, so named by early travelers tricked by the mirages drawing their thirsty selves into a completely arid area. The Deception Valley Lodge is located on a private, 50,000-acre reserve bordering the Central Kalahari reserve. Its five thatched chalets each have a twin-bed bedroom, lounge, Victorian-style bathroom with claw-foot bathtub and outside shower, and deck overlooking the Kalahari bush stretching out for miles. Enjoy your meals in the main lodge, complete with bar, pool, and sun deck, and a design that blends naturally into the African landscape. A highlight of your game drives here is finding Africa's exotic nocturnal species. Night drives (forbidden in many other parks) uncover the hidden world of large-eyed bush babies, civets, genets, and aardvarks. You will also have the distinct pleasure of meeting some local San/Bushmen who share the art of survival in this arid land. Overnight at Deception Valley Lodge. [B,L,D]
DAY 13 | DEPART TO JOHANNESBURG FOR YOUR FLIGHT HOME
After breakfast fly by light aircraft to Maun Airport where the safari terminates, then head to Joburg for your flight home. [B]
| 
| 
