Day 1

Depart from London’s Heathrow Airport to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport.

Days 2 to 4

Arrive and connect with regional flight to Maun. On arrival you will be met and transferred by light aircraft flight to Lagoon Camp where you stay for three nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

Lagoon Camp is located on the largest private game viewing reserve in Botswana – the Kwando Concession, which extends for 2320km² and which has a private river frontage along the Kwando River extending for eighty kilometres. Only two camps share this immense area of prime game viewing country – Lagoon Camp and its sister camp, Lebala, which lies thirty five kilometres to the south.

The Concession encompasses part of the Linyanti and Kwando River systems which includes slow flowing rivers and big lagoons leading on to areas of rich forest, ebony, marula and sausage trees. Further afield are great expanses of open grassland dotted with baobab trees with isolated waterholes. This huge area of land supports large numbers of animals including large herds of elephant and buffalo, a wide variety of antelope including water-adapted species such as tsessebe and endangered species like roan and sable, as well as giraffe and other plains game. This is also a particularly good area for seeing predators and lion are very much in evidence, as well as leopard and cheetah. Packs of wild dog have also denned in the area for the last eight years running.

Lagoon Camp is set on private land so you can enjoy the widest range of game viewing options, including drives by open vehicle during the day and at night, when a spotlight is used to see nocturnal creatures.  You can also enjoy walking at the discretion of the guides. On these walks you are accompanied by a tracker as well as an armed guide, following the course of old elephant paths through the bush, walking along the river’s banks pausing regularly to look at tracks, to learn fascinating facts about plants and to admire birds and the beautiful scenery. You can also enjoy boat rides at Lagoon Camp on the Kwando River using the camp’s double-decker river boat, which is particularly good for bird watching and for watching animals as they come down to drink at sunset.

The accommodation is in eight huge tented rooms with king-size or twin beds, safari furniture, en-suite flush w.c, shower and hand basins with hot/cold running water, and fine views across the lagoon. The camp has an excellent staff of guides, is very well managed and the standard of cuisine is very good indeed.

Days 5 to 7

In the morning you will taken by private road transfer to Lebala Camp where you stay for three nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

Lebala Camp is situated on a peninsula of land jutting into the heart of the Linyanti Delta that surrounds the camp. This delta comprises big seasonal floodplains, hundreds of square miles of savannah, as well as varied forest which includes mopane trees, huge old baobabs and acacia.

The newly upgraded accommodation here is very comfortable with eight huge chalets set on a raised wooden decks with private verandas facing onto the open plains. The large bedrooms have twin or double beds, safari furniture, and delicate touches that give a real home-away-from-home experience. The en-suite bathroom features a free-standing Victorian bath and large outdoor double-shower. The spacious dining area, lounge, bar, and campfire are all excellent areas in which to relax during the day or after your evening activity, sharing your experiences with the staff and other guests, while the standard of cuisine is very good indeed and all drinks and laundry are included.

There is a swimming pool in which to cool off and admire the view across the plains and there is also a hide close to the camp where you can enjoy exciting ‘close up’ game viewing and bird watching.

Days 8 to 11

In the morning you will be taken by light aircraft flight to the Okavango Delta where you stay for four nights at Kwara Camp (inclusive of meals and activities).

Kwara Camp sits in the heart of the Okavango Delta on a very large private area of land, which encompasses not only the open lagoons and shallow waterways of the Okavango, but also great expanses of savannah and forest leading to the Moremi Wildlife Reserve. 

Altogether the Kwara Reserve measures 1750km² and the camp itself is hidden on a large wooded island with just eight huge tents set under a big shady canopy of trees. The view from each tent is excellent and encompasses the plains and lagoons of the delta and each has en-suite w.c. and shower, two wash basins and large bed with safari furniture and veranda. The reserve has so many different types of habitat that you can expect to enjoy excellent game viewing here, including sightings of big herds of plains game such as zebra, wildebeest, a variety of antelope, giraffe and buffalo. The reserve also has resident prides of lion, as well as leopard and hyena and you can also expect to see a host of smaller creatures such as warthog, baboon and, on night drives, porcupine and civet cats. Elephants are also present in large numbers and you can spend hours watching these magnificent creatures, with their complex family structures, roaming the Okavango floodplains.

You can enjoy a wide variety of game viewing activities including traditional mokoro canoeing, boating, walks with an armed guide and tracker and drives by open vehicle during the day and at night. Because of this variety and flexibility we usually recommend a stay of at least three nights here.

Days 12 to 15

Today you will be transferred by light aircraft to Stanley’s Camp where you stay for four nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

Stanley’s is a superb Okavango Camp located on the southern tip of Chiefs Island in the heart of the watery wilderness of the Okavango Delta.  There are herds of elephant, plains game, particularly buffalo, antelope and zebra, graceful giraffe and a host of smaller creatures.

Stanley’s is also a good place for seeing predators and lion, leopard and cheetah are all frequently seen.  A big advantage of Stanley’s is that it is located on a private reserve of 260,000 acres, sharing only with its sister camp, Baines. This means you can enjoy your game viewing in privacy. You can also take safaris by open vehicle, during the day and at night, on foot with an armed guide, and by mokoro canoe, giving you a wide range of perspectives from which to enjoy the wildlife.

The camp is small with just eight very spacious tents, with proper beds, antique furniture, oriental carpets and en suite w.c and shower, and at the front of each tent is a balcony.  The main building is raised on decking and provides expansive views over the surrounding floodplains and is set among ancient trees. One of the special features of Stanley’s Camp is its proximity to the nearby Living With Elephants project, run by the hugely experienced Doug Groves. For over 20 years, Doug and his team have raised and rehabilitated three orphaned elephants so that they are now habituated to the presence of people and at additional cost it is possible to spend around five hours with them. Let Doug be your guide as Jabulani, Thembi and Morula show off their distinct personalities, and you gain a privileged insight to the habits and lifestyle of these charismatic and fascinating creatures. You can touch and stroke them, watch them interact, feed and bathe in mud-pools, listen to the sounds by which they communicate and take a walk with them through the bush as they move silently on their giant feet and occasionally tear branches off trees.  Culminating with a sumptuous bush lunch accompanied by your new elephant friends, this is a unique and thrilling experience that is not to be missed for any visitor to Baines.

Days 16 to 18

Today you will be transferred by light aircraft flight to Chiefs Camp where you stay for three nights (inclusive of meals and activities).

On the north western tip of Chief’s Island, deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta, is the richest and most exciting safari reserve in Botswana. This area, known as the Mombo Reserve, has great fertility and a particularly wide variety of vegetation types and this, combined with the reliable all year round source of water, attracts literally thousands of animals.

Chief’s Camp is one of only two which share this wonderful area, which is most famous for its large population of cats. Lion and leopards are seen very regularly, while you may also be lucky enough to spot cheetah and packs of wild dog. These predators are attracted by the large numbers of plains game, in particular antelope, zebra, wildebeest and big herds of buffalo sometimes numbering more than a thousand to a herd. There are also many elephant, giraffe and, there is also a small rhinoceros population.

The bird life, too, is remarkable with over 350 species ranging from impressive bateleur eagles to brilliantly coloured kingfishers. Chief’s Camp, situated on the edge of the waterways, and hidden amongst a grove of jackalberry trees, takes only twenty four guests in twelve luxurious yet secluded bush pavilions, each with large bed, safari furniture, mini-bar, African-themed décor, ceiling fan, large en-suite bathroom with flush w.c., indoor and outdoor shower, while at the front of each tent is a balcony with fine views across the Okavango Delta. The range of facilities at Chief’s are second-to-none, including a dining area, comfortable lounge, a library where you can read up on the animals, birds, trees and other attractions that you have seen, a curio shop, internet area, a large wooden deck, a pool and a new sala where, at an extra cost, it is possible to enjoy massages and other treatments.

The standard of management and cuisine is excellent at Chief’s Camp, as is the quality of the guiding and highly knowledgeable guides will take you on safari mainly by open vehicle. There are large numbers of predators here so walking is not permitted, but depending on water levels you can be punted along the waterways of the Delta in a mokoro canoe.

Day 19

Today you will be transferred by light aircraft flight to Maun where you board a regional flight to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport.  On arrival connect with an international flight to London’s Heathrow Airport.

Day 20

Arrive into London Heathrow.

Read more about a luxury Botswana Safari Dream no more – contact us today