Best of Botswana Safari Tour - 11 Days

The best way to access Botswana is via South Africa - Johannesburg. Your inbound flight to South Africa will land at Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Garden Court O.R. Tambo International Airport, where you will spend your first night. You will have the afternoon and evening to spend at your leisure getting off the jet lag. You can enjoy dinner at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant. Overnight at Hotel, Garden Court O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, Bed & Breakfast.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The best way to access Botswana is via South Africa - Johannesburg, then take a flight to Maun or Kasane in Botswana. On this tour, we fly to Kasane International Airport in Botswana from Johannesburg. Please note it is also possible to operate this tour if arriving from Victoria Falls Airport. This means skipping the Johannesburg section of the trip. Kindly contact us should you find it easier to arrive via Victoria Falls Airport. Accommodation and pre-tour excursions and sightseeing activities are also available at Victoria Falls upon request.

Touching down at Kasane International Airport, you’ll be met and driven to Chobe Game Lodge. Staying here puts you right on the Chobe River within this famous national park, so between safari activities look forward to a bit of armchair game viewing – watching for wildlife the water’s edge. Chobe Game Lodge offers its guests three safari activities a day. Cruise the river in small, easily manoeuvrable boats (perfect for getting up close to sightings) and enjoy game drives in open 4x4s. This region is best known for its elephant, especially during Botswana’s dry season when herds of up to 100 gather on the riverbank! There’s plenty of other wildlife too, and watching the sunset over the river is the perfect way to slip into the relaxed feel of life on safari. Meals and overnight at Chobe Game Lodge (LD).

Chobe is famous for its large herds of elephant and buffalo, along with numerous predators - including lions, leopards and wild dogs. There is a great diversity of plains game and an astonishing array of bird species. Guest staying at the Muchenje Safari Lodge can be assured that a variety of activities are made available for them to enjoy including: game drives in open and truly comfortable 4x4 safari vehicles, game viewing by boat on the Chobe River, bush walking-safaris, night game drives and village visits. The day is at leisure to enjoy the game viewing activities on offer at your lodge. With the largest population of Elephants in Africa, you will surely want to try a boat safari. Gliding across the picturesque Chobe River is considered by many as one of the finest game viewing experiences in all of Africa. Boasting from 80000 to 120000 plus elephants in the park alone provides visitors with very frequent sightings of these majestic creatures along the waterways and flood plain-lands. Other African wildlife including hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, and water fowl are also often seen on these dynamic waters. Meals and overnight at Chobe Game Lodge (LD).

The lodge's staff will provide a shared transfer to the airstrip. Take your flight from Chobe (light aircraft from Kasane) to Okavango on Mack Air today. Includes departure tax. Met upon arrival and transferred to Camp Okavango, a true water-based camp, Camp Okavango can only be reached by boat or plane. Since there are no roads, the experience here is all about the water wilderness of the delta with motorboat, mokoro and walking safaris. Motorboats take you into deeper channels while mokoros (traditional dugout canoes) glide through the reed-lined waterways, past water lilies and colourful kingfishers. Back on land go on an island walk, safe in the capable hands of your guide. Although you’ll see more wildlife on game drives, nothing can compare to the thrill of seeing lion or elephant while on foot. Activities included in your package allow you to enjoy morning and late afternoon game drives in open safari vehicles, with afternoon game drives often continuing into the evening. Spend more time in the bush with half and full day safari adventures with picnic lunches. Excellent area for birding with regular sightings of Pel’s Fishing Owl. This is a wonderfully peaceful camp where, in the evenings, guests and guides come together to swap safari stories and enjoy a drink or two around the crackling campfire. All meals and overnight at Camp Okavango (BLD)

Spend 2 full days in the amazing Okavango Delta with daily game drives. The Okavango Delta features some of the best game viewing in all of Africa. Famed for its big cat and bird population, the delta is a peaceful haven where animals have been protected for decades and know they will not be disturbed. You'll have the opportunity to see animals up close when expert guides accompany you on your daily included activities. The area also boasts a diversity of landscape with desert, dry savannah, lagoon and swamps in close proximity – cheetah, crocodile and elephant can frequently be seen.Drives are typically done very early in the morning and last for a few hours, after which you return to the camp for breakfast. (shared with other guests at the camp). Here in the Okavango Delta lives some of the most spectacular and varied wildlife on Earth. Famed for its big cat and bird population, the delta is a peaceful haven where animals have been protected for decades and know they will not be disturbed. You'll have the opportunity to see animals up close when expert guides accompany you on morning and evening game drives in open 4 x 4 vehicles. The park also boasts a diversity of landscape with desert, dry savannah, lagoon and swamps in close proximity – cheetah, crocodile and elephant can also be seen on a game drive. Overnight at Camp Okavango (BLD)

Your final stop is Leroo La Tau, a luxury lodge bordering Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. The stark beauty of this desert environment is an incredible contrast to the Okavango Delta. Yet, once again, there’s plenty of wildlife to see especially during Botswana’s dry season when thousands of zebra and wildebeest migrate to the Boteti River - the only source of water for miles around. Leroo La Tau sits right on the bank of this river, its chalets opening onto superb views and a steady stream of wildlife: elephant, giraffe, wildebeest and kudu. Activities on offer here include both day and night game drives, as well as boat safaris (depending on water levels). Other highlights include a visit to the nearby village, and magical sunrises which are best enjoyed without so much as getting out of bed. Meals and overnight at Leroo La Tau (BLD)

Day exploring Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is located to the south-east of the Okavango Delta and surrounded by the Kalahari Desert. The name Makgadikgadi implies of a vast open lifeless land. In the early morning, you will meet up with the other guests from the lodge for your game drive in Makgadikgadi. The Makgadikgadi Pan is a series of large salt pans in the middle of the dry savannah of Northeastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world and interspersed between the pans are sand dunes, rocky islands and peninsulas, and desert terrain. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger than Switzerland, but dried up several thousand years ago. The Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve has an area of 3900 sq. km and is the scene of large migrations. In the wet season, this reserve can offer good wildlife viewing, particularly when large herds of zebra and wildebeest begin their westward migration to the Boteti region. Other species that can be spotted here include gemsbok, eland and red hartebeest, as well as kudu, bushbuck, duiker, giraffe, springbok, steenbok, and even elephant, with all the accompanying predators, as well as the rare brown hyena. Your afternoon is guaranteed to be full of excitement, spectacular views and amazing experiences. Overnight at Leroo La Tau (BLD)

In the morning you're driven to the lodge's private airstrip (about a 30-minute road transfer) for your flight to Maun International Airport, where you'll connect with your onward flight to Johanesburg to connect to your flight back home. Luggage restrictions applicable to this flight: 1 piece at a maximum of 20 kg (44 lb) per piece. Hand luggage: One bag allowed in addition to one slimline laptop bag. No bag should exceed 56cm x 36cm x 23cm (total dimensions of 115 cm including handles and wheels) weighing not more than 8Kgs. At no time may a bag be accepted heavier than 32kg, this must either be repacked or be shipped as Cargo. Depart from the International Airport. This marks the end of our services. (BL)

These items form the basic components of your tour / safari cost and MAY NOT be excluded / removed from the tour pacakge all-together. However, if you still like the tour without some of of the basic components, kindly request for customization of the tour. The tour cost includes;

· Airport Meet and Greet Services with assistance

· Complimentary baggage handling of two pieces per person

· Transport in a custom-built safari vehicle with window seat guarantee

· Express check-in with assistance in your city hotels and safari lodges

· 1 Meal a day / Bed and breakfast accommodation while in your City Hotels

· 3 meals a day / Full-Board accommodation whilst on Safari Hotels, lodges or Camps

· All parks and game reserve entry gate fees including vehicle & driver fees

· Services of an English - speaking and professional safari driver/guide

· WIFI Internet Access (Where Available in Hotels, Camps & Lodges) - Non-Guaranteed*

· Unlimited Supply of Complimentary Bottled Drinking Water on safari

· Charging ports in the car for your phone, camera battery, or laptop

· At least a pair of standard Binoculars in every safari vehicle

· Access to AfriChoice 'manned' Call-Centre 24hrs a day, 7 days a week

· Guaranteed Departures with a minimum of just 2 travellers!

· ALL Government taxes and levies

These items are excluded from your tour cost / package. You are therefore expected to make own arrangement for some such as your International Flight Tickets, Travel Insurance and so on. Others are available as 'add-ons' to your tour and we shall be glad to include any extras you like at a reasonable cost. The tour cost excludes;

· International Air Fares to and from Africa

· Travel Insurance Cover, Personal or Baggage (Highly Recommended)

· Cost of Tourist or Business Visa to the country you are visiting

· International airport(s) departures taxes (if not included in your ticket)

· Optional excursions not mentioned in the inclusions and/or quoted separately

· Expenses of personal nature such as phone calls, internet, laundry etc

· All soft and hard drinks (alcoholic drinks, wines and spirits)

· Tips and gratuities to driver guides/lodge/hotel staff

· Cultural Village Visits, Bush Lunches, Bush Dinners or Bush Breakfasts

· All other extras not mentioned in the 'included'

When you book a tour with us, we want always want you to fee special. That is why we go the extra mile not only to make you smile but to ensure that your are taking home only the fondest of memories from our trips. Below are some of the special treatments you are unlikely to find with other tour operators;

· Special 'Welcome Package' for you from our senior tours director upon arrival

· Free upgrade to a 4x4 Safari Vehicle with UNLIMITED game drives on safari

· Free supply of UNLIMITED bottled mineral water whilst on safari

· Complimentary 'AfriChoice!® Authentic African Safari Sun Hat

· Signed & Sealed 'Participation Certificate' (special adventure quests only*)