Summary of this Budget Safari Package
Highlights on this affordable Botswana Wildlife Safari Adventure include:
Game walk in Tuli Block, Botswana
Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Makgadikgadi Pans & Nxai Pan
Moremi Game Reserve
Khwai River game drive & night drive
Okavango Delta Trip & Mokoro Ride
Chobe National Park game drive
Sunset river cruise on Chobe River
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
This Wild Botswana Lodge Safari explores the lesser known and more remote wilderness areas of Botswana, as well as visiting several of Southern Africa's top game parks and attractions.
Responsible Travel Note
During this trip you are likely to come across activities that encourage tourists to participate in lion, elephant or other wildlife interaction. This includes walking with lions, riding elephants and any other tourist operation putting travellers in close contact with animals that would normally live wild and separate from human contact.
We absolutely do not encourage or endorse this type of wildlife interaction operation. For more information on why this is not good for Africa's wild animals, please see our detailed blog post on the subject.
Itinerary for this Tour
Day 1: Johannesburg, South Africa
This Botswana Wildlife Safari Adventure starts with collection from the International Airport in the dynamic city of Johannesburg.
From the airport you are transferred to comfortable African themed lodge in Johannesburg, for your first night's stay. The rest of the day is free for you to rest after your flight and relax at the lodge pool, set in leafy gardens. In the evening you meet up with your safari guide and your fellow travellers for a pre-safari briefing at 6pm.
Accommodation: Lodge (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool and restaurant)
Day 2: Johannesburg to Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana
On day two we leave vibrant Johannesburg early in the morning, heading north towards Pretoria.
We drive via the Limpopo Province of South Africa to the Botswana border post of Martin’s Drift, where we cross into the south-east of neighbouring Botswana.
Once in Botswana we continue to the narrow strip of Botswana called the Tuli Block. The Tuli area, located between Zimbabwe and South Africa, is one of Botswana's few commercial farming areas, as it receives more rainfall than other parts of the country.
The Tuli Block game reserves are home to large elephant herds, various wildlife and an abundance of brightly coloured birds. Depending on our time of arrival we embark on an evening game walk or a morning walk the following day.
In the evening we relax beside the campfire and enjoy dinner, prepared by the guide. Sit back and take in the sounds of wild Africa under the night stars.
Distance: 516 km Departs: 07h30
Accommodation: Inside a Game Reserve (rooms or chalets with en-suite bathrooms) or similar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Tuli Block Reserve to Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana
Today we travel to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary of Botswana.
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust is a community based wildlife project working to protect white rhinos from poaching.
The trust was established in 1992 to restore this wilderness area of Botswana to its former state, reintroducing wildlife and promoting sustainable natural resource use. Tourism at the sanctuary benefits the local Batswana community economically and environmentally.
We embark on an afternoon game drive in the rhino sanctuary, in search of white rhinos and other wild animals.
Distance: 288 km Departs: 08h00
Accommodation: Hotel or similar (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant area)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 4: Khama Rhino Sanctuary to Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
On day four we drive to the open plains of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana.
We make our way to our unique accommodation near Gweta on the Makgadigadi Pans, and settle in at the funky and friendly lodge.
Then we take a guided walk in a baobab forest in the area to get a look at the world's largest succulents. Your guide fills you in on the unusual biology of the giant old baobabs and shares some interesting facts about the local ecology and geology as you stroll along.
Distance: 467 km Departs: 07h00
Accommodation: Lodge (Bakalanga or Baobab huts with en-suite bathrooms)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Makgadikgadi Pans & Nxai Pan to Maun, Botswana
We make our way to Maun, the travel hub of the Okavango Delta, on the morning of day five.
Along the way we visit the Nxai Pan area of the larger Makgadikgadi Pans network. Once a large lake, this salt pan is today a flat expanse of arid plains dotted with thorntrees. After the rains the Nxai Pans is blanketed in short, lush grasses that attract herbivores and the predators that feed on them. Once the rains have arrived hugs herds of zebra can be seen here, as well as gemsbok, springbok, elephants and giraffes. The abundance of prey species attracts large and small carnivores alike, from cheetahs, lions and wild dogs to jackals and foxes.
From Nxai Pan we drive on to Maun and our lodge, where you can take a dip in the swimming pool and relax.
Distance: 215 km Departs: 08h00
Accommodation: Riverside lodge or similar (Meru-style tents with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 6: Maun to Okavango Delta & Khwai River, Botswana
Local Botswana guides collect you after breakfast, and transfer you to a nearby mokoro station. Mokoros are the dug-out canoes traditionally used as local transport in the watery delta.
Our local guides pole us along the winding channels through the dense reeds and the secluded delta islands. Exploring the Okavango Delta by mokoro is the ideal way to encounter the variety of birds and wild animals found in this pristine wilderness area.
The tranquil Okavango Delta flows from Angola into the Kalahari Desert in Botswana making it the largest inland detla in the world.
We head to our bush camp, in the Khwai River Area, after our traditional canoe trip in the pristine delta.
Settle in at the Khwai camp and have dinner before setting off into the bush on an exhilarating night game drive. Heading into the bush after dark is an excellent way to spot the more elusive nocturnal animals inhabiting the area.
Distance: 150 km Departs: 08h00
Accommodation: Khwai Bedouin Camp or similar (permanent tents with en-suite bathrooms, bar and restaurant area)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: Khwai River Area, Botswana
Today we explore the Khwai River area on game viewing drives.
Our game drive takes us in search of the wild animals this are is known for, including plenty of mammals. The Khwai is home to elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs, as well as an abundance of birds, especially raptors.
Distance: 150 km Departs: 07h00
Accommodation: Khwai Bedouin Camp or similar (permanent tents with en-suite bathrooms, bar and restaurant area)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
From the Khwai River area we travel to the famous Moremi Game Reserve, considered one of the most beautiful and diverse wilderness areas in Africa.
We spend the whole day game viewing in the unspoiled Moremi Game Reserve home to an unprecedented concentration of wildlife and a rich variety of plant life. Moremi covers around 20% of the untamed Okavango Delta, incorporating a staggering array of natural habitats, from acacia forests, floodplains and reed lands, to lagoons, wetlands, mopane forests and savanna woodlands.
Moremi is one of the must-see wildlife highlights on this Botswana Lodge Safari.
Distance: 120 km Departs: 07h00
Accommodation: Khwai Bedouin Camp or similar (permanent tents, with en-suite bathrooms, bar and restaurant area)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 9: Khwai River to Chobe Park, Botswana
Rise and shine early today for an action-packed day in Wild Botswana!
Leaving the camp in Khwai River we drive through the northern game parks of Botswana, namely Moremi and Savuti Game Reserves and Chobe National Park. Northern Botswana is home to one of the largest concentrations of elephants on earth, so keep a look out for these gentle giants along with an array of other wildlife.
We travel via the gateway town of Kasane en route to our next overnight safari lodge, located on the banks of Chobe River, near the place where the mighty Zambezi and Chobe rivers meet.
Distance: 165 km Departs: 07h00
Accommodation: Lodge near Chobe (chalets with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 10: Chobe National Park, Botswana
This morning we embark on a rewarding game drive in Chobe National Park, exploring this top Botswana game park in search of the abundance of wildlife and birds found here.
Our Botswana Wildlife Safari Adventure includes a sunset cruise on Chobe River - the best way to sight the numerous wild animals and birds drawn to the river. Encounter elephants, hippos, crocodiles and many birds, at close range on this relaxing afternoon boat cruise. This is a superb opportunity for close-up wildlife photography, in the beautiful setting of an African sunset over the river.
Distance: 100 km Departa: 07h00
Accommodation: Riverside lodge (chalets with en-suite bathrooms, bar and restaurant)
Meals: Breakfast
Days 11 & 12: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
We cross from Botswana into Zimbabwe today, covering the short distance to the world-famous Victotia Falls.
We head to the mighty Victoria Falls waterfall for a guided tour in the Victoria Falls National Park. Witnessing the largest sheet of falling water in the world it becomes clear why locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning "the Smoke that Thunders". This UNESCO World Heritage Site is also one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World - a truly impressive natural site to behold!
The rest of your time at Victoria Falls is free for you to enjoy some of the multitude of adventure activities (optional extras) on offer here, or explore the area and relax at the lodge. Victoria Falls is the Adventure Capital of Africa, offering a dizzying array of adventure activities, from bungee jumping and white water rafting to helicopter flights.
Distance: 95 km Departs: 09h00
Accommodation: Lodge or simialr (rooms with en-suite bathrooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch (day 11) / Breakfast & Dinner (day 12)
Day 13: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - Tour Ends
Our Botswana Wildlife Safari Adventure comes to a close after breakfast in Zimbabwe today.
We transfer you to the airport in Victoria Falls for your onward flight, or you can spend a few extra days exploring the Adventure Capital of Africa after your tour.
Meals: Breakfast
Please Note:
This is the updated 2015 tour itinerary for departures in 2015. For the 2014 tour itinerary please contact African Budget Safaris.
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