Mobile Safari: Visit Highlights Botswana on a budget

Day 1:

Kasane – Chobe National Park

The safari vehicle will collect you from the Zimbabwean border at 11am and will then proceed to Kasane to meet any other guests at Kalahari Tours and Coffee Buzz at 12.30pm. Spend the afternoon on a game drive in Chobe National Park which is world renowned for large herds of elephant. The Chobe River Front boasts an impressive bio-diversity of species including Lion, Hippo, Buffalo and Puku, Wild Dog and Sable Antelope

Arrive early for a Chobe Boat Cruise from Kalahari Tours (additional cost) and meet the rest of the group at 12.30pm.

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Day 2:

Chobe National Park - Savute

Chobe to Savute is approximately a 4-6 hour drive via the village of Kachikau. From here we drive on 4×4 tracks through the Chobe Forest Reserve via Gcoha Gate. We arrive in Savute around midday for lunch. A dominant feature of Savute is the Hills, one of which has a few preserved San Bushmen paintings which are easily accessible on your afternoon game drive. Savute has a healthy population of leopard who live on the hills & the best time to see them is either first or last light. The Savute Channel now flows into the marsh for the first time in over 30 years turning the Savute Marsh into a veritable paradise for birds and animals.

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Day 3:

Savute – Moremi Game Reserve

Departing Savute early morning, the drive takes 4-5 hours but is hugely dependent on local conditions and arrive in Moremi around midday for lunch. You will spend the afternoon on Game Drive. Moremi area is one of the most beautiful and varied reserves found on the African continent with huge diversity of wildlife and incredibly beautiful scenery. We camp for the night in either the Khwai, Xakanaxa, 3rd Bridge or South Gate area. The campsite for the night will be in the Moremi Game Reserve or the surrounding community managed wildlife management area.

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Day 4:

Moremi Game Reserve - Maun

Moremi Game Reserve to Maun is approximately a 4-5 hour drive. The safari packs up & leaves camp following an early morning game drive and will enjoy a picnic lunch en-route to Maun arriving mid to late afternoon.

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Day 5:

Maun – Okavango Delta

Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Today we venture out into the ‘Delta’ in mekoros (dug-out canoes) experiencing the myriads of waterways and secret lagoons. The mekoros are poled by polers from the local villages. The Delta is a huge inland water system dotted with thousands of islands that are a haven for a diverse array of wildlife. This is a unique environment where dry land and water collides. The group will leave Maun early morning and spend 3-4 hrs. In the delta and return to Maun between 2-3pm.

Optional activities include a scenic flight over the Okavango Delta in a fixed wing aeroplane or helicopter. Alternatively a horse ride can be arranged. A scenic flight is highly recommended as it gives you a bird’s eye view of the Okavango Delta.

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Day 6:

Maun - Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

From Maun we travel to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans approximately a 4-6 hour drive – vast shimmering salt flats on the edge of the Kalahari basin. The highlights of the Makgadikgadi vary dependent on the season and local conditions.  The safari goes in search of the zebra migration along the Boteti River or will explore Nxai Pan famous for the movie “Roar Lions of the Kalahari“. The last night is spent sleeping out under a blanket of stars.

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Day 7:

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans – Kasane

The drive from the pans to Kasane is approx 350km which takes roughly 4-6 hrs. This is a transfer to reach the Zimbabwe border at approximately 1 pm and back in Kasane Kalahari Tours Office at 2 pm. The safari will pack in the morning and head for Kasane via Nata. We pass through an agricultural area known as Pandamatenga, which is the only crop producing area in Botswana. Look out for elephant and sable antelope between Pandamatenga and Kasane.

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Typical day on safari

In the early morning you pack your tent independently and bring it with your luggage to the vehicle. In the meantime, your guide and cook will prepare breakfast and it will slowly light up. After the dishes have been washed and all things are stowed in the vehicle, you can either go on a game drive or drive to your next destination. If you are moving to another camp, you should be able to do so around noon. Upon arrival, lunch will be served and you will set up your own tents, bush toilet and shower. After the camp is set up and you are strengthened, you will go on safari in the afternoon. Shortly after sunset you will return to the camp and relax by the campfire until dinner is served under a starry sky at around 8pm.

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