Botswana in Depth (Reverse)
Trip Length |
Trip Code |
| 13 days | PFBDR |
Activities |
|
| Wildlife (Easy) | |
Maximum Passengers |
|
| 8 people | |
Countries Visited |
|
| Botswana, Zimbabwe | |
Start City |
End City |
| Maun, Botswana | Victoria Falls |
Visit the amazing wilderness reserves and national parks of Botswana on this outstanding semi-luxury camping safari
Why we love it:
- The chance to see giraffe, kudu, impala, baboon, hippo, crocodile, warthog, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, spotted hyena, jackal, zebra, elephant, lion, cheetah and even the elusive leopard!
- Go on safari in Nxai Pan National Park, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park
- Glide through the tranquil waterways of the Okavango Delta in a mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) before setting up camp on the banks of the river
- Spot wildlife around the waters of the Savuti Channel - flowing again for the first time in 29 years.
- Enjoy relaxing periods between safaris where you can snooze, journal, read a book or simply take in the magnificent views.
- Semi-luxury accommodation means you don't need to bring anything. We'll provide dome tents and all bedding including mattresses, sheets, sleeping bags and blankets.
- Plenty of optional activities in Victoria Falls. Kick start your adventure with the adrenaline rush of bungee jumping or white water rafting!
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1: Maun
Activities:
- Today is arrival day in Maun. You'll be met at the airport and taken to your accommodation, where you'll meet the rest of your group.
- The rest of the day is spent at your leisure.
Day 2-3: Nxai Pan
Travel time: 4 hours (approx)
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Activities:
- This morning we leave Maun to enter Nxai Pan National Park where we’ll spend two nights enjoying afternoon and morning safaris.
- Expect plenty of wildlife spotting with the park known for its large herds of springbok and giraffe. You might see blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, red hartebeest and greater kudu too as well as predators such as spotted hyena, jackal, cheetah, leopard, lion and the elusive brown hyena.
- One of the features of the park is the famous Baines baobab – a unique clump of five baobab trees captured on canvas in 1862 by renowned painter Sir Thomas Baines.
Day 4: Maun
Travel time: 4 hours (approx)
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Activities:
- This morning we head back to our campsite located just out of Maun township and enjoy a relaxing afternoon before we have dinner in the camp.
- Optional activity: Take an hour-long light aircraft flight from Maun over the Okavango Delta. See waterways, channels, islands covered with palm trees, hippo trails in the shallow water, elephants and the occasional giraffe and buffalo.
Additional note: You'll be flying in a small aircraft (usually a 5-seater) and conditions can be bumpy. If you're prone to motion sickness, we recommend taking a preventative tablet.
Day 5: Okavango Delta
Travel time: 3 hours (approx); excursion times variable
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Activities:
- This morning we’ll begin to see several species of wildlife as we approach the life-sustaining waters of the Okavango Delta.
- We’ll take a 'mokoro' (traditional dugout canoe) excursion through the Okavango Delta, perhaps the greatest inland waterway in the world.
- Your mokoro guide will choose a suitable place to set up camp and you can relax under a tree overlooking the river while lunch is prepared and camp is being set up.
- Spend the afternoon relaxing and admiring the beautiful views of the Delta.
- During the evening your guides will share stories around the fire while you relax and take in the unique sounds of the African bush.
What to bring: You just need a small daypack today, and the remaining luggage will be locked securely at the main campsite.
Day 6-8: Moremi Game Reserve - Khwai River
Travel time: 3 hours (approx); excursion times variable
Meals included: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
Activities:
- Over the next few days it's time for some big game spotting. We'll spend most of the day on safari, with plenty of time to reflect and relax in the evenings.
- The Okavango is a unique ecosystem, situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world – the Kalahari Basin. This wetland lies like an oasis in an otherwise inhospitable landscape. The vegetation is lush, but very fragile and the wildlife is some of the very best in Africa.
- Explore the Okavango Delta by powerboat, searching for the elusive sitatunga antelope. You'll also get the chance to see elephant, buffalo, antelope and even wild dogs (Cape hunting dogs).
- Our game drives usually take place from sunrise until late morning and again from mid to late afternoon until sunset. These are the cooler times of the day when the animals tend to be the most active. There are no guarantees but there’s a great chance of coming across giraffe, kudu, impala, baboon, hippo and crocodile in the waterways, tsessebe, warthog, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, spotted hyena, jackal, zebra, elephant, Cape buffalo, and hopefully lion, cheetah and even the elusive leopard!
- In the hotter hours of the day we return to camp for a hearty brunch and a few hours of relaxation. Feel free to snooze, chat, write in your diaries, look over your photos and generally enjoy the peace of the African bush.
- After our afternoon game drive, we’ll enjoy dinner around the campfire, listening to the unique and intriguing soundtrack of the African wilderness after dark.
Day 9-10: Savuti
Travel time: 5 hours (approx); excursion times variable
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Activities:
- Rise and shine for an early start today, with a five-hour drive to the southern reaches of Chobe National Park - the Savuti Marsh. Located in the southwestern corner of the park, the well-known Savuti includes the shallow basin of the Mababe Depression, which is now the dry bed of an ancient lake.
- For the first time in 29 years, the Savuti Channel is flowing again, and the wildlife is thriving. Water is the fountain of life here, and there’ll be great photographic opportunities around the waterholes.
- Our activities over the next two days will be based around the water points with plenty to see as we drive between them too. We’ll start the day with early morning game drives followed by lunch, a siesta and then out for an afternoon drive in search of animal life before we retire to our base for some well-earned R&R!
Day 11-12: Chobe National Park
Travel time: 5 hours (approx); game drive times variable
Meals included: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
Activities:
- Another early start today, with a long scenic drive to our next Chobe National Park destination - the Serondella River Valley where we’ll be spending two nights.
- Animal lovers are in for a treat with elephants, buffaloes, zebras, kudus, rare pukus, hippos, lions and leopards coming out to play. As Botswana's third largest reserve, Chobe is as famous for its wildlife as it is for spectacular sunsets and scenery.
- This afternoon we kick back and relax on a river cruise, ideal for spotting bird life such as saddle-billed storks, malachite kingfishers, fish eagles and beautiful bee-eaters as well as hippos, crocodiles and families of elephants drinking at the river’s edge.
Day 13: Victoria Falls
Travel time: 2 hours (approx) not including time spent at border
Meals included: 1 breakfast
Activities:
- This morning we leave Botswana and enter Zimbabwe at the Kazungula border post. From Kazungula we make the short journey to the town of Victoria Falls.
- Our African adventure ends upon arrival in Victoria Falls town or at the airport in the mid-morning.
Additional notes: Please do not book a flight out of Victoria Falls that leaves before 1.00pm as we might not be back in time. Additional accommodation and transfers can be pre-booked (at additional cost) if you would like to extend your stay in Victoria Falls.
Your Trip
Extend your holiday
Many of our trips have extensions which can easily be added to the end of your existing itinerary:
PFVX - Vic Falls ExtensionPFVC - Vic Falls & Chobe Extension
What's Included
- An experienced, English-speaking local Peregrine leader
- Camp cook who will prepare all your delicious meals. Please let us know ahead of time if you have any dietary requirements.
- Transfer from the airport to your first night's accommodation
- Semi-luxury accommodation, in a two-man dome tent that is completely insect proof. Mattresses, sheets, sleeping bags and blankets are also provided.
- All meals and drinks (including alcoholic beverages)
- Transport
- Game activities and entrance fees
Non-included Meals
Most meals are included on your trip. However, sometimes we think you'll benefit from getting out and discovering the local cuisine. So when a meal is not included, it's a great opportunity to try something new. Ask your leader for tips on where to get the best meal, or you might decide to dine out as a group and experience the fun together.
Not Included
- Airport departure taxes
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Laundry - but there will be opportunity to do some hand-washing in the camps where we stay for two or more nights.
- Optional tours or activities during free time
- Tips - this is something to consider, and it might be worthwhile speaking to your group about making a group contribution at the end of the trip
- Personal items
- Daily budget
Optional Extras
We have chosen some great optional activities to enhance your travel experience. You will need to cover any additional costs yourself. Speak to your leader if you are interested in any of the following:
- Victoria Falls - Bungy jumping
US$115 - Victoria Falls - Full-day white water rafting
US$120 (+ US$15 for park fees to be paid at check in point) - Victoria Falls - Half-day elephant back safari
US$120 - Victoria Falls - River boarding
US$150
What to know
VaccinationsVaccinations may be required for this trip. Talk to your doctor about the up-to-date information for this region.
Visas and PermitsIt is your responsibility to ensure you have all required visas for your trip. Rules and regulations governing the issuance of visas are constantly changing, and vary for different nationalities and you should check visa requirements with your travel agent or relevant consular authority well before travel.
Botswana
Australians, Americans, Canadians, British and New Zealanders do not currently require a visa for Botswana. For other nationalities that do require a visa to enter into Botswana, this is no longer able to be purchased upon arrival. Visa will need to be pre-arranged - please contact your travel agent for assistance.
Zimbabwe
Australians, Americans, Canadians, British and New Zealanders currently require a visa for Zimbabwe. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your travel agent. For trips to Zimbabwe you may require either a single or double entry visa. Both single and double entry visas are obtainable on arrival currently costing between US$30 and US$60 (depending on nationality).
If you choose to travel to the Zambian side of Victoria Falls your Zimbabwe visa will not expire as long as you do not spend the night out of Zimbabwe.
You are required to have travel insurance before heading off on a Peregrine trip. Insurance can be organised by your Peregrine representative or your travel agent.
Responsible Travel
Our Responsible Travel ethos is at the heart of everything we do, from getting the basics right like respecting local cultures and the environment, to initiating projects that make positive contributions to communities, to our staff’s fundraising efforts and offsetting our carbon emissions.
Please visit our Responsible Travel (http://www.peregrineadventures.com/rt) page for more information.
Our Pre Departure Information packs (provided upon booking a trip) provide tips on how you can show respect for the local customs and culture in the country you are travelling in.
The information listed above is a brief description of some things you may need to consider when booking a trip. Once a tour is booked you will be provided with a Pre Departure Information pack which will contain detailed information.
Further Reading
BotswanaBotswana-Lonely Planet
The Guide to Botswana-Alec Campbell
Birds of Southern Africa-Newman
The Chobe-Bruce Aitken
The Lost World of the Kalahari-Laurence Van der Post
Okavango-Sea of Land, Land of Water-Bannister & Johnston
Zimbabwe Lonely Planet
Travel & Adventure in South East Africa-F.C. Selous
Birds of Southern Africa-Newman
The Mammals of Zimbabwe, Zambia & Malawi Smithers
Important Information
The accommodation is in two-man dome tents that are totally insect-proof. There are mattresses, sheets, sleeping bags and blankets provided. Guests are expected to help with putting up and breaking down of the camp; however, there is a cook along to help with the food and general chores around the camp. There is a hand basin per tent and shared bucket shower and toilet per 8 clients. There is no lighting in the tents and so it is advisable that all guests bring flash lights with them. Please note there are no laundry services available whilst camping, but sometimes when we stay at a campsite for at least two consecutive nights, there may be the opportunity to do some hand-washing.
It is a legal requirement that all passengers participating in this trip, fill in an indemnity form on day one of the tour. Passengers will not be able to continue with the tour if this form is not completed. Please contact Peregrine Adventures if you would like a copy of this form before you travel.
About this Information
The information provided here is given in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, things change and some of the information may become out of date. Please keep this in mind when you read it and check with us if you want to be sure about something. The document was correct at time of printing, but you can check online for the most up to date version. If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent or our staff in Australia. We are here to help you!
Last Updated
23 April 2012