Wilderness Dawning is a privately-owned safari company based in Maun, Botswana and Johannesburg, South Africa.
11 DAY SAFARI – VICTORIA FALLS TO OKAVANGO DELTA
Eleven Days, Three Wonderfully Wild Landscapes…
ELEVEN DAYS, THREE VERY DIFFERENT WILDERNESSES AND ONE SPECTACULAR WAY TO CONNECT THEM. THIS JOURNEY STARTS WITH THE THUNDERING VICTORIA FALLS BEFORE HEADING INTO BOTSWANA’S WILDLIFE-RICH NORTH, FROM THE ELEPHANT-PACKED BANKS OF THE CHOBE RIVER TO THE DRY, OPEN LANDSCAPES OF SAVUTI AND FINALLY THE WATERWAYS AND FLOODPLAINS OF THE OKAVANGO DELTA.
Along the way, you’ll move between comfortable lodges and fully serviced camps beneath the African sky, with an experienced guide taking care of everything in between. Days are spent following wildlife through some of Botswana’s most remarkable landscapes, while evenings are made for open fires, good food, conversation and a blanket of stars.
The route ends at Thamo Telele Lodge just outside Maun, where you can cool off beside the pool, meet the resident giraffe herd and ease back into civilisation before your flight home.
Scheduled departures – minimum 2 and maximum 8 guests, with your own vehicle and an experienced professional guide throughout. Accommodation is lodge accommodation in Victoria Falls and at Thamo Telele, Chobe Noka on the Chobe River, and fully serviced mobile camping in Savuti and the Okavango Delta. The safari starts at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and ends in Maun, Botswana.
DAYS 1 – 3
Victoria Falls and the Chobe River
Day 1 – Arrival in Victoria Falls
Welcome to Victoria Falls – and to the start of your safari. You can arrive at any time today, with an airport transfer included if required. Your guide will meet you at the lodge at 6pm for a welcome meeting before the adventure begins.
Tonight you’ll stay at Batonka Guest Lodge, Pioneer Lodge or Shongwe, all comfortable accommodation surrounded by beautiful gardens. If you arrive early, there are plenty of optional activities to get you into the spirit of things, from white-water rafting and canoeing to sundowner cruises on the Zambezi.
Accommodation: (D) Batonka Guest Lodge, Pioneer Lodge or Shongwe
Day 2 – Victoria Falls to Chobe River
This morning, you’ll cross from Zimbabwe into Botswana at the Kazungula border before continuing to Chobe Noka for lunch. Your first safari begins in the late afternoon as you head into Chobe National Park, renowned for its exceptional elephant sightings. You’ll explore in specially adapted open-sided Land Cruisers, giving you an unobstructed view of the bush as you settle into safari mode and start looking for the wildlife that makes this region so special.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Chobe Noka – or Similar
Day 3 – Chobe River
An early start takes you along the southern bank of the Chobe River, looking out for bushbuck, puku and the many other species that call this wildlife-rich region home. With wildlife in such abundance, there’s plenty to keep an eye out for. In the afternoon, it’s time to swap four wheels for a boat and see the Chobe from a completely different perspective. Elephants, lions, leopards and wild dogs may all appear along the riverbanks, while the birdlife is equally impressive, with kingfishers and fish eagles among the regulars.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Chobe Noka – or similar
DAYS 4 – 6
Savuti, Chobe National Park
Day 4 – Chobe River to Savuti
Today, you’ll head south into Savuti, a landscape of wide-open plains, rolling grasslands and dry marshes shaped by the unpredictable Savuti Channel. After remaining dry for many years, the channel began flowing again in 2008 and has since settled into a more seasonal pattern. Despite its changing nature, Savuti remains rich in wildlife. Keep watch for elephants, lions and, with luck, leopards, while lilac-breasted rollers and kori bustards provide plenty of reasons to look skywards.
Tonight, you’ll camp in spacious Meru-style tents, fully set up with comfortable beds, bedding and duvets, plus private open-air en-suite facilities. Your dedicated support team takes care of the cooking, cleaning and camp set-up, leaving you free to concentrate on the safari.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
Day 5 – Savuti
Today is all about exploring Savuti on morning and afternoon game drives. There’s also a chance to climb one of the area’s hills to see ancient San rock paintings – a reminder that people have been drawn to this wilderness for generations. Back on the game drives, the search continues for Savuti’s famously large elephant bulls and lion prides, with the ever-changing landscape providing a spectacular backdrop.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
Day 6 – Savuti
Coffee and birdsong rouse you this morning before breakfast and another day in the wilderness. After the excitement of the game drive, settle in for a meal prepared over the open fire, before the campfire draws everyone back together as evening falls. With no need to rush, this is safari at its most relaxed: time in the bush, time around the fire and plenty of space to simply take in where you are.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
DAYS 7 – 11
Moremi, the Okavango Delta and Maun
Day 7 – Savuti to Moremi
This morning, you’ll travel over dirt roads towards the Xakanaxa area or Khwai, both important parts of the eastern Okavango Delta. Here, dry land rises between vast wetlands, with clear waterways winding through mopane and apple-leaf woodlands. Game viewing takes you alongside waterways and floodplains, where giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and an astonishing variety of birdlife may appear. For the next three nights, you’ll wild camp within the reserve, right in the heart of this remarkable wilderness.
Your dedicated crew handles camp set-up, breakdown and meals, leaving you free to relax and immerse yourself in the surroundings. At night, fall asleep to the sounds of the bush – perhaps the distant grunt of a hippo – and wake surrounded by wilderness.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
Day 8 – Moremi
Wake to the smell of coffee and a rusk before heading out as the first rays of sunlight warm the bush. Today’s game drives follow the banks of the Okavango, keeping watch for wildlife slowly waking from its slumber. You’ll also explore the Delta’s clear channels, lagoons and rivers by boat, moving through crystal-clear waterways lined with African mangosteen and waterberry trees, with great swathes of papyrus swaying in the breeze.
Birdlife is prolific, with kingfishers, fish eagles, ducks and pygmy geese regularly seen, while tiny painted reed frogs cling to the papyrus and water lilies line the riverbanks. There’s little to compare with the tranquillity of drifting through these twisting channels.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
Day 9 – Moremi
Today features two game drives as you explore the Moremi Game Reserve, a spectacular wilderness of waterways, floodplains and islands. The morning drive may reveal hippos, crocodiles and abundant birdlife, with the rare sitatunga also a possibility. For birders, this is particularly rewarding territory, with fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, storks, egrets, weavers and bee-eaters among the species regularly seen.
After brunch, the midday heat is yours to enjoy as you please. Take a siesta, settle down with a good book or continue birdwatching around camp before heading out again in the afternoon. Game drives vary from day to day, depending on animal movements and sightings, with your guide taking a patient, unhurried approach to wildlife viewing.
Accommodation: (B, L, D) Private Campsite – Fully Serviced Meru Tents
Day 10 – Moremi to Maun
This morning, you’ll make the leisurely drive out of Moremi, keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way, before arriving at Thamo Telele Lodge just outside Maun. Set among leadwood and acacia trees, the lodge is home to a resident herd of giraffe and offers a welcome change of pace after your days in the bush. Spend the early afternoon at leisure, perhaps exploring the self-guided walking trails or cooling off beside the pool.
Tonight, you’ll sleep in safari-style tents raised on wooden platforms, with en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers and twin beds that can be converted into doubles.
Accommodation: (B) Thamo Telele
Day 11 – Departure
Enjoy a final breakfast before your safari comes to an end. There’s no planned activity today, so you’re free to depart whenever suits your schedule. If your flight is later in the day, a complimentary transfer to Maun International Airport is available.
Or, if you’re not quite ready to leave the bush behind, stay on a little longer.
INCLUDED
• Use of specially modified 4×4 vehicles.
• Professional guide and back-up crew.
• Fully serviced, non-participation camping in private campsites.
• Camping equipment.
• Meals as specified (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner).
• Local soft drinks, wine and beer while camping.
• Accommodation on a shared basis.
• Botswana National Parks and Game Reserves entrance fees.
• Open-vehicle game drives in all national parks and reserves.
• Lodge accommodation where specified.
EXCLUDED
• All international airfares.
• Optional activities in Maun and Victoria Falls.
• Gratuities and personal expenses.
• Visa fees and departure taxes.
• Victoria Falls entrance fee.
• Travel insurance (compulsory).
• Pre- and post-tour accommodation and transfers.
A Community, Conservation and Reserve (CCR) Fee is charged in addition to the safari rate and will be added to the invoice. This non-refundable, net non-commissionable fee applies to all guests, including children aged 6 years and older. The full amount, together with the 1.5% turnover contribution, goes directly towards conservation and community initiatives, including anti-poaching patrols, wildlife monitoring, community upliftment, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, land management and conservation education.
All accommodation is en-suite. Park fees and bed levies are statutory rates and subject to change without prior notice at the discretion of the Botswana Government. Departures are operated on an exclusive-use basis.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Wilderness Dawning WhatsApp (+267) 7179 1225
Craig Nesbitt WhatsApp (27) 84 805 4459 & (267) 73 893 671