Rivers, Reserves & the Roar of Victoria Falls

Day 2

Breakfast at your leisure

Chauffeur transfer provided to OR Tambo International Airport in time for:

Departure flight from Johannesburg - 2 hour flying time.

Arrive Maun International Airport. Complete Immigration and Custom formalities. 

Connect to:

Departure scheduled light aircraft flight from Maun to camp airstrip. Met on arrival and shared road transfer provided to camp.

Afternoon game viewing as per the camp - The game viewing in the area around Sable Alley is fantastic, and you’ll find lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo all in close proximity as well as a multi-colored array of birdlife.

There’s never a bad time to visit Sable Alley (really). There’s something different in every season but, most importantly, the wildlife is out-of-this-world excellent all year round. Resident hippo splash in the inland pools, elephant and buffalo herds are hard to miss, and you’re never more than a few whiskers away from a lion pride.

Dinner at the lodge

Day 3

• Morning, afternoon and evening game drives in the diverse landscapes of the 200,000 hectare Khwai Private Reserve.

• Pole through the tranquil waterways on a mokoro (dugout canoe) excursion or boat trip and marvel at the beauty of the area from a different perspective (water levels permitting).

• Lace up your boots and embark on a guided game walk along the banks of the Khwai River.

It’s no secret that Khwai was formerly a hunting concession. Natural Selection, has been working hard to transform the area into a safari destination of note, spending a full year tracking wildlife in the area and habituating the animals to our vehicles. Like other concessions in the Okavango region, we’ve witnessed how wildlife sightings swiftly turn around within two or three years of hunting stopping, and today you could go on a single game drive and see more than 50 different species. That’s how they know they have done a good job.

First up, the predators – and there are plenty of them in Khwai. Keep a lookout for leopard, lion, cheetah and wild dog, concealed from unsuspecting antelope in the grassy bushes. Then you’ll see hundred-strong herds of buffalo barrelling across the landscape, and enormous herds of elephants, trunks swinging and ears flapping. Lastly, keep a lookout for the smaller animals: impala drinking tentatively from pools, baboons shouting from trees, and sable and roan antelope, seemingly posing for your camera.

Day 4

Morning and afternoon/evening game viewing

Formerly known as NG18, Khwai Private Reserve is 200,000 hectares of pristine wilderness. That’s three times the size of South Africa’s Sabi Sands – and 300 times more private! The reserve itself is within Botswana’s most talked about region, the Okavango Delta. It actually sits just to the north east of the Delta, adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, and the landscape is one of the most diverse we’ve come across. Think mopane clusters jostling for space with riverine forest, acacia woodland, seasonal waterholes and winding channels leading from the mighty Khwai River. We think you might quite like it.

They have chosen a rather lovely spot for Sable Alley, right on the banks of a wildlife-spotted lagoon. The water is home to up to 35 harrumphing hippo and is a favorite drinking spot for elephant and buffalo. How’s that for game viewing without even leaving your room?

Day 5

Morning game viewing activities as per the lodge

Shared transfer provided to the airstrip, in time for your flight

Departure scheduled light aircraft flight from camp to camp airstrip. Met on arrival and shared road transfer provided to Dukes camp for  "serious safari panache in an unfiltered African wilderness". Duke’s Camp draws its inspiration from the crystal-clear channels of the Okavango Delta, which wind sinuously around this permanent camp.

Afternoon/evening game viewing as per the camp - Wilderness on the doorstep. This unfenced camp offers front-row seats to the Okavango Delta. With glorious views over a flood plain and seasonal lagoon. Located in one of Africa’s most game-rich and beautiful concessions, you’ll enjoy one-of-a-kind wildlife encounters that will be etched in your memory for years to come.

Dinner at the lodge

Day 6

Morning and afternoon into evening game drives, explore the pristine private concession home to a rich array of wildlife including healthy populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, and elephant. A highlight of any visit to the Delta is sighting the semi-aquatic red lechwe and rare sitatunga antelope

Duke’s Camp is open year-round, with each season offering its own unique character and opportunities for adventure in the Okavango Delta. Arguably the best time to visit is between April and October, and these dry winter months are peak season in the Okavango Delta. Though they are the ‘dry’ months – because rainfall is almost unheard of – there is water everywhere!

Immerse yourself in the wilderness with game drives, mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions, fishing, and sunset boat trips. Scenic helicopter flights and rock art visits are also available, at additional cost.  The camp boasts some of the best safari guides in the business; trained by the safari legend Ralph Bousfield.

Day 7

Morning and afternoon into evening game drives, explore the pristine private concession home to a rich array of wildlife including healthy populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, and elephant. A highlight of any visit to the Delta is sighting the semi-aquatic red lechwe and rare sitatunga antelope.

Glide through crystal-clear channels on a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) safari, as expert guides introduce you to the remarkable fauna and flora of the Delta. Note that mokoro activities are subject to the annual floodwaters, and in dry years may be restricted or curtailed from October to January.

This diverse habitat is also exceptional in its ability to sustain a diversity of wildlife, from healthy populations of herbivores to leopard, lion, African wild dog and smaller carnivores including serval and caracal. In fact, this corner of the Okavango Delta is said to have some of the highest concentrations of lions in the Delta. The Okavango Delta is a haven for birders, with more than 350 species spotted in the region. While the arrival of northern hemisphere migrants makes summer the best time for birding, twitchers will be mesmerized year-round.

The Tsodilo Hills is a fascinating World Heritage Site that is located  just 30 minutes flight away by helicopter (additional cost applies). The Tsodilo Hills have a special significance to the Bushmen who have been living here for thousands of years. With over 4,500 individual paintings, Tsodilo is a treasure trove of ancient rock art with some of the highest concentrations in the world dating back between 800 to 1300 AD.  A half day helicopter trip should be booked in advance to spend a morning exploring these Hills and their paintings.

Enjoy unforgettable sunset from both land and water.

Scenic helicopter flights offer an entirely new perspective of the Okavango Delta. (Additional cost).

Day 8

Morning game viewing activities as per the lodge

Shared transfer provided to the airstrip, in time for your flight

Departure scheduled light aircraft flight from camp to Kasane (complete immigration formalities) and continue onto Victoria Falls.

On arrival at Victoria Falls International airport, complete immigration and custom formalities.

Met by your driver for shared transfer to the lodge - about 40 minutes.  Situated on the banks of the Zambezi River, the lodge is close to the famous Victoria Falls that one can see the spray in the distance.

This afternoon sit back and let the gentle ebb and flow of the Zambezi lull and relax you. Join in on Mother Nature’s Happiest Hour by sipping on a sun-downer in whilst viewing her creatures, big and small, coming to the water’s edge to lap at its liquid life under molten skies.

Dinner at the lodge

Day 9

This morning you have a choice of activity - discuss the options with your guide.

SUNRISE ZAMBEZI RIVER CRUISE - Watch – from the comfort of Victoria Falls River Lodge’s private river cruiser – as the world awakes and the sun’s first rays skip and dance across the shimmering surface of the mighty Zambezi. A truly revitalizing way to start any day!

MORNING GAME DRIVE -  For the ultimate victoria falls safari experience, head out in a game-viewer to explore the 150,000 acres that make up the Zambezi National Park. Armed with hot beverages and a delicious supply of traditionally baked ‘rusks’, be the first to catch the ‘bush telegraphs’ early broadcast of the previous night’s events.

Return to the lodge for breakfast.

Take a tour of Victoria Falls with experienced guides. A visit to the iconic Victoria Falls is a truly awe-inspiring experience. Reaching its apex in around May of each year, it remains a magnificent sight all year round. Nothing can quite prepare visitors for the shear splendour of the breath-taking spectacle which is one of Africa’s most famous landmarks.

There is not much that can compare to the heady fragrance of drenched earth and sun-kissed Rainforest foliage; the intense power of the wall of water – its deafening rumble coursing through your veins – or letting the cooling and constant spray of “the Smoke that Thunders” saturate the senses…

Return to the lodge and enjoy an afternoon activity, as offered by the lodge.

Dinner at the lodge