Simply Botswana

Your Botswana adventure begins on the western boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the remnants of an ancient super lake that covered Africa many millennia ago. Check in at London Heathrow for your overnight flight to Johannesburg. From here you’ll connect with an onward flight to Maun where you’ll be met and taken by light aircraft to your camp.

Meno A Kwena sits on the banks of the permanent Boteti River which, during the dry season, becomes a magnet for a wide array of wildlife. Watch antelope, desert elephants, zebra, wildebeest, leopard, lion and cheetah from the comfort of your private veranda or head out on guided drives, bush walks and boat trips. Days trips into the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park reveal a striking landscape dominated by shimmering expanses of crusted salt studded with baobabs. During the rainy season the pans flood and attract a mini migration of zebra and wildebeest following ancient migration routes – an unpredictable but truly fascinating event. Other activities include visits to the local village and cultural walks with Kalahari Bushmen.

Stay: Three nights at Meno A Kwena – full board

Your journey now brings you to the watery wonderland that is the Okavango Delta, whose expansive lagoons and flood plains stand in sharp contrast to the dry Kalahari Desert that surrounds it. A light aircraft will take you to the Jao concession and your camp for the next two nights. Activities here are based on exploring the delta in traditional dugout canoes called “mokoro”, but you’ll also be able to get out and explore on foot. As you paddle along through papyrus reeds and water lilies in search of wildlife, you’ll be amazed by the breath-taking wilderness that surrounds you. You’ll be in a great spot to see the elusive sitatunga – an antelope endemic to the region – as well as elephant, hippo, lechwe, crocodiles and plenty of birds.

Stay: Two nights at Pelo Camp – full board

Today you’ll move, via light aircraft, to Mapula Lodge in a wild and pristine northern corner of the Okavango Delta. The surrounding concession is made up of more than 220,000 acres of dry savannah, riverine forests, seasonal floodplains and permanent waterways. An incredible variety of habitats that together support everything from sitatunga antelope to large herds of buffalo, numerous big cats, wild dogs and interesting birds like the endangered wattled crane and elusive Pel’s fishing owl. Enjoy a mix of land and water-based safaris.

Stay: Two nights at Mapula Lodge – full board

Today your Okavango Delta exploration comes to an end, and you’ll catch a light aircraft flight back to Maun. A connecting flight will take you to Johannesburg, and a further overnight flight back to London.