Botswana is an exciting destination, with about 80% of the country is covered by Kalahari Sands. Located in these sands is the Okavango Delta and River systems to the north including Kwando, Linyathi and Chobe River systems. The abundant water offers a haven for both flora and fauna and is renowned for its great beauty and diversity. Botswana has a rich mix of African cultures the largest tribal group being the Botswana forming about 50% of the population. The original inhabitants some 2000 years ago were the San Bushmen. A fascinating Kalahari safari experience with these most ancient of all people is almost a ‘must do’ in your itinerary. Plains of Africa have hand picked the best destination in Botswana to suite a variety of tastes. Take a look at some of them here
Climate
Botswana can be visited at any time of the year – summers are generally hot and winters mild with a few cold spells. Seasons: High July 1 to October 31; Shoulder: March 1 to June 30 & November/December 1 to 31
Places Of Interest To Explore! SAFARI HOTSPOTS!
Chobe National Park – Famous for large herds of elephant along the Chobe river, excellent birding and game viewing. There are a number of lodges in the northern section at Kasane However, service and standards are varied and it tends to be touristy. Traveling into the Savuti region situated in the heart of the park along the Mababe depression is excellent for predators and other game and more of a rugged wilderness experience.
Magadikgadi National Park – 140,000 sq kilometer ancient sea, formed approx. two million years ago is renown for its beauty and incredible vistas. It is a major breeding site for greater and lesser flamingos. The western grasslands are home to huge herds of migrating zebra and wildebeest and lion prides between February and March.
Moremi Game Reserve – Situated on the Eastern edge of the Okavango Delta offers a wide diversity of habitats and species of wild game and has become a popular tourist destination. Best game viewing time is from April to October.
Okavango Delta – a vast 15,000 square kilometer wetland oasis in the heart of the Kalahari sands. A mired of flood plains, lagoons, islands, a tropical paradise with incredible wildlife and bird life viewing. Exclusive camps and lodges in magnificent settings, a must do!
Tsodilo Hills – In the remote northern western part of the Kalahari is a group of four isolated hills. Among these 800 million old hills are more than 4000 rock paintings by the ancestors of the san people and have deep mythological and religious value. Some paintings are older than 2000 years. A unique and fascinating experience to hike up into the hills and exploring the ancient rock art.
WHAT TO DO?
Culture – a wide diversity of tribal peoples with their interesting traditions and ceremonies reflecting their heritage. Special focus on the Kalahari Bushmen.
Game Drives – these are operated in open vehicles, usually at dawn and dusk to seek out the most interesting wildlife. Night drives are also available in private reserves.
Makoro (Dugout canoe) Safaris – glide with your private poler through the delta in a traditional dugout canoe. A mokoro was used by the orginal inhabitants of the Okavango Delta. This is a quiet and slow way of travelling throught the shallow channals of the delta, relax and sit back and absorb the magical variety of birdlife, crystal clear waters and beauty of the lagoons and waterways.
Motor Boat Trips – These are used in the deeper channals that are too deep for mokoro’s giving acess to large laggoons. They are noiser and disturb the wildlife and their wake can be harmful in areas where there are nesting birds e.g. the african skimmers nest on sand bars/banks. Boat trips can be good providing they are run considerately – encourage your guide to go slowly, you will see so much more as a result.
Walking Safaris – there is no better way of getting really close to nature than this. Lead by experienced armed guides/rangers/trackers, walkers are able to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the bush in harmony with their surroundings.
MAMMALS
The Okavango Delta and surrounding reserves of Northern Botswana support one of the last assemblages of large, free ranging mammals. This includes African elephant, wild dog, tsessebe which occur in the greatest numbers than anywhere else in Africa. The reclusive and rare Sitatunga, an adapted swamp antelope, is found no where else south of the Zambezi . Lion, leopard and cheetah occur in good numbers.
The Northern Chobe /Caprivi river system is the only area in Botswana and in fact Southern Africa where one will find the Puku. This is also found with the red lechwe occur in small herds near water. The riverine habitats are good places to find the Chobe bushbuck with its marvelous colour and coat markings. The Chobe River has plenty hippo, crocodile, and the largest herds of elephant found anywhere in Africa. Sable and Roan antelope are a special especially in the woodland areas, or at pans and rivers when they come down to drink.
The Central Kalahari has specials like the desert lion, brown hyena, gembok and kudu are also common.
A wide variety of mammals occur in Botswana.
BIRDING HOTSPOTS
Did you know that Botswana hosts:
The single largest population (ca 20%) of Wattled Cranes in the world and over 60% of the world’s Slaty Egrets, both birds of global conservation concern?
Approximately 600 species found in a wide variety of habitats.
Situated in the Eastern Caprivi, Zambezi Province of Namibia, a narrow strip of country on the northern bank of the Chobe River, Chobe Savanna Lodge overlooks the vast floodplains of the Chobe National Park’s Puku Flats. The Chobe River is home to large herds of Elephant, Buffalo and Hippo, as well as dense concentrations of other wildlife – including the rare Puku antelope – which come down to the river’s edge to drink and graze.
WHERE TO STAY?
THE LODGE
The Lodge is set in a classic African Savanna environment of sweeping vistas. The focal point of the lodge is a thatched, open-sided main building that features a 270 degree view over the Chobe River and beyond to the Chobe National Park.
Attractive gardens featuring a secluded swimming pool further enhance the lodge’s enviable location. In addition to the scheduled game-viewing activities, the Lodge is also a perfect venue for guests to simply take time out to watch the natural world go by in one of the most spectacular settings imaginable.
ACCOMMODATION
A private and secluded safari experience is guaranteed as the Lodge accommodates only twenty six guests in beautifully furnished thatched chalets, each with a private deck, an integrated bedroom and lounge area and en-suite facilities. Every chalet is air-conditioned and has its own complimentary mini bar.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Guests are linked from one camp to the other by means of light aircraft. Ensuring the crucial links from the hubs of Maun and Kasane to the network of lodges and camps is performed with ease; All of properties are in close proximity to airfields and some of the lodges have their own private airstrips. Unless a private charter is requested and booked as such, your flight transfers have been booked on a ‘seat on plane’ basis. Flight times are arranged according to each day’s requirements to fit in with activities and the movements of all our travellers on any given day. Therefore, aircraft and the day’s scheduling may pick up and drop off other guests en route to your destination. Times will vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure. Flights to Kasane for the Chobe lodges and for Victoria Falls/Livingstone depart early to meet the scheduled road transfers; so early morning activities for guests departing on these flights could be curtailed. Should you wish, private charters can be arranged, in which case you will be the only guests in the plane and you may specify your departure times. We are happy to quote separately for private charters.
What to do?
ACTIVITIES & WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
As this is a water-based lodge, guests have a choice of aquatic activities. River excursions in small, easily manoeuvrable boats are ideal for close encounters with the wild visitors to the river’s edge. Fishing is also a popular pastime; our catch-and-release fishing trips for Bream or Tiger Fish are a firm favourite with guests of all ages. Those wishing to experience some of the local Namibian traditions will enjoy a cultural village visit to one of the surrounding communities, where one can observe the ancient heritage of the local people.
Chobe National Park is in northern Botswana near the vast, inland Okavango Delta. It’s known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, which converge along the Chobe Riverfront in the dry months. Lions, antelopes and hippos inhabit the woods and lagoons around Linyanti Marsh. The floodable grasslands of the Savuti Marsh attract numerous bird species, plus migrating zebras.
The Chobe Riverfront (or Serondela area) forms the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park. It has lush plains and dense forests as well as the renowned Chobe River which attracts huge numbers of elephants, buffalo and general wildlife.
Habitats found in the Park range from floodplains, mopane woodland, baobab trees and acacia woodlands, to verdant flood grasslands and thickets bordering the Chobe River.
The most remarkable feature of the Chobe National Park is its huge concentration of Elephants. This Park supports the largest surviving Elephant populations in the world, currently estimated to exceed 120,000. This population is dispersed throughout much of northern Botswana, as well as parts of north-western Zimbabwe. The Chobe Elephants are migratory, making seasonal movements of up to 200 kilometres in a circuit from the Chobe and Linyanti rivers, where they concentrate in the dry season, to the pans in the south-eastern region of the park, where they gather during the rainy season.
Chobe National Park is home to huge herds of Elephant, Buffalo, and Zebra. There are high densities of predators such as Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena and Cheetah. The park also hosts more unusual antelope species such as Roan and Sable, Puku, Tsessebe, Eland, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, and the rare Chobe Bushbuck. The better-known species such as Giraffe, Kudu, Warthog, Wildebeest and Impala also abound in the park.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
Chobe National Park is in northern Botswana near the vast, inland Okavango Delta.
It’s known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, which converge along the Chobe Riverfront in the dry months.
Lions, antelopes and hippos inhabit the woods and lagoons around Linyanti Marsh.
The floodable grasslands of the Savuti Marsh attract numerous bird species, plus migrating zebras.
Botswana is an exciting destination, with about 80% of the country is covered by Kalahari Sands. Located in these sands is the Okavango Delta and River systems to the north including Kwando, Linyathi and Chobe River systems. The abundant water offers a haven for both flora and fauna and is renowned for its great beauty and diversity. Botswana has a rich mix of African cultures the largest tribal group being the Botswana forming about 50% of the population. The original inhabitants some 2000 years ago were the San Bushmen.
Climate
Botswana can be visited at any time of the year – summers are generally hot and winters mild with a few cold spells. Seasons: High July 1 to October 31; Shoulder: March 1 to June 30 & November/December 1 to 31.
Places Of Interest To Explore! SAFARI HOTSPOTS!
Chobe National Park – Famous for large herds of elephant along the Chobe river, excellent birding and game viewing. There are a number of lodges in the northern section at Kasane However, service and standards are varied and it tends to be touristy. Traveling into the Savuti region situated in the heart of the park along the Mababe depression is excellent for predators and other game and more of a rugged wilderness experience.
Magadikgadi National Park – 140,000 sq kilometer ancient sea, formed approx. two million years ago is renown for its beauty and incredible vistas. It is a major breeding site for greater and lesser flamingos. The western grasslands are home to huge herds of migrating zebra and wildebeest and lion prides between February and March.
Moremi Game Reserve – Situated on the Eastern edge of the Okavango Delta offers a wide diversity of habitats and species of wild game and has become a popular tourist destination. Best game viewing time is from April to October.
Okavango Delta – a vast 15,000 square kilometer wetland oasis in the heart of the Kalahari sands. A mired of flood plains, lagoons, islands, a tropical paradise with incredible wildlife and bird life viewing. Exclusive camps and lodges in magnificent settings, a must do!
Tsodilo Hills – In the remote northern western part of the Kalahari is a group of four isolated hills. Among these 800 million old hills are more than 4000 rock paintings by the ancestors of the san people and have deep mythological and religious value. Some paintings are older than 2000 years. A unique and fascinating experience to hike up into the hills and exploring the ancient rock art.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park stretches away from the banks of the Boteti River, through its hinterland of scrub and grassland. The river and the nutrient-rich western grasslands supply the essential water and sustenance for the herds that inhabit the park.
The lodge is situated on the western bank of the Boteti River, which forms the boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. The Boteti River provides a lifeline for the wildlife which inhabit the arid national park and is a critical link in the annual zebra migration. The lodge is the perfect base from which to explore this truly unique piece of Botswana paradise.
The Zebra and Wildebeest herds migrate in their thousands to the river at the end of winter to access the water. The Makgadikgadi is a harsh, dry environment, suited to Oryx and Kudu, but the river provides a life-giving source of water for the Zebra and Wildebeest utilising the eastern grass plains. After the start of the rainy season, this desert area teems with wildlife as herds of Zebra and Wildebeest graze to their hearts’ content on the wide-open green grassland plains of the Makgadikgadi. During the wet season there is an influx of migratory bird species, while resident desert species welcome their visitors by showing off their breeding plumage.
WHERE TO STAY?
THE LODGE & ACCOMMODATION The lodge features twelve luxurious thatched and glass-fronted suites with en-suite bathrooms, each unit raised on a wooden platform overlooking the Boteti River Valley below. With the lodges unique location poised on the edge of the Boteti River enjoying the zebra migration and abundant wildlife that access the river is possible from various vantage points including the guest rooms.
The main lounge and dining area, with its inviting wooden and thatch finish, allows you to relax at the bar while listening to the wide variety of night sounds so characteristic of the African bush. Alternatively you can lounge around the swimming pool or enjoy the panoramic river vista from the game-viewing hide built into the bank of the river.
HOW TO GET THERE?
The lodges and camps are located, for the most part, in remote areas and travellers are linked from one camp to the other by means of light aircraft. Ensuring the crucial links from the hubs of Maun and Kasane to the network of lodges and camps is performed with ease; offered is a fully integrated air charter service.
All of the properties are in close proximity to airfields and some of our lodges have their own private airstrips. Unless a private charter is requested and booked as such, your flight transfers have been booked on a ‘seat on plane’ basis. Flight times are arranged according to each day’s requirements to fit in with activities and the movements of all our travellers on any given day. Therefore, aircraft and the day’s scheduling may pick up and drop off other guests en route to your destination. Times will vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure.
Please note: Owing to their remote location within the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the Makgadikgadi Pans themselves are not visited on daily scheduled activities from Lodge.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
Home to the second largest zebra migration in the world, where over 25,000 zebra migrate to the Boteti River in the dry winter months (May to October) from their summer grazing ground along the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National park includes a portion of the 12000km2 Makgadikgadi Pans, a massive pan which was once believed to be the bed of a massive inland lake. With a three night stay at Leroo La Tau you can enjoy a sleep out on the salt pans for a truly unique Botswana experience.
The Boteti River system is another unique ecosystem in Botswana and like other east flowing water sources in the country has a reputation for drying up for many years before it commences to flow again. Animals in this area are dependent on the Boteti River for their daily sustenance.
Focussed conservation work by the Botswana Government and the private sector partners have seen the successful re-introduction of White Rhino into this region and this has resulted into positive population growth over the past five years.
“Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape are located in the north-east of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and south-east of the Okavango Delta. It is linked to Okavango Delta by the Boteti River and supplied with water from Zimbabwe by the ephemeral Nata River. This makes the area the largest salt pans in the world covering an area of over 30 000 km2 and one of the former largest in land sea in the world.
The geology of the area consists of granite basement, flanked by the Karoo rocks, within the Kalahari Sand. The area comprises relics of paleo-climatic and ecological processes, harbours unique and threatened plant species (Hoodia, baobabs of historical importance). It is a breeding place for flamingos and major habitat for various wildlife species.
Makgadikgadi Pans area is also rich in fossiliferous deposits comprising faunal remains including bones, elephant tusks and mammalian teeth fragments imbedded in calcareous material. The Early Iron Age consists of settlements associated with Toutswe tradition in Lekhubu, Tlapana, and Mmakgama sites. Historical aspect of the area depicts foraging and farming communities at present day Mosu and Kedia Hill. Lekhubu Island, Khama ruins, Xanikaga Pan, Ngxaisini Pan, Baine’s baobabs, Green’s baobabs, Unikae Springs, Mmakgama spring, Thitaba Ruins, Kaitshe Ruins are some of major sites out of about 200 recorded including over 500 individual stone walls of the Sotho-Tswana tradition within Makgadikgadi Pans.
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the largest salt pans in the world and display a unique expanse of landscape with fascinating natural scenic beauty. It has a dramatic geological and climatic history in the sense that in its initial stages of development, it was one of the largest inland sea in the world covering over 275 000 km2. It is one of the most diverse in terms of ecological habitats ranging from the Lesser and Greater Flamingo breeding and feeding area to one of the most spectacular zebra-wildebeest migration on Earth as they move from Boteti River to Chobe during dry season.” UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To find out more about a safari to this region CLICK HERE
