Botswana Ultimate Wildlife
Tour Introduction
We have designed this itinerary to showcase the very best of the wildlife locations in Botswana. You will visit two camps in the Okavango Delta; one offering a good balance of both water and land-based activities, the second more of a dry camp with an excellent reputation for carnivore sightings including lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah.
You will finish with the Selinda Spillway, offering excellent sightings throughout the year including good chances of both leopard and sable antelope. The area comes alive towards the end of the dry season (July to November) when large numbers of elephants and other plains animals arrive to make the most of the dry season grazing here. Throughout, we use private concessions which offer low visitor numbers, off-road driving and a wide range of activities and landscapes, thereby maximising the amount of wildlife seen in this superlative itinerary.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Maun. Clear immigration and customs then fly by light aircraft to Chitabe airstrip. Met by driver with safari vehicle and enjoy a game drive en route to the lodge.
Staying at Chitabe Camp. Includes Lunch and Dinner.
Morning and afternoon game drives in this dry area of the Okavango Delta. The evening drive usually returns after dark to provide a good chance to spot the shyer nocturnal animals such as genet, civet, serval, porcupine and possibly aardwolf. Other wildlife seen in the area includes elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards and wild dog. This is one of the few camps where cheetah can often be seen. There are two hides that can be used as a "sleep out" experience as well as a game-viewing platform during the day.
Staying at Chitabe Camp. Includes All Meals.
Morning and afternoon game drives. You can also opt for walking safaris with an armed guide.
Staying at Chitabe Camp. Includes All Meals.
Fly to Vumbura Airstrip. Transfer to the lodge and enjoy a game drive in the afternoon.
Staying at Little Vumbura. Includes All Meals.
Full day of inclusive activities. Being located close to a deep water channel, Little Vumbura offers a wide range of Okavango Delta activities including boat safaris, shallow water excursions by mokoro, day and night game drives, and fishing and walking safaris. This is a rich area for game and regular sightings include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and occasionally wild dog.
Staying at Little Vumbura. Includes All Meals.
Full day of inclusive activities.
Staying at Little Vumbura. Includes All Meals.
Full day of inclusive activities.
Staying at Little Vumbura. Includes All Meals.
Transfer to airport and board flight to Selinda Airstrip. Transfer to the lodge and enjoy a game drive in the afternoon.
Staying at Selinda Camp. Includes All Meals.
Morning and afternoon game drives. The camp is located on the Selinda Spillway, a waterway that links Botswana's Okavango Delta to the Linyanti and Kwando marshes, rivers and floodplains. Game viewing is of a high standard, particularly in the drier months and typically seen in the Selinda area are giraffe, baboon, black-backed jackal, elephants, wildebeest, cheetah, crocodile, lion, wild dog, hippo, honey badger, reedbuck, roan, sable and a host of birds. For the more energetic, short guided walking trails are available on request within the vicinity of the camp as well as short mokoro sessions and fishing.
Staying at Selinda Camp. Includes All Meals.
Morning and afternoon game drives.
Staying at Selinda Camp. Includes All Meals.
If time allows, enjoy a game drive before departing by light aircraft to Maun. Board your international flight home.
Includes In-flight Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Chitabe Camp
Overview
Famed for its quality and number of sightings, Chitabe is situated on a beautiful island in the Okavango Delta, in a private game reserve bordered on three sides by the Moremi Game Reserve. The range of habitats in the area is diverse, largely woodland and riverine areas opening up to grasslands and seasonally flooded plains.
The camp consists of eight elegantly styled safari tents, built on wooden platforms. Each tent has en suite facilities and an additional outdoor shower for a bathing experience under the stars. A dining room, bar and lounge area are linked by raised walkways, and the lofty decks provide superb views across the floodplains. The camp also offers a small swimming pool in which to relax during the hot days
Explore the area on morning and afternoon game drives, the evening drive usually returning after dark to try spotting nocturnal animals such as genet, civet, serval, porcupine and possibly aardwolf. Other wildlife seen in the area includes elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetah as well as wild dog.
Chitabe is considered unique even in the Okavango Delta in that it harbours such a wide variety of habitats within close proximity, ranging from classic Okavango scenery from illala palms dotting floodplains to open savannah and acacia woodlands. A finger of perennial swamp extends into the Chitabe Concession, which is mainly dominated by seasonally flooded tracts which transform over fifty percent of the concession’s dry floodplains into a lush oasis when the annual floodwaters meander through. All this gives rise to a surprising diversity of species which allows Chitabe to offer guests a wide range of excellent game viewing and birding experiences.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Tented rooms, outdoor showers, swimming pool, dining room, bar and lounge.
Local Wildlife
A great range of plains animals and particularly well known for its predators including lions, leopards, cheetah, wild dog, genet, civet, serval and aardwolf.
Optional Activities
Game drives, night drives and walking safaris included on a shared basis.
Little Vumbura
Overview
Offering a perfect combination of water and land-based activities with sightings to match, Little Vumbura is situated on an island in a private concession in the northern part of the Okavango Delta, in the same region as its sister camp Vumbura Plains, in what is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve.
It is a beautiful six-roomed tented camp shaded by the canopy of an ancient Okavango forest. Each tent is large and roomy and has en-suite facilities. A plunge pool and reading area overlook the floodplains and a star deck leads off the dining and bar area which are set under a canvas canopy. An outdoor dining area on a wooden deck gives you the option of al fresco dinners on beautiful evenings.
Due to the location of the camp, both water and land based activities are offered. Little Vumbura has deep-water motorboat trips into the permanent waterways and shallow water excursions by mokoro, as well as day game drives in open Land Rovers allowing guests to see animals at close range. Guided walks, which require a special guide (on request) and fishing excursions are also activity options throughout the year.
Regular sightings include lion, leopard, elephant, sable and buffalo along with extensive plains game providing an excellent all-round wildlife experience in this remote corner of the Delta. Little Vumbura is part of a community participation plan bringing the communities that live around the Okavango Delta into the tourism mainstream.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Tented rooms, outdoor showers, swimming pool, dining room, bar, lounge and star deck.
Local Wildlife
An exceptional mix of both land and water species including lion, leopard, elephant, cheetah and a wide range of water birds, reed frogs etc.
Optional Activities
Game drives, night drives, walking safaris and mokoro excursions included on a shared basis.
Selinda Camp
Overview
Selinda is an intimate camp offering understated luxury on the banks of the eastern Selinda Spillway, a waterway that links Botswana’s Okavango Delta to the Linyanti and Kwando marshes, rivers and floodplains. The shaded camp is raised a metre or so off the ground and offers extraordinary views over the floodplains, waterways and wide-open savannas which are only broken by attractive palm islands. These views are among Selinda’s most compelling features.
The recently refurbished Selinda Camp has nine spacious guest tents under thatch, each with two comfortable three-quarter sized beds draped with flowing mosquito nets adding to the romantic atmosphere. The thatch roof combined with ceiling fans and roof vents cool the living space during the hot days. The rooms have spacious, en-suite bathrooms, with full sized stone baths and antique showers. Dual vanity basins complement the sense of luxury and sliding doors allow for privacy or create an open-air bathroom feel as well.
Activities in the Selinda Reserve include both day and night game drives in open 4×4 vehicles. Game viewing is of a high standard, particularly in the drier months. Typically seen in the Selinda area are giraffe, baboon, black-backed jackal, elephant, wildebeest, cheetah, crocodile, lion, wild dog, hippo, honey badger, reedbuck, roan, sable and a host of birds. For the more energetic, short guided walking trails are available on request within the vicinity of the camp.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Large thatched rooms with huge bathrooms with shower and bathtub. Large communal area has dining room, bar, lounge and plunge pool.
Local Wildlife
Large numbers of elephant are seen here throughout the year plus healthy populations of both sable and roan antelope, giraffe, baboon, black-backed jackal, hippo, honey badger, reedbuck and many predators including lion, leopard, wild dog and occasionally cheetah.
Optional Activities
Night and day game drives, guided bush walks and boat-based activities (when water levels permit) are all included on a shared basis.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Flight Info:
Domestic flights within Botswana are included.
Best Visited:
May to November
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
Game drives are usually shared with other guests (maximum six people per vehicle). If you have a particular interest e.g. wild dogs, birdwatching, look to book an exclusive vehicle for some of your days so that you can have full control over your programme for that day. The prices are not that high compared to the overall costs of the trip.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
On behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to thank all at Reef and Rainforest for arranging so superbly yet another exceptional wildlife experience. As you are aware our ‘expeditions’ tend to be species led and this year’s brief was to observe and photograph the ‘Three Big Cats of Africa’ in a truly wild setting (i.e. no fences). Your recommended destination, Botswana, did not let us down, in fact the whole trip proved an outstanding success in all aspects.
We stayed in three camps (three nights in each) across the Okavango Delta and surrounding area, each provided a different environment which ensured our aims were met. Each camp was run to a very high standard, was extremely comfortable and provided excellent meals. The quality of guiding and tracking in all our camps was of the highest standard. As Botswana manages its natural resources so well all the camps were small (no more than 18 guests) ensuring a very intimate safari experience in pristine wild African habitat.
I am delighted to report our big cat objectives were realised. All observations were lengthy and offered excellent photographic opportunities. However, unexpectedly, the highlight of our spectacular trip turned out to be sightings of two separate packs of African Painted Dogs. We visited two dens, the first had a very healthy number of adult dogs, approximately fifteen and eighteen pups. The second had seven adult dogs and sixteen pups. At Lebala we had the privilege of spending a prolonged period of time following the pack of dogs as they hunted, an experience we will never forget.
When one also considers the significant mammal and bird species we observed, Botswana is truly a must visit destination for the wildlife enthusiast. Incidentally we also observed three serval and two African wild cats. We also thoroughly enjoyed our few days at Victoria Falls, possibly the most spectacular waterfall in the world, the hotel in Zimbabwe was excellent. Viewing the falls from the Zambian side and also the helicopter flight are both well worth doing.
This was our third consecutive trip with Reef and Rainforest, and I would be very surprised if there is not a fourth being planned very soon. Thank you all once again.
