Botswana is one of Southern Africa's least visited and yet most fascinating destinations. It has a wide variety of habitats, from desert to wetlands and some of the finest game-viewing in Africa. For many years it has concentrated on high quality tourism, limiting the number of visitors annually to ensure that its reserves and parks are not damaged or saturated by mass tourism.

A result of this can be seen in the facilities available as Botswana has some of the most luxurious and exclusive lodges and camps in the world. This trip takes you to three of these, each beautifully located and offering the best facilities, and yet each in completely different landscapes and offering different type of game-viewing. From the large elephant herds of the plains, to the wetlands of the world-famous Okavango Delta you will get to experience some of the world’s best game-viewing while staying at some of the world’s best camps. The luxury tents you stay in have the facilities of the best hotels and yet offer you a true safari experience under the African night sky. Transfers between camps are by light aircraft, saving days of bumpy road transfers. And did we mention that the food is also superb?.

If you like the best of everything, then this itinerary is for you. It can, if desired, be extended to finish at the world-famous Victoria Falls.

This is a private tour (minimum 2). It can depart on any day you wish (subject to availability). Please note that game-drives will be done in the lodges’/camps’ own vehicles/boats and will be shared with other guests.

Please let us know your preferred dates and we will forward a full tailored itinerary with confirmed quotation to you by e-mail and/or post.

Day 1
Depart the UK in the evening.

Day 2
After a non-stop flight to Johannesburg, you connect to your flight to Maun. On arrival at Maun Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred by light aircraft to your first camp in the Linyanti Reserve. This is an enormous private concession, comprising of nearly 300,000 acres of prime wilderness area in the far north-east of Botswana. It is bordered to the north by the Linyanti River, and to the east by the Chobe National Park, and contains two thirds of the length of the mysterious Savuti Channel. Apart from its sheer size, the most remarkable feature of the Linyanti Reserve is the diverse range of habitats that it encompasses. The Linyanti River is bordered by floodplains very similar to those of the Okavango Delta, as well as extensive grasslands, while the interior of the concession consists of vast mopane forests and acacia bushveld. This diversity of habitat in turn supports a wide array of wildlife, and this area is particularly well known for its huge herds of elephants (probably the largest herds in Africa), and the lions of the Savuti channel (featured in National Geographic documentaries). Dinner and overnight Kwando Lagoon Camp.

Day 3
Morning and night game drives are conducted by specialist guides and trackers in open safari vehicles. This area is home to huge herds of elephants and buffalo, and is one of the few places in Africa where such concentrated numbers of these animals exist, especially in the dry season. The predators are also well represented by lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah and wild dog. Among the great variety of antelope species found at Lagoon Camp, the endangered sable and roan are often seen. Seasonally, large herds of elephant drink almost daily at the river bank in front of the camp, in full view of the guests. The big herds attract lots of big predators. The lions of Kwando are famous for their elephant, hippo and buffalo kills. Playful spotted necked otters are commonly seen performing in the lagoon right in front of the tents. You will also have the opportunity to cruise along the Kwando river which provide excellent opportunities for bird watching. Dinner and overnight Kwando Lagoon Camp.

Day 4
After breakfast, you will be transferred by road to your next camp, and will have the chance to game-drive en-route. Lebala Camp is situated 30km to the south of Lagoon Camp and fronts onto the Linyanti Wetlands. The scenery is dominated by vast plains with scattered palms and tree clumps backed by wooded savannahs. Open grasslands scattered with illala palms stretch to the south and west of Lebala. The perennial and southerly flowing Kwando river disappears into the vast marshes before emerging as the Linyanti river, flowing in a north easterly direction. The wetlands and flood plains around Lebala offer a wonderful variety of wildlife. Dinner and overnight Kwando Lebala Camp.

Day 5
During your stay, activities include morning and afternoon/night game drives in open safari vehicles. After dark, spotlights are switched on and the game drives expose you to nocturnal sightings of rare and elusive species including leopard, mongoose and aardwolf. The combination of marshes, seasonal floodplains, savannah and wooded mopane scrubland make this an ideal assortment of terrain for a wide range of animals. Species such as lechwe, impala, kudu, zebra, wildebeest and buffalo attract lion and endangered wild dogs. You can also expect to see a lot of elephants, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. Dinner and overnight Kwanda Lebala Camp.

Day 6
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to your next camp. Kwando Kwara Camp is located in the remote northern region of the stunning Okavango Delta. This game-rich area borders the Moremi Game Reserve. The 6,000-square-mile maze of lagoons, channels, and islands helps the Okavango Delta earn the description as the river that never finds the sea. The Okavango Delta is truly unique. It is the largest inland delta in the world, instead of flowing into the sea, the annual flood of fresh water flows inland, spreading over 15 000km² of the Kalahari sand in a maze of lagoons and channels. The countless islands that emerge from its waterways give rise to several diverse ecosystems which in turn, are home to vast numbers of game and a myriad of birds. The crystal clear waters support many kinds of fish and it is a birder’s paradise. This popular attraction is at its most impressive in August when the champagne-coloured water is at its deepest. Most of the young are born between November and March when the vegetation is lush. The heart of the delta is accessed by air only and as it is an exclusive destination, it remains relatively unpopulated and untamed. Dinner and overnight Kwando Kwara Camp.

Day 7
Game activities are exceptional in this area. Kwara is one of very few Okavango Delta camps that can offer such a wide range of activities all year around. These include special powerboats that skim the top of the water, mokoro (a traditional dug-out canoe) trips, off-road driving, night drives and walks through big game country. The main focus at Kwara is definitely on the water. Whether gliding along in the magical silence of a mokoro (removed) through crystal-clear waters or visiting the famous Godikwe lagoon, where you can stand on a boat literally eye to eye with thousands of herons, storks and other nesting birds. Kwara is the nearest camp to this famous spectacle in Moremi Game Reserve. Other species you can encounter through the channels and rivers are kingfishers, pygmy geese, fish eagles, jacanas, darters and if you're really fortunate, the elusive Pels Fishing Owl. Along with the bird watching, activities offered include fishing (both spinner and fly), walks with a guide on one of the many palm-fringed islands and also spectacular night drives on top of our morning and afternoon drives. The Kwara area is also home to a variety of wild animals including, lechwe, sitatunga, reedbuck, bushbuck, hippo, crocodiles, elephant, buffalo, sable, roan, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and tsessebe. Predators such as lion, hyaena, wild dog, leopard and cheetah are abundant in this part of the Delta and regularly seen by visitors.

Day 8
You will be transferred to Maun Airport for your onward flight to Johannesburg. Here you will connect with your overnight, non-stop flight home to the UK.

Day 9
Arrive UK.