Botswana: True Wilderness to True Luxury - 9 days

This 5-star journey offers the ultimate in wilderness, and luxury.  Accommodations include incredibly luxurious cottages, guest pavilions, and tented camps, with private game viewing decks and plunge pools, four poster beds, and in-room spa treatments.  Fly in light aircraft between Botswana’s best parks and reserves.

Start your safari in Moremi Game Reserve, part of magical Okavango Delta.  Moremi, where land and delta meet, is one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the continent, a stunning landscape of forests, lagoons, floodplains and islands.  Resident species include lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, wild dog, zebra, and red lechwe.  Stay on an island, at a wonderful safari retreat, rated one of the best safari camps in Botswana.

Then head deeper into the Delta and enjoy a maze of sparkling lagoons and meandering channels teeming with wildlife.  In Chobe National Park, experience a concentration of wildlife found nowhere else in the country, where large herds of elephants come to your front door! Activities include guided walking safaris, interpretive game drives, river cruises and traditional mokoro (dugout) excursions. 

Your journey ends at Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, where you can enjoy the amazing spectacle and activities by day, and retire, far from the crowds at night, in your air-conditioned luxury tree house on the riverbank.

Day 1 & 2

Upon arrival at Maun Airport you will be warmly welcomed by a member of the &Beyond team, who will direct you onto your light aircraft flight to Sanctuary Chief’s Camp on Chief’s Island in the Okavango Delta.

A maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife, the Okavango Delta likes like a sparkling jewel at the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Known as “the river that never finds the sea”, crystal clear channels spread over the thirstlands of the Kalahari with their papyrus-fringed banks and fertile floating islands. Adapted for a life in and out of the water, the elegant red lechwe and shy sitatunga are found in this watery wilderness. Lion, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog share the floodplains with large herds of elephant and buffalo. Hippos inhabit the deeper channels and lagoons, while honey badger can be seen in broad daylight. Tall termite mounds are homes for families of dwarf and banded mongoose. Experience the delicate details of the glistening waterways on a mokoro ride, where iridescent dragonflies, frogs of every colour and jewel-like kingfishers live in the papyrus-lined banks.

Relax for two nights at Sanctuary Chief's Camp in a luxury bush pavilion with ensuite bathroom and private deck. Your stay includes all meals daily, teas, coffees, local brand drinks, game viewing activities, park fees and laundry.
Activities include morning and afternoon game drives and seasonal mokoro excursions.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch , Dinner
Overnight:  Sanctuary Chief's Camp

Day 3 & 4

Today you will be flown by light aircraft to Pom Pom Airstrip for your game drive transfer to the lodge, from where you will stay at Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge or Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp. A maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife, the Okavango Delta likes like a sparkling jewel at the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Known as “the river that never finds the sea”, crystal clear channels spread over the thirstlands of the Kalahari with their papyrus-fringed banks and fertile floating islands. Adapted for a life in and out of the water, the elegant red lechwe and shy sitatunga are found in this watery wilderness. Lion, leopard, cheetah and African wild dog, share the floodplains with large herds of elephant and buffalo. Hippos inhabit the deeper channels and lagoons, while honey badgers can be seen in broad daylight. Tall termite mounts are homes for families of dwarf and banded mongoose. Experience the delicate details of the glistening waterways on a mokoro ride, where iridescent dragonflies, frogs of every colour and jewel-like kingfishers live in the papyrus-lined banks.

Spend two nights at  Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge. Accommodation is in a playfully crafted safari suite, in handsome tones of chocolate and ebony, feature a large bathtub and romantic al fresco showers. Each suite boasts a lofty hide out with magnificent views. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, emergency medical evacuation insurance, laundry, daily lodge activities and park fees.
Adventures include an irresistible combination of water and wildlife on twice-daily game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles, boating and mokoro (dugout canoe) adventures in the Delta and guided walks. A scenic helicopter flight and transfers are available at an additional cost.

Alternatively…
Spend two nights at Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp. Accommodation is in a sleek ensuite safari tent, which boasts a romantic sala that offers breathtaking views over the channel. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, emergency medical evacuation insurance, laundry, daily lodge activities and park fees. Adventures include a combination of water and wildlife on twice-daily game drives in open 4 x 4 safari vehicles, guided walks, spotlit night game drives, boating and mokoro (dugout canoe) adventures in the Delta, guided walks and excellent birdwatching. A scenic helicopter flight and transfers are available at an additional cost.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch , Dinner
Overnight: Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge OR Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp

Day 5 & 6

Today you will hop aboard a light aircraft for your flight to Kasane airport, where you will be met and driven to Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero.

Further north from the Okavango Delta lies Chobe National Park, encompassing 11 000 km2 of wilderness, bordered in the north by the beautiful Chobe River, and buffered on all sides by wildlife management areas and forest reserves allowing for the free movement of game. Known as one of the top wilderness reserves in the world and home to the largest single concentration of elephant, Chobe National Park is a wildlife enthusiast’s dream. Throughout the year, herds of buffalo and elephant can be seen drinking at the river’s edge, with their numbers swelling into hundreds and thousands during the dry season. Two region specific antelope, the puku and the Chobe bushbuck, cannot be seen anywhere in Botswana except on the Chobe riverfront. Spend two nights at Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero. Accommodation is in a luxury twin bedded cottage with a modern freestanding bath, indoor and al fresco showers, terrace and private garden with a hammock overlooking the magnificent Chobe River. Your stay includes meals, beverages (except premium brands), game viewing activities, park fees and laundry. Adventures include game drives led by professional guides, motorised boat safaris, sundowner cruises on the Chobe River and fishing excursions (pre-booking is advised).
Meals Included:  Breakfast, Lunch , Dinner
Overnight: Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero

Day 7 & 8

Today you will be driven to Kasane, where a vehicle will be waiting to take you to Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma – clearing customs and immigration en route.

Victoria Falls is one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles. Declared a World Heritage Site, the Falls are the stuff of legends, romance and myth. Long before the Scottish missionary and explorer Dr David Livingstone ‘discovered’ the Falls in 1855, the local Batonga people had named them Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders’. Today the village rightly claims the title of Adrenaline Capital of Africa, home to a seemingly endless variety of adventure sports from bungee jumping to canoeing and white water rafting. Unwind for two nights at Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma in a tree house with ensuite bathroom with shower only. Your stay includes all meals, all beverages (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, with the exception of premium brands), all game viewing activities, a tour of the Falls (excluding Heritage Fee) and village tour, sundowner cruise, park fees, laundry and return transportation between Livingstone Airport and Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch , Dinner
Overnight: Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma

Day 9

After a mouth-watering breakfast, we wave a fond farewell as you are driven to Livingstone Airport.