Botswana Fly-In: Okavango Delta, Chobe & Nxai Pan

Safari, Botswana Fly-In: Okavango Delta, Chobe & Nxai PanSafari, Botswana Fly-In: Okavango Delta, Chobe & Nxai Pan

Botswana Fly-In

Okavango Delta, Chobe & Nxai Pan

overview

Flying deep into the heart of Botswana’s unparalleled beauty, an abundance of wildlife is revealed. Your pulse thrills as you enter this mysterious landscape. You have fallen under the spell of Africa. Adventurous travelers are drawn to these lands where safari legends were born. The panorama takes you from vast, open-sky North country, across grassy plains and along a mighty river, in search of massive herds of elephant in Chobe National Park.

You’ll see dawn as never before, glowing colorfully behind thorny acacia trees. Witness predators shadowing their prey on your drive through Moremi Game Reserve—home to nearly 500 species of bird and a vast array of wildlife including buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, and impala. Travel back in time as you glide in a traditional mokoro canoe through swaying walls of papyrus past crocodile-guarded islands, into the unspoiled wilderness of Okavango Delta. End this magical adventure on a walk with bushmen trackers in Nxai Pan—an ancient fossil lake bed. Every stop along your route delivers evenings of campfires and comfort.

tour includes

  • Experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable guides
  • All meals and drinks included
  • Safari lodges and premium tented camps (with private baths)
  • Airport “meet and greet” service
  • Transportation from the meeting to the departure point
  • Internal flight(s)
  • All park fees and special events as noted in the itinerary
  • Basic travel insurance coverage
  • The unbeatable and cumulative experience of the CWstaff

Details

Safaris
Length
9 days, 8 nights
Activity Level
Limited easy walking with travel and safari days interspersed
Meet
Maun, Botswana
Depart
Kasane, Zimbabwe
Reading List
Printable Itinerary

gallery

Itinerary and Accommodations

Days
Destination
1 - 2
Nxai Pan
View on map
3 - 4
Okavango Delta
View on map
5 - 6
Kwando Concession
View on map
7 - 8
Chobe National Park
View on map
9
Chobe National Park
View on map
Day 1 - 2

Nxai Pan

On arrival to Maun airport, swiftly transfer by light aircraft to Nxai Pan. This amazing natural phenomenon was once part of a prehistoric lake that covered central Botswana. Now transformed into a massive salt pan, it is covered with grasslands and scattered with islands of acacia trees and pockets of water during the rainy season—providing rich resources for wildlife. Species commonly sighted include zebra, wildebeest, springbok, impala, gemsbok, hartebeest, giraffe, lion, cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, bat-eared fox, and the occasional elephant or buffalo. Baines’ Baobabs are another highlight. These huge, gnarled baobab trees, named after a 19th-century explorer, sit on a promontory surrounded by the white Kudiakam Pan. It is an unforgettable and otherworldly scene.

Included: All activities and internal flight. Meals: BLD
Approximate Travel Time: 35 minutes (flight)

Camp Nxai Pan

Nxai Pan, Botswana

Camp Nxai Pan is located on the western edge of the fossil pan, facing east over the open grasslands. The nine, environmentally designed en-suite rooms are desert adapted; thatch roofs and specially insulated walls maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the year. All rooms have ceiling fans, outside showers and a private viewing deck to observe herds of zebra and huge elephant bulls as they meander past your room to the camp’s water hole. The main area consists of a dining room, lounge area, curio shop, swimming pool, and large unobstructed viewing deck. Activities on offer include game drives, day trips to Baines’ Baobabs and Khama Khama Pan, exceptional star gazing, and nature walks with Bushman trackers. Great care is taken to preserve the fragility of the desert eco system. The camp is 100 percent solar operated. 

Day 3 - 4

Okavango Delta

After breakfast, your safari continues with a light aircraft flight from Nxai Pan to Kwara. Here you will experience the stunning beauty of the world’s largest intact inland Delta—the Okavango. One of the most renowned wilderness destinations in the world, Okavango Delta affords an unending spectacle of wild Africa. It is a land where the heart-stopping excitement of big game viewing meets the supreme tranquility of an untouched delta. Its evocative scenes of natural beauty are simply extraordinary.

Situated deep within its desert basin, this “jewel of the Kalahari” is fed by the Okavango River, developed by millennia of sand deposits carried from Angola. Game viewing, walking safaris, birding and boating, often in the traditional mokoro, give visitors a glimpse of the staggering diversity of wildlife: 122 species of mammals, 71 of fish, 444 of birds, 64 of reptiles and 1300 unique species of flowering plants.

Included: All activities and internal flight. Meals: BLD
Approximate Travel Time: 45 minutes (flight)

Kwara Camp

Kwara Private Concession, Botswana

Kwara Camp, in the remote northern reaches of the concession, fronts onto a huge floodplain adjacent to the permanent waters of the Delta. This magnificent wilderness area of more than 21,235 square miles borders the Moremi Reserve. The camp consists of eight traditional safari tents set on raised decks, within a grove of huge and ancient African Ebony and mangosteen trees. The main guest area, constructed of thatch, reed and canvas, overlooks a lagoon that is home to buck, hippo, crocodiles, water birds and other species. It is the perfect base from which to explore the Kwara concession’s diversity of habitats, ranging from the clear Delta waters with reed-lined lagoons and channels to wide-open grasslands, Mopane woodlands and palm-fringed islands. An intimate camp run by a team of enthusiasts, Kwara provides the ultimate wildlife experience.

Day 5 - 6

Kwando Concession

A scheduled flight by light aircraft wings you from Kwara to Kwando Lagoon, a teeming wildlife preserve situated in the northern section of the enormous 573,000-acre Kwando concession. The Kwando concession offers exclusive access to one of the most remote and unexplored wildlife strongholds left in Botswana including fifty miles of river frontage. It incorporates the Linyanti wetlands, huge tracts of Mopane forest and vast open plains.

Here, in classic big-game country, herds of buffalo and elephant attain legendary proportions rivaled only by large prides of lions. During migration season, great herds of zebra and wildebeest are shadowed by their predators. Almost immediately on your arrival, enthralling biggame sightings begin—with once-in-a-lifetime animal encounters and rare opportunities for close-up photography. Beyond the big game, African wild dog viewing here is considered the best in Africa.

Activities focus on open vehicle game drives both day and night, and boat cruises on the river that are ideal for birding. Walks are on offer at the guide’s discretion depending upon proximity of elephant.

Included: All activities and internal flight. Meals: BLD
Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (flight)

Kwando Lagoon Camp

Kwando Private Concession, Botswana

Kwando Lagoon Camp lies on the shady banks of a permanent lagoon formed by the meandering Kwando River among tall, ancient Africa Ebony and Marula trees. With just eight safari tents, Lagoon Camp has the charm and relaxed calm that only a small camp can offer. Its twin-bedded tents provide safari-style luxury with water views, private en-suite facilities, open-air showers, and modern amenities. Renowned among travellers for its beauty, the shady, treed environment hosts a great variety of birds as well as hippo and elephant.

Day 7 - 8

Chobe National Park

Once again you are swept by light aircraft from Kwando Lagoon to Kasane Airport. You will be greeted on arrival and accompanied by your guide on road safari to Muchenje—a journey that brings you to the western side of Chobe National Park.

Safari activities in this extensive preserve—called “the last Eden in Chobe”—are many and varied. Cruise by boat along the lush Chobe River, enlivened by pods of hippo; take thrilling game drives in open safari vehicles by day or night; get up close to nature and explore the habitat in detail on walks in the company of experienced guides. Sightings may include large herds of elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, impala, and the elusive leopard, as well as many species of native and migratory birds. If you have a passion for local culture, participate in an excursion to a nearby village and school where you will gain insights into traditional tribal life. Fishing safaris and excursions deeper into Chobe National Park may also be arranged.

Included: All activities and internal flight. Meal: BLD
Approximate Travel Time: 40 minutes (flight)

Muchenje Safari Lodge

Chobe National Park, Botswana

Muchenje Safari Lodge, bordering the western side of Chobe National Park, is the exclusive lodging in this remote and pristine area. Set high on an escarpment, its design takes full advantage of breathtaking views across the floodplains of Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. Twenty guests are accommodated in twin-bedded thatched chalets, all with en-suite facilities and private balconies providing unique views. Simply and comfortably furnished, the chalets are equipped with mosquito nets, overhead fan and power points. The thatched main lodge includes a dining area, lounge, bar, and viewing platform overlooking a waterhole. A swimming pool, built among natural rock formations, offers yet another African vista and provides a tranquil setting for relaxation in the heat of the day.

Day 9

Chobe National Park

Bid farewell to your hosts and travel by road transfer to Kasane Airport. Continue on with your own arrangements for your return home, or further travels.

Itinerary Disclaimer

Bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual activities, sites, and accommodations may vary due to season, special events, weather, or transportation schedules. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary since tour arrangements are made up to a year in advance, and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve the tour and your experience. If you are currently booked on a CW adventure, an itinerary has been sent to you for your exact departure date. Please call CW at 800.464.9255 if you have any questions about the exact itinerary or hotels selected for any of our tours.

Guides

Mothusi Kebusitswe

Mothusi Kebusitswe is a Maun local, who spent much of his childhood in Sepupa, a fishing village on the >

Dux Mareja

Dux Mareja was born in 1979 in Sankoyo, a small village in the northeastern corner of the famous Moremi Game >

Spencer Mathambo

Spencer was born near Francistown into a wide extended family, and has four brothers and two sisters. He >

Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson is a professional safari guide, eco-tourism consultant, and professional photographer. He is >

Mothusi Kebusitswe

Mothusi Kebusitswe is a Maun local, who spent much of his childhood in Sepupa, a fishing village on the panhandle of the Okavango Delta. Mothusi has four sisters, and comes from the Bayei tribe, the original inhabitants of the Okavango Delta. His interests and hobbies include traveling, music, board games and photography. He has traveled to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Mothusi's ambition is “to see the outside world before getting too old!” He visited South Africa in order to broaden his outlook and knowledge of the guiding profession. He has guided for mobile safaris and lodges since 1998. His sunny personality, broad smile and wealth of knowledge make him a well-respected and popular guide.

Dux Mareja

Dux Mareja was born in 1979 in Sankoyo, a small village in the northeastern corner of the famous Moremi Game Reserve. Born into the Bayei—a tribe of river bushman that farms the TK delta—he grew up as the oldest son in a family of five. After completing his primary education in the village, he moved to Maun for Junior and High School and his studies with a focus on office administration. He spent the first part of his career responsible for accounts and reservations until his real talent was identified. Before changing professions he assisted in mobilizing the Community Based Natural Resources Department in his village, an organization which strives to alleviate poaching and wildlife conflict in the area. This inspired him to attend a Professional Guiding and Wildlife Conservation Course with Botswana Wildlife Training Institute and then to complete a longer course in South Africa. He strives to create authentic relationships with guests, nurture and maintain them for memorable and highly rated unique wildlife experience. He says, “The wilderness is where I originate and where I belong. “

Spencer Mathambo

Spencer was born near Francistown into a wide extended family, and has four brothers and two sisters. He speaks three languages (English, Setswana, and Kalanga) and has been guiding for the last 10 years. Spencer’s personal interests include: videography, educational lecturing to local wildlife clubs, reading, listening to music, hiking, and herding cattle when he goes home on his leave. Spencer has travelled throughout Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and is popular with camp staff and guests alike. Spencer has a quiet confidence that comes from years of bush experience.

Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson is a professional safari guide, eco-tourism consultant, and professional photographer. He is qualified as a microbiologist and has studied conservation in South Africa. Having lived and worked throughout the continent’s Great Rift Valley, he has come to know some of Africa’s greatest wildlife destinations, from South Africa all the way to Egypt. As a photographer, Ian has received several Southern African and International Awards for his wildlife and natural history photography. He is also a freelance cameraman for the BBC Natural History Unit, having worked on a number of documentaries, including Big Cat Diaries in the Masai Mara. Through his eco-consulting business, he has taught and worked with guides, trackers and wardens from the forests and gorillas of Uganda, to the vast Serengeti/Mara, along the entire East African coast, to the Okavango Delta and Linyanti ecosystems and the Sabi Sands reserves. Ian believes in adventure and thrills and this is what he has been doing for the last 16 years by constantly striving to spread the magic of Africa!