SLF008 - 8 Day Chobe, Okavango Delta & Makgadikgadi Pans

Elephants feature largely on any activity at Chobe Chilwero Lodge, as the largest population left in Africa occupies this northern corner between Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Game drives in open-sided 4 x 4 vehicles bring these grey giants into easy reach as they drink and frolic at the water's edge in their boisterous herds. Thrilling game drives lead by our qualified professional guides bring you close to hippos, buffalos, puku and other animals that gather on the banks of the Chobe River. The puku, a small rusty-brown antelope, alongside impala, kudu and red lechwe, are only a few of the common antelope found here. Naturally, lion and leopard are also found in the area.

Credit: Photo Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Credit: Photo Credit: A&K Sanctuary

The best way to end a day of safari here is sipping on a cocktail while watching an African sunset over the still waters of the Chobe River from the comfort of one of our specially designed riverboats. Sundowner cruises are also a great way of seeing buffalo up close as they come out of the shade to graze in the cooler evenings and elephants as they wade in the river. Chobe is renowned for its abundance of dramatic sable and roan antelopes with their impressive horns. Sitatungas - antelope with splayed feet to help them run in swamps - are often seen here, as are the wild dog and lion that prey upon them.

Credit: Photo Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Our double-decked safari boat available from Chobe Chilwero Lodge can seat seat up to 18 guests and has a lower and upper deck, both featuring 360 degree swivel seats. The upper deck offers a great vantage point of the Chobe River and wildlife while the lower deck boasts a bar area and the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a scrumptious river breakfast or lunch. The boat offers a great exclusive and intimate alternative to enjoying the Chobe area especially for photographic enthusiasts.

Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Guests will meet up with their guide at reception and drive through to the jetty for their fishing activity. The best time for fishing in the Chobe area is in winter, May, June, July and August. Type of fish guests can expect to catch is Bream and Tiger Fish. All fishing is done on a catch and release basis. Rates include: Use of the boat for maximum of 3 hours and fishing equipment. Maximum 3 people per boat and subject to availability. This activity is at an additional cost. Please enquire for rates.

Boat on river Credit: Boat on river

Only an hour and a half's drive from the spectacular Victoria Falls, Chobe Chilwero Lodge is a great base from which to explore this great wonder of the world. The transfer time is approximately 1 ½ hours depending on border formalities. From here, the guide will escort guests around the Falls sharing some facts & history along the way. A&K Sanctuary will supply raincoats during high water months when guests are likely to get wet from the spray of the Falls. The walk is approximately 1½ hours in duration (3km), through the rainforest, stopping at the various viewing points. Guests will also have the opportunity to do some curio shopping in the adjacent open-air markets before returning to Chobe Chilwero Lodge. This activity is at an additional cost. Please enquire for rates.

Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Our expert guides are always on hand to share their wealth of wildlife knowledge as you explore the Delta in modified open 4 x 4 vehicles on morning and afternoon game drives. The game viewing opportunities at Chief's Camp are awe-inspiring. On the plains one may find the roaming lions that prey on the thousands of antelope, zebra and buffalo who live here all year round. There are also healthy populations of wild dog. These extremely rare predators have been hunted to the point of extinction in most areas of Africa and this is one of their last strongholds. There are several local lion prides and leopards, genet cats and hyena are in abundance.

Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Mokoros, local dugout canoes, offer a different perspective of the bush in the company of a highly trained local guide. Between June - August depending on the amount of rainfall in Angola, the area around the camp can flood and turn the Okavango Delta into a labyrinth of lily-filled lagoons and streams where hippos fight for bathing rights and crocodiles wait for unwary antelope to linger too long over a drink. Poling through the byways created by the floodwaters is a magical experience that allows guests to get very close to game and to see the world from a totally different angle. As a change from a game drive, the quiet, gentle pace of a mokoro is a real introduction to a way of transport still used in the Delta by the 'river bushmen' or BaYei people. Please note that this activity is seasonal and water-level dependent.

Mokoro excursion Credit: Mokoro excursion

These scenic flights involve flying west towards the permanent delta, exposing areas which are unreachable by vehicle or boat and showcasing the sheer enormity of the Okavango Delta. There is the option of the doors being removed for unrestricted photographic opportunities. Choose between 30, 45 or 60 minute tour in a single piston engine Robinson r44 helicopter with 3 seats. This activity is offered on a year round basis at an extra cost. Being a personalised activity, it's up to you what time of day you would like to do the activity, however we would recommend early morning and late afternoon as these times usually provide the best light for photography. Preferred flight times can be requested on booking.

Credit: A&K Sanctuary

Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s to spot the unique desert wildlife that inhabit the pans, like the elusive brown hyena or Kalahari lion. Your experienced safari guide will help you discover a desert landscape, pulsating with life. Complete with bush picnics, morning coffees and chilled drinks.

Get up close and personal with our families of meerkats. Leaving camp as the sun begins to rise you will accompany these inquisitive members of the mongoose family as they set off in search of their breakfast. Walk amongst them (you're not allowed to touch or feed them) and if you take a seat you might be lucky enough to be mistaken for a termite mound, where you'll be used as a look out point for predators.

Discover the secrets of the pans with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen on a fascinating bush walk. See this ancient desert landscape through their eyes. These skilled hunter gatherers will show you how to survive, using their extraordinary tracking skills to uncover a smorgasbord of culinary delights... from bulbs, to scorpions, to berries. Spending time with them is a very rare privilege.

Saddle up to explore this wild, unspoilt area in the same way many of the earliest explorers, hunters

and missionaries did – on horseback! You’ll embark on an adventurous outride (for all level riders). This is an exhilarating way to spot wildlife, cantering along the crusty salt flats and following the animal

highways that bring life to the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

This is pure desert adventure! Take an exhilarating quad bike across the salt-crusted pans (all pan activity is weather permitting and dependent on the dryness of the pans). You’ll feel total freedom as you trek across this vast and ancient landscape, discovering so much about the remnants of this once super lake.

Seasonal: April - October

A visit to the Fallen Baobab - one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa and reputedly the campsite of Livingstone and Selous.

Witness the second largest migration in Africa. A stonking spectacle of black and white stripes

as approximately 30,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate across the Makgadikgadi Pans, followed closely by stalking predators, waiting for the rich pickings of tired hooves. This is a wildlife explosion and an experience not to be missed!

This really is an unforgettable experience. Enjoy a helicopter flight over the Makgadikgadi Pans, doors off (or on), to take in the vastness of this desert landscape. You’ll go in search of the zebra and flamingo migrations (if timed correctly), get dropped on an island of baobabs for lunch, do a bit of sunset sky surfing as you follow the palm tree linings and tell all your friends about it all when you get home.

Grab a fat bike and peddle around the Makgadikgadi Pans. This is a really fun activity for the whole family, and an ideal way to get some exercise. These bikes can easily cruise over the desert terrain, taking you along 4x4 tracks and around the crusty salt flats. Keep a look out for sightings of wildlife, while breathing in the beautiful scenery, alongside the desert silence.

If you are in need of some serious time out, then one of our spa treatments is your perfect escape. Our professional therapist will put you in seventh heaven. Book a back massage overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans or enjoy a relaxing spa treatment from the privacy of your tent. Whichever you decide, you’ll walk away feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are one of the most important breeding sites in southern Africa for

the lesser and greater flamingos. These flying flame birds, arrive in their millions during seasons of good rain, when millions of small shrimp and other crustaceans crack through the salty pan crust to spawn. The result, a pink extravaganza in the heat of the desert. You can also heli to Sua Pan to view the flamingos in Mar - Apr (scenic helicopter flight must be booked at an additional cost).

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection

Credit: Natural Selection