Depart Maun with your driver guide from Maun for a 1.5 hour drive to Meno a Kwena
Meno a Kwena Tented Camp, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Start your trip off with a bang at Meno a Kwena in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Perched on the edge of the wildlife-filled river, you don’t even have to leave camp for fantastic game viewing.
Meno sits in an awesome location on the Boteti River overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park - a completely contrasting location, wildlife and habitat to the green and juicy Okavango Delta regions. Here you can watch the wildlife at the river below from the comfort of your private veranda; that's what we like to call an 'armchair safari'. The zebra migration is resident here for much of the year. In the dry season there is no other water around and the Boteti River becomes a magnet for wildlife.
You'll have a chance to learn a little about the traditional Botswana way of life with a visit to the local village. Enjoy a wide range of thrilling (and unusual) activities... enjoy a full day exploring the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on foot or by vehicle – or why not try both?
Return drive at 10AM this morning to Maun Airport where you meet your Major Blue flight into the heart of the Delta and the Khwai reserve.
The Jackal & Hide
The Jackal & Hide is a relaxed yet intimate hideout in the heart of the game-rich Khwai Private Reserve. Here you can experience the best of the Okavango Delta (in a private concession, no less) and some of the most iconic activities in Botswana.
Travel through the winding channels of the Okavango in a traditional dug-out canoe (mokoro) safari, spot all the wildlife stars of the safari show on morning and afternoon game drives; have your cameras at the ready! Retreat to the sunken lounge at the end of the day and watch the animals grazing ahead, G&T in hand.
Optional overnight in the SkyBeds ! (Must be reserved in advance)
Located deep within the Khwai Private Reserve. As the name suggests, this is no ordinary safari camp. Each “room” is actually a three-story raised platform, overlooking the wildlife-spotted plains of Khwai. Charmingly rustic yet perfectly stylish, you’ll find a bathroom with flushing loo on the first floor, a dressing area, and the ultimate cherry on the top floor, an enormous double bed, draped in white linens and a feather duvet and completely open to the stars.
With such spectacular skies overhead, you could be forgiven for forgetting about what’s happening down below. But keep one eye on the ground, for the Skybeds overlook a busy waterhole. In one night we’ve seen wild dog, lion, elephant and hyena – and that’s just the beginning. So, whilst we can’t guarantee you’ll get much sleep, we can guarantee one of the wildest and most wonderful safari experiences you’ll ever have.
Transfers roundtrip from Jackal & Hide camp are approximately 2.15 hour drives each way.
Depart from the Khwai Reserve for Northern Botwanas Selinda spillway where you end your safari over the next three nights.
Selinda Explorers Camp
This classic camp, consisting of four custom-designed tents, transports us back to authentic safaris, but with a modern twist and hospitality. Subtly placed under the shade of the riverine forest, the camp is designed in the style of the early explorers both in philosophy and practice. Whiling away afternoons under the canopy of African ebony and mangosteen trees, interspersed with walks and canoeing, make this a respite from the ‘daily grind’ of a traditional safari.
This authentic tented camp draws on traditions of the classic East African safari with beautifully detailed campaign style furniture made from recycled hard woods, and soft furnishings from Zanzibar and the East. The custom-designed semi-permanent tents consist of two rooms plus verandah, as well as a private open air ‘bustani bathroom’ with hot water showers and flush loo. All tents are at ground level, including the main lounge and dining area. This is an unassuming camp, light on its footprint but heavy on its experiential luxury. The atmosphere of the camp is one of bush elegance with relaxed bohemian style, complemented by attentive staff, private professional service and fabulous food.
Selinda Explorers Camp is an ideal property for those guests who want to experience Botswana’s extraordinary wildlife but in the most private setting. The camp comes with a guide, but also has a guide’s tent for an accompanying specialist guide. Our guide will plan the whole itinerary for the duration of their stay for the guests, or in conjunction with the specialist guide.
Camp sits in prime predator habitat, in a location, which we handpicked based on exploring this area for years. Lion, leopard and cheetah and the Explorers Pack of African wild dog hunt these parts regularly. Good densities of giraffe, buffalo (in the dry season) and all the antelope – including even roan and sable and recently spotted eland – are possible sightings. At the peak of the dry season in late September, the Selinda Reserve has been documented to hold up to 9,000 elephants. There is phenomenal bird life along the Spillway’s banks for those looking for some ‘lifers’.
The last day always arrives too quickly. There will be time to take those last-minute photos before you depart by lite aircraft to the Maun Airport for your flight home.
