Day notes
Your safari will start in Kasane at 09h00.
For guests who are transferring across from either Livingstone or Victoria Falls Town or flying in that day from Joburg, your transfer should be organized to either arrive in Kasane by 08h45 in time for the boat cruise, which marks the start of the safari.
If you would like to arrive the day before (recommended), we can arrange a lodge stay in Kasane to take the stress out of the day.
After a morning boat cruise along the game-rich Chobe River, you set off with your guide, driving through the Chobe National Park to your first camp in Central Chobe.
Habitat: The habitat on today’s drive takes us from the Chobe River through the wonderful Zambezi teak woodlands of the Chobe Forest Reserve, across the sand ridge and into the stunted mopane scrub of the Goha clay basin.
Overnight Savuti
Game Drive from Kasane Airport [BBK] to Savuti
Letaka
Game Drive
Kasane Airport [BBK]
Savuti
Transfer from Savuti
Transfer
Savuti
Moremi Camp
Expert tips:
Wildlife: While there are community areas that we pass through that are settled by local tribes, for the vast majority of the day’s drive we pass through wild country where wildlife moves un-inhibited by fences or man. Roan and sable antelope thrive in the teak woodlands where the low density of predators and lack of competition for food by other ungulates makes this prime habitat for these large ungulates. Leopard occur in these woodlands in low numbers but they are highly secretive and seldom seen. The Goha region has natural waterholes that hold water well into the dry season and herds of buffalo, Burchell’s zebra, greater kudu and elephant come down to drink.
Birding: The most unusual species are to be found in the teak (Baikea plurijuga) woodlands. This broad-leafed woodland, or miombo as it is locally known, provides good pickings for insectivorous birds that favour canopy habitat. Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Pallid Flycatcher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Yellow-throated Petronia, Red-headed Weaver and Violet-backed Starling are only some of the species that move around in the “bird parties” in the canopy. Dickenson’s Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon* and Lizard Buzzard are some of the raptors to keep an eye out for, while the diminutive White-faced Owl can often be seen roosting in the road-side vegetation. Flappet Lark, Fawn-coloured Lark, Dusky Lark*, Olive-Tree Warbler* and Neddicky are species more likely to be enjoyed by the birding enthusiast.
Day notes
DAILY DETAIL
Habitat: Unlike the vast majority of the country, Central Chobe is not flat landscape. Large outcrops of volcanic rock reach up out of the Kalahari sands, towering over the endless savannah. These hills provide habitat for a completely different array of small wildlife, birds and plants. The Savuti Marsh has been the stage for many of the most dramatic wildlife documentaries in Africa. The wide open country, good ungulate populations and particularly strong prides of lion and hyaena clans make for dramatic wildlife interaction and excellent viewing opportunities. The now dry Savuti Channel runs through this landscape linking the drysandveld, the waterholes, the hills and the grassland that was the Savuti Marsh.
Wildlife: Undoubtedly it is the interaction between lion and elephant that is the most interesting aspect of Savuti. The area is inhabited by a huge pride of lions with numbers fluctuating from 20-30 members. These remarkable lion have learned over the years how to hunt these massive pachyderms that are supposedly above predation. Launching their attack under darkness and using their numbers, they manage to kill adolescent and even young adult elephant. The marsh is prime cheetah country and in the wet season it is not unusual to have the wild dog hunting here in Central Chobe.
Expert tips:
Birding: The surface water that is pumped by the Government here provides a major attraction for birdlife. In the dry season thousands of dove and sandgrouse come down to drink in the mornings and are under constant surveillance by Yellow-billed Kite*, Tawny Eagle and African Hawk-Eagle. Red-crested Korhaan are common in the Kalahari Apple-leaf (Lonchocarpus nelsii) veld. The marsh is the summer home for good numbers of Caspian Plover* and Montague’s Harrier* as well as Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Northern Black Korhaan, Rufous-naped Lark, African Pipit and Desert Cisticola. Dickenson’s Kestrel, Amur Falcon* and Red-necked Falcon are found along the perimeter of the marsh.
Day notes
In the dry season thousands of dove and sandgrouse come down to drink in the mornings and are under constant surveillance by Yellow-billed Kite, Tawny Eagle and African Hawk-Eagle. Red-crested Korhaan are common in the Kalahari Apple-leaf (Lonchocarpus nelsii) veld. The marsh is the summer home for good numbers of Caspian Plover* and Montague’s Harrier* as well as Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Northern Black Korhaan, Rufous-naped Lark, African Pipit and Desert Cisticola. Dickenson’s Kestrel, Amur Falcon* and Red-necked Falcon are found along the perimeter of the marsh..
Day notes
This morning after breakfast, we leave the parched landscape and continue our journey south to the Khwai Community Area.
A fascinating day's drive looking at some of the evidence of the Paleo-Lake Makgadikgadi that dried up some ten thousand years ago. The most challenging part of the trip is crossing the Magwikwe Sand-ridge that formed the shoreline for this massive inland sea. The winding track through this deep sand makes for interesting travel in the early summer! The old lake bed is now the Mababe Depression. The dense clay floor of the depression results in high protein feed for wildlife and the area teams with game after the rains. During the rainy season the depression is impassable due to the “cotton soil” and alternative routes must be used.
This is a day when anything could happen with wildlife. We pass through excellent lion country and some of the best cheetah country that our safari will cover. Elephant occur throughout the drive but are more common at the start and end of the drive where permanent surface water can be found.
Depart from Savuti
Overnight Moremi Camp
Expert tips:
Wildlife: A day when anything could happen. The range of habitat
that is covered encompasses most of the habitat types of northern Botswana. We pass through excellent lion country and some of the best cheetah country that our safari will cover. Elephant occur throughout the drive but are more common at the start and end of the drive where permanent surface water can be found.
Birding: The Mababe Depression is a birder’s paradise. The nutritious grasses that grow on the rich soils provide excellent seed for an impressive array of estrillids and viduids. Among these are the magnificently coloured Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Village Indigobird, Shaft-tailed Whydah and Paradise Whydah. These in turn provide a good food source for small raptors such as the Little Sparrowhawk, Shikra, Gabar Goshawk, Red-necked Falcon and Lanner Falcon. It is not only the small birds that feed on the grass seeds, but rodents too. There are annual outbreaks of huge numbers of rats and mice. As a result huge numbers of Secretary Bird, Tawny Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle*, Wahlberg’s Eagle* and Steppe Buzzard* can be found.
Day notes
The Khwai River forms a boundary between the reserve and the community area. We spend the following two nights camping at an exclusive campsite in the community area, exploring the Khwai floodplains on game drives both during the day and at night. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. We will also have the opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and mokoro and enjoy an up close and personal encounter with Botswana’s flora and fauna.
We spend our time between the dry-land habitats of the leadwood and camel-thorn woodlands and savannahs and the riverside and marshy back-waters of the Khwai. Time permitting, we may visit the lagoons and waterways of Xakanaxa where the largest heronry in southern Africa exists.
The Khwai region boasts excellent populations of both bull elephants as well as breeding herds. Lion, leopard, serval and African wildcat are common predators of the region with Wild Dog and Cheetah being less common. Buffalo use this area seasonally with large herds moving in during the summer rains. The swampy areas in the west are home to Red Lechwe. Other ungulates include Tsesebe, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Kudu, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope and Impala.
Expert tips:
Birding: Truly one of Botswana birding Mecca’s. The western reaches are prime habitat for the uncommon Rosythroated Longclaw. The entire length of the river is hunting domain for the Bat-Hawk. Other interesting raptors here are
Cuckoo Hawk (rare), Long-crested Eagle and Black Sparrowhawk. More commonly Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle*, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and African Hawk-Eagle. The waterways host Africa Rail, African Crake*, Greater Painted Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule*, Lesser Jacana and Lesser Moorhen*
Day notes
Truly one of Botswana birding Mecca’s. The western reaches are prime habitat for the uncommon Rosythroated Longclaw. The entire length of the river is hunting domain for the Bat-Hawk.
Other interesting raptors here are:
Cuckoo Hawk (rare), Long-crested Eagle and Black Sparrowhawk. More commonly Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and African Hawk-Eagle.
The waterways host Africa Rail, African Crake*, Greater Painted Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule, Lesser Jacana and Lesser Moorhen
Depart from Moremi Camp
Overnight Mababe
Day notes
Today the safari moves to the acclaimed Moremi region on the very edge of the Okavango Delta. As we set off from camp to begin the game, drive transfer to Moremi, the camp will be moved and will be ready for your arrival later in the day.
The Manuchira Channel is known as the Khwai River at its eastern most extremity. The day’s journey follows this water course, with the track weaving from the riverside and floodplains into the mopane veld and the woodlands that make Khwai one of the most scenic areas of the Okavango. We pass the magnificent Dombo Hippo Pools in the morning stopping to enjoy the scenery and the antics of the resident hippo.
The western mopane veld is home to mostly breeding herds of Elephant whilst the eastern reaches of Khwai is home to some impressive old bulls. The mature bulls revel in the cool waters of the Khwai and are far more approachable while drinking and bathing than the breeding herds. The river has an unusually high density of Hippo as well as some huge Crocodile. Leopard, Cheetah, Serval and Lion are common predators along this route and both Xakanaxa, as well as Khwai, are included in the home ranges of 2 different packs of Wild Dog.
Depart from Mababe
Expert tips:
Wildlife: The western mopane veld is home to mostly breeding
herds of elephant whilst the eastern reaches of Khwai is home to
some impressive old bulls. The mature bulls revel in the cool
waters of the Khwai and are far more approachable while drinking
and bathing than the breeding herds. The river has an unusually
high density of hippo as well as some huge crocodile. Leopard,
cheetah, serval and lion are common predators along this route
and both Xakanaxa as well as Khwai are included in the home ranges of 2 different packs of wild dog. General game
includes southern giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, tessebe and red lechwe with roan and sable antelope being less common
residents.
Birding: In the mopane woodlands African Hawk-Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, Little Sparrowhawk, African Harrier Hawk and Shikra are common raptors. Mixed bird parties move through the canopy and include Red-headed Weaver, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Neddicky, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Chin-spot Batis, Diederik Cuckoo* to name but a few. The verges of the swamp form breeding grounds for the Rosy-Longclaw, Black Coucal*, Long-legged Bustard and the African Crake*
Day notes
Moremi lies on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta. Habitats here range from wide-open floodplains, marshes, lagoons, papyrus fringed channels, vast reed-beds of Miscanthus and Phragmites, woodland and savannah. As a result of the extremely variable habitat the diversity of both wildlife and birdlife is excellent.
Every type of mopane habitat is well represented in this drive from the towering cathedral woodlands of Xakanaxa to the classic mopane woodland. There are scattered ephemeral water pans with large floodplains and camel-thorn woodlands.
Expert tips:
Birding:A good day for raptors with African Hawk-Eagle, Gabar
Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk,
Tawny Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle* and Steppe Eagle* all inhabiting the mopane and adjacent woodlands. Other birds common along this route includes most of Botswana’s hornbills including Red-billed, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey, Bradfield’s and the Southern Ground Hornbills. A large number of brood-parasites may also be seen. Diederick Cuckoo*, Levaillant’s Cuckoo*, Jacobin Cuckoo*, Great-spotted Cuckoo*, African Cuckoo*, Common Cuckoo*, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Greater Honeyguide, and
Lesser Honeyguide
Day notes
A full day on safari soaking up the sights and sounds of the bush.
A good day for raptors with African Hawk-Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle and Steppe Eagle all inhabiting the mopane and adjacent woodlands.
Other common birds include most of Botswana’s hornbills, including Red-billed, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey, Bradfield’s and the Southern Ground Hornbills. A large number of brood-parasites may also be seen. Diederick Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Jacobin Cuckoo, Great-spotted Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Greater Honeyguide, and Lesser Honeyguide
Day notes
Today we will transfer you to Maun in time to catch your onward flight.
Time to say good bye to your guide and head home or on to the next chapter of your safari. (ask for ideas to extend your trip)
Disembark from Letaka Safaris Mobile Camp
Charter Flight from Mababe to Maun International Airport [MUB]
Charter Flight
Mababe
Maun International Airport [MUB]
