Arrive in Maun, where our agent will meet you at arrivals and assist you with your connection to the light aircraft terminal and your onward flight to Jedibe Airstrip, deep in the Okavango Delta.
Upon arrival at Jedibe, you will be met by your lodge and transferred by game drive vehicle and boat to Setari Camp.
Stay 3 nights on an all-inclusive basis, which covers twice-daily game activities with birding focus, all meals, drinks (excluding premium alcohol brands) and laundry.
You should arrive in time to join the evening game activity, before returning to the lodge after dark, and enjoying a sumptuous dinner, maybe followed by a drink by the open campfire.
Days in the delta start early, before sunrise, with a morning call to your tent to gather for some hot drinks before setting off on your morning game activity. Return to your lodge for breakfast, and relax afterwards whilst enjoying the lodge's facilities. Your room has a private deck from which you can enjoy amazing bird-watching. Lunch may be followed by a read on the deck, or a snooze, before you meet around afternoon tea, and then set off for the evening game activity. Return after dark for dinner, and a relaxing drink by the fire, before heading for an early night and to enjoy the nocturnal sounds of the bush.
Game activities at Setari can be birding focused, and you can enjoy walking safaris, game drives, boat rides in steel-hulled speedboats (not necessarily travelling at speed, but meandering through the waters which surround the camp), and even catch & release fishing. A visit to a nearby community is also highly recommended, as you can then witness how people's lives are shaped around life in the delta.
Incredible bird sightings are pretty much a given this far north in the delta, near the famous Okavango Panhandle, where narrow, grassy waterways give way to a wide, deep river. The lodge guides are specialists in birds, and via the many different ways you can explore this pristine wilderness from Setari, will ensure you have the very best chances and visit the many incredible birding locations to see the endemic and migratory species that call the delta home.
After your morning game activity and a hearty breakfast, depart for the nearby airstrip, where you will meet your light aircraft for your onward flight into the Makgadikgadi Desert and its famous Salt Pans. All transfer flights in Botswana can have up to 2-3 stops along the way, and your journey is likely to involve a connection in Maun. However, the more stops, the greater the views of the different scenery along the way. It isn't uncommon to see migratory herds of zebra, wildebeest and other grazing animals, and elephant herds are easy to spot from the air.
Arrive at Tsigaro Airstrip, where your lodge team will be waiting to drive you through the desert and salt pans to Camp Kalahari, where you will stay for 3 nights. Again, the arrangement here is all-inclusive, and the game activities are focused on land, viewing desert-adapted species and birding.
Today your experience will be especially exciting, with an early helicopter safari over the Makgadikgadi salt pans to see the exceptional beauty of the pans in flood, the flamingos and, with some luck, to witness the Zebra and Wildebeest migration from the air.
Rising from the Makgadikgadi salt pans as a striking granite outcrop, Kubu Island is a profound cultural landmark steeped in Botswana’s ancient heritage and ceremonial history. This 2.5-hour experience, ideally scheduled at sunrise, offers a breathtaking scenic flight over the vast Sua Pan, which transforms into a shimmering haven for thousands of flamingos between January and June. Guests can marvel at the vibrant "pink carpet" of birds from the air before touching down for a 30-minute remote picnic amidst the island's iconic baobabs and prehistoric rocks.
Return to your lodge and join the afternoon/evening game activity.
Another day to explore the desert and salt pans. A wonderful experience which takes place during the best birding season is the Zebra and Wildebeest Migration, which can be witnessed from and around your lodge. You may also see this phenomenon during your helicopter ride.
A bushwalk with San, the local tribespeople, is also an unforgettable experience.
End your incredible birding trip to Botswana in Maun, from where you can head home or continue to another exciting destination.
Why not add on to this trip a visit to Victoria Falls? This is easily done via a flight from Maun to Kasane, in the north-eastern corner of Botswana, from where it is a short road transfer to the falls. Speak to us about this option, as it will make for an unforgettable end to your trip.
