Delta Deliciousness - African Residents Only

Welcome to Botswana.

Upon arrival in Maun, make your way over to the Major Blue Air Counter for your scenic, light aircraft flight to  Xaraxai Airstrip. A Mapula Lodge driver/guide will meet you at the airstrip and transfer you the short distance to the beautiful Mapula Lodge.

After a bite to eat, a quick debrief on do's and dont's around the lodge, time to unpack, chill, relax and a pick-me up forage at the high tea station, you will depart on a PM game drive to explore the magnificent surroundings of Mapula Lodge.

The concession in which Mapula is situated lies north of the renowned Vumbura and Duba Plains concessions in the Okavango Delta. The wonderfully rich habitat of savannah country, seasonal floodplains and permanent waterways supports varied and diverse wildlife, including everything from sitatunga antelope, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dogs and an exuberance of phenomenal birdlife. 

The next three days you will follow a similar routine, that said, no game drive will be similar, as your driver guide deftly targets your "most wanted" and casually exposes you to sightings and sceneries that promise to take your breath away. 

Every day starts, as early as possible, soon after the first francolins raucously welcome the new day, stealthy footsteps on the sand, bring you a steamy cuppa of tea or coffee and a little bite to eat.  Weary eyed, adequately dressed for the occasion, binoculars and camera at the ready, you will meet your guide and trusty game viewer and set off without further a due to meet the rising sun,  " read the newspaper" in the soft mud around the nearest oan to camp, and all the while listen, smell, and witness the bush come to life with the new day, the hunter settling in for a day of slumber,  the hunted breathing a sigh of relief,  birds, insects, reptiles and flowers welcome a new day. 

Depending on what you have seem, has been seen, heard, or has been happening around camp, your guide will trace a route to showcase as best he can...the riches and beauty that abound around Mapula lodge.

After your morning game drive, you will enjoy a well-deserved break, take it with both hands, listen to your body, laze, refresh, perhaps write in your safari journal, chill by the pool, edit images in your laptop, or simply catch up with some sleep with a good old afternoon siesta. 

The enormous main area at Mapula lodge includes several comfy seating areas, a small library, a dining area and a generous swimming pool....all of which are excellent for chilling, relaxing and observe game come and go.

In the afternoon, water levels dependent, you can sit back and relax  in a mokoro as a poler glides you through the channels of the delta, keep your eyes open for tiny reed frogs,  dainty damselflies, dazzling kingfishers, cryptic chameleons, flappy Jacanas, stealthy crocs and watchful hippos. 

If back on the game viewer, expected to see some of the biggest herds of buffalo within Botswana and keep your eyes open for the breeding herds of elephants who follow ancient paths that follow the river down into the Okavango Delta.

April to October in the Delta are the dry, winter months. Confusingly, this means the water levels are at their highest and it’s the best time of year for water and mokoro safaris. This is a time when you are able to access remote areas and go where no elephant has gone before. Game viewing at this time of year is exceptional and this combined with the pleasant, mid-20s temperatures and sunshine-filled skies, makes it a great time to experience the Delta.

Upon return to camp from your evening activity, you will be warmly welcomed back by your staff to your "home away from home",  settle in for a drink around the fire in the  ‘’chill pit’’, a sunken deck area from which to look out over the lagoon, and be dazzled by the milky way at night.... recap the day's highlights with fellow safari-goers, and regale this moment, which is yours and yours only to enjoy and share, in this very special place.

Later, allow a myriad of clicking frogs, pinging fruit bats, and the distant booms of Pel's Fishing Owls lull you to sleep . 

Overnights at Mapula Lodge 

After a final morning activity at Mapula Camp, perhaps targeting some of the activities or sightings that you might still hope to see.........it will be time to return to camp, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, pack up, refresh and head off on the next leg of your adventure. 

Your guide will transfer you to Xaraxai Airstrip and from here you will meet your charter flight to Sable Alley. Upon arrival at Khwai Airstrip, your Sable Alley driver/ guide will transfer you a short distance to Sable Alley - game viewing on the way of course. 

Sable Alley is located in the 200,000 hectare Khwai Private Reserve concession (That’s three times the size of South Africa’s Sabi Sands – and 300 times more private!) overlooking vast floodplains. Red lechwe, waterbuck and reedbuck along with many antelope species that are full time residents, with so much ungulate bounding about....numbers of lion, leopard, spotted hyena and wild dog are excellent. 

The reserve itself is within Botswana’s most talked-about region, the Okavango Delta. It actually sits just to the north east of the Delta, adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, and the landscape is one of the most diverse you can come across. Think mopane clusters jostling for space with riverine forest, acacia woodland, seasonal waterholes and winding channels leading from the mighty Khwai River. Expect to LIKE IT A LOT!!

The guides and rangers who drive the tracks of this private nature reserve will know exactly where the interesting game has been kicking about in the last week. Expect their interests to be 100% aligned with yours, lay back and enjoy the ride.

Given that this is a Private Nature Reserve, expect not to see anyone else messing about in your frame or field of view, only three vehicles (from the lodge or sister lodges) are allowed per sighting to avoid crowding, recall that alighting from the vehicle when safe is allowed if you need a better angle, and night drives will complement your daily outings.

Back at the lodge, the show must and will carry on from your tent, as each tent offers sweeping views of the wildlife-dotted lagoon – thus expect world-class game viewing without leaving camp. Keep your camera handy and ready at all times since the game viewing in the area around Sable Alley is fantastic, and you are likely to find lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo all in close proximity as well as a multi-coloured array of birdlife.

For those that would like a  change of pace...or faces...there’s an exciting range of activities to get stuck into, including mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions (if water levels permit), game walks, viewing hides, and more.

The wonderful chefs have a reputation for their good, wholesome meals. The enormous main area boasts a lounge, several cozy seating areas, a bar, firepit and swimming pool, all with views of the lagoon ahead. The camp is solar-powered.

Upon returning from your activity at night, dinner is served either in the indoor dining area, or alfresco on the deck, accompanied by twinkling stars and the rumblings and grumblings of the wildlife. 

The following days will follow a similar plan to your days at Mapula, AM and PM game drives will set off into the reserve to find the best game, light and experiences on offer, and when at Sable Alley you will be spoiled for choice.

Sophisticated, intimate and with every detail attended to, Sable Alleys offers an iconic experience in the most refined of surroundings. Its space and serenity within an exclusive private reserve on the fringes of the Okavango Delta with only a handful of camps in over 200,000 hectares, is palpable immediately.

No day is the same when at Sable Alley, with game drives, walking safaris and fantastic pans nearby to game view in a unique manner. 

Pace yourself and soak in the luxuries of camp, especially during downtime and the hotter part of days, turn your safari into a balanced restful holiday and spend some time relaxing your body in camp. With a large swimming pool in the main area, a plunge pool at your room and scores of lovely bush to rest your gaze... there is plenty of places for a spot of chill-out time

Overnight at Sable Alley 

After a final invigorating morning game viewing activity, the time to start heading home is nearing. On the charter flight back to Maun you can reflect on your amazing experience!.  As you bid farewell to a true African Eden, we hope that the romance and the adventure of what you have discovered in Botswana and all its abundance of wildlife has left an imprint on your heart and in your memories.

The Africa Geographic Team trusts that you have enjoyed every minute of your travel adventure and hope you return to make more African Inspired memories with us !

End of Services