Budget level:
Top-End
Country
Botswana
When to Go
All Year
Duration
8 Nights
Safari Type
Boating, Flying, Lodge
Location
Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta
Kids Min Age
6
Safari Rating
The ultimate Botswana fly-in luxury safari, taking you deep into the best of two very different worlds: The Okavango Delta with its indigo water channels, lush, grassy island vegetation, abundant wildlife and the hippo wake-up-calls – and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, with its wild open spaces, starry nights, and quirky meerkats.
Itinerary in Brief
A luxurious Botswana safari, where you’ll be immersed in the breathtaking beauty of the country’s most iconic destinations. With three nights at Qorokwe Camp, three nights at Little Vumbura, and two nights at San Camp, this safari adventure promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Qorokwe Camp, located in the heart of the Okavango Delta, is renowned for its diverse and abundant wildlife, including lion, leopard, and cheetah. Little Vumbura, situated on a private island in a remote corner of the Okavango Delta, offers the ultimate water-based safari experience, with tranquil mokoro rides and boating excursions through winding waterways. Lastly, San Camp, situated on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, promises to take you on a journey back in time, where you can witness meerkats basking in the sun, and gaze at the starry night skies like never before.
With luxurious accommodations, expert guides, and unforgettable experiences, this safari adventure is one you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1-3: Qorokwe Camp
The variety of habitats in the Qorokwe Concession allows for good concentrations of larger predators – lion, leopard, spotted hyaena, cheetah and wild dog – as well as herbivores such as giraffe, buffalo, lechwe, tsessebe, impala and elephant. The pristine floodplains are home to curious red lechwe and gnarled buffalo bulls, whence the name Qorokwe is derives: “The place where the buffalo broke through the bush into the water”. Aside from the buffalo, elephant are a feature of this classic Okavango Delta Setting.
Qorokwe Camp combines a contemporary style with a classic bush feel. Its eight tented suites (as well as one very spacious family unit with its own splash pool) are well shaded and catch the prevailing breeze. The whole camp, including the magnificent main area, overlooks a lagoon and its infinity pool is a focal point for the expansive views.
This camp can accommodate 20 guests in canvas tented accommodation on a raised wooden deck and sandy pathways on the ground. Each tent comprises en-suite facilities with separate toilet, indoor shower with an inward opening door which gives the illusion of an outdoor shower experience, indoor bath, double vanity basin, private viewing deck with outdoor seating area, indoor lounge area, luggage rack, mosquito screen sliding doors and mosquito net, writing desk and chair, tea and coffee making facilities, electronic safe, multi-plug adaptor with USB points, an umbrella, yoga mat, weights and hairdryer. There is also a two-bedroom family unit, with a total of four three quarter beds (two beds per room) a fireplace, a dining table and plunge pool. Lounge area and deck are shared while each room has a separate en-suite bathroom.
The activities on offer at Qorokwe camp include: day and night game drives, mokoro and boat trips (dugout canoe and motorised boat, water levels permitting), guided nature walks (season dependant for safety) and optional scenic helicopter flights (at an additional cost).
Day 4-6: Little Vumbura
The annually flooded grasslands of the Okavango Delta surrounding Vumbura Plains are locally referred to as ‘melapo’ and offer good seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalo. Hippo and crocodile are common in the waterways. Predators include the African wild dog, several resident prides of lion, as well as leopard, cheetah and African wildcat. Birding is exceptional all year round.
Little Vumbura has six beautiful tented rooms, each with views over the waving grasses of the surrounding floodplains. A pool and reading area overlook the floodplains and a star deck leads off the dining area.
This camp can accommodate 12 guests in canvas tented accommodation on a raised wooden deck, with sandy pathways on the ground. Each tent is landscape shaped offering views of the surroundings and has en-suite facilities (one unit has an indoor shower and outdoor bath), separate toilet, sunken indoor lounge area, easy chairs, mosquito net, tea and coffee making facilities (hot water will be provided in the morning or on request), an electronic safe, Olympus equipment (includes a camera and a pair of binoculars), a yoga mat, weights (2 x 1 kg and 2 x 2 kg weights) and resistance bands. One tent being a family tent with two three quarter beds in each bedroom (consisting of two inter-leading rooms, with their own bathroom and entrance, sharing a deck). While the main bedroom can be converted into a king-size bed, the second bedroom is a permanent twin.
The activities on offer at Little Vumbura are diverse and include: Day and night game drives in 04 x 10-seater open 4×4 Land Cruisers, night drives only possible in low flood. Water-based activities in 06 x 2-seater mekoro and 02 x 8-seater and 02 x 6-seater motorized boats (water levels permitting). Guided nature walks, on request, seasonal and subject to the availability of a qualified walking guide. And fishing on a catch and release basis (season dependent). Optional activities at an additional cost include helicopter flights and hot air ballooning.
Day 7-8: San Camp
San Camp is situated on the edge of the vast and mysterious Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the remnant of an extinct super lake that once covered most of Botswana. Whilst they may look empty, the pans are home to unique desert wildlife including ostrich, lion, brown hyena and, of course, the cheeky meerkats. You can forget the tourist crowds and over-stuffed 4x4s too; it’s just you, the wildlife, and a handful of local San Bushmen, waiting to share their secrets with you.
San Camp has 5 twin and 2 double tents all with ensuite bathrooms, indoor showers and large verandas. The tents are spacious, stylish and have solar lighting (ceiling & bedside lights). Think enormous four-posters, draped in crisp cotton and feather-soft blankets, raised high above Persian rugs. Mahogany writing desks and leather armchairs contrast the rugged surroundings, and there’s a lazy day bed just outside, perfect for an afternoon of view-gazing. Ensuite bathrooms have hot, running water showers and flush loos, and there’s plenty of water in the elegant copper jugs and basins. The entire camp runs on solar-power and when darkness falls, you’ll find lanterns scattered around to light the way.
Gather in the splendid mess tent for a three-course feast, accompanied by white linen and crystal glasses. The mess tent also contains a small natural history museum and library. The tea tent, spread with cushions, is a tranquil sanctuary as is the tented yoga pavilion and plunge pool. While the camp remains perfectly off-grid, wifi is now available in the pool pavilion for guests.
Activities at San Camp include: Meet the habituated meerkats, walks with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, search for the elusive brown hyena, game drives and night drives, Helicopter flips (extra cost), morning and afternoon horse rides, (extra cost), quad biking (2 guests per quad bike, weather dependent).
When To Go
| jan | feb | mar | apr | may | jun | jul | aug | sep | oct | nov | dec | |
| Makgadikgadi Pans |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
| Okavango Delta | | | | | | | | | | | | |
= Best
= Good
= MixedThe Accommodation
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Contact SAFARI FRANK to get started on your safari of a lifetime!
