Sample Trip

Okavango Participation Mobile & Walking Safari

“A serious Okavango adventure, with money spent where it counts”

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Budget level: Budget

Country

Botswana

When to Go

All Year

Duration

9 Nights

Safari Type

Mobile Safari

Location

Northern Botswana, Okavango Delta

Kids Min Age

Safari Rating

adventure

wilderness

wildlife

comfort

photographic

guiding

An incredible value for money Participation Mobile and Walking Safari focusing on the Okavango Delta. By participating in camp duties and scaling down on extravagant tents, you allow for money to be spent on the best guides, the best vehicle and the best game viewing areas – amounting to the ultimate experience at a reasonable price.

Itinerary in Brief

3 Nights Khwai Magotho Mobile Camp

3 Nights Moremi Mobile Camp

3 Nights Wild Expedition Safaris

Affordable Participation Mobile Safari Basis

A participation mobile safari where guests will be involved in camp duties including setting up tents, helping a chef to prepare food, unloading items and repacking the vehicles. A participation mobile has the advantage of taking a simpler camp which is faster to move, less camp staff, huge cost savings and adds to the overall experience as everyone gets involved.

Upon arrival at Maun International Airport you will be met by your expert guide, Okwa Sarefo. A quick stop by the liquor store to purchase your drinks for the safari before you set off. First spend 3 nights in the Khwai Community Trust concession. Located on the Eastern edge of the Okavango Delta, Khwai supports some of the highest concentrations of game viewing because of its mix of different habitats along with its permanent water.

Khwai is particularly famous for its predator concentration, especially the resident leopards which are often spotted at night and early morning. Being a community concession Khwai also allows for off-road driving and night driving to further enhance the experience. From Khwai you will head west, deeper into the Okavango Delta and into the Moremi Game Reserve. Spending 3 nights in Moremi allows you to explore a much larger area than Khwai and go in search of the resident wildlife with less of a crowd. Moremi also brings with it a welcome change in scenery along with equally impressive wildlife, and although rare – you have the chance to spot white rhinos in certain regions. There is also the option (at extra cost) to include a boat cruise though the permanent swamps of the Okavango with chances of seeing the elusive Sitatunga antelope and outstanding birdlife.

After Moremi Game Reserve, you’ll then make your way to another community concession set in a remote section of the Okavango Delta. Halfway in the journey you’ll continue on a short transfer drive to a mokorro station. Depending on the time of day, you’ll either mokorro or walk to your secluded campsite for the next 3 nights. The area being so remote and difficult to access by vehicle means you can expect to see very little, if any other tourists during your stay. The wildlife viewing in this region is some of the best we have seen anywhere in Botswana. You are highly likely to encounter elephants, buffaloes and lions on foot during your stay here, not to mention other plains game.

You’ll be exploring this section of the Okavango on armed walking safaris and mokoro expeditions only, accompanied by one of Botswana’s best guides – Okwa. We believe that the best way to experience the Okavango is on foot and mokoro. And when combining these activities with a productive wildlife area and an expert walking guide makes this the ultimate Okavango experience. On the final day of the tour, you’ll either walk or mokoro back to the mokoro station where a vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to Maun well before your international connections.

This Okavango Participation Mobile Safari is perfect for small groups of families wanting a really great value for money adventure safari in northern Botswana. This safari has you participating in camp duties to save costs, but doesn’t compromise on the guide, the activities and the wildlife viewing experience.

Detailed Itinerary

What Sets This Safari Apart Participation Mobile Safaris:Nights 1-3: Khwai Magotho Mobile Camp Nights 4-6: Moremi Mobile Camp Nights 7-9: Wild Expedition Safaris

What Sets This Safari Apart

This safari cannot be compared to other participation mobiles because of 3 important factors that set’s our safaris far apart from our competition:

The guides – the most important part of your safari is your guide. The entire experience is dictated by the quality of guide who’s leading it – its make or break. Many companies in their attempt to save costs work with cheaper, less experienced guides. We, on the other hand, only deal with the most experienced guides in the country. We personally hand pick the guides which we guarantee will enhance your safari. This is something we think you cannot compromise on. It’s also extremely important from a safety perspective, particularly with walking safaris. Do you really want an unarmed rookie guide walking you into potentially dangerous situations, or would you rather an experience and qualified walking guide taking you on armed walking safaris?

Where ever possible we work with Okwa Sarefo: Okwa has more than 20 years of experience in Botswana’s safari industry. He has worked as guide and manager at some of the most expensive and high-end lodges the country has to offer and has a wealth of knowledge, experience and stories to share. He has, with all his experience, realized that you simply cannot beat the experience of a temporary tented mobile camp which has access to truly wild, vast and untouched regions of the Okavango Delta.

The BEAST – simply put, the best game viewing vehicle in Africa. The BEAST comfortably seats 8 guests, its height allows for an advantage in spotting animals and its features trump all others in every aspect. Many of the competition in participation mobiles will have you travelling in an old, second hand, cramped land cruisers that should have been retired years ago. Travelling in the BEAST enhances your vehicle-based game viewing experience. Read more on the BEAST here.

Not set-departure – this is not another scheduled safari where you’re mixed with other guests and crammed into one vehicle. This safari is exclusive to your group only and can be arranged for which ever dates suite you. The route and itinerary can also be completely adapted to suite your particular needs, it’s totally flexible and tailored to you.

Participation Mobile Safaris:

Don’t let the name discourage you! In fact, participating in the camp duties can seriously enhance the experience and many guests prefer getting involved rather than being ‘butlered’. These safaris follow the ‘everything you need, and nothing you don’t’ approach and are far from chandeliers and 5 course meals. This is an authentic and hands on experience in the wilderness.

The participation from the guests involves: setting up the tent and packing it / carrying their bag from/to the vehicle at campsites. The rest of the camp chores are carried out by the team made up of one guide and one camp assistant/chef. Although guests are also encouraged to get involved in other aspects should they wish.

Tents are 2.1m x 2.1m x 1.75m. A bedroll containing a comfortable mattress and linen will be provided. Ablutions are shared and bush ablutions set up nearby to the tents.

Nights 1-3: Khwai Magotho Mobile Camp

The Magotho campsites are situated within the Khwai Community Trust, an area which shares an unfenced border with Moremi Game Reserve. Access to this gem is by either vehicle transfer from Maun or charter flights.

The Khwai Community Trust concession is located on the eastern side of the Okavango delta with the Khwai river forming the boundary between the Moremi Game Reserve and the concession. The area is home to some of the best game viewing, as the herbivores from the drier surrounds are forced to congregate around Khwai river in order to drink. This in turn supports large concentrations of predators especially leopards and if you are lucky, also Painted wolves.

Nights 4-6: Moremi Mobile Camp

The Moremi Game Reserve is located on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and consists of a patchwork of lagoons, shallow flooded pans, plains and forests. The area and diversity of habitat supports a high variety and density of wildlife both big and small and makes for excellent game viewing, particularly of predators. There are multiple private mobile camps located in different areas within Moremi, all of which have access to some of the best game viewing in northern Botswana as well as the “must do” option of a boat cruise on the Okavango itself.

Nights 7-9: Wild Expedition Safaris

“The only way to truly know a country, is to walk it” This same ideology was adopted by Wild Expedition safaris. Okwa believes the only way to truly experience the wilderness of the Okavango is by exploring its islands on armed walking safaris and by mokoro – alongside locals who have lived and thrived in its waterways for many generations.

The daily activities typically consist of a longer morning walk and shorter afternoon walk due to temperature increase and guest comfort. The inclusions and use of mokoro’s does vary depending on the location and whether they are needed to access new walking areas. Mokoros have often been used in combination with a shorter walk in previous trips for relaxing afternoon activities. The activity type (walking, mokoro and boating) does vary day by day, per trip and seasonally. What you must know is that they aim to expose you to the best game viewing, safety and guest comfort at all times. It is all about exploring and celebrating the diversity of the Okavango Delta in the safest and most authentic means possible.