Showing posts with label Natural Selection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Selection. Show all posts

Monday, 16 October 2023

Natural Selection Botswana: New Ranger Experience in Khwai Private Reserve

Natural Selection Botswana

A NEW RANGER EXPERIENCE IN KHWAI PRIVATE RESERVE (KPR) IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN EARLY START IN THE DAY TO TRACK PREDATORS.

Rangers are the unsung heroes of the conservation world. The KPR rangers are at the frontline of protecting the pristine wilderness and the 200,000-hectare concession that is Khwai Private Reserve. Aside from collecting data on wildlife and identifying potential threats to biodiversity and species, they also work closely with the KPR community in conserving this area and the natural resources found here.

Guests can spend a morning with the rangers where the major focus of this special experience is tracking and following predators on the concession. You’ll be first out early in the morning, before dawn, to have clear tracks before they are disturbed. You can either help or simply observe the rangers identifying individual predators and logging sightings. This important work assists in building a complete profile and history of a pride, pack or individual animal.

You’ll spend 4-6 hours on tracking wildlife, capturing data, patrolling the area as well as checking on conservation projects en-route if time allows. A packed breakfast will be enjoyed along the way, and this ideal opportunity to brush up on all things conservation with the rangers who are experts in their field. You'll then get back to camp just before lunch time. This activity can be done from Sable Alley, Tuludi and Little Sable. The ranger leading the experience will have a professional drivers permit and guiding license.

But best of all, proceeds from this experience go back into the conservation efforts in Khwai Private Reserve. This will help to equip the ranger team with their surveillance and anti-poaching efforts on the concession, as well as aid with further research needed in the various fields helping to manage and conserve the wildlife in the best way possible.

PREDATOR PATROL & RANGER EXPERIENCE

The focus of this special predator identification experience is tracking and following predators on the concession.

Make an early start in the day to track predators with the KPR rangers who are at the frontline of protecting the pristine wilderness and the 200,000-hectare concession that is Khwai Private Reserve. Aside from collecting data on wildlife and identifying potential threats to biodiversity and species, they also work closely with the KPR community in conserving this area and the natural resources found here.

This engaging experience will get you heading out with the rangers before dawn to track fresh spoor. You can either help or simply observe the rangers as they identify and capture data, logging each of the sighting. This important work assists in building a complete profile and history of a pride, pack or individual animal.

You’ll spend 4-6 hours doing this, as well as patrolling the area and checking on conservation projects en- route if time allows. A packed breakfast will be enjoyed along the way, an ideal opportunity to brush up on all things conservation with the rangers who are experts in their field.

Heading back to camp just before lunch, we hope you’ll arrive feeling inspired by the whole experience of getting in on the early morning predator action and leaving this beautiful reserve better equipped in understanding the critical role these wildlife rangers play and their important part in the larger KPR conservation story.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

• After an earlier-than-normal morning wake-up call (and a piping hot coffee or tea), the rangers

will pick you up in camp. You’ll be heading out earlier than anyone else.

• Your ranger leading the experience will have a professional drivers permit and guiding license.

• This activity can be done from Sable Alley, Tuludi and Little Sable.

• You will spend the morning with the rangers tracking, patrolling, identifying and capturing data,

as well as visiting the various conservation projects on the concession.

• You will enjoy a packed breakfast out in the bush whilst out with the rangers.

• You’ll arrive back at camp just before lunch, at around 12h00.

• The whole experience will take between 4 and 6 hours.

• Your vehicle will be equipped with binoculars, one big camera and a tablet to collect data.

• You’ll be on the only vehicle with a tracker seat for optimal tracking by a professional tracker.

• There will be four bucket seats for guests, your vehicle will have no roof for optimal viewing

and scouting.

• Hot water bottles, blankets and ponchos are available for the cold mornings.

• In summer rain ponchos will be provided. Guests are advised to bring a hat and sunscreen to

protect themselves from the sun.

• There is a secure box between the seats to store away your valuables whilst out in the field.

• This activity is at an additional cost and proceeds from this experience go back into the

conservation efforts in Khwai Private Reserve.

• Children 6 years and older are welcome.

• This activity is available all year round.

• Minimum of 1 and maximum of 4 people allowed to enjoy this experience.

HOW THIS EXPERIENCE HELPS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Rangers are the unsung heroes of the conservation world.

You will not only spend a morning tracking predators getting a understanding of the conservation work the KPR rangers do, but proceeds from this experience will go back into the conservation efforts on the concession.

This will help to equip the ranger team with their surveillance and anti-poaching efforts on the concession, as well as aid with further research needed in the various fields helping to manage and conserve the wildlife in the best way possible.

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Friday, 5 May 2023

Namibia: Etosha Heights Private Reserve - An Exceptional Wildlife Experience

Natural Selection

An Exceptional Wildlife Experience... Without the Crowds

If Etosha is on your Namibia wish list, then we suggest you make a beeline for Etosha Heights Private Reserve. The reserve shares a 65-kilometre boundary with the famous Etosha National Park and, at 60 000 hectares in size, it is one of the largest private reserves in Namibia.

Over the past 7 years this reserve has transitioned from an agricultural and hunting area to what is now a conservation success story. The result has been a significant increase in both variety and density of wildlife to the point where the wildlife populations are now an extension to the adjacent Etosha National Park and the game watching opportunities for visitors are exceptional.

This thriving wildlife area, already famous for both black and white rhino, now also has healthy populations of other threatened or endangered species including over 150 elephant (elephant previously did not use this reserve), 200 locally endemic black-faced impala, 60 sable antelope and over 30 lions. Etosha Heights also provides an important roost and bathing area for 2 of Namibia’s vulnerable vulture species; the white-backed and lappet-faced vulture. Being at the intersection of desert animals and savannah species, visitors can expect to encounter leopard, cheetah, giraffe, zebra, oryx, wildebeest, eland, as well as some smaller species of jackal, bat-eared fox, the elusive honey badger and so much more.

The game viewing experience in this private reserve is further enhanced by our expert safari guides, a two-storey photographic hide overlooking a large natural waterhole for close-up encounters, and the absence of crowds at wildlife encounters. The reserve is a hotspot for bird lovers too, enjoy action packed moments like falcons hunting quelea at the waterholes.

To enjoy this remarkable Namibia experience, come and stay at Safarihoek, Safari House or Etosha Mountain Lodge. In typical Natural Selection fashion we’ve put comfort at the forefront of this safari experience and on top of the exceptional wildlife, you’ll discover that the hospitality is off the charts too. 

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Monday, 10 April 2023

Botswana: welcome to Duke's East in Okavango Delta

If you are looking for an intimate safari experience that combines serious safari panache with an unforgettable under-canvas adventure in Botswana's Okavango Delta, then welcome to Duke's East.

The sister camp to Duke’s Camp, it delivers the same Bousfield style and distinguishing characteristics but with just 4 rooms it provides the added option of becoming a smaller exclusive-use camp for family and friends to enjoy.

Duke’s Camp and Duke’s East are set in a remote area located on a channel of the northern Okavango Delta, and will throw you into the heart of the wild. The concession, one of Botswana’s most game-rich and beautiful, is overflowing with excellent game viewing opportunities. Enjoy game drives, boating trips, mokoro meanders, scenic helicopter flights or spend a night fly-camping on a secluded lantern-lit island.

The two properties, Duke’s Camp (8 rooms) and Duke’s East (4 rooms), offer the same facilities and experiences and are located right next to each other. Both camps can be booked out together to accommodate a larger group.

Duke’s East has four spacious tents (1 double, 2 twin and 1 family with private pool), each set beneath a canopy of ebony and leadwood trees offering en-suite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers and a private veranda. Around camp you’ll enjoy magical lagoon views, a pool pavilion and a firepit under the stars.

The camp is a seamless blend of yesteryear charm, safari savoir-faire and deep respect for the surrounding natural ecosystems. The main mess area is a delight with its old-world glamour, well-stocked drinks cabinet, library and lounge furnished with intricately carved tables, antique oriental rugs, and campaign furniture.

Meals are a lavish affair of crystal glasses and antique silverware, three-course dinners that celebrate the Bousfield tradition of honouring guests with fine food and wine in the African bush.

In this extraordinary northern Botswana landscape, you’ll be left in the experienced hands of exceptional safari guides, honed in the bushcraft and lore of this World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta.

There are few better ways to experience one of our world’s last true wilderness areas.

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Tuesday, 6 September 2022

Botswana: Natural Selection Predator Conservation Wild Entrust

Natural Selection

A recent call to action from Botswana Predator Conservation (Wild Entrust) to conduct a de-snaring sweep, was in response to sightings of animals with snares in the Khwai Village and Mababe Village areas. A total of 6 wild dogs, 1 lioness, 3 hyena and 1 zebra had been reported as snared in the last few months. Although all of the animals (with the exception of 1 wild dog) were darted, snares removed and wounds treated - there was an urgent need to conduct a de-snaring sweep of the areas near the villages to ascertain the extent of the problem.

Snares are commonly used in developing countries (across Africa, South America and particularly Southeast Asia) as a means of acquiring “bushmeat” for human consumption. One of the many issues with snares, is that they are indiscriminate with many non-target species being caught. The species reported above are testament to this.

The de-snaring sweep was conducted over five days, between 27th June and the 1st July 2022, and was a joint operation with various government bodies and private entities (including Natural Selection and other tourism operators in the area). In total 108 snares were found.

Natural Selection supported this initiative financially as well as logistically from Khwai Private Reserve. Our concessions also play an important role in the protection that they afford a multitude of species - providing refuge for biodiversity, corridors for migration, buffers between wildlife and other land uses.

The swift support received for the de-snaring sweep, and the action taken from multiple stakeholders is a reminder that collectively we have an important role to play in protecting Africa’s wildlife and wild places. Collaboration is key!

Natural Selection Travel
Cirtech House
Stibitz Street
Westlake 7975
Cape Town
South Africa

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Saturday, 3 September 2022

Natural Selection: The Botswana elephant in the room

Natural Selection

The Botswana elephant in the room...

AFRICAN SAVANNA ELEPHANT (loxodonta africana) ARE UNDER THREAT AND ARE CURRENTLY CLASSIFIED BY THE IUCN AS ENDANGERED, WITH GLOBAL POPULATIONS DECLINING BY 60% IN THE LAST 50 YEARS.

The populations in Botswana are however stable and increasing in number, where the largest concentration of elephants on the planet are to be found in Northern Botswana (estimated to be 200000). The rural nature of many of the villages in these areas, means that an ‘elephant in the room’ is not an entirely implausible scenario. The idiomatic ‘elephant in the room’ however is that the threats to elephant survival are overwhelmingly human induced, with the primary drivers being poaching and habitat loss and fragmentation.

The relative refuge that elephants find in Botswana in the context of declining global populations, makes the conservation efforts here that much more significant; and solutions that look to foster co-existence between humans and elephants are therefore a crucial aspect of these conservation efforts!

The rural village of Moreomaoto (the closest village to Meno a Kwena) happens to be in one of the highest human wildlife conflict areas of Botswana, and co-existing with the world’s largest land animal in this environment is not without its challenges.

In order to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Moreomaoto village, Natural Selection have been funding Elephants for Africa (EFA) in their elephant proof fencing initiative. This entails combining 62 small-scale farms into one communal plot and includes erecting 7 km of fencing (35km of electric wiring). Electric fences need to be at least 6000 volts to deter elephants so requires multiple grounding points along the fence.  

The EFA community officers are leading the building process with farmers participating in the construction. After which, the farmers will then be in charge of maintaining the fence.

We also fund and collaborate with EFA on a children’s environmental club and a series of workshops for residents and farmers teaching them about living and farming near elephants. These resumed in March 2022, after 2 years of Covid dormancy.  Natural Selection also support the Moreomaoto community through employment at Meno a Kwena Camp (over 90% of the camp staff come from Moreomaoto) as well as through supporting upliftment projects in Moreomaoto for many years.

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Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Botswana: Thamo Telele Lodge & World Giraffe Day

Natural Selection

IT'S WORLD GIRAFFE DAY AND WE'RE CELEBRATING AT THAMO TELELE!

That's because our new Botswana lodge, Thamo Telele, is ALL about giraffe. Perfectly situated in a 250-hectare private game reserve within the “village” of Maun on the outskirts of the Okavango Delta, Thamo Telele (meaning “tall neck”) harbors a large variety of game but is known for its successfully breeding herd of giraffe. In fact, the newest member of the herd, aptly named Telele, was born during the refurb of the lodge at the end of 2021.

At Thamo Telele, our focus is on giraffe education & research. 

The giraffe at Thamo Telele have all been brought here from hunting areas over the last decade and have done exceptionally well in this safe haven. It is an idyllic spot to hang out with giraffe that are approachable on horseback and relaxed near the hide, while learning about giraffe conservation. The program is led by our rather brilliant giraffe scientists Katie and Emma, who joined Natural Selection from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) in Namibia. GCF are our conservation partners at Hoanib Valley Camp, Namibia and more importantly, are the foremost experts on giraffe. They are the only organization in the world focused entirely on the conservation and management of all giraffe species in the wild. In fact, they established and launched World Giraffe Day!

A portion of each guest’s stay supports Giraffe DNA Research through GCF… which helps governments make informed decisions about giraffe population management and conservation. The advancement of DNA sequencing has enabled GCF and fellow researchers to differentiate between the populations of giraffe across Africa, finding that there are in fact 4 separate species. In addition to enabling this work to expand into Botswana, our long-term vision at Thamo Telele is to set up a Giraffe Education Centre to provide an impactful conservation experience for both tourists and locals that also informs visitors about the plight of giraffe across Africa.

So today, being World Giraffe Day, we couldn’t be prouder to tell you about the work we are undertaking and planning at Thamo Telele, and how through our giraffe experience, guests can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for giraffe conservation and why it is so important to protect these magnificent creatures.

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Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Natural Selection: An enriching 8 days Botswana safari experience

AN ENRICHING 8 DAY SAFARI EXPERIENCE…

More of us are making conscious decisions about travelling in a more eco-friendly, impactful, and ethical way. We want to connect with nature, with communities, and get a deeper understanding of the places we visit.

At Natural Selection we are proud to introduce our new 8-day Botswana Conservation Itinerary for those of you not only wanting a rich safari experience, but also wanting to see first-hand how responsible tourism can positively impact conservation and communities.

This conservation focused trip will take you deep into the heart of our sustainable safari operation, where you’ll stay at 3 of our luxury camps – Meno a Kwena, Little Sable and Mapula - and get greater insight into 5 projects we are involved in, and how they help us protect some of Africa’s last great wild places.

Your trip will be privately guided by a specialist guide, with deep experience in conservation and a passion about sharing their knowledge and wisdom with you.

We believe this trip will inspire you and give you a better understanding into how, together, we are helping to protect beautiful Botswana and its people.

Your trip will take you deep into the heart of our sustainable safari operation, where you’ll stay at 3 of our unique camps – Meno a Kwena, Little Sable and Mapula - and get greater insight into 5 projects we are involved in, and how they help us protect some of Africa’s last great wild places.

This exclusive conservation focused safari adventure, is an incredible opportunity for you to not only stay at our camps, but also to see the significant difference and impact your stay can have on the conservation of wildlife and the lives of the people living sustainably in and near wildlife areas.

Our exceptional safari guides have had years of experience in the wildlife and conservation space and are passionate about protecting it and teaching about it. Their personal and intimate understanding of the bush, conservation and community, will truly leave you inspired, giving you a better insight into how together we are helping to protect beautiful Botswana and its people.

MENO A KWENA

PROJECT 1: ELEPHANTS FOR AFRICA (EFA)

Elephants for Africa is situated on the north western edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. This conservation project is dedicated to enhancing human-wildlife coexistence in rural farming communities, which we believe is crucial to protect both the elephant and the communities in this wildlife area. The project focuses on mitigating human-wildlife conflict primarily through community workshopping and installing elephant proof fencing.

LITTLE SABLE

PROJECT 2: WILD DOG RESEARCH CAMP

The Wild Dog Research Camp sits within the Moremi Game Reserve, on the south eastern edge of the Okavango Delta. It is the most well established research centre in the Okavango, and has conducted over 30 years of research on wild dog packs, as well as members of the large carnivore guild, the lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. While the various projects supported by this centre are dispersed across the Okavango landscape, on your visit you’ll get to meet the dedicated resident researchers who are available to take you through some of the projects and showcase the importance of applied conservation in Botswana.

PROJECT 3: KHWAI COMMUNITY / VILLAGE

The Khwai community and village is situated on the eastern edge of the Khwai Private Reserve. It is here that we dedicate a lot of time and effort to implementing multiple community outreach initiatives in and around the settlement of Khwai village. This veritably reflects our goal of continuously improving the livelihoods of communities living alongside wildlife. And like it is for us, your visit and interaction with the community, will truly be an insightful and humbling experience.

MAPULA LODGE

PROJECT 4: ELEPHANT EXPRESS

The Elephant Express project is situated on the north eastern edge of the Okavango and is a wonderful solution to a complex human-wildlife conflict issue. The project transports vulnerable members of the community – children, elderly and the disabled – to school and clinics through dangerous elephant corridors. The Elephant Express helps to minimize human-wildlife conflict by creating a space within which elephants and people can co-exist more easily.

PROJECT 5: COMMUNAL HERDING FOR LIVESTOCK & WILDLIFE PROTECTION (CLAWS)

CLAWS has been set up in the north eastern edge of the Okavango Delta to support human wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation. This communal herding program safeguards cattle, creates employment, reduces retaliatory killing of lions, and restores overgrazed landscapes. Here you will see first-hand how by facilitating a return to traditional herding practices, whereby a herder accompanies livestock, lion-livestock interactions are reduced and the perceived conflict between lions and farmers is alleviated. This initiative combines different herds, to reduce the costs of herding per household and achieves two incredible goals: it reduces retaliatory killing of lions, and it improves the grazing land for livestock herders through rotational grazing.

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Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Namibia: Natural Selection and Etosha Heights support relocation of cheetah

NATURAL SELECTION AND ETOSHA HEIGHTS PRIVATE RESERVE SUPPORT THE RELOCATION OF THREATENED CHEETAH.

Assisted by a number of anatomical adaptations for speed - including a light streamlined body, deep chest, long thin legs, elongated spine and tail, and protracted claws - it is ironic that the world’s fastest land mammal is in a race against time!

Cheetah populations are declining globally, due to numerous threats to their survival such as habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict and declining prey availability.

Cheetah are currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with a call to have its status changed to Endangered due to declining global populations. Its very name cheetah means "large, spotted cat of India" and is testament to its far greater historic distribution throughout Africa, Asia and Europe.

The current global population is estimated to be 7000, and apart from a small population in North-eastern Iran, the majority are in sub-Saharan Africa - with Namibia having the largest free roaming (outside of formal protected areas) population of cheetah in the world.

Approximately 76% of the cheetah’s range is in unprotected areas, and for a species with home ranges averaging 554–7,063 km2, conservation work outside formally protected areas is critical to their survival. In other words, they do not only need space but also concerted efforts from organizations to make cheetah conservation a reality. This ranges from habitat rehabilitation to conservation education to the reduction of farmer-cheetah conflict through the introduction of cheetah-friendly herding practices. See the Cheetah Conservation Foundation website for a full description of cheetah conservation.

Etosha Heights is not only one of the largest private reserves in Namibia (encompassing approximately 60,000 hectares and sharing its northern boundary with Etosha National Park), but its wildlife management and recent conservation endeavors have created an environment that make it an ideal location for cheetah conservation.

It is into this environment that Natural Selection supported the release of two male cheetah, rescued from Kalahari farmland. The release took place on 16 February and was co-facilitated with the Cheetah Conservation Foundation (CCF) who rescued these cheetah, the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), Etosha Heights Private Reserve and Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.

The NUST Biodiversity Research Centre (BRC) has appointed a student who will monitor the cheetah’s daily movements for the next 6 months to ensure the relocation is successful and gain an understanding of their preferred prey and habitat use. This work forms part of an ongoing long-term conservation research program at Etosha Heights and Etosha National Park that collects data on interactions between predators and prey.

This program is a collaborative partnership between NUST’s BRC, GCF, Etosha Heights and others. This interdisciplinary conservation approach is a testament that collective efforts can secure the future of cheetah and other wildlife in Africa.

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Saturday, 5 February 2022

Natural Selection: Every dog had its day | Дикие собаки Ботсваны

Natural Selection

Every dog had its day...

AS PART OF A VACCINATION AND STERILIZATION OUTREACH INITIATIVE IN NOVEMBER 2021, WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE MAUN ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY (MAWS) & BOTSWANA PREDATOR CONSERVATION TRUST TO VACCINATE VILLAGE DOGS IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE AFRICAN WILD DOG POPULATION.

There may be some dispute about the appropriate name of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) - also referred to as African painted dog, African hunting dog and painted wolf - but there is no disputing that this is a species under threat. In fact, African wild dogs are the most endangered of Africa's iconic apex predators with a current IUCN status of endangered, and with future prospects looking precarious.

Apart from habitat fragmentation, one of the primary threats to the African wild dog is their susceptibility to viral diseases such as Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). CDV is easily transmitted from domestic dogs to African wild dogs. Unfortunately, African wild dog contact with human settlements (and their canine counterparts) is unavoidable, especially for a wide-ranging species in an increasingly fragmented environment. Inevitably, as villages grow so too does the domestic dog population. A further complexity is that villages in Ngamiland (North-West District of Botswana) are situated in wildlife management areas, further exacerbating the likelihood of encounters with African wild dog.

The recent illness and death of a wild dog close to Khwai Village, was a timely reminder of this ever-present viral threat and the need to take immediate action. A CDV outbreak could wipe out the wild dog population of the area, and as a matter of urgency, The Natural Selection Foundation funded a vaccination program for domestic dogs in villages closest to the Khwai Private Reserve.

It was coordinated and run by the Maun Animal Welfare Society and Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. They focused on the villages of Khwai, Mababe and Sankuyo. The community support and adoption of this disease management initiative is critical for managing not only the health of village dogs, but is an essential component of protecting Botswana's wildlife, National Parks, and Game Reserves. The vaccination program creates a “buffer zone” between domestic animal diseases and wild animal populations.

In total 87 dogs were administered a 5 in 1 vaccination which covers Canine Distemper, Adenovirus, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza. 79 dogs were vaccinated for Rabies and 3 dogs were sterilized.

From the beginning, Natural Selection has been about creating an excellent safari experience that gives back. Through the Natural Selection Foundation, we are fully committed to making a significant positive impact on the conservation of wildlife and on the communities living in and near wildlife areas of Africa. To do so we pledge 1.5% of every guests stay in our camps to conservation.

Natural Selection Travel
Cirtech House
Stibitz Street
Westlake 7975
Cape Town
South Africa

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Saturday, 27 November 2021

Botswana: Natural Selection - Exploring Botswana's Diversity with 10 days safari

Natural Selection - Exploring Botswana's Diversity...

IF YOU’VE EVER WANTED TO DISCOVER ALL THE HIDDEN GEMS THAT BOTSWANA HAS ON OFFER, THEN OUR 10 DAY BOTSWANA EXPLORER TRIP IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

It will take you deep into the Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi National Park, where you will spend 10 glorious days exploring the abundant landscape, birdlife and wildlife in each area, gaining a deeper understanding for Botswana, its beauty and its people.

From game drives, houseboat adventures, bushman walks, hidden hides, scenic flights over the Okavango, ancient rock art, mokoro meanderings, nocturnal night drives, game viewing on horse back and community visits - this 10 day Botswana exploration will give you a wide and diverse variety of activities to experience and enjoy. 

DAY 1 - 2: OKAVANGO SPIRIT, OKAVANGO DELTA. 

Your trip will start in the tranquil 'Panhandle' area of the Okavango Delta in Northern Botswana, on the Okavango Spirit Houseboat. With serene waterways and phenomenal bird-watching, here you’ll enjoy peace and quiet, as you float along blissfully, spotting birds and wildlife from the comfort of your own bedroom. Enjoy a trip to Tsodilo Hils, to see one of the most significant rock art sites in Africa.

DAY 3 – 4: EXPEDITIONS CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA.

Next, you’ll head by road to our mobile-tented camp set up in a private game concession in the Okavango Delta. This area offers some of the most incredible game viewing opportunities and is one of the best areas to see big cats and wild dog. You'll find yourself in a world of dry lands rising between vast wetlands and crystal clear water channels on the edge of mopane and apple-leaf woodlands. Perfect to weave your way around on mokoro or game viewing vehicle.

DAY 5 – 6: HYENA PAN, KHWAI PRIVATE RESERVE.

From here you’ll head to a remote airstrip and charter a small plane to Hyena Pan in the Khwai Private Reserve, 200 000-hectares of pristine wilderness. This cosy and comfortable tented camp overlooks a magnificent forest of cathedral mopane trees and a watery lagoon. One of the highlights of your trip will be hiding out in the ground-level hide near the waterhole. A favourite amongst guests and photographers and the perfect opportunity to get up-close-and-very-personal with all the wildlife.

DAY 7-8: MENO A KWENA, KALAHARI / BOTETI RIVER / MAKGADIKGADI NATIONAL PARK.

After this incredible experience, you will fly back to Maun and then take a short drive to Meno A Kwena, a refreshingly stylish tented camp, perched on a rocky clifftop above the Boteti River, overlooking the Makgadikgadi National Park. This offers spectacular scenery and unforgettable sunsets. Take a guided walk & cultural safari with the San Bushmen, discovering the natural world through their ancient eyes. 

DAY 9 – 10: ROYAL TREE LODGE, MAUN.

Your last day and evening will be spent at Royal Tree Lodge, only a 20-minute drive from Maun Airport, perfectly situated to get your COVID-19 testing done before flying home. Set in a private nature reserve on the banks of the Thamalakane River, you’ll discover an abundance of wildlife and activities to enjoy, while taking in the peace and tranquility of this beautiful reserve. 

10 days on safari in beautiful Botswana will leave you exhilarated, enriched by every experience and ready to come back for more! You'll discover that here the journey matters just as much as the destination and we guarantee you'll find happiness in both. 

For all enquiries & to find out more contact info@traveltonamibia.com

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