Overview
This highly recommended wildlife safari embraces the prime gameviewing potential of two of Botswana’s best wildlife areas, Moremi Game Reserve and the Mababe Private Reserve where you have the freedom to do night drives.
Moremi forms part of the eastern part of the Okavango Delta and the Mababe Private Reserve is situated just outside the northeastern border of Moremi.
The wealth of habitats and pristine beauty of these two areas add great value to your wildlife safari experience.
Accommodation is in fully serviced ensuite Tented Camps and apart from your day and night drives, activities include bush walks and an Okavango boat cruise.
Charter flights to and from Moremi allow you to see the magnificent Okavango Delta from the air, a bonus for its scenic value, aerial gameviewing and insight into this unique wilderness area.
This fantastic wildlife safari would amount to nothing without the experience, knowledge and passion of your guide and the dedicated services of your safari chef and camp assistants.
Highlights
- The Moremi Game Reserve
- Exploring the fringes of the Okavango Delta by mokoro
- The freedom of the Mababe Private Reserve
- Charter flight over the Okavango Delta
Itinerary
DAY 1
LETAKA TENTED CAMP, XAXANAXA, MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Fully Serviced Ensuite Tented Camping – Full Board
After your arrival at Maun International Airport you will be met by Mack Air for your charter flight at approximately 14h00 to the Xakanaxa airstrip in Moremi Game Reserve where you will be met by your guide.
Spending our first three nights camping in the Xakanaxa region, we explore the surrounding wilderness on game drives during the day.
Wildlife: From the air only the larger animals are seen easily. These include large breeding herds of African elephant that live in the mopane scrub. On the open plains large herds of buffalo and lechwe can be seen and in the waterways rafts of hippopotami are a common sight. Once you land in Xakanaxa the smaller game can be found.
Birding: A good day for raptors with African Hawk-Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle* and Steppe Eagle* all inhabiting the mopane and adjacent woodlands. Other birds common along this route includes most of Botswana’s hornbills including Red-billed, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey, Bradfield’s and the Southern Ground Hornbills. A large number of brood-parasites may also be seen. Diederick Cuckoo*, Levaillant’s Cuckoo*, Jacobin Cuckoo*, Great-spotted Cuckoo*, African Cuckoo*, Common Cuckoo*, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Greater Honeyguide, and Lesser Honeyguide.
Included : All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T), game drives, scenic flight, all entrance and camping fees within the national parks and reserves.
DAYS 2 & 3
LETAKA TENTED CAMP, XAXANAXA, MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Fully Serviced Ensuite Tented Camping – Full Board
Habitat: Moremi lies on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta. Habitats here range from wide-open floodplains, marshes, lagoons, papyrus fringed channels, vast stands of Miscanthus and Phragmites, woodland and savannah. As a result of the extremely variable habitat the diversity of both wildlife and birdlife is excellent.
Wildlife: Moremi is amongst the best game reserves in Africa for viewing the endangered African wild dog. Xakanaxa is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least 4 prides of lion which may often be seen flanking the ever moving herd. Breeding herds of elephant move between their browsing areas in the mopane forests and the fresh water of the Okavango. Red lechwe are one of the more unusual antelope species and commonly found here.
Birding: The swampy areas of Xakanaxa are home to African Rail, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Black Coucal*, Red-chested Flufftail, African Crake*, Black Crake, Chirping Cisticola, Luapula Cisticola, Purple Swamphen, Allen’s Gallinule to name but a few. The open waters attract African Skimmer, Saddle-billed Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Intermediate Egret, Goliath Heron, African Fish Eagle as well as the globally threatened Slaty Egret and Wattled Crane.
Included : All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T), game drives, all entrance and camping fees within the national parks and reserves.
DAY 4
LETAKA TENTED CAMP, MABABE PRIVATE RESERVE
Fully Serviced Ensuite Tented Camping – Full Board
Following an early morning breakfast you take a slow drive through Moremi Game Reserve north-east towards the Khwai and Mababe Areas. On this moving day we shall do a mokoro excursion in the calmer back-waters of the Khwai and Mbudi channels as opposed to doing the mokoro in the quicker moving section of the Khwai River that runs through Mababe.
Habitat: The Manuchira Channel is known as the Khwai River at its eastern most extremity. The day’s journey follows this water course, with the track weaving from the riverside and floodplains into the mopane veld and the woodlands that make Khwai one of the most scenic areas of the Okavango. We pass the magnificent Dombo Hippo Pools in the morning stopping to enjoy the scenery and the antics of the resident hippo and shall game drive through Khwai until we reach Mababe.
Wildlife: The south-east mopane veld is home to mostly breeding herds of elephant whilst the more northern reaches of Mababe is home to some impressive old bulls. The mature bulls revel in the cool waters of the Khwai River and are far more approachable while drinking and bathing than the breeding herds. The river has an unusually high density of hippo as well as some huge crocodile. Leopard- (western part of NG41), cheetah, serval and lion are common predators along this route and both Xakanaxa as well as Mababe are included in the home ranges of different packs of wild dog. General game includes southern giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, tsessebe and red lechwe with roan and sable antelope being less common residents.
Birding: In the mopane woodlands African Hawk-Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Gabar Goshawk, Little Sparrowhawk, African Harrier Hawk and Shikra are common raptors. Mixed bird parties move through the canopy and include Red-headed Weaver, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Neddicky, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Chin-spot Batis, Diederik Cuckoo* to name but a few. The verges of the swamp form breeding grounds for the Rosy-Longclaw, Black Coucal*, Long-legged Bustard and the African Crake*
Included : All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T), game drive and night drive, all entrance and camping fees within the national parks and reserves.
DAYS 5 & 6
LETAKA TENTED CAMP, MABABE EXPLORATION DAYS
Fully Serviced Ensuite Tented Camping – Full Board
The Khwai River meanders through the concession giving ample riverside routes to explore. We spend the following two nights camping at an exclusive campsite in the Mababe concession that has a strict max of 20 vehicles for the whole concession at any given time, exploring the river banks, Kalahari shrub to the east, cathedral mopane to the south on game drives both during the day and at night. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day.
We will also have the opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot (please note that this activity is seasonal based on rains and grass height, your guide will determine the safety of walking in Mababe) to enjoy an up close and personal encounter with Botswana’s flora and fauna. It is important to note that night drives and guided walks are not permitted within the national parks and reserves. These activities are conducted outside the boundaries of the Moremi Game Reserve in the Mababe Private Reserve.
Habitat: We spend our time between the dry-land habitats of the lead-wood and camel-thorn woodlands and savannahs and the riverside banks of the Khwai River, as well as the “mini-CKGR” habitat in the western parts of the concession.
Wildlife: The Mababe region boasts excellent populations of both bull elephant as well as breeding herds. Lion, leopard, serval and African wildcat are common predators of the region with wild dog and cheetah being less common. Buffalo use this area seasonally with large herds moving in during the summer rains. Other ungulates include tsessebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope and impala, and even eland and oryx in the western parts.
Birding: Botswana’s national bird, the Kori Bustard, is a resident in the lower reaches of the Mababe Depression. The western reaches are prime habitat for the uncommon Rosy-throated Longclaw. The entire length of the river is hunting domain for the Bat-Hawk. Other interesting raptors here are Cuckoo Hawk (rare), Long-crested Eagle and Black Sparrowhawk. More commonly Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle*, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and African Hawk-Eagle. The waterways host Africa Rail, African Crake*, Greater Painted Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule*, Lesser Jacana and Lesser Moorhen*.
Included : All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T), game drives, walking safaris (conditions permitting), night drives and mokoro excursion, all entrance and camping fees within the national parks and reserves.
DAY 7 END OF SAFARI
After breakfast we take a game-drive to the airstrip where you will be met by your charter flight back to Maun.
This marks the end of your Safari.
Rates 2024 & 2025
- 1 Jul – 31 Oct 2024 – USD 4,930 per person sharing
- 1 – 30 Nov 2024 – USD 4,195 per person sharing
- 1 – 31 Dec 2024 – USD 2,965 per person sharing
- 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2025 – USD 2,965 per person sharing
- 1 Apr – 31 May 2025 – USD 4,195 per person sharing
- 1 Jun – 31 Oct 2025 – USD 4,930 per person sharing
- 1 – 30 Nov 2025 – USD 4,195 per person sharing
- 1 – 31 Dec 2025 – USD 2,965 per person sharing
Single supplements may apply
Inclusions
- Spacious and comfortable tented accommodation with beds, bed linen and towels & private bathroom en-suite
- Services of a professional guide, safari chef and camp assistants, complete with a supply vehicle
- Game drives and local transfers in customised safari vehicles
- Exclusive camping in private campsites within the national parks and reserves
- All entrance and camping fees within the national parks and reserves
- All meals and drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, wine and G&T) whilst in Letaka Tented Camps
- All activities as specified in the itinerary
- 14% Value Added Tax
