Best of Botswana

Victoria Falls | Zambezi

DAY 1 & 2: BAYETE GUEST LODGE, Victoria Falls Upon guests' arrival into Victoria Falls Airport, they will be met and transferred by road to Bayete Guest Lodge. This family-run lodge abounds in warmth and friendliness and is situated in the suburbs of Victoria Falls residential area. Bayete Guest Lodge offers 25 en-suite rooms nestled among a beautiful garden, all decorated in a rustic, chic style and fitted with air-conditioning. The lodge can accommodate up to 55 guests at a time. The Caldecott Boma is home to the dining room, which offers breakfast (included in the rate) as well as lunch and dinner on request. The Ngwezi Bridge Pub with a swimming pool offer guests the perfect place to relax. Bayete also has a small outdoor gym area. Activities in Victoria Falls (at an additional cost) can be arranged by the front desk personnel. Area Description - VICTORIA FALLS Victoria Falls town lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River at the eastern end of the Victoria Falls. It is a lovely tourist town which is easy to explore on foot and which offers a wide range of activities from the challenge of white water rafting and bungy jumping, to the awe-inspiring sunset cruises. It has something for everyone. The Victoria Falls are one of the natural Seven Wonders of the World and is the largest sheet of falling water on earth - a spellbinding and mesmerising spectacle. The sheer mass of water cascading down the 100m drop across nearly 2km makes a thunderous roar and creates a magnificent spray of water that can be seen for miles - hence the local name 'mosi oa tunya' meaning 'the smoke that thunders'. Access to Victoria Falls is within easy walking distance from the town centre. Water flow over the Falls varies throughout the year. The river's annual flood season is February to May when the spray can reach a height of over 400m, this is spectacular from above but it makes it very difficult to see the Falls at ground level as it is under a heavy shower/mist. Water levels start dropping in August and are at their lowest October - December when much of the rocky face becomes dry. At times of low water, the falls are best viewed from the Zimbabwe side or from Livingstone Island.

Moremi | Okavango Delta

DAY 5 & 6: MOREMI CROSSING, Okavango Delta Following breakfast, guests will be transferred to Kasane Airport for a light aircraft transfer to Moremi Crossing where they will stay for 2 nights. Moremi Crossing is located on an Island called Ntswi near the most southern part of Chief's Island. As you fly over the Delta you can see the intricate twisting and turning of the waterways and the ever-changing colours where dry land meets Delta. The channels around Moremi Crossing offer far-reaching vistas of the Moremi floodplain, grasslands and marginal woodlands interspersed with Mokolwane palm islands. Moremi Crossing provides comfortable accommodation in 16 vintage en-suite safari tents, each with its own private wooden deck and magical views over the Boro River and Chief's Island. All tents are large and airy with en-suite bathrooms consisting of shower and toilet. The main area consists of a large open plan deck that has a spectacular view over the River onto the largest island in the Delta - Chief's Island. The half-moon shaped area is built on different levels to give you the feeling of space. Dining room, bar and lounge is covered by a large thatched roof that hugs the tree line and accentuates its most beautiful assets. Various small private lounge areas are created for comfort, privacy and spaciousness. Within the tree line the guests find various nicely shaded decked areas that lead towards the pool. The camp has 24-hour solar powered electricity/lighting. As Moremi Crossing is a water based camp, they have a wide variety of animal and bird species and the guests arrive at the camp either by mokoro or boat. Moremi Crossing offers different activities in the form of mokoro trips, game and bird walks, sunset motorboat cruises and island camping. All these activities give the guests a chance to experience the Okavango Delta and its wildlife from a very different, slower and closer perspective. On Chief's Island the guests have the opportunity to get a closer view of the animals. Lions, leopards, wild dogs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, red lechwes and many more animals have been spotted there. Area Description - OKAVANGO DELTA The Okavango Delta is one of the world's largest inland deltas situated in the middle of the largest stretch of continuous sand in the world - the Kalahari basin. This oasis in the middle of the desert is a rich yet fragile ecosystem, providing a life source for an incredible variety of wildlife. A wealth of species have adapted to the contrasting conditions created by living in the harsh Kalahari desert which is transformed annually with the arrival of the delta flood waters originating in Angola. The Okavango wetland encompasses Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding regions divided into areas known as Private Concessions. These concessions are wildlife management areas, carefully administrated to balance the growing community's development and conservation, whilst empowering citizens through sustainable tourism. Many of the exclusive lodges in Botswana are situated within these concessions in the delta, providing an unparalleled wildlife experience - exclusive and remote, avoiding mass tourism and exploitation. Flood levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the year, with high water levels peaking in the central Okavango during the dry winter months and water levels at their lowest during the later summer months, contrary to the seasonal rainfall. The landscape, activities and game viewing vary considerably throughout the delta depending on your location, the season and flood levels. Some areas have larger tracts of permanent dry land which generally means there is more focus on land based activities (game drives) and big game viewing. Lodges situated on islands deep in the delta concentrate more on water activities such as mokoro excursions, walking, boating, fishing and bird watching. Those lodges situated on the outer fringes of the delta, referred to as the 'seasonal' delta, offer varied experiences at different times of the year - more water based during high flood levels and more land based as the flood recedes. Game is more concentrated around the permanent water during the dry season (Apr - Oct) with it becoming very hot in the later months. The heronries become active as the migrant birds return to Botswana from September through November, and general bird watching is excellent throughout the summer months. The rainy season (Nov - Apr) invigorates the lush scenery with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers, spectacular sunsets and the birthing season brings great predator and prey interaction.

DAY 9: SAFARI ENDS IN MAUN After the morning activity (time permitting) guests will be transferred by light aircraft to Maun Airport for onward arrangements.