Destination: Botswana

Travel Dates: October 27th to

6th November 2010

Highlights
Luxurious Mobile-Tented Camps on Exclusive Sites
We place you in the Heart of Nature in the Greatest Comfort
Okavango Delta
Moremi Game Reserve
Kalahari Desert
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
3 Days in the Lives of the Bushman - Western Kalahari
Meerkats

View 'The Vintage Destinations Botswana Gallery'

Itinerary
27th October
On arrival, you will be met at Maun Airport by a Flying Mission representative and your Vintage Destinations Tour Leader to be transferred by light aircraft to Xakanaka in the Moremi Game Reserve, where you will be met by a zoologist/biologist guide.

Once in the Moremi, a slow meander/game drive to familiarise yourselves with the area and then into your first camp in good time to shower and unpack, before sundowners and dinner.

28th October
Breakfast in the first light of day and head out in the safari cars for your introduction to some of the animals of the dry floodplain environment, looking for zebra, wildebeest, impala and predators such as wild dog and cheetah.

Return to camp for lunch and a siesta.

After consuming an embarrassingly large spread of tea and cakes, head off for sundowners.

Park at the edge of a lagoon and watch herds of elephants and a myriad of birds coming down to drink whilst the sun sets and you are given an informal talk on the geological history of the area.

Return to camp for a sumptuous dinner.

29th October
After breakfast, take a slow drive to the lagoon's edge and board a boat to explore the waters of the Delta. The deep open lagoons provide a wonderful contrast in habitat after the dry forest areas and floodplains of your first camp. Drifting along the maze of channels, stopping to admire rare birds and the diversity of aquatic life. Spot small crocodiles basking in the sun on sparkling white sandbanks and hippos jousting for territories with spectacular splashes and clashes of jaws with their serious dental equipment. Learn about the ecology of the waters and look at all the important components of the ecosystem.

Have a picnic lunch on a sandy bank in the river and cool off at a safe swimming spot.

Arrive at your private, lantern-lit camp on an island, deep in the delta, just after sunset. Shower and relax around the fire before dinner under the stars. Sleep in a mosquito net tent and luxuriate in the freedom of a night in the open, surrounded by nature at her very best.

October 30th
Rise early and after a short walk around the island, hop back into your boat for a meander through the waterways, absorbing the tranquillity of the lagoons and narrow, papyrus-fringed, hippo trails and immersing yourself completely in the incredible spectacles that the Delta has to offer. Search out hippo and bathing elephants to understand the importance of the Okavango to these enormous creatures. Marvel at the majesty of elephants from only a few yards away as they wash and feed on the roots of aquatic plants. Drift back to the vehicles.

Picnic and relax in the arms of a giant shady baobab. Spend the afternoon seeking out hyena dens and, as the day cools down, watch for hunting cats. Head on to camp for a refreshing shower and delectable dinner.

31st October
After a hearty breakfast; head out for the whole day to explore the wider area around camp. Search out the creatures and plants typical of the ecosystem and explore the interrelationships of species and the systems in which they live. Seek out the elusive predators such as lion, cheetah and leopard and observe and interpret their behaviour.

Picnic and enjoy a siesta under a shady mangosteen.

Spend your afternoon indulging yourself completely in seeking out your favourite species. Leopard spotting, lion tracking, cheetah chasing and wilddog discovering. If you want to watch lions mating for two hours or prefer to watch bee-eaters hawking insects on the wing then so be it.

Return to camp for dinner - tired, but happy.

1st November
Say your farewells to the camp and transfer out of the Delta to Camp Kalahari.

Arrive at Camp Kalahari, nestled amongst the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyena Island, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, adjacent to the Makgadikgadi-Nxai Pans National Park, Botswana.

Camp Kalahari has 10 spacious Meru tents. All tents have en-suite outdoor bathrooms, flush loos, hot and cold running water, along with comfy beds, crunchy cotton sheets, stripy African blankets and hot water bottles in winter.

A thatched library, lounge and dining area, allow one to relax and enjoy the serenity and peace of this enchanting area.

Head off after tea in the beautiful afternoon light, stop to watch the sun set and listen to an explanation of how the Makgadikgadi pans, the remnants of the world's largest ever super lake, were formed.

Return to Camp Kalahari for a delicious dinner.

2nd November
Set off in the morning to visit some of the Kalahari's most fascinating inhabitants, the meerkats. Due to an ongoing habituation programme, it's possible for guests to get up close and personal with these captivating creatures. Remember, they are not tame - just used to our non-threatening presence.

On chilly mornings, you might well find a meerkat snuggling up to you for warmth. Or, in the absence of a termite mound or tree, using your head as a sentry lookout post. By spending quality time with these incredibly social, superbly adapted animals, you will be able to see how they interact with each other and their environment. You also get the chance to see the Kalahari Desert through the eyes of a meerkat - which, despite the fact that it's only a foot off the ground, is a pretty spectacular vantage point, and definitely one of the most special and memorable game experiences you will encounter in Botswana.

After a picnic breakfast, visit a remote cattle post to learn about the traditional culture of the Botswana people. Close by is the famous Chapman's Baobab (Also known as the Seven Sisters) which is acknowledged to be the third largest tree in Africa, and was the campsite of early explorers like Livingstone and Selous when they pioneered the area. This gives you an opportunity to gain a fascinating insight into the history of the early explorers.

Return to camp for a refreshing lunch and siesta.

After tea head off to see the elusive brown hyena, which due to a PhD research programme, are habituated and allow us to observe their social behaviour without disturbance.

The brown hyena is found only in southern Africa, with over 95 % of the population living in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It is the third rarest large carnivore in Africa, with only about 8,000 in the wild.

They are the consummate desert specialists, surviving in arid areas where both food and water are scarce. The brown hyaena is a timid, nocturnal species, rarely seen by humans, but in spite of being solitary foragers; they are very social animals, living in clans of up to 10-12 hyenas.

Enjoy an evening game drive back to Camp Kalahari and a lamp lit dinner.

3rd November
Wake up to a delicious Camp Kalahari breakfast and prepare to charter out to the Far Western Kalahari to start your Bushman experience...

Your local guide will be a fully qualified zoologist/biologist working in consultation with community leaders thus ensuring a unique experience that combines both culture and wildlife in an educational, yet non-intrusive fashion.

Arrive by plane at midday and transfer down a dusty red road to a remote campsite deep in the ancestral gathering lands of the Zu/'hoasi Bushmen. After a delicious and refreshing lunch, head off to your tent to settle in.

After tea, walk through the bush to the nearby Bushmen village where you will be met in a traditional manner by the elders of the community.

Around the fire before dinner, listen to the history of the Bushmen people whose origins can be traced back to 30 000 years ago and learn about the complex political challenges that are confronting them today.

Enjoy a delicious dinner under the stars. Sleep peacefully through the night.

4th November
In the morning, walk out into the bush with the men, women, children and your guides. The focus of the walk will be to provide a gentle introduction to the Kalahari and Bushmen way of life.

Your guide will point out the distinct ecological characteristics of this area and its animal and bird species.

Spontaneous gathering and discussions about the uses of plants and wildlife by your Bushmen guides provide the link between culture and wild environment that we seek to offer our guests on these very special safaris.

An adolescent Bushman girl knows more than 200 species of usable plants and an extraordinary variety of plants and herbs with both culinary and medicinal value will be found.

Find suitable rhygozum plants from which your digging stick, the most important tool of the Bushmen can be harvested. Back at the village, prepare your gathering tool for the next few days by the fire.

After lunch and a siesta, return to the Bushmen village where you will learn from the women how to prepare their bush foods using only the most basic of tools and an open fire.

You will be able to sample a variety of foods from wild spinach and roast beetles to ostrich egg omelette cooked on the coals.

Some of the women will show you how they make beads from ostrich eggs and the simple, but striking jewellery that they make from porcupine quills, seeds and ostrich eggs.

Leather is also decorated with both glass and ostrich beads to complex and beautiful effect.

As the sun sets and the evening draws close, the women can be requested to perform the melon dance, around the evening fire. This unselfconscious and free-spirited traditional dance represents the joyful celebration of a successful harvest.

Return to camp for a rather more conventional, but still delicious meal, and retire to bed.

5th November
After a restful night's sleep, meet the men after breakfast to prepare for a traditional hunt. Walk into the bush and search out the poison grub beetle, gathering suitable roots, sanseveria leaves and branches for the manufacture of rope, bows and arrows.

Return to camp for a lunch and siesta.

After tea, return to the Bushmen village. Watch the men prepare bows, arrows and quivers while young boys demonstrate various traditional games that provide training for the hand-to-eye co-ordination skills that will be so necessary when on the hunt.

Retire to bed

6th November
Bid the community farewell and drive by vehicle to the airstrip to meet up with your light aircraft transfer for your onward journey.
End of services

Tour cost notes - Important information about the price on this tour:
Due to the nature of this exclusive tour, and the locations we visit, we have priced the tour, based on the total number of people signed up. As we don't know this in advance, we have broken this down, to reflect different numbers of guests, to a maximum of 12.

Check with us for the number of people signed up, and we will honour the price listed below, to all as the group grows. If you would like this tour 100% exclusive, (Just your party) these prices will be effective for the size of your group. Please ask for clarification if you need more information. Note: If you would like to do this tour at another departure time, or as a camping trip/budget hotels, Please ask for details.

Tour cost, per person sharing, for this luxury tour...

Single Room Supplement - None

Tour cost notes: Special rate available for group booking - ask for details(6+).

Includes
En-suite tented accommodation as stated
All meals and beverages
All activities as stated with a Vintage Destinations Tour Leader and local Specialist Guides
Internal air transfers flight (Maun - Xakanaka - Camp Kalahari - Xai Xai - Maun)

Excludes
International / Domestic flights
Tips and items of a personal nature
Import Premium Brand beverages

Notes
Vehicles are top-of-the-range, extremely comfortable Toyota Landcruisers. The multiple thoughtful details including roof top seats, leather beanbags for photography and ponchos, to keep one warm during sunrise drives, make them perfect for game viewing.

Camp will be comprised of large tents equipped in a luxurious fashion. Real beds, flush loos, down pillows, pure cotton sheets, Persian rugs, bone-handled silver cutlery, damask table linen, teak and brass classically styled campaign kit combine comfort with style. The only concessions to roughing it are the bucket showers, which are private and en suite.

The menus are renowned throughout the industry for fresh tastes and originality.

Three course meals under the stars include such treats as fresh tomato and basil soup, ostrich piccata, roast Botswana beef, delectable orange tarts and impossibly rich, but light, chocolate puddings. Teas are indulgent affairs with treats like triple layer, banana caramel cake, tangy lemon curd biscuits and the best brownies in the bush! All bread is baked daily, and full cooked English breakfasts are on offer every morning.

Please contact us to join this tour

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