The Great Wilderness Journey: A Discoverer Exploration

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Detailed Trip Description

At the turn of the century, explorers and adventurers made their way leisurely along the dusty paths of Africa, allowing the great continent to seep into their souls. The Great Wilderness Journey takes time to experience. We will explore Botswana’s contrasts and extremes: from the waterless and extraordinary landscape of the Kalahari Desert’s Makgadikgadi Pans to the lushly vegetated wetlands of the Okavango Delta, Linyanti, Chobe and Victoria Falls on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River. Private prime areas within Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta, Linyanti and northern savannah showcased. Three nights of luxury camping in two prime areas ensure holistic guiding and detailed insights to habitats and game movements in the area. Exceptionally diverse range of activities: San culture, walks, day and night wildlife viewing, both water and land-based. Additional features include quad biking at Makgadikgadi Pans and a hammock lunch in Linyanti. Varied overland transfers (water and land). Wilderness Safaris’ newly designed, spacious walk-in hexagonal meru tents creates a sense of connectedness to the Earth and nature, enhancing the view and the feeling of the wild and untamed. The style of accommodation takes you back to the long-gone era of Africa’s exploration - on the ultimate Safari. Flowing linen of heavy, pure cottons, brass bucket showers and basins, separate flushing toilets and shower areas all add to the atmosphere, while luxury comforts and amenities are available, including a bush laundry service.

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Trip Itinerary

Day 1-2 - Maun

 
San camp, Makgadikgadi Pans.
Chartered Flights

After arrival in Maun, fly by light aircraft to San Camp, situated in a private concession on the edge of the great Makgadikgadi Pans in the Kalahari Desert. The salt pans are among the largest in the world, part of a fossilized super-lake that thrived aeons ago.

Maun Chartered Flights picture
Safari

Surprisingly for such a harsh, lunar-like environment, life abounds, and brown hyaena, oryx and springbok are just a few of the desert-adapted species that can be seen. Activities include up-close encounters with suricates (meerkats), one of the most fascinating and endearing animals in the world. Experience phenomenal geology, quad biking, authentic San (bushman) cultural walks and simply enjoying the wide-open spaces of this ancient lake bed.


Day 3-4 - Botswana

 
Jacana Camp, Okavango Delta.
River Cruises

The Okavango Delta represents survival at the other extreme: abundant water, sunlight and soil combine to form a paradise bursting with life. The contrast becomes amazingly clear as we move from desert to delta, from dry sand to water world.

Botswana River Cruises picture
Safari

We fly by light aircraft charter from the arid Kalahari Desert to lush Jacana Camp, situated in a permanently flooded region of the private Jao concession of the Okavango Delta. A true water camp, it represents the essence of the Delta, with year-round mokoro safaris as well as island bush walks and, water level permitting, motorboat cruises.


Day 5-7 - Botswana

 
Safari

Transfer from the water world of Jacana Camp to the game-rich plains of Abu’s concession. This transfer itself becomes an adventure - depending on the Okavango’s flood level, a combination of mokoro, motor boat and Land Rover create a unique extended game experience.

Safari

Activities concentrate on the open herd-filled plains surrounding “lechwe world,” where the seasonal congregations of wildlife make the perfect setting for exclusive game drives, night drives and bush walks.


Day 8-10 - Savuti

 
Linyanti Trails Camp, Linyanti Concession.
Camping

After a light breakfast, we fly by light aircraft to the private Linyanti Concession; upon arrival driving to our private Explorer campsite, which is elegantly set up under massive African ebony and knobthorn acacia trees overlooking panoramic vistas of the Linyanti Swamps.

Safari

The landscape changes from the Okavango’s floodplains to savannah habitat with sweeping views, creating a paradise for a high diversity of wildlife and bird species. The first afternoon activity concentrates on exposure to different plains game, such as roan and sable antelope and their predators, the lion and leopard – with the endangered wild dog as an incredible bonus.

Safari

Activities include game drives in the private northern sector of the Concession, exploring a range of habitats, from riverbanks to scrub and forest, which reveal a myriad of game en route to slake their thirst from the river. The seldom seen sitatunga can also be spotted in the waterways.

Canoeing

There’s also a game drive to a private deck for lunch, then a siesta in hammocks and an afternoon canoe trip – all before taking an evening drive back to camp! We canoe on the Linyanti River for an amazing close-up view of the elephant herds.

Safari

To complete the experience, on the third day we enjoy a full activity to the Savuti Channel, with lunch at a private hide overlooking a waterhole. The spectacular zebra migration moves between Linyanti and the Savuti Marsh through this area, as well as an impressive diversity of mammals, including large elephant herds. This day is specifically tailored to enjoy the seasonal and migratory movements of wildlife within the Linyanti and Savuti systems.


Day 11 - Livingstone

 
Chobe River boat cruise, Chobe National Park and Sussi & Chuma, Zambia .
River Cruises

After a short morning drive and breakfast, we depart by light aircraft to the northern Chobe region of Chobe National Park. This area is famous for its vast herds of elephants and other unique species such as the elusive puku and Chobe bushbuck that move to the river in the hottest hours of the day.

Sailboat Cruises

Enjoy a boat cruise in a catamaran-style shaded boat.

Private Car Services

Leave Botswana and enter Zambia by way of the Kazangula border, a point where the four countries of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet, to stay at Sussi & Chuma, in Livingstone.


Day 12 - Livingstone

 
Sightseeing

Enjoy a guided tour of the Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. At 1708 metres wide, it is the largest curtain of water in the world and drops more than 100 metres into the sheer Zambezi Gorge.

Livingstone Sightseeing picture
Airport Transfers

Transfer to Livingstone Airport to bid farewell to the adventure.


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