Chobe, Okavango and Kalahari Safari

Upon arrival into Kasane you will be met by a friendly driver who will be waiting in arrivals carrying a sign with your names on. They will drive you to the short distance to Chobe Bakwena Lodge, where you will stay for the next three nights on a full board and shared activities basis.

Depending on the time that you arrive, you should be able to join an afternoon activity to start your exploration of Chobe National Park. On offer each day and including in your package are twice daily activities of either game drives or boat cruises.

While not enjoying the wilds of Chobe, Chobe Bakwena has plenty to offer. The riverfront location is perfect for relaxing with a book and keeping an eye out for passing hippos or perhaps enjoy a cooling dip in the swimming pool.

Although you have two activities per day included to explore Chobe, along with the necessary fees, levies and taxes, should you wish you can exchange a day’s worth of activities for an unguided day trip to Victoria Falls, across the border in Zimbabwe. Although this doesn’t include park fees or visa fees it includes transport to and from the falls, as well as to lunch and to the local markets. Equally we can add on a separate stay in Victoria Falls to this trip.

Chobe National Park is famous for its wildlife densities, particularly the population of elephants, as it is thought to host some of the largest herds in the world. It is a park to visit all year round and there is always something to see, however in the peak season (July-October) although this is when the herds of elephant and buffalo might be at their greatest it is also the time when you are likely to be sharing the spectacle with a number of other visitors.

This morning, depending on the time of your flight, you may have the chance for a final activity before you are transferred to Kasane Airport to fly to the Okavango Delta.

Marvel at the environment beneath you on the roughly 90-minute flight, as you watch it change from the lush Chobe Riverfront, through the scrub of the Savute further south and then to the jewel of Botswana’s crown- the Okavango Delta. The inland delta once flowed to the sea but now the rains that fall on the Angolan Highlands follow the same course but with no escape they settle on the flat Kalahari sand, forming a myriad of channels, marshes, lakes and islands.

Upon arrival at the bush airstrip you will be met by your guide and taken to Oddballs Enclave. One of the things we love about this camp is that every two guests have their own private guide with them through their entire stay. Settle into camp this afternoon or head out on a short safari with your guide.

Enjoy the next two full days to explore this picturesque area of the Delta. Oddballs’ Enclave is on its own private island and from here you can head out each day with your private guide on mokoro safaris, half or full day guided walks and even a cultural interaction at an authentic baYei village.

The wildlife is dense in this region with regular sightings of lions, leopard, buffalo, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, lechwe, tsessebe and the shy, water-dwelling sitatunga. For visitors in the green season (November – March) the birdlife is going to be at its most impressive, as migrants join the resident totalling over 450 species.

Say goodbye to the beauty of the Okavango as you depart today further south to the Kalahari Desert. It is approximately an hour’s flights from Oddball’s Enclave to the private airstrip of your next camps which is Deception Valley Lodge.

Deception Valley Lodge is situated on its own 43,000-hectare private concession that borders the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). It provides a wonderful contrast to the watery environment of Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta and gives you the chance to see some different wildlife.

The style of the lodge itself is also a nice step up in luxury so it works well to finish at this beautiful camp. However, everything that we do is tailor-made so if you might prefer to start with the Kalahari and work your way north then we can also do that.

You have the chance to jump back in the game viewer over the next couple of days and as this is a private concession you can do so both in the day and at night. At night, the Kalahari can present some wonderful sightings of rarely seen wildlife such as honey badgers, servals, genets, bat-eared fox, African wildcat and maybe even a pangolin. Other wildlife you might see are Kalahari black-maned lions, African wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards, zebra, eland, giraffe and kudu.

During your visit we also certainly recommend enjoying the company of the San bushman who work at the camp. They are the indigenous inhabitants of this area and no one knows it quite like them, a bush walk with these guides is something you will never forget as they demonstrate how they interpret, use and survive in the harsh Kalahari conditions.

Finish your trip with a final early morning game drive or perhaps just an early morning coffee on your private deck as you watch the suns rays light the Kalahari sand and listen to the birdsong.

Either way you will be taken to the airstrip for your flight back to Maun, which is around a 30 minute flight.