4.9 /5
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Based on over 1000 Verified Reviews.

Highlights

  • A Trip with a Purpose supporting local communities through cultural visits
  • Luxury safari lodges and camps in the Okavango Delta
  • Explore the ancient rock art of Tsodilo Hills - a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Water- and land-based activities including game drives and mokoro excursions
  • Catch-and-release fishing (in season)
  • Guided walks on nearby islands
  • Unrivalled bird watching including kingfishers, herons, storks and fish eagles

Overview

This 7-day itinerary explores Africa’s ‘Garden of Eden’, the Okavango Delta, and is a specially designed Trip with a Purpose that contributes travel spend to the upliftment of local communities, while you enjoy engaging encounters and experiences.

Your adventure begins in the Panhandle of the Delta at Nxamaseri Island Lodge. You will engage with the local community and gain fascinating insights into how they have adapted their lives to flourish in these wild and untamed landscapes. You will also join on an excursion to Tsodilo Hills, an area that is a sacred national treasure, home to over 4,500 rock paintings dating back thousands of years – delve into the bushcraft and lore of the Delta.

You then move on to Xugana Island Lodge, situated within a private concession that showcases a watery paradise. You will enjoy thrilling power boat cruises and gliding serenely in traditional mokoros in the expert care of Xugana’s local guides. The lodge is nestled under a grand canopy of trees on an island overlooking the lush Xugana Lagoon, with its networks of waterways and papyrus beds.

The last leg of your journey takes you to Camp Xakanaxa on the banks of the Khwai River and is rated as one of the finest game viewings in Africa. The game drives and boat tours (the best of water- and land based activities) will take you deep into the heart of pristine wilderness, where wildlife flourishes.

 

Why Is This a Trip with a Purpose?

  • View ancient Bushmen rock paintings at Tsodilo Hills, the UNESCO World Heritage Site near Nxamaseri Island Lodge in the Delta.
  • Visit the local Nxamaseri village, meeting local villagers including the village chief, and learn about how they've adapted to living in such wild places.

Summary

  • Tour Duration: 7 Days

Accommodations Visited

Day to day

Itinerary

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Day 1-2: Your Adventure Begins, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Okavango Delta, Botswana
Detailed breakdown

Day 1-2: Your Adventure Begins, Okavango Delta, Botswana | 2 Nights

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Okavango Delta, Botswana

Your trip begins in the charming city of Maun. On arrival, a guide will be there to greet you and transfer you to Nxamaseri Island Lodge. One of the oldest lodges in the area, it offers a unique African experience on a private island in the permanent waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. At the lodge, you will explore the waterways of the Okavango by motorised boat or mokoro excursions and although not a big game viewing area, there are still some interesting wild inhabitants to encounter including crocs, hippos, otters and bird species too numerous to count.

Nxamaseri Island Lodge is the closest property to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tsodilo Hills. Your adventure includes a visit to this rare and unique place that exudes an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery. The word Tsodilo is derived from the Hambukushu word ‘sorile’ which means sheer. It’s home to more than 4,500 Bushmen rock paintings that adorn the stone faces of the hills and is a sacred site to the locals. It is one of the most historically significant rock art sites in the world, and you’ll climb and explore hills and trails, seeing and appreciating the evidence of legends and ancient life.

Your stay at Nxamaseri Island Lodge also includes a down-to-earth cultural experience visiting the local Nxamaseri Village. The people of Botswana are renowned for their welcoming spirits and how incredibly they have adapted to living in such wild places. You’ll have the chance to meet the chief of the village, and each visit will aid in contributing to these communities and their livelihoods.

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Day 3-4: Explore a Watery Paradise, Okavango Delta, Botswana | 2 Nights

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Okavango Delta, Botswana

The next part of your adventure, takes you to Xugana Island Lodge, situated in a private concession. The lodge is a serene spot, where you can easily unwind from fast, modern-day life, connecting with pure nature.

Xugana is a water-based lodge and they do not offer game drives, but you will discover this landscape on dreamy jaunts in traditional mokoros or on thrilling power boat cruises. Watch as a Fish Eagle catches its lunch or try your luck at catching tiger fish or bream. An occasional activity on offer is walking with guides on some of the surrounding islands and exploring the bush on foot. At the end of each day, be welcomed back at the lodge to a warming fire and staff that are ready to pamper you with traditional Botswana cooking and superb African wines.

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Day 5-6: A Classic Okavango Safari Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana | 2 Nights

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Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the last property on your Okavango Delta journey, Camp Xakanaxa. Boasting spectacular views of a lagoon by the same name, the camp rests on the banks of the Khwai River. Here, you will stay in Meru-style, luxury safari tents on raised decks, cooled by a unique sprinkler system. An open-air lounge is where you can relax, a plunge pool and sun deck overlooks the Delta and an elegant dining area is where superb meals are served.

The game drives and boat tours offered here are of the highest standard, not to mention that you get to see the abundance of birdlife. Xakanaxa’s guides are expertly trained, highly knowledgeable and always eager to impart their knowledge of the area on those who are eager to learn.

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Day 7: Farewell Botswana, Maun International Airport, Maun, Botswana

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Your day begins with a delicious breakfast before being transferred back to Maun to catch your flight back home.

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Inclusions

  • Chance to meet the chief of the village and experience life in small villages in Botswana
  • Game drives & boat tours
  • Transfers as mentioned in the tour
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Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Airport taxes
  • All meals and drinks not specified
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature

Rates

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Dates Price
2023-07-01 — 2023-10-31 $6,465
2023-11-01 — 2023-11-30 $5,145
2023-12-01 — 2023-12-31 $3,995
Our rates are per person sharing unless we note differently. Please treat all pricing as a guide only:
  • All rates are subject to availability and may change without notice.
  • Single supplements may apply.
  • Request a quote or speak to one of our African Safari Experts for the best, most current rates available.