Botswana’s Privately Guided Bush, Photography & Stargazing Safari

14 days
4.9 /5
Feefo Widget starFeefo Widget starFeefo Widget starFeefo Widget starFeefo Widget star

Based on over 1000 Verified Reviews.

Highlights

  • Privately guided with one of the continent’s best guides
  • Personalised service & exclusive lodges
  • Phenomenal wildlife photography opportunities & stargazing
  • Immersion in the culture of the San people
  • Iconic Delta experiences including mokoro rides & a sky safari in a helicopter

Overview

For thirteen days, you will be in the capable hands of a highly experienced and trained private guide who will take you through some of the most spectacular regions of Botswana, from desert landscapes to the waterways of the Okavango Delta. Whether you’re in search of Africa’s prized wildlife, floating serenely on a traditional mokoro, or quad biking through moon-like salt pans, this journey is about losing yourself in some of the most remote corners of the world.

You begin with a light aircraft flight over the Kalahari Desert, spending your first few days in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. To add to an already spectacular itinerary, you will meet the San people or Bushmen (indigenous hunter-gatherers that are the first cultures of Southern Africa) and be taught their desert-adapted skills as well as listen to the riveting stories of an ancient culture. It’s then on to the Makgadikgadi Pans, the vestiges of a superlake and where salt on the surface glints in the harsh rays of the African sun – this is where you will revel in photography, stargazing and a myriad of other activities.

The last leg of your journey is in the Okavango Delta, known as ‘the river that never finds the sea’. This is arguably the world’s most untouched oasis with an impressive number of wildlife, including the re-introduced black rhino and the endangered African wild dog. Here you will enjoy a sky safari in a helicopter over the region, and gliding along the channels of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in a traditional mokoro.

Summary

  • Tour Duration: 14 Days

Accommodations Visited

Day to day

Itinerary

arrow Back to Map
Deception-Valley-Lodge-Main-area

Welcome to Botswana

Botswana
Detailed breakdown

Welcome to Botswana | 3 Nights

Up arrow
Botswana

You will depart South Africa on a flight to Maun. When you arrive in Maun, you will board a light aircraft and be flown over the incredibly scenic Kalahari Desert to Deception Valley Camp. This is where you will spend four nights with your private guide.

Deception Valley Lodge is in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and is one of very few accommodations in the world’s second largest game reserve. What makes this camp unique is the opportunity to meet the Naru-speaking San or Bushmen, one of the oldest surviving cultures in Africa. You will learn the art of tracking and bush crafts as well as be captivated by folklore and storytelling. Your evenings will be spent enjoying interpretative talks on the stars and constellations.

Deception-Valley-Lodge-Main-area

The Largest Salt Pans in the World

Up arrow

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Camp Kalahari in the Makgadikgadi Pans region. In this surreal and sublime landscape, you will stay in Meru-style tents. Camp Kalahari sits on the edge of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans on a shrubby outcrop known as Hyena Island.

For the next few days, you will explore the salts pans on quad bike (ATV) rides, and camp out under the stars. Your private guide will facilitate presentations on night-time photography and the techniques needed to capture the perfect shot. The Green Season (between November and April) brings the second-largest migration of African ungulates (mostly zebra) as well as the predators that follow them, making for unforgettable game viewing. Between your activities, you can cool off in the swimming pool, lounge under the shady pavilion and in the evenings, stargaze to your heart’s content - getting lost in constellations.

Camp-Kalahari-Tent
Camp-Kalahari-Double-Tent
Camp-Kalahari-Activities-Bushman-Cultural-Experience-
Camp-Kalahari_migration_4

An Iconic Okavango Delta Experience

Up arrow

After breakfast at Camp Kalahari, you will be transferred to Tuludi Camp for your next three nights. This is complete shift from desert to delta, where waterways, papyrus and tree islands beckon with the promise of an exceptional safari experience. Tuludi Camp is in the Khwai Private Reserve, 200 000 hectares of pristine wilderness – where all the stars of the safari show galivant.

Your days will be a flurry of activity from exploring the waterways and channels on a traditional mokoro to taking a helicopter flight over the region for a bird’s eye view of this stunning landscape and its wild inhabitants. Your private guide will also be presenting on the art of bird watching and the many prolific species found in this part of the world. As an added extra, you will also enjoy an afternoon chef class with the in-house chefs and learn all about bread making and traditional Delta food preparations.

tuludi-poling_through_the_delta_on_mokoros
Tuludi_1
Tuludi

End of a Journey Spoils | 3 Nights

Up arrow
Okavango Delta, Botswana

Your private guide will accompany you to your last property on your safari expedition, Mapula Lodge. Mapula Lodge is perched on raised platforms and positioned on a tree island on the edge of a seasonal floodplain, overlooking a permanent lagoon. It’s in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta. Game drives and nights drives are exciting adventures to see mighty herbivores such as elephants and skulking predators including lion, leopard, wild dog (if you’re lucky) and cheetah.

You will also partake in walking safaris and here, avid twitchers will be able to tick off some spectacular sightings including the slaty egret, Pel’s fishing owl, African skimmer, and the endangered wattled crane. This is truly an authentic safari experience, far away from the crowds, where nature envelops you in its splendours.

Mapula-Lodge_chalet_from_the_air2
Mapula-Lodge

'Till We Meet Again, Botswana!

Up arrow

After breakfast at the lodge, it’s time to wish Africa farewell and make your way home. Your last day sees your private guide transferring you to Maun or Kasane for your onward travel arrangements.

Inclusions tick icon

Inclusions

  • 13 days private guiding
  • All internal flights
  • All transfers
Exclusions tick icon

Exclusions

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

Rates

Select your preferred currency below and view rates over specific seasons.
Country flag for USA USD Up arrow
  • Country flag for South Africa ZAR
  • Country flag for USA USD
  • Country flag for Canada CAD
  • Country flag for Australia AUD
  • Country flag for UK GBP
  • Country flag for Europe EUR
Dates Price
2022-07-01 — 2022-09-30 $31,260
2022-10-01 — 2022-10-31 $29,290
2022-11-01 — 2022-12-18 $25,040
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.