A Northern Botswana Sampler
September 6-16, 2010
With an optional pre-trip 5N extension to the Cape Region, South Africa Sept. 1-6; and an optional Desert 3N extension to Nxai Pan National Park  Sept. 16-19. Time at Victoria Falls, Zambia – to be arranged according to your other selections.

 

Guide: Peg Abbott and local guides

Recent Trip Report N/A

Recent Species List N/A

It's time to return to Africa! Join us for a NEW Naturalist Journeys trip to Botswana, with optional extensions to the Cape Region of South Africa ahead of the journey, and to Nxai Pan National Park.  Those that wish may easily add time at Victoria Falls in neighboring Zambia. Botswana is a politically stable and economically successful nation, in size similar to France or Texas. It has vast deserts, impressive rivers and the most important wetland area on the continent – the Okavango Delta. The government is committed to preserving its natural heritage and 17 % of the country is devoted to wildlife reserves. 

This is our first trip to Botswana and we are thrilled with the contacts we’ve made and the people we’ve made arrangements with. As we have had years of enjoyment and experience running safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, it was particularly important to us to craft an experience that would equal or exceed those marvellous past adventures.

While doing extensive research, I (Peg Abbott, owner & guide) have wrestled with the best way to see Botswana, a country replete with animals and fascinating ecosystems but also – in key areas – at times crowded with too many tourists.  I have networked with a number of other companies that I trust and with a delightful representative I was able to meet with from Tourism Botswana. I also studied evaluations from our previous Africa adventures to examine what experiences provided the most lasting memories. With a lot of input I’ve made a decision that we are going on a true safari - we are going MOBILE.

In many places luxury lodges have taken the place of the more experiential traditional safari life. On this journey, use of outfitted tented-camp accommodations allows us to be close to the wildlife and fantastic stars of the African sky. Night sounds are amazing,varied, and not heard from hotels – Lions, Zebras, Elephants, Scops Owls and more. We will be comfortable and well-taken care of by camp hosts and a chef, all under the capable direction of an outstanding guide who has over 25 years experience.  He believes firmly that to see what we hope to, our best option is to retain the flexibility of a mobile camp because the parks and wetland areas we visit change in patterns of animal use and abundance every year. Please join us for this memorable mobile tented camp safari. It is a private, custom safari for our group and space is limited.

September is springtime in Botswana. Waters of the Okavanago dry down in September, and by October become very limited. We expect excellent viewing as animals concentrate at the waterholes and river areas at this time of year.  

This will be a remarkable journey. It is rare anymore to experience a true safari where life is simple and our schedule is dictated by nature’s rhythms. We can have special treats like a nightly campfire, wine with dinner if you like (complimentary) AND we wake to dawn with the animals of these vast open landscapes just outside our door. The camp chores are done for us; we have ‘bush bathrooms’ en suite. Our days feature early morning and afternoon game drives, with time in between for siestas, a shower, photography, time to write in your journal.  Those wishing to experience native culture will enjoy a visit to a local village.

I’ve chosen a sampler trip within the wildlife-rich, northern part of Botswana. We visit national parks, game reserves and wilderness sections of the famed Okavango Delta. In Chobe National Park, we go beyond the tourist path, placing our mobile tented camp for two nights each in two different sections of the park. We start at the Chobe River, travel on to the Savute Channel section (very rich in wildlife), and finally beyond its borders to the Moremi Game Reserve and Okavango Delta.  We enjoy a morning cruise on the Chobe River where we encounter myriad Hippos, Cape Buffalos and an elegant array of waterbirds.  Within the Okavango ecosystem, our time in Moremi Game Reserve reveals papyrus-lined channels, lagoons and lush riverine forests. Aquatic animals and water birds abound.

To sample desert life and species, we offer an optional 3N extension to the main tour. From Maun, we drive east to set up our mobile camp in Nxai Pan National Park. Here we see a vastly different realm of arid grasslands, Baobob trees, extensive salt pans and species that inhabit the Kalahari Desert.  This is beautiful and unique arid land scenery dotted with islands of shady acacia trees. Mammals such as Oryxes, Springboks, Surricates, Bat-eared Foxes, Black-backed Jackals, Honey Badgers, Kalahari Lions and Cheetahs roam these ancient pans and drink at the waterholes. Some of the specialty birds include Ant-eating Chats, White-browed Sparrow-weavers, Capped Wheatears, Kori Bustards, Secretary Birds and various korhaans, whydahs and waxbills.

 

ITINERARY
PRE-TRIP CAPE TOWN REGION, SOUTH AFRICA

Wed., Sept. 1 Arrive in Cape Town, South Africa
Note, most flights route through Johannesburg, from which it is a short two hour flight over to Cape Town.
A representative from our local company will meet our passengers as you arrive at the Cape Town airport. They will help you transfer and check into our Guest House for a chance to freshen up after your flight. As many are tired, the afternoon is at leisure. For those that wish to explore (or those that arrive early) there are many things to do – such as going to the scenic top of Table Mountain, a prominent landmark above the city, by cable car. Or, you may prefer to relax by the swimming pool at the Guest House. Table Mountain is a national park, replete with diverse flora – some 2200 species have been described here! Rock Hyraxes are common near visitor’s facilities at the top and we can try out one of a number of walking trails. Meals on this arrival day are at your leisure with a number of wonderful places close by to choose from.  Some may just want room service and a good rest!
Accommodation on the Cape Peninsula.

Thurs., Sept. 2 Cape Town’s Nature Highlights: Duiker Island 
& Walks at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Cape Town is one of the worlds’ most beautiful cities, perhaps best known for its striking harbor. The entire Cape Region is renowned for its very rich and unique floral assemblages, the best known being Cape fynbos.  Many wildflower and native plant reserves are set aside here as part a World Heritage Site. August and September hold the peak of bloom.

We start our day of exploring at Hout Bay Harbor found in a suburb of Cape Town on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Peninsula. Here we board a boat cruise to Duiker Island to view its Cape Fur Seal colony.  This scenic 45-minute boat trip will not only show us hundreds of Cape Fur Seals but also Bank Cormorants, Sooty Shearwaters and perhaps a few other pelagic birds. Southern Right Whales and Common Dolphins are often seen from this trip. With mountains rimming the view all around, it’s hard to know where to train our eyes or cameras!  We take time to photograph brightly colored fishing boats and views of the Hout Bay Village. Here a white sand beach is popular, as are the BIG waves when they come in, prized by surfers.

We then make our way to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the finest botanical gardens in the world. Established in 1913, it is recognized for its pioneering role in displaying and preserving native plants.  Situated on the lower slopes of Table Mountain National Park, the National Botanical Garden at Kirstenbosch covers 560 hectares of land, stretching up the mountain to its highest point - Maclear’s Beacon. Kirstenbosch is an ideal place to discover the wonder of the Cape Region’s indigenous flora, including a dynamic collection of proteas. There are several walks that lead through the gardens offering birdwatchers a variety of habitats. The forested areas play host to Forest Canaries, African Olive-Pigeons and Cape Batis, whilst Southern Double-collard Sunbirds, Cape Francolins, Karoo Prinias and Cape Robin-Chats can be seen in the cultivated gardens, in a setting of mountain streams and rolling lawns. After a full day, dinner is at your leisure.
Accommodatios on the Cape Peninsula. (B,L)

Fri., Sept. 3 Rondevlei Nature Reserve / Cape Peninsula / Cape of Good Hope / Penguin Colony
This morning we visit one of Cape Town's premier birding sites at the Rondevlei Bird Reserve. Rondevlei was once a naturally occurring wetland and though small and managed today, it continues to host rich bird diversity. Waterbirds are well represented here with a few specialties being the African Spoonbills, Purple Gallinules, Black Crakes, Little Bitterns and the African Black Oystercatchers. African Marsh Harriers can be seen quartering over the reedbeds, while African Fish Eagles swoop down on unsuspecting prey. Rondevlei Bird Reserve has five bird blinds (hides), and two observation towers that we can watch the birds from. It also has a grand array of flowering shrubs and wildflowers.

After lunch (restaurant of your choice), we spend a leisurely afternoon experiencing the rugged beauty of the Peninsula with its spectacular coastline and diverse fauna & flora. We will follow the False Bay coastline to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, stopping at the African (Black-footed) Penguin colony at Simon's Town en route. The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve boasts 249 recorded bird species as well as a variety of mammals such as Chacma Baboons, Cape Mountain Zebras, Bonteboks, Red Hartebeests, Elands and Cape Grysboks, as well as beautiful flora of the fynbos. Celebrate our adventure with a group dinner this evening.
Accommodation on the Cape Peninsula. (B,D)

Sat., Sept. 4 Waylands Wild Flower Reserve / Darling to Hermanus
After a hearty breakfast we leave Cape Town to head for the little town of Darling in the heart of the Swartland. At Darling we will visit a spring wildflower reserve that has been set up to protect a rare type of vegetation called Renosterveld. This small botanical reserve is particularly noted for its Gladiolis, Babianas and Lachenalias. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant you choose in Darling.

On this afternoon’s route, we drive through the wheat fields of the ‘Swartland’ where we look for Blue Cranes, White Storks, Secretary Birds and some of the many species of larks. We traverse the Hottentot’s Holland Mountains via Sir Lowry’s Pass and Howhoek Pass. We then descend to the charming seaside community of Hermanus, where we walk along the cliff tops looking out to see for Southern Right Whales. The scenery is just stunning!

Hermanus has gained world recognition for its excellent land-based whale watching. During spring months of August & September, Southern Right Whales use the South Western Cape coastline as a safe haven in which to calve. Seeing them at close range is an unforgettable experience. Dinner is at your leisure, with excellent local restaurants to choose from.
Accommodation at Hermanus. (B,L)

Sun., Sept. 5 Hermanus / Fernkloof Nature Reserve / Southern Right Whales
We start today with a walk at the Fernkloof Nature Reserve with it's wealth of indigenous flora. The area has one of the densest concentrations of fynbos habitat in the Western Cape, with many beautiful ericas, proteas and pincushions. Here you will have the opportunity to photograph two of the fynbos endemic birds - the captivating Orange-breasted Sunbird and the Cape Sugarbird.

The afternoon is at leisure to watch or photograph the whales, which may come in quite close, from the cliff tops. You can take an optional three-hour whale-watching cruise if you wish to venture out to sea, or simply relax or shop in some of the many upmarket arts & craft shops. Here you are close to the southernmost point in Africa, just two hours away from Cape Town. Dinner tonight is again at your leisure.
Accommodation: Hermanus. (B,L)

 

ITINERARY
A NORTHERN BOTSWANA SAMPLER

Mon., Sept. 6                        
From the Pre-Trip: Betty’s Bay / Return to Cape Town / Flight to Kasane, Botswana
Those arriving from International Flights – Meet us for Afternoon flight to Kasane
After breakfast we follow the spectacular coastline to the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens at Betty’s Bay. Here we will take a short walk through the gardens looking out for some of the 96 recorded bird species. En route to Cape Town Airport for your flight to Johannesburg (and onward to Kasane, Botswana), we stop at Rooiels, where we will be looking out for Cape Rockjumpers, Ground Woodpeckers and Verreaux’s Eagles. (B)

Today is largely spent in travel – we fly back to Johannesburg, where we meet up with members of our group not on the Pre-trip and together we fly to Kasane, Botswana. There we are met upon arrival by our guides and hosts. Kasane is located on the Chobe River so in no time we are on our way, passing through the northern gate into Chobe National Park, to spend our first night out in the wilds!
Mobile Tented Camp Accommodations (D)

BOTSWANA SAFARI AT A GLANCE

Sept. 6,7 : 2 Nights Chobe National Park, Chobe River.
Sept. 8,9: 2 Nights Chobe National Park, Savuti Channel & Marsh
Sept. 10,11,12: 3 Nights Moremi Game Reserve, North Gate, Khwai River.
Sept. 13,14 and 15: 3 Nights Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta.

Our hosts and guides are from Masson Safaris, an ecologically-friendly, family run company.  They get rave reviews from a British company that travels with Naturalist Journeys to Yellowstone. This company is dedicated to providing safaris aimed at wildlife viewing, bird watching and spending quality time in nature. They have over 25 years of experience, a marvelous camp staff and chef to help and a FULLY MOBILE set-up so we can be comfortable but close to wildlife. Our camps will be private and set up in remote areas. Tents are large enough that you can stand, with an en-suite bush (chemical) toilet. Hot water is brought to you each morning to freshen up hot water is set up for you for showers as needed (most often mid-day as mornings are COOL).

  

Our game drive vehicles are open, extended Land Rovers which offer the very best photographic opportunities and are great for use of binoculars and scopes. They have a fridge in which we stock a good variety of fruit juices, bottled waters, and for evening sundowners, mixers, beer and wine.

Typically we have an early morning game drive, followed by a hearty brunch and then time for siesta, in-camp viewing and photography or relaxing. We then go back out or an afternoon game drive and sunset. Dining is after dark, under an airy tent with candlelight under the stars. It is served in style with fresh baked breads with wine as desired. 
Mobile Tented Camp Accommodation:  (B,L,D)

Tues., Sept. 7 Chobe National Park – Chobe River
Northern Botswana is renowned for its vast herds of African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, and other plains animals that also congregate along the Chobe River, especially at this time of year as the rain-filled pans become dry. It is also known for having a very healthy African Lion population. In the lush river-associated wetlands, Hippos and Crocodiles abound. The Chobe River supports the largest concentration of elephants in all of Africa. These elephants migrate and they depend on the river during dry season.  Some groups using the river area number in the hundreds, overall park populations number in the tens of 1000’s! They often feed in the water.

On one of our mornings we take a three-hour cruise down the Chobe River. In addition to large herds described above we should get good looks at Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Impalas, Giant Kingfishers and African Fish Eagles. One of the treats is seeing bank-nesting birds such as White-fronted or Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters and Pied Kingfishers in good number and at close range. Odd-looking Hammerkops sit perched on their massive stick nests. We may come quite close to massive herds of Cape Buffalos.
Mobile Tent Camp Accommodations (B,L,D)

Wed., Sept. 8 & Thurs., Sept. 9 Chobe National Park – Savuti Marsh
Today we traverse the park crossing to its southwestern side. Here, the changeable Savuti Channel is flowing once again and provides Botswana once again with a second inland delta. It has flowed and dried up 3 times in the last 175 years – only recently coming back to flow again!  The Savuti Marsh retains its waters into the dry season and is famous for its lion and hyena interaction.  Filmmakers Derek and Beverly Joubart lived and filmed in this region for 12 years, documenting relationships of lions with hyenas and their prey.

Savute is a remote and beautiful part of Chobe National Park where we find a series of seasonal pans which support a variety of aquatic species through dry times of summer. Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs are possible to observe on the grassy plains of the Savute Channel. In the mosaic of open areas and Mopane woodlands we look for Leopards, Giraffes, Kudus, Red Lechwes and both Roan and Sable Antelopes. We also have the chance to see interesting geology and historic Rock Art while in this area.
Mobile Tent Camp Accommodations (B,L,D)

Fri., Sept. 10, Sat., Sept. 11, and Sun., Sept. 12 Moremi Game Reserve / Khwai River
Moremi Game Reserve borders Chobe National Park. Within its boundaries lies about a third of the area of the Okavango Delta. It is a place where desert meets water. Landcapes of the Moremi Game Reserve reveal papyrus-lined water channels, lagoons and mature riverine forests. Aquatic animals and water birds abound as well as herds of plains game and predators. It has an amazing combination of vegetation types, animal species and bird life. One of the treats is seeing Yellow-billed and Red-billed Hornbills calling from the crowns of trees. Birdlife abounds and there are babblers, shrikes, coucals, rollers, barbets and the gaudy, comical African Hoopoe. Black-backed Jackals and Cheetahs are often observed hunting here.  Extensive studies of African Wild Dogs have been conducted at Moremi, another of this rare species’ strongholds.
Mobile Tent Camp Accommodations (B,L,D)

Mon., Sept. 13, Tues., Sept. 14 & Wed., Sept. 15 Moremi Game Reserve / Okavango Delta
Botswana is visually exciting with each of its unique habitats having distinct features. Its most famous habitat is that of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango River channels water from the highlands of Angola into this maze of wetlands, an area the size of Wales. In a country where water is a precious resource, the delta provides sustenance for a large number of animals and birds. The Okavango is not unlike our Everglades, a slow moving, major river system which allows water to fan out across the Kalahari Desert, transforming it into a paradise for wildlife. It is the largest Ramsar-designated site in the world, set up to protect globally important wetlands.

We have a full day's boat ride on the Okavango exploring the lagoons, oxbow lakes and channels. This is a very relaxing way to see animals and birds. Some of the birds we may encounter include threatened Wattled Cranes, Painted Snipes, a variety of Egrets including Rufous-bellied Herons and rare Slaty Egrets (endemic to Okavango). Pel’s Fishing Owls can be found here on day roosts, and overhead we watch for Western Banded Snake Eagles, Pink-backed Pelicans and near the river – African Skimmers. Riverine forests line the water channels and in this mosaic of habitat we look for Leopards, Red Lechwes, Kudus, Giraffes, Cheetahs and more. Lions of the Okavango have taken freely to hunting in the water – behavior you rarely ever see in other regions. Wild Dogs find a stronghold here and with luck (and persistence!) we may find them!

Waters of the Okavango are surprisingly clear and cool. Dense reed beds and papyrus groves filter these slow-moving, mountain-born waters. Among the reed beds we look for Lesser Jacanas, African Crakes, Long-toed Plovers, Pygmy Geese and Dwarf Bitterns. There are many species of kingfishers to find, both on the water and in the woodlands!  Game animals and their predators abound. We should find ample numbers of Blue Wildebeests, various antelopes, Common (Burchell’s) Zebras, Warthogs, Lions, and African Elephants. We'll make every effort to see as many mammals as possible. Birds are also plentiful (over 350 species) and some are huge, such as Ostriches, Kori Bustards and Southern Ground Hornbills. Some of the birds bear spectacular colors – Carmine and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters and Narina Trogon come readily to mind.
Mobile Tent Camp Accommodations (B,L,D)

Thurs., Sept. 16 Return to Maun / or extension of 3N option to Nxai Pan National Park
Today you can choose an optional flight-seeing excursion over the Okavango Delta (what an incredible way to end your safari!) back to Maun, or for those that like their feet on the ground, you can return with the safari vehicles, a three-hour drive. By noon we are back in the town where we enjoy a final restaurant lunch together. Those flying on can catch afternoon flights to hook up to your International flight out of Johannesburg, or choose to stay on a night in Maun to rest up, clean up and prepare for your journey home the following day (additional cost, but we are happy to arrange a hotel for you). (B – Main Tour) Those venturing on experience Nxai Pan National Park will have the afternoon free to relax, shop, regroup and do laundry or whatever you wish – we get an early start the next day for Nxai Pan. Dinner and accommodations this night are included in the cost of the extension, we just though you’d like a real bed and shower before we set off again!
Accommodations at a hotel in Maun (B,L,D – extension)

 

ITINERARY
NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK

In Nxai Pan National Park you will see marvelous white salt pans and more vegetated pans where desert animals thrive. Nxai Pan National Park is located on a fossil lakebed, now covered in grass. Mammals such as Oryx’s, Springboks, Gemsboks, Bat-eared Foxes, Kalahari Lions and Cheetahs roam these ancient pans and we watch them come in to drink at waterholes. A scenic highlight is a place called Baines' Baobabs, named for the artist Thomas Baines, who painted this grove in 1862.  The are incredibly atmospheric. Sunsets witnessed here will long linger in your mind…
                       
Fri., Sept. 17  & Sat., Sept. 18 Nxai Pan National Park
We get an early start so we have two full days to explore Nxai Pan National Park. The park makes up one section of a large collection of alkaline lakes, known as the Makgadikgadi Pans, a huge area spanning two sides of the main road east from Maun. It hosts extensive grasslands, huge Baobab trees and many species commonly found in the Kalahari Desert. Some of its birds include: Red-footed Falcons, two species of pranticoles, several species of larks and shrikes, and Burchell’s and Yellow-throated Sandgrouse.  Previous visitors to Africa will be pleased to see an old friend – the colorful Lilac-breasted Roller.
Mobile Tent Camp Accommodations (B,L,D)

Sun., Sept. 19 Departures from Maun
Wake one last time in your safari tent and enjoy a morning game drive ahead of our mid-day return to Maun. On Sundays there is regular service over to Kasane, from which we go by land to Victoria Falls for those that want one last crowning experience to our African adventures. (B)

 

OPTION for VICTORIA FALLS

You are very close to Victoria Falls, which can be accessed from Zimbabwe or Zambia. We recommend Zambia and work with a lodge there that can help you organize a variety of activities in addition to seeing the falls. Seeing Victoria Falls is thus an option for either the MAIN TOUR participants or those going on to Nxai Pan. You will need to take a very short flight to Kasane, where we began our journey. This is just seven miles to the border and our Botswana host company will arrange for a transfer for you to our recommended lodge in Livingstone, the town near the falls in Zambia. This is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, indeed considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Lush vegetation surrounds the falls with wonderful paths between scenic vistas from various vantage points. Some of the birds we may find include Trumpeter Hornbills, Malachite Kingfishers, Rock Pratincoles and strikingly-colored Shalow’s Turacos. A very shy species, the African Finfoot are sometimes seen on cruises at dawn or dusk on the Zambezi River.

You can stay 2 or 3 nights and book options such as scenic flights, an Elephant-back safari (half day), a boat ride on the Zambezi River or time with juvenile lions and lion cubs at a private game reserve. And you can book a return flight to Johannesburg to link to your International flight right from Livingstone, making this a very easy add-on.
Accommodation Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, Zambia

 

PLAN AHEAD! Protect yourself with Access America Travel Insurance. Offset your Carbon Footprint. Show us the receipt and we'll take 50% - up to $50.00 - of your carbon offset fee off your final payment. Cost of the Journey Cost of the main journey is $3490.00, from Kasane, Botswana, departing from Maun, Botswana. Cost of the Cape Town, South Arica Pre-Trip is $1350.00, from Cape Town. Cost of the Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana Post –Trip is $850.00, from Maun. There is NO single supplement for the Main Tour or extension in Botswana. The single supplement for Cape Town journey is $185.00. Flights within Africa are not included, but we can help with arrangements. It is good to inquire about cost of the roundtrip Johannesburg – Cape Town when you book your international flight. Right now that booked separately runs about $240.00 USD. Then the round-trip Johannesburg – Kasane, then return Maun – Johanessburg (or Livingston – Johanessburg if at Victoria Falls) is approx. $465.00 USD (2009). Tour and extension costs are based on double occupancy and include: transportation during the journey, all accommodations, and most meals as specified in the itinerary (B=breakfast, PL=lunch, mostly picnic lunches in the field, D=dinner), professional guide services, park and other entrance fees,  cool box in vehicle containing soft drinks and bottled mineral water, gratuities on included meals and porterage and miscellaneous program expenses.  Costs does not include: round trip airfare to and from Cape Town, Maun, Livingstone or Kasane, airport departure taxes,local air flights, Table Mountain Cable car [Weather dependent], Flightseeing over Okavango Delta, or items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone, or drinks from the bar; or gratuities for porterage or personal services. With fewer than 8 participants, a small-group surcharge (typically $200-$300  per participant) may apply. Costs for Victoria Falls will be on an individual basis, based on numbers of nights and accommodations – ask us for details. Travel Planning You are responsible for planning your arrival to and departure from Cape Town, or Kasane, departing Maun or Livingstone. We can easily help or book your internal flights within Africa. Most flights to South Africa will go to Johannesburg. If you have to overnight there we recommend you use the hotel within the airport complex, the Intercontinental. In most cases you can simply pass through en route to Cape Town or Kasane.  Naturalist Journeys, LLC is an equal opportunity service provider and committed to the goal of ensuring equal opportunity for all in employment and program delivery.  Photo Credits: Okavango Delta and Impala drinking water, Botswana Tourism Board; Safari vehicle and campsite, Masson Safaris; African Penguin and Victoria Falls, Wikipedia; Geissorhiza radians at Darling, Ixia dubia on Table Mountain, Whale tour, Cape Town, Cape Mountain Zebra and Hermanus, Geoff Crane; all other images, Peg Abbott.

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