Practical info...
Groups...
Minimum: 2 / Maximum: 8.
Accommodation...
Bivouac in tents during the mokoro safari in the Okavango Delta and during the canoe trip on the Zambezi River. Comfortable lodges and camps the rest of the time.
Transport...
To maximize guests' travel time, a variety of transport modes that bring out the best of each area is used: flying in private charters and overland transfers in custom made 4x4 provide both a bird's-eye view and an in-depth experience of the contrasting landscapes. Canoe and walks are the best way to approach African nature intimately.
Meals...
Meals are prepared by the crew. They are plentiful, nutritious and varied with an African bush flavour, served with wine, beer or fruit juice. Meals are simple during the mokoro safari and the canoe trip but they are still tasty.
Comfort...
Good levels of comfort can be expected in the different lodges and camps where we stay. During the bivouac in the wilderness, we live more simply.
Difficulty...
This trip is accessible to most people (12 years and older). No previous experience is necessary.
Conditions...
What is included...
Light aircraft transfers; road transfers; all mentioned activities; full board (except in Livingstone where only breakfast is included); drinks and wine during meals; park fees; and professional guides.
What is not included...
International flights; personal expenses; tips; airport taxes; visas; breakfast on the first day; and meals in Livingstone.
We would be happy to book your international flights from Johannesburg to Maun and from Lusaka to Johannesburg for you.
Day by day
Day 1: Maun – Okavango Delta...
Your guide will welcome you at Maun airport. Transfer by 4x4 to a rustic lodge located on the edge of the Delta. Overnight in thatched cottages. Dinner at the restaurant (at your own expense).
Days 2-3: Okavango Delta...
After breakfast, we transfer in a 4x4 to a village where we start our mokoro safari. There is no better way to experience the Okavango than to travel through it by mokoro, walking and camping out on a densely-forested island - all essential elements of the Xigera Mokoro Trails experience. The experience gives you a chance to see the permanently flooded inner Delta, from the serene waterways and islands of trees and bush. Our guest tents are smaller here than the rest of the safari, with a gauze main frame to enhance the views. Space is limited in the morokos so bedrolls are on the ground (not on a stretcher) and our light comes from battery-powered lamps.
Activities include mokoro and walking safaris, which enable up-close encounters with the excellent diversity of birdlife (including Pel's Fishing Owl), frogs and a myriad of game species. Some are specially adapted to water, such as the rare sitatunga and the familiar red lechwe. Walks vary in length and duration through the seasons, and as more islands become flooded during the peak flood months of June, July and August, they will be shorter. We spend two nights in this natural labyrinth.
Days 4-5: Moremi Reserve...
After breakfast, we return to the village and pick up our 4x4 to drive to Moremi Reserve. The next two nights are spent camping in the area, in search of leopards, lions, buffaloes and antelope. We explore habitats as diverse as savannah, mopane forests, acacia thickets and vast reed beds flooded by the waters of the Delta.
Days 6-7: Chobe National Park - Savuti...
Leaving Moremi, we enter Chobe National Park and drive slowly northwards through it to reach Savuti, located right in the middle. Here the landscape is totally different: wide open savannah grasslands are home to numerous elephant and prides of lions. Chobe is indeed a kingdom for these big cats and contains more than 80,000 - the biggest African population.
Day 8: Chobe River...
Today, we have a long transfer north as we drive through Chobe to reach the Chobe River, where we camp. These permanent waters attract large herds of elephant and buffalo, which appear in the late afternoon for a drink.
Days 9-10: Chobe River - Victoria Falls...
Today is our last 4x4 safari along the banks of the Chobe River as we travel to Kasane. On arrival, we embark for a boat cruise on the river. Later we transfer to our lodge in Livingstone, located outside Livingstone - the ‘adventure capital’ of Zambia - which offers great views of the Zambezi River. Nature's sounds of birdlife, frogs, baboons, monkeys and hippo create a truly African mood, while free-roaming elephants are frequent visitors to the grounds.
During these two days, you can take part in optional activities such as of course visiting the Victoria Falls, rafting the Zambezi gorge, buggy jumping, fly over the falls in micrtoligny or helicopter, horse or elephant back safaris... Meals at your account.
Day 11: Livingstone - Lower Zambezi...
After flying from Livingstone to Lusaka we transfer by car to the Lower Zambezi. A boat takes us to our camp on the banks of the Zambezi River, 2km downstream from its confluence with the Kafue River. This camp is on the edge of the majestic river with a dramatic background of the Zambezi mountain range. Dinner and overnight in chalets.
Days 12-14: Canoeing the Zambezi River...
During the next three days, we paddle down the Zambezi River in stable Canadian-style canoes. We carry all the camping equipment with us in order to be completely autonomous. The camps are located on islands in the middle of the river and dinners are taken around the campfire, under the shining stars. Our background music is the sound of the savannah!
Daily routine:
After an early breakfast snack, we paddle for almost two hours before stopping this time for a real and more substantial breakfast. Back in the canoe for another two hours, we stop again around noon and stay off the river during the hottest part of the day. Canoeing resumes at around 14:30 until we reach the island where we make our camp, at the end the afternoon.
The canoeing distance covered every day is approximately 20km.
Lower Zambezi and Mana Pools...
The Lower Zambezi National Park has a river frontage of about 120km and combined with the dramatic valley floor, escarpment and plateau, this is a combination that makes for magnificent scenery and memorable experiences for any visitor. It is the Zambezi Valley and River that is home to all of the game. Mana Pools National Park is a World Heritage Site across the border in Zimbabwe, and also boasts the Rift Valley wall and the escarpment.
Days 15-16: Lodge on the Zambezi...
This morning, we paddle for another two hours before meeting with the 4x4 and transfer to our lodge built on the banks of the Zambezi. The camp blends exoticism and luxury and is perfectly harmonious with the surrounding greenery.
We will do 4x4 safaris with optional game walks in the morning.
Day 17: Zambezi - Lusaka
We depart this morning from our nearby airstrip to Lusaka, where the tour ends.