Day 1 & 2: Central Kalahari Game Reserve
(2 nights)

On the way: Your guide will meet you at Maun Airport at 2.30PM. If your excitement levels aren’t peaking at this point, trust us, they soon will be as you’ll have so many amazing experiences ahead of you.

For now, it’s time to load your bags and yourselves into the vehicles that are going to take you to your first destination – Deception Valley Private Reserve.

When you’re there: Your eyes will not deceive you. Deception Valley in the Kalahari really is one of the most remote locations on Earth. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve where you’ll be located has over 43,000 hectares of pure wilderness.

You’ll have two days and nights to take it all in, and to take part in nature walks guided by local San trackers who’ll share their knowledge of the local area and its wildlife with you, as well as information about their culture.

Of course, game drives are on the menu, during which you’re likely to set eyes on lion, cheetah, hyena and oryx.

You’ll be staying in one of 8 chalets in Dune Camp, each of which has a double bed or twins along with an ensuite and verandah with Kalahari views.

The camp’s communal area gives you a space in which you can meet others on the tour with you, either while eating in the dining room, over a drink in the bar, or while relaxing in the viewing lounge. There’s also a pool that you might be tempted to dive in and cool off during your stay here.  All meals while you’re here at Dune Camp are included in your package.

Accommodation: Dune Camp

Day 3: Makgadikgadi Pans
(1 night)

It’s time to start touring on your tour. That means after breakfast at Dune Camp, you’ll need to pack your bags and say your goodbyes to the camp team that’s been looking after you so well. Your next destination is the Boteti River Camp.

On the way: It’s a 120km drive from camp to camp, a journey that will take 4 to 5 hours by road.

When you’re there: Lunch will be served when you reach your second camp of the tour, after which there will be time for relaxation and even a siesta in your air conditioned chalet. Each has twin beds, an ensuite bathroom, outside shower and toilet and coffee and tea making facilities. The family chalets also have bunk beds. Communal facilities at the camp include a deck pool, bar, restaurant and lounge area.

Relaxed and refreshed, you’ll depart camp, which is just outside a local village called Khumaga, in a 4x4 safari vehicle that will take you on a game drive that skirts the banks of the magnificent Boteti River. You’ll also have a chance to walk into the local village and to see the equally amazing salt pans. Try to see as much as you can as you’ll only be Boteti for one day and night.

Accommodation: Boteti River Camp

Day 4 - 6: Khwai Community Area
(3 nights)

Say bye to Boteti after breakfast and hello to the Moremi Game Reserve, and specifically the Khwai area of the Okavango, where you’ll get the chance to go on walking safaris and night drives out into the bush.

On the way: It’s about 340km from Boteti to Khwai, a 6-hour journey that will be broken up by a stop over in Maun for lunch. This meal isn’t included in your tour price, but you’re sure to be able find a restaurant that’s serving food you fancy.

For the second leg of the journey, you can choose to stay on the road and observe the wildlife from ground level, or pay to take to the skies in a helicopter and get a wild bird’s eye view of the area. The flight to Khwai takes 45 minutes, shaving a couple of hours off your journey time.

When you’re there: Whichever mode of transport you choose to reach the Khwai Guest House, you’ll find a luxury bungalow waiting for you, your home for the next 3 days and nights.

It’s a location that blends the modern with the traditional African, and there’s plenty to keep you busy during your time here. You can follow a local guide out onto the surrounding areas, learning more about the wildlife. You can take to the water aboard a mokoro – an African style canoe – under the guidance of a local known as a poler who’ll do all the hard work while telling you more about what you’re seeing.

Your accommodation has a rustic feel with a twin or double bedroom plus ensuite bathroom and an outdoor shower. You can join two bungalows to create a family suite if that suits.

You might want to arrange to meet your fellow tourists around the firepit or in the bar, lounge or dining room to exchange thoughts on your experiences so far. Your meals here at the Guest House are all-inclusive.

Accommodation: Khwai Guest House

Day 7 & 8: Chobe National Park
(2 nights)

Today, you’ll leave Khwai and head to Chobe National Park, a place where so many of Africa’s iconic wild animals roam free. That includes a third of the continent’s elephant population, plus crocodile, hippo, hyena, leopard, lion, cheetah buffalo and over 450 species of bird.

It’s an incredibly ecologically diverse area that encompasses wetland, savannah, woodland and plains.

On the way: It’s 200km from Khwai to Chobe, and your 10 hour journey will include a game drive through the Savuti toward Chobe’s floodplains, with a picnic lunch served to tide you over until you reach Chobe Elephant Camp in late afternoon.

When you’re there: After a busy day, you’ll be ready to check into your room in camp. You’ll soon see the camp has the look and feel of a traditional farmstead, with wooden furnishings with contemporary features. Your room will be one of the 18 suites here, with a double bed or twins, ensuite bathroom, indoor and outdoor shower and a private verandah.

Elsewhere in the camp, you’ll find an open plan living area where you can relax with fellow guests, plus a bar and dining area. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to resist the urge to take a dip in the raised pool and relax on the loungers around it, overlooking some magnificent scenery.

You have two nights in Chobe, plenty of time to explore the area and see herds of elephant and buffalo as well as lion and leopard who are drawn to the area by the high density of herbivores that feed and live here.

Aside from the guided game drives, activities include canoeing and boating as well as the chance to visit a neighbouring village to meet some locals and sample their way of life. All meals in this camp are included.

Accommodation: Chobe Elephant Camp

Day 9 & 10: Victoria Falls (Zim)
(2 nights)

And so to the end of the tour and perhaps the most majestic natural sight you’ve ever set eyes on. Today, it’s time to check out of Chobe and make your way out of Botswana and into Zimbabwe to see the beauty of Victoria Falls.

On the way: Travelling from Chobe to Victoria Falls is a 160km journey that’s usually completed in 3 and a half hours, including the border crossing at Kazungula.

While you’re here: You’ll be taken direct to Pioneers Victoria Falls where you’ll be staying on a bed and breakfast basis for the final 2 days and nights of the tour.

Your room will be one of fifty overlooking grassy lawns and two pools. Inside your accommodation, a kingsize bed or twins if you prefer, plus ensuite bathroom with shower, and places to sit and relax.

After you’ve checked in, well, what you do is up to you, but let’s face it, it’s bound to involve the falls.

You can travel the 2.5km to the falls from camp by yourselves or with a guide. There are actually different waterfalls to take in. The main falls are obviously the main attraction, flowing all year round. But there’s also the Horseshoe Falls and Rainbow Falls which is perhaps at its finest during full moon. Another nightfall experience not to be missed is a sunset boat cruise along the Zambezi, an optional extra you can book in camp, along with other activities including white water rafting, canoeing and helicopter flights over the falls.

Accommodation: Pioneers Victoria Falls

Day 11:

All good things come to an end, and this morning sees your tour conclude. Time to pack your bags, say your goodbyes and head off to wherever your adventure is taking you next.

Please note that you can take this tour in reverse – starting at Victoria Falls and ending in the Kalahari. See Botswana & Victoria Falls 11-Day Group Tour – Southbound for more details.