BOTSWANA LADIES ONLY SAFARI
12 nights/13 days Ladies Only Botswana safari.
Commencing at Maun airport on 4 June 2027. Ending at Maun airport on 16 June 2027.
04 June.
Met at Maun airport by our safari operator – Kalahari Breeze and transferred to Cresta Riley’s Hotel, Maun. One night accommodation including breakfast. Dinner is at your own expense and there will be a briefing with our guide after dinner, including important safety information.
05 June – 08 June.
After breakfast we depart Maun for Mababe Concession. This is at the southern end of the iconic Chobe National Park fringing the Mababe Depression – a vast plain where after good rains the channels of the Okavango Delta finally soaks into Botswana’s dry earth. We can expect to start seeing wildlife about two hours out of Maun. Often the first sign is elephant droppings on the dusty road. This is the home of lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, cape buffalo, giraffe, hyaenas, crocodiles and a wide variety of antelopes and birds. We spend three nights wild camping in this area with two game drives per day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
08 June.
Now we return to Maun for another night at Crest Riley’s Hotel in order to break the journey to Makgadikgadi National Park. Breakfast is included at the hotel.
09 June – 11 June.
After breakfast we travel by road to the salt pans of Makgadikgadi National Park south of Maun, an area of over 16,000 square kilometres, with big sky and endless vistas. It is home to herbivores includes gemsbok, springbok, eland, and red hartebeest, which are well-adapted to the arid environment, as well as brown hyenas, aardwolves, and aardvarks. Depending upon the season wildebeest and zebras may also be encountered, while in the Boteti River region there are elephants, giraffes, and lions. Leopards and cheetahs are present but rarely seen. We spend two nights wild camping in this fascinating landscape. Breakfast lunch and dinner are included while camping.
11 June.
Transfer by road to Gweta Lodge at the edge of the Salt Pans. Here you will be in the capable hands of the lodge guide who will drive us out into a different area of the salt pans for our overnight sleepout. This really is a highlight. You will arrive at the site close to sunset, which on the pans is always gorgeous. A candlelit dinner is served after dark, after which we all bed down on the pan in our padded swags with blankets and a hot water bottle (known on safari as a bushbaby). Out here with zero light pollution the stars feels so close that you could reach up and touch them. A magical experience. Out in the middle of the pan there is no dangerous wildlife, though you might find the footprints of a passing jackal in the morning. Some 50 metres distant from the swags is a camp toilet, enclosed on three sides, the open side facing away from the swags. There is a candlelit pathway to follow from the swags.
12 June – 16 June.
Enjoy the sunrise as you awake in your swag. Then a tasty breakfast is served and eaten as the sun rises. Having consumed our breakfast our guide drives us to a special locations where a colony of human habituated meerkats await our company. We will be asked to sit on the sand and then one by one the charming little creatures appears from their burrows vocalising with soft peeps and squeaks as if to reassure each other that it is safe. You will get very close to them. Indeed, I’ve had individuals come right up and sniff my boots.
We will spend about an hour with the meerkats and then return with our guide to Gweta Lodge. From there we’ll be transferred back by road to Maun in time for a late lunch (at our own expense) and then flown by helicopter into the inner Okavango Delta, where we’ll be met by our guide for this final part of the safari. This area is known as NG32. It is a private community conservancy based around the little village of Ditshipping. As a private conservancy only certain safari operators vehicles are permitted to drive within the area, which means no self-drivers and only a few other lodge vehicles. This makes for the best wildlife viewing experience. NG32 has a high predator density - lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and spotted hyaenas as well as elephants, giraffes, cape buffalo, hippos and all the usual general game like impalas, kudu and red lechwe are present in high numbers.
Our journey to the camp after your helicopter transfer is a game drive, arriving after dark so that we’ll have the opportunity to spot some of the nocturnal wildlife. The usual routine at this semi-permanent camp much like the others with two game drives per day and includes breakfast lunch and dinner. Here, because it is a private conservancy we do not have to be back into camp by a certain time. So the afternoon game drive is often extended beyond sunset. Sometimes the most unusual animal encounters occur after dark. We will spend four fantastic nights wild camping here.
On one of the days in NG32 we’ll have the opportunity to take a mokoro (traditional canoe) propelled by an experienced poler from the local community. It will be a peaceful glide through the reeds and papyrus along one of the delta channels followed by a short guided walk on one the islands and a picnic lunch. The next stop is the village of Ditshipping with your Kalahari Breeze guide. This is an authentic village, not a tourist trap.
16 June.
After breakfast we have one final game drive as we are driven through the conservancy back to the main road into Maun. Arriving at the airport in time for everyone’s onward flights, or if you are staying on for a night or two you’ll be transferred to your hotel.
WILD CAMPING.
Our wild camping operator is Kalahari Breeze Safaris. We believe that their operation is second to none. They use only the most professional and experienced guides, chefs and crew. The camp crew sets up camp so that everything is ready for you when you arrive. There’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the experience. The chef prepares all your meals, and the food is plentiful and tasty. Dietary restrictions are catered for, though some special diets may attract a surcharge as certain food items may not be readily available in Botswana.
We use two person tents containing comfortable cot beds, sheets, blankets, doonas and pillows. You’ll get a hot water bottle too, which is a real treat on cold Botswana nights. You also have a toilet/shower annex at the rear of your tent so that you don’t have to leave the safety of your tent at night. The annex contains a pedestal toilet over a long drop and a bucket shower.
Game drives are taken in a specially adapted open Landcruiser for optimal viewing.
No particular level of fitness is required for this safari. We have had many clients in the 80+ plus age bracket, but you do need to be agile enough to be able to climb into the game viewing vehicle. You should also be able to navigate soft, sandy and uneven ground in the camp sites. Sadly we are not able to accommodate people who require mobility aids such as walking sticks or walking frames.
Camp sites are private. Our small group (maximum 7 guests) are the sole occupiers of each site.
A typical safari day. (Times may vary depending on conditions and sightings.)
5.30am Wake-up call from the camp crew who will pour hot water into your canvas wash basin in front of your tent.
6.00am A light breakfast of toast, muffins cereal & porridge with tea and coffee around the campfire as the sun rises.
6.30am Depart the camp on the day’s first game drive.
9.30am Time for morning tea with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cookies break in the bush.
10am Continue the morning game drive.
11am-12noon return to camp for a hot brunch served at the dining table.
After brunch the rest of the afternoon is free. This is the best time to request your hot shower. During this time you can take a nap, read a book, check your photos, chat with your fellow guests, do some laundry etc.
3.30pm Depart for the afternoon game drive. Stop to photograph the sunset.
6pm to 7.30pm return to the camp for dinner served at the dining table and for post dinner chats around the camp fire.
The land only cost of this safari is $AU8990.00 per person twin share.
Single supplement is $AU950.00 per person.
Includes
9 nights wild camping as per the itinerary.
1 nights sleep out under the stars & meerkat encounter.
2 nights hotel accommodation in Maun at Cresta Riley’s Hotel.
Meals and game drives as described, mokoro experience and bush walk.
2 games per day while camping.
All required transfers.
Helicopter flight from Maun to NG32.
Excludes
Alcoholic drinks. (These can be purchased in Maun if required.)
Meals other than breakfast at Cresta Riley’s Hotel.
Lunch at Gweta Lodge prior to driving out to the sleepout location.
Gratuities.
Travel insurance. (Mandatory)