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WILDERNESS' GREEN DESERT SAFARI
An 8-night/9-dayAdventurer Exploration
Photograph by Michael Poliza
This short itinerary offers an amazing contrast between the arid desolation of the Kalahari Desert and the incredible lushness of the Okavango Delta. Adventurer camping for the first part is followed by 2 nights at a permanent luxury tented camp. A great introduction to Botswana!
ITINERARY
Day 1 & 2 - Njuca Hills or Khumaga, Makgadikgadi Pans
Upon arrival in Maun, we depart by road for Njuca Hills on the edge of the great Makgadikgadi Pans in the Kalahari Desert. These saltpans are among the largest in the world, part of a fossilized super-lake that existed eons ago. Our Adventurer campsite is well positioned under shady trees on rare hills with a superb view of the surrounding plains.
Surprisingly for such a harsh, lunar-like environment, life abounds, and brown hyena, gemsbok (Oryx) and springbok are just a few of the desert-adapted species that can be seen. Activities include game drives, concentrating on the opportunistic birthing time of desert animals from the erratic rains and the diverse array of birds, possibly including flamingos. In addition, the seasonal wildebeest and zebra movements, if found, provide amazing sightings at this time. Experience the phenomenal geology and simply enjoy the wide-open spaces of this ancient lakebed and surrounding grassy plains.
Day 3, 4 & 5 - Deception Valley, Central Kalahari Game Reserve
After an early breakfast, we depart overland to our private Adventurer campsite in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with lunch en route.
This prehistoric riverbed, flanked by petrified dune lands, is very appealing after brief rains, as it is covered with nutritious grasses that attract herds from all over the enormous reserve. These large congregations of desert wildlife with their young are followed by predators into the broad riverbed, all of which makes for outstanding viewing.
On Day
4 or 5 we enjoy extended wildlife game drives (with picnic lunch), taking in the game-rich Pipers Pans area of the Kalahari, as well as the Letiahau and Deception Valleys.
Suggested further reading on the area is "Cry of the Kalahari", by Mark and Delia Owens.
Day 6 & 7 - Xigera Camp, Okavango Delta
After a light breakfast we depart overland to Maun (approximately 6 hours), flying by light aircraft in the afternoon to the water-filled paradise of the private Xigera area, within the Moremi Game Reserve. Xigera is the ultimate Delta experience, with serene waters flowing through innumerable channels around remote islands and a profusion of plant and animal life.
Xigera Camp is a luxury tented camp situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta. It has something for everyone, in an area where there are no other Moremi camps and where permanent water all year round allows for a variety of activities. Enjoy a true Delta experience while you sit back in a mokoro (dugout canoe) and silently glide through the tranquil Okavango waterways or watch the sunset and birds gliding home to roost from a motorboat on the Xigera Lagoon. The more adventurous can track animals on foot.
Nestled in a magnificent riverine forest, Xigera consists of 10 luxuriously furnished tented rooms with en-suite facilities and outdoor shower. Each room is raised off the ground on a wooden deck offering superb views of the seasonal floodplain and waterhole. Meals and drinks are enjoyed under the thatch of the raised lounge, pub and dining area overlooking a permanently flowing channel. A traditional boma offers alternative dining under the African stars. Wooden walkways wind through the forest connecting the rooms to the main area. There is a plunge pool for cooling off and relaxation. Birding in the area is excellent, with Pel's Fishing Owl, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, African Skimmers and a host of eagles, vultures, raptors and kingfishers to be found.
Day 8 - Charter flight to Maun
After an early morning activity and breakfast, we fly to Maun, where the safari ends.
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