9 Day Botswana's Finest Camps Safari

Once you have arrived in Johannesburg, an African Sky representative will be waiting for you as you enter the arrivals hall. You will be escorted to the appropriate departure terminal, where you’ll be assisted in boarding a local flight to Kasane, from where a short transfer will bring you to your lodge. Your activities in Chobe alternate between daily open 4x4 game drives in the park – for the most part keeping reasonably close to the river – and water-based game viewing on the Chobe River, arguably the single most rewarding wildlife activity on offer in Southern Africa today.

The Chobe riverfront, where your lodge is located, is a hive of wildlife activity and one of a handful of “must-see” hotspots on the African continent. The riverfront is an “ecosystem within an ecosystem”, with large daily back-and-forth migrations as animals move into the surrounding woodland during the day to feed, only to return again in the late afternoon to quench their thirsts. The floodplain, close to the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, is an oasis in an often harsh and unforgiving environment. Hundreds of hippo, large Nile crocodile and an incredible variety of birdlife are just some of the animals encountered here. The floodplain is home to Botswana’s only population of puku antelope. Elephant herd numbering in the hundreds are regularly seen in the late afternoon, sometimes swimming across one of the many channels. Close encounters are all but guaranteed. Buffalo often wade across to the perennially green islands in search of better grazing. Lion, spotted hyena, wild dog and leopard are sometimes sighted along the riverbank.

A last morning safari experience in Chobe is followed by a short flight to Kings Pool, situated in the 125,000 ha Linyanti Reserve to the north of the Okavango Delta. The Linyanti Swamp is fed by the Kwando River and is the heart of this wildlife refuge that attracts elephant by the thousands. Guests spend three nights at Kings Pool, with two game activities conducted daily by lodge-based rangers and trackers. The Linyanti area is not as well-known as the Okavango, but offers exceptional game viewing in one of Africa's truly wild outposts.

During your stay in Linyanti, two safari activities are included daily. These alternate between open 4x4 game drives, walking safaris and water-based game viewing on the channels and lagoons that fringe the swamp, offering opportunities to encounter elephant, buffalo, lion and an impressive variety of bird species in a remote and unspoiled setting.

A morning game activity in Linyanti is followed by breakfast and a short charter flight to the Okavango Delta. While in the Okavango you’ll enjoy two exciting activities daily, ranging from water-based mokoro (dugout canoe) rides on its tranquil channels, to guided nature walks and, of course, game drives in open 4x4 vehicles. These safaris are led by local rangers and trackers and include both land- and water-based adventures.

The lush oasis of the Okavango stretches its green arms deep into the desert, its fingertips melting away into the sweltering sands of the Kalahari. It is one of the last wonderfully wild frontiers, unfenced and largely untouched, save for visitors who wish only to revel in its verdant magic and take nothing away but memories. Many of the large mammals in and around the Delta respond to the seasons, moving out with the summer rains to find renewed grazing and browse, and returning as winter approaches again. Large herd of buffalo and elephant are among the star attractions, alongside an impressive diversity of plains game and predator.

Enjoy a last unhurried breakfast and a final morning game activity before bidding the Delta farewell and boarding your charter flight to Maun. From Maun you continue to Johannesburg, where an African Sky representative meets you on arrival to assist with any formalities, whether checking in for your international flight home or transferring to a hotel in Johannesburg or Pretoria.

As you retrace your route back to city life, you can reflect on the variety of experiences woven into this journey – riverfront Chobe, the remote Linyanti marshes and the iconic Okavango Delta – and the remarkable wildlife encounters that make Botswana's Finest Lodges Safari a lasting memory.