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Botswana: Kalahari and
Okavango Delta

With about 577 bird species - including over 500 regularly occurring - Botswana offers fantastic birding. With sites such as the Okavango Delta, the Chobe River, Lake Ngami, Makgadikgadi Pans and the Kalahari "Desert" (semi-desert), this fantastic country offers endless possibilities. Add to that the fact that this is a country the size of France with a population of only 2 million people and the end result is vast open spaces, hours of touring without seeing another soul and little to distract you from enjoying nature at its best.

The land-locked country of Botswana is host to the world famous Okavango Delta, a 185,000 sq. km. network of water channels, lagoons, swamps and islands, forming the largest RAMSAR site in the world. The delta forms the global stronghold for the threatened Wattled Crane and Slaty Egret as well as being home to many enigmatic African mammals such as African Wild Dog and Elephant. The Okavango is the largest inland delta system in the world a bit smaller than Israel. This spectacular water wonderland is home to a fabulous array of wildlife and birding here is a life altering experience.

The shallow alkaline lake system of the Makgadikgadi Pans is another must visit, the pans are famous for their large flamingo breeding colonies and Pelicans regularly breed here as well.
Our main tours concentwrate on the Okavango and Chobe areas and we regularly include the Makgadikgadi Pans as well. We can however tailor make trips to any part of Botswana to fit all pockets from budget camping trips to 5-star luxury lodge trips and everything in between.

Target Birds:

Pel's Fishing Owl, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Lesser Jacana, Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Great White Pelican, Red-footed Falcon, Short-clawed Lark, Bat Hawk, Collared Pratincole, Brown Firefinch, Western-banded Snake-Eagle, White-backed Night-Heron, Greater Swamp Warbler, African Pygmy Goose, Luapula Cisticola, African Skimmer, Allen's Gallinule, Copper Sunbird, Swamp Boubou, Racket-tailed Roller etc. etc.

Target Mammals:

African Wild Dog, Lion, Leopard, Hippo, African Elephant, Puku, African Buffalo, Chobe Bushbuck, Sitatunga, Cheetah, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Bat-eared Fox and many more.

Day 1
Leave for Lake Ngami (90 km/1 hr), camp in the bush by the edge of the lake. (Water level very variable; the lake can dry up, or almost so, but it has had water for the last few years, and the bird life there is usually very good). 

Day 2
Drive back to Maun and bird around Maun (Boteti River).

Day 3
Proceed to Moremi (between 130 and 150 km/5 hrs allowing birding en route) and camp there, spending 3 nights there, with a 6 hour river cruise (included) - say, on the second day-  from Xakanaxa along one of the Okavango's channels (possibly to the famous and spectacular Gcadikwe Heronry where various storks, ibises, spoonbills, and herons breed September to November). Spend days 3 to 5 in Moremi, split between 2 camps in the west and east section.

Days 4 to 5
In Moremi Game Reserve.

Day 6
Proceed to Savuti (5 hr/around 130km), in the centre of Chobe National Park. Good for bustards, raptors, owls, larks, sandgrouse, storks.

Day 7
Savuti.

Day 8
Carry on to the Kasane area (171km/about 6 hr with some birding), near the extreme north of Chobe National Park and camp in one of the private campsites there or at Ihaha, the government camp just inside the park.

Days 9, 10 & 11
In the northern Chobe/Kasane area (where there is the richest birding in the country, with several specials, like Copper Sunbird, Collared Palm Thrush, Miombo Rock Thrush, Rock Pratincole, Skimmer, Pel's Fishing Owl, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, etc.). One can do game/birding drives in the park; walk in the Kasane rapids area and in the rich birding grounds of the lodges; drive to Kazuma Pan (90 km south-east of Kasane); do Chobe River trips in a motor boat (optional, not included in package).

Day 12
Return by tarred road to Maun via Nata (7 to 8 hours; 600 km). Camp in Maun - last day of tour. Participants leave for home next morning.