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ACTIVITIES

GAME DRIVES & BOAT RIDE

CHOBENATIONAL PARK SAFARI: BOAT CRUISES, WILDLIFE, AND BIRDING

Embark on your safari adventure at 9:00 AM from Kalahari Tours in Kasane, or arrive at 8:45 AM for a boat cruise if you're coming from Livingstone or Victoria Falls Town. Enjoy a morning cruise along the Chobe River before driving through Chobe National Park to your campsite in Central Chobe, where you'll discover the diverse habitats and wildlife in the area.

HABITAT

The drive takes you through the stunning Zambezi teak woodlands of Chobe Forest Reserve, sand-ridge, and into the stunted mopane scrub of the Goha clay basin.

WILDLIFE

In the wild country you'll pass through, wildlife roams freely, including roan and sable antelope thriving in the teak woodlands, and herds of buffalo, Burchell's zebra, greater kudu, and elephants drinking at natural waterholes in the Goha region.

BIRDING

Teak woodlands provide habitat for unusual species like Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, and Scarlet-chested Sunbird. Raptors to watch for include Dickenson's Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, and Lizard Buzzard. Look for the White-faced Owl roosting in the roadside vegetation, while birding enthusiasts can enjoy Flappet Lark, Fawn-coloured Lark, Dusky Lark, Olive-Tree Warbler, and Neddicky.

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ACTIVITIES

SAFARI DRIVES

CENTRAL CHOBE'S UNIQUE LANDSCAPE: DIVERSE WILDLIFE AND BIRDLIFE AWAITS

Central Chobe stands apart from the majority of Botswana's flat terrain, offering a unique landscape with volcanic rock outcrops towering over endless savannah. These hills create habitats for a diverse array of small wildlife, birds, and plants. The Savuti Marsh, a prime stage for dramatic African wildlife documentaries, features open spaces, abundant ungulate populations, and strong lion and hyena clans, resulting in captivating wildlife interactions and exceptional viewing opportunities. The now-dry Savuti Channel connects the sand-veld, waterholes, hills, and grasslands that once formed the Savuti Marsh.

WILDLIFE

The most intriguing aspect of Savuti is the interaction between lions and elephants. The region is home to a large lion pride with 20-30 members, which have adapted to hunt the massive elephants, targeting adolescents and young adults. The marsh is also prime cheetah territory, and during the wet season, wild dogs can be seen hunting in Central Chobe.

BIRDING

The water attracts an impressive array of birdlife, especially in the dry season when thousands of doves and sandgrouse come to drink in the mornings. These birds are closely monitored by Yellow-billed Kite, Tawny Eagle, and African Hawk-Eagle. Red-crested Korhaan are common in the Kalahari Apple-leaf veld. During the summer, the marsh hosts Caspian Plover and Montague's Harrier, along with Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Northern Black Korhaan, Rufous-naped Lark, African Pipit, and Desert Cisticola. Dickenson's Kestrel, Amur Falcon, and Red-necked Falcon can be found along the marsh's perimeter.

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ACTIVITIES

GAME DRIVES

DISCOVER THE DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS OF MABABE PRIVATE RESERVE

Leaving the arid landscape behind, our journey ventures south to the captivating Mababe Private Reserve area, immersing ourselves in a diverse range of habitats.

HABITAT

Traverse remnants of the ancient Paleo-Lake Makgadikgadi, which dried up about ten thousand years ago. Cross the challenging Magwikwe Sand-ridge, once the shoreline of this massive inland sea. The former lake bed now forms the Mababe Depression, with its dense clay floor providing high-protein feed for thriving wildlife populations, especially after the rains. During the rainy season, the depression becomes impassable due to "cotton soil," requiring alternative routes.

Wildlife: Encounter a variety of wildlife throughout the drive, from prime lion and cheetah territories to elephants gathering near permanent surface water sources.

BIRDING

The Mababe Depression is a haven for bird enthusiasts. Nutritious grasses offer a rich seed source for a diverse array of estrillids and viduids, such as Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Village Indigobird, Shaft-tailed Whydah, and Paradise Whydah. These birds, in turn, attract small raptors like Little Sparrowhawk, Shikra, Gabar Goshawk, Red-necked Falcon, and Lanner Falcon. Additionally, the grass seeds attract rodents, leading to an abundance of larger birds like Secretary Bird, Tawny Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite, Steppe Eagle*, Lesser-spotted Eagle*, Wahlberg’s Eagle*, and Steppe Buzzard*.

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ACTIVITIES

GAME DRIVES, WALKING SAFARIS, NIGHT DRIVES & MOKORO EXCURSIONS

EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF MABABE PRIVATE RESERVE: NIGHT & DAY GAME DRIVES, WALKING SAFARI, AND MOKORO EXCURSIONS

Spend the next two nights camping at an exclusive Mababe concession campsite with a maximum of 20 vehicles allowed in the concession at any time. Enjoy exploring the Khwai River's riverside banks, the savannah, and the Kalahari shrub with day and night game drives. Nighttime exploration provides a unique opportunity to encounter elusive nocturnal animals.

HABITAT

During this period, explore both the dry-land habitats of the lead-wood and camel-thorn woodlands and savannahs and the riverside banks of the Khwai River. The western parts of the concession feature the "mini-CKGR" habitat.

WILDLIFE

Mababe boasts healthy populations of bull elephants and breeding herds. Predators such as lion, leopard, serval, and African wildcat are common in the region, with wild dogs and cheetahs less frequent. Buffalo, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, impala, eland, and oryx are among the other ungulates present.

BIRDING

The Kori Bustard, Botswana's national bird, is a resident in the Mababe Depression's lower reaches. The western reaches are prime habitat for the rare Rosythroated Longclaw. The Bat-Hawk patrols the entire river length. Cuckoo Hawk, Long-crested Eagle, Black Sparrowhawk, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Martial Eagle, Bateleur, and African Hawk-Eagle are all interesting raptors in the region. The waterways are home to Africa Rail, African Crake, Greater Painted Snipe, Allen's Gallinule, Lesser Jacana, and Lesser Moorhen.

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ACTIVITIES

GAME DRIVES

EXPLORING KHWAI RIVER AND ITS WILDLIFE

This morning's adventure takes us towards and through the Khwai area, with a stop to enjoy a mokoro excursion on the Khwai River and Mbudi channel. As we journey along the watercourse, we'll pass through mopane veld, woodlands, and floodplains before crossing the Khwai River and entering the Moremi Game Reserve.

HABITAT

The Khwai area offers a variety of habitats, from the slower and safer backwaters of the Khwai River and Mbudi channel to the mopane veld and woodlands.

WILDLIFE

Breeding herds of elephants are mostly found in the western mopane veld, while the eastern reaches of Khwai are home to impressive old bulls that frequent the cool waters of the Khwai River. The region also boasts a high density of hippos and crocodiles. Predators such as leopards, cheetahs, servals, and lions are common, while Xakanaxa and Mababe are home to different packs of wild dogs. General game includes southern giraffes, Burchell's zebras, tsessebes, and red lechwes, with rarer species like roan and sable antelopes occasionally spotted.

BIRDING

The mopane woodlands provide habitat for a variety of raptors, including African Hawk-Eagles, Tawny Eagles, Gabar Goshawks, Little Sparrowhawks, African Harrier Hawks, and Shikras. Mixed bird parties are also commonly seen, including Red-headed Weavers, Stierling's Wren-Warblers, Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Neddickies, Yellow-breasted Apalises, Chin-spot Batises, and Diederik Cuckoos. The swamp verges offer breeding grounds for the Rosy-Longclaw, Black Coucal, Long-legged Bustard, and African Crake.

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ACTIVITIES

GAME DRIVES

HABITATS AND WILDLIFE IN MOREMI GAME RESERVE

Moremi Game Reserve, located on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta, boasts a diverse range of habitats, from floodplains and marshes to woodlands and savannah. The excellent diversity of wildlife and birdlife is a result of the extremely variable habitats in the reserve.

HABITAT

The drive through Moremi Game Reserve takes you through every type of mopane habitat, from towering cathedral woodlands in Xakanaxa to vast reed-beds of Miscanthus and Phragmites, and extensive stretches of scrub mopane. The San-ta-Wani region has scattered ephemeral water pans with large floodplains and camel-thorn woodlands.

WILDLIFE

Moremi Game Reserve is home to a variety of wildlife, with the drive through the reserve offering sightings of predators such as African wild dogs, lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Every type of mopane habitat is well represented in this drive, with breeding herds of elephants, Burchell's zebras, and wildebeests frequently sighted. Other game includes kudus, sable antelopes, and impalas.

BIRDING

Moremi Game Reserve is a great place for birding, with a variety of raptors such as African Hawk-Eagles, Gabar Goshawks, Shikras, and Tawny Eagles inhabiting the mopane and adjacent woodlands. The reserve is also home to most of Botswana's hornbills, including Red-billed, Southern Yellow-billed, African Grey, Bradfield's, and the Southern Ground hornbills. Brood-parasites such as Diederick Cuckoos, Levaillant's Cuckoos, Jacobin Cuckoos, Great-spotted Cuckoos, and African Cuckoos are also common in the reserve.

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ACTIVITIES

CHARTER FLIGHT

WRAPPING UP YOUR UNFORGETTABLE SAFARI EXPERIENCE

After a morning game drive and breakfast, it's time to depart from Xakanaxa. You'll be taken to the airstrip for your charter flight back to Maun, which arrives around 12:00 pm.

This marks the final day of your unforgettable safari adventure. Choose to fly back home or extend your journey to discover more amazing destinations. We are here to assist you in customizing your itinerary further.