Botswana's Okavango Delta
Itinerary 1
Duba Plains Private Reserve
Idyllically set in the Okavango Delta, the Duba Plains Private Reserve is one of the best places to start your African adventure. The landscape is characterised by vast expansive savannah plains dotted with fig, ebony, and garcinia trees and traversed by a network of pristine waterways. Visitors can look forward to leisurely boating excursions down the tranquil rivers of the Delta, thrilling game drives and mystical night drives in the African bush to spot a wealth of nocturnal wildlife. Commonly spotted species include hippos, blue wildebeests, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, lechwes, buffalos, tsessebes, and warthogs. Visitors can also look forward to viewing over 200 species of birds, horse riding safaris through the untouched grasslands, and enjoy a glass of wine under the Africa night sky after a wonderful day of animal
sightings in the wild.
Days 1 - 4: Duba Plains Camp
3 nights at Duba Plains Camp in a luxury tent on a full board basis.
Duba Plains Camp is a wildlife connoisseur’s getaway to the Okavango Delta. Built on a wooded island, connected to the prolific wildlife area by an elaborate set of bridges, the camp is the base of many famous wildlife documentaries by National Geographic filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The intimate camp consists of five traditional-style tents and the 2-bedroom Duba Plains Suite. All sit on raised decking, each with views of the surrounding floodplain and the steady stream of wildlifeparading past. Each tent has a lounge area, a private veranda, beautifully appointed en-suite facilities consisting of flush loo, double basins and indoor and outdoor showers and luxurious baths. Guests will be able to enjoy their own private plunge pool and outdoor under cover sala/day rest area. The main area consists of a large raised dining room, and a comfortable lounge with private dining areas, wine cellar, library, and chef’s kitchen with ample space for guests to either find a privacy or come together. The camp’s centre-point is the gathering place of all bush experiences, the fire place on an extended deck into the swamp. Duba Plain’s Toyota Land Cruisers are aptly named ‘Swamp Vehicles’ due to their extra-high suspension and absolutely huge tyres uniquely designed to traverse the floodplains. Duba Plains offers Botswana’s best land safari as well as an Okavango Delta experience, from wildlife viewing and birding or fishing from the boat, to walking and exciting drives with knowledgeable guides and friendly hosts.
Moremi Game Reserve
Situated in the east of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve ranks as one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa. It covers more than 4871 square kilometres of pristine wilderness, and the varied terrain includes savannah, winding waterways, and dense forest. This diverse ecosystem supports an incredibly wide spectrum of wildlife, ranging from large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebras, to the rare sitatungas and lechwe antelopes, lions, cheetahs and packs of wild dogs in the open grasslands. The birdlife is prolific and includes most of the 550 bird species recorded on Botswana’s national bird list. A range of luxury lodges in the reserve offers visitors the perfect base to experience this corner of paradise.
Days 4 - 7: Xigera Safari Lodge
3 nights at Xigera Safari Lodge on a fully inclusive basis.
Xigera Safari Lodge is located in the Moremi Game Reserve with private access to a 6,000 hectare (15,000 acre) wetland paradise in the heart of the Delta. Situated on one of the Okavango’s key waterways, Xigera Safari Lodge is surrounded by picturesque papyrus swamps and wooded islands and is renowned for its very high density of sitatunga antelope. The area is known for remarkable mammal sightings including red lechwes, spotted-necked otters, elephants, buffalos, reedbuck and tsessebe predators include lions, spotted hyaenas and leopards. Guests are sometimes treated to close-up views of lions or leopards using the footbridge connecting Xigera to the next island. This concession lies in an International Birding Area (IBA) with many ‘Okavango specials’ being present, including pel’s fishing owl, african skimmer, brown firefinch, greater swamp warbler, wattled crane, african pygmy goose and lesser jacana.
