ITINERARY
November 29: (First Night)
SOUTHERN SUN O.R. TAMBO INTERNATIONAL HOTEL-Joburg, South Africa
One night stay at Airport Hotel- Johannesburg. All international flights should arrive sometime during the day. There will be an orientation that evening at the hotel to meet the group and discuss details of the safari.
November 30 to December 4: (4 Nights)
CHITABE CAMP - Okavango Delta, Botswana
Chitabe Camp is located within a 28,000-hectare photographic reserve built on one of the most beautiful islands in the Okavango Delta. The area is made up of a superb variety of habitats, including waterways, marshlands, dry acacia, mopane woodland, riverine areas, open grasslands and seasonally flooded plains.
Chitabe offers game drives in open 4x4 vehicles during the day, night drives accompanied by an experienced guide, as well as nature walks. Chitabe is strictly a game viewing camp - no water activities are offered here.
Game viewing is excellent here, and includes Buffalo, Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Reedbuck, Lechwe, Impala, Zebra and Hippo. Wild Dogs are among the major attractions of this area. A long-standing program to study the Wild Dogs is based nearby (read more on the Wild Dogs below). Night drives can be very rewarding with good sightings of the rare nocturnal animals such as Pangolin, Civet, Serval, Genet, Porcupine and Aardwolf. Guests will also likely see Zebra, Reedbuck, Red Lechwe, Impala and all the plains game.
Chitabe has aided in the support of the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project, which was established by Dr Tico McNutt in 1989. The Wild Dog Project has a study area of about 3000 square kilometers. About 160 wild dogs in ten to twelve packs inhabit this region, and Chitabe lies within this study area. Dr. "Tico" McNutt and the wild dogs were featured in the May 1999 edition of National Geographic Magazine.
December 4 to December 8: (4 Nights)
LITTLE VUMBURA CAMP - Okavango Delta, Botswana
Little Vumbura is situated about 25 km's north of Chief's Island. It is in the neighboring northern private reserve of nearly 130,000 acres within Botswana's Okavango Delta. Little Vumbura offers perhaps the best combination of water and land activities anywhere in the Delta. The area also boasts a wonderful variety of habitats and a great diversity of wildlife. This includes large numbers of Sable Antelope, rarely seen elsewhere in Botswana.
Little Vumbura accommodates ten guests on a wonderful private island, typically reachable only by boat. Little Vumbura has five tents under an enormous canopy of ancient Okavango forest. Each tent is large and roomy with en suite facilities, as well as an outside shower for those who want to be even closer to nature. The dining room and pub are under canvas and have been built in and around the existing trees. There is also a pool at the camp for relaxing by during the quiet of the day. One of the camp's attractions is the outdoor dining area. Wooden decks have been built on the floodplains and dining under the stars is a wonderful experience.
The main activity at both camps is game viewing in wonderful and varied countryside. Open 4x4 Land Rovers allow close proximity to animals in the savannah and forested areas. Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog, Elephant, Cheetah and Buffalo along with all the plains animals make Vumbura an excellent all-round wildlife experience in a remote and private part of the Okavango. Birding here is great with diverse species and large quantities. Walks, mekoros (dugout canoes) and boating give Vumbura's guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from unique perspectives.
December 8 to December 12; (4 Nights)
MOMBO CAMP - Moremi Reserve, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Hidden from the world within Botswana's Okavango Delta and situated just off the northwestern tip of Chief’s Island is the secret paradise of Mombo. Opened in 2000, the "new" Mombo Camp is situated deep within the Moremi Game Reserve on a scenic island about 800 meters from the "old" Mombo camp. Large concentrations of wildlife occur right in front of the new camp and can be viewed all day from the main deck or from the privacy of your luxury room. It is quite possible to see up to twelve different mammal species from the comfort of your veranda! Giant umbrella thorns and Ilala palms dot the expansive plains to create a magnificent savannah landscape alongside the marshes and floodplains of the Okavango Delta.
As a year-round, exclusive wildlife destination (especially for predators), Mombo has a record unequalled in Africa. This area provides one of the highest quality wildlife viewing opportunities on earth. Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah and all the major predators are common in the region. Mombo has become renowned for its high concentration of predators including the Wild Dog. Birdlife is prolific, with waterfowl and waders being particularly common. The excellent game at Mombo has made this area Botswana's top wildlife documentary location. National Geographic, the BBC and many others have filmed here.
December 12
GAME DRIVE & FLIGHTS
Fly back to Maun after the morning activity, for Air Botswana flight back to Johannesburg.
International flights should be scheduled for departure that evening to home destinations.
Additional night hotel stays can be arranged for you upon request. Please ask us for further information.
SAFARI NOTES
This trip is designed as a photographic safari. As such, you will have photographic experts in the field guiding you to document your safari experience. Bring an “adventurous spirit,” as we will maintain a patient and “never stop exploring” philosophy while in the field. While the early morning and late afternoon “sweet light” is with us, we will be in search of magnificent things to experience and document. We will be rewarded for this extra effort. Be prepared for a visual feast! We then return to our luxurious tented camps. Dinners will be delicious and served amongst a relaxed and exotic atmosphere. There will be no lectures, workshops or slideshows, as evenings will be reserved for the art of conversation and fully embracing the African night.
Although the safaris’ emphasis is on photography, all experience levels and non-photography spouses are welcome. If you would like to take a break from the game drives, you may opt for relaxing at camp, enjoying a casual walk or boat ride, sit by the pool, or artfully do nothing. Whatever your desire, because of our specially selected camps, you will experience classic vistas and opportunities for excellent wildlife viewing. This is an extraordinary trip whether you want to photograph, or just experience the best that Africa has to offer. |
