Botswana & Namibia: Delta & Dunes

The adventure starts in Maun, Botswana, gateway to the Okavango Delta. Spend the afternoon exploring or relaxing, with a chance to change money and pick up any supplies you may need (such as snacks and drinks). Around 6pm, say hello to your tour leader and fellow travellers where we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome over dinner together. Tonight is a good time to pack your overnight bag for the Okavango Delta; pack light as we travel to camp by canoe (your larger bag is left with the driver and stored safely). Want to explore further? Secure pre-tour nights through your sales representative.

Relax at the hotel this morning or head into town to pick up any last-minute supplies. After or just before lunch, we journey to the Okavango Delta, where we board mokoros (traditional dugout canoes helmed by an expert local poler) and head to our Delta camp (depending on water levels we may drive in a 4×4). Camp is ready for us on arrival, and we meet the local guides who are our hosts for the next few days. The camp is made of dome tents fitted with camp beds, a mess tent and bathrooms that have a bush-shower (a bucket shower over a tree!) and toilet. Camping allows us to experience Africa at its fullest: swimming in shallow pools, listening to the sounds of the Delta (particularly birdsong and hippo grunts!), and enjoying some of the best views of the Milky Way you are likely to see. Total driving: 19mi (30km), one hour

Rise early for breakfast and spend the rest of the day exploring the waterways and islands by mokoro and on foot. Year-round, the Delta is home to a vast array of animals, including elephants, lions and hippos. We return to camp for lunch and, this evening, enjoy sundowners. Relax around the campfire after dinner looking back on a day well spent.

After a relaxing start, we enjoy one final exploration of the Delta before returning to our collection point by mokoro (water lever dependent). Return to Maun after lunch, where we have a free afternoon to relax or enjoy one of the many optional activities available, such as scenic flights or helicopter rides.

Relax this morning before our transfer to the northern part of the Okavango Delta, enjoying views of the Botswana bush as we go. Reaching a landscape of thick sand that’s inaccessible to our vehicle, we are collected by a 4×4 vehicle and transferred to our lodge on the banks of Guma Lagoon. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the peaceful waterside property or there is the option of an afternoon boat ride. Total driving: 220mi (350km), five hours

After breakfast, continue the journey north and cross into Namibia through the Mohembo border post. From here, we travel through Mahango Game Park, where we hope to see elephants and other animals. We then drive along the Caprivi Strip (a thin protrusion of Namibia bordered by Botswana, Angola and Zambia) to the small town of Rundu, which is situated on the Kavango River close to the Angolan border. Total driving: 220mi (350km), 5hr 30min

Today we travel to Etosha National Park, the premier safari sanctuary in Namibia. In contrast to the Okavango Delta, Etosha is a relatively arid wilderness of mixed forest and grassland around a large saltpan. It is scattered with waterholes where a great variety of animals congregate to drink, making them fairly easy to find. We should arrive in time for a late afternoon game drive before heading to our accommodation. We typically stay within the park on some or all the nights (subject to availability) and some of these are next to waterholes. These camps also offer optional night drives, which you can book and pay for on arrival. Total driving: 280mi (450km), six hours