Northern Namibia & Botswana

Today you’ll have about a three-hour drive north of Windhoek on the B1 Road. Your destination is Okonjima and the AfriCat Foundation. Apart from the beautiful location, stunning accommodations and wonderful meals, the main reason for visiting Okonjima is to view the cats. The activities centre around viewing leopards and cheetahs.

Leaving Okonjima return to the main B1 Road and continue your journey northwards via Otjiwarongo, Otavi and Tsumeb and then enter Etosha National Park via the von Lindequist Gate (on the eastern side of the park, near Namutoni). Onguma Etosha Aoba Lodge is set amongst tall Tamboti trees on lush acres of land adjacent to Etosha National Park. The lodge boasts comfortable thatched cottages with overhead fans and air conditioners, ensuite bathrooms and private verandas. Guest areas include a bar, sitting room and dining area situated in an open-sided lapa. The inviting swimming pool provides a cool sanctuary from the heat. Home-grown and local produce provide fresh ingredients for delicious meals.

It is really worth waking up early and heading out on your game drive as soon as the gates open at sunrise. Animals are most active in the cool of the day (early morning and late afternoon) and in order to maximise your chances of good viewings, it is worth imitating their behaviour. The roads in Etosha have unsealed gravel roads but they are in reasonable conditions and the general tourist behaviour is to drive between various waterholes searching for animals. As the day gets hotter, head for the shade. Have lunch at one of the park’s three camps, Okaukuejo, Namutoni or Halali.

On your way to Rundu and the Kavango region, you will notice that as you pass through the veterinary checkpoint, the landscape changes quite dramatically. Suddenly there are small, traditionally built huts along the side of the road and the comings-and-goings of village life.

Entering Hakusembe River Lodge at the end of the winding gravel track, you are greeted with a refreshing image of a green lawn, large trees, a collection of thatched chalets and a strip of the sparkling river.

Set off this morning travelling onto the Mamili National Park and the Nkasa Lupala Tented Lodge. Here you’ll spend two nights, which gives you the opportunity to explore the area in your own vehicle and maybe take part in an optional activity (at your own cost), such as a game drive or a boat cruise.

Today is open to exploring the Mudumu or Nkasa Rupara Park (previously Mamili Park) or taking part in the optional activities (at your own expense) offered at the lodge. You’ll also have the opportunity to join a cultural tour at the Living Museum, a fishing tour or take part in a game drive on open 4×4 vehicles. (All activities are optional and at your own expense.).

Today you will depart for Kasane, Botswana. This area is known as the meeting point of the four countries, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe which makes the lodge a perfect gateway to the surrounding attractions. The Chobe National Park close by boasts the largest concentration of elephants in Africa. The game drives and boat cruises offer visitors the opportunity to witness this amazing spectacle. Enjoy a serene sunset cruise on the Chobe River this evening.

Early morning and late afternoon game drives in Chobe National Park are available to book at an additional cost. We always recommend doing these drives with the lodge so you can enter the park earlier and exit later.
Have an afternoon boat cruise on the Chobe River. Excellent game viewing, birdwatching and scenery can also be arranged.

Today you will enjoy a day trip to Victoria Falls. The day trip will begin with the ‘Big Tree’ where we will stop and take photos. You will be accompanied through the rainforest by a qualified Wild Horizons guide, who will give you a brief history of the falls themselves as well as detail the flora, fauna, bird, wildlife and other points of interest. You are then taken to the market, where you’ll have the opportunity to shop in the open-air curio market and shop for souvenirs and gifts. The visit to the market ends at around 12:30 pm and you are then taken to enjoy lunch at a hotel. After lunch, the clients will have the afternoon free. You will have an opportunity to book additional activities during their day in Vic Falls (extra charges on your own account). Popular additional activities include the heli flip over the falls, gorge swing and zip line.

Situated close to the village of Gweta, (also charmingly known as “The Place of the Bullfrogs”), on the Francistown-Maun road and sheltered by a grove of gigantic baobabs, Planet Baobab offers a welcoming base from which to explore the Makgadikgadi Pans system.
After check-in, the rest of the day is spent at leisure and could be used to explore the surrounding area in your own rental vehicle. Alternatively, take part in an optional activity (at your own expense), such as a sundowner drive or you can simply relax on the pool deck and spot a variety of birds.

After a leisurely breakfast, head for Maun village in northwestern Botswana. It lies at the southern edge of the Okavango Swamp (the inland delta of the Okavango River), northeast of Lake Ngami. The traditional capital of the Tswana people, Maun is the centre of the safari and game industry for the Okavango Delta region and the Moremi Game Reserve there.

After breakfast, you will drive to Moremi Game Reserve. The national park, although not one of the largest parks, presents insights and views even for the most experienced of travellers. It is home to nearly 500 species of birds (from water birds to forest dwellers), and a vast array of other species of wildlife, including buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, jackal, impala, and red lechwe.
The next 2 nights are spent at Khwai Guesthouse on a full board basis including excursions.

Moremi Game Reserve, a vast expanse within the Okavango Delta, is renowned for its spectacular wildlife viewing, particularly on Chief’s Island, the former royal hunting grounds​​. Situated in Northern Botswana’s Kalahari Desert, the Moremi Reserve is integral to the Delta, differing from it in name only due to its status as a protected area​​. It hosts a rich biodiversity, including over 400 bird species like the African fish eagle and the sacred ibis, and a plethora of mammals, insects, and reptiles adapted to its unique swamp conditions​.

This region was transformed into the Moremi Game Reserve in 1963, largely due to the efforts of the local Batawana people who sought to preserve their natural heritage amidst environmental threats​. Moremi stands out as the only officially designated conservation area within the Okavango Delta, set aside to protect its diverse wildlife populations from threats such as poaching

Have early morning breakfast and then you head back via Maun to Ghanzi. It will be a long day’s drive.

When you’re there: the Central Kalahari Game Reserve offers rhino tracking safaris, bushman experiences, game drives and scenic sunset drives. You won’t have much time for activities though. This is more of an overnight to get you back to Windhoek tomorrow.

It is around 550km back to Windhoek. It is therefore one of the longest drives you will have to undertake. However, the road along this stretch is normally in good condition and after leaving Botswana, livestock wandering the roads should no longer be an issue. There is not much of interest along this route and not many places to stop for lunch (Gobabis is probably the only real option).

Today you will head to the Hosea Kutako International Airport in time for your home or onwards flight. This tour ends here.