The Best of Botswana

Upon arrival at Maun International airport our group will be met by a Royale Wilderness representative and transferred to Maun Lodge.

After an early breakfast at Maun lodge, we will transfer to Maun International airport for our scheduled flight to Xakanaxa airstrip Moremi, followed by a road transfer to our first camp. We will have time to settle into camp, receive an orientation of the do’s and don’t’s before heading out on game drive in the afternoon. We usually return to camp shortly after sunset where we can enjoy some time around the campfire before enjoying a delicious fire-cooked meal.

With our main focus being spending time out in the field with wildlife, we will leave camp as early as possible to maximise our chances of seeing and photographing the big cats of Moremi in early morning light. We are not bound to normal lodge times, but will return to camp as the day starts heating up and most of the wildlife have moved off in search of shade. During the day you will have the opportunity to improve your Lightroom skills with your Wild Eye Guide and work on some of the images from the morning or enjoy the peace and tranquility around the camp before heading out again later in the afternoon.

We will leave our camp in Moremi early in the morning with our bags and trailers packed as we make our way to the Khwai Concession. The transfer will be more like a game drive with loads of animals to see and photograph along the way. Depending on what we see along the way we might have a packed lunch or enjoy it in our mobile camp in Khwai. The Khwai area is very well known for great sightings, especially of lion and leopard, both of which will be a focus during our time here. We will return to camp shortly after sunset and enjoy some time around the campfire in the spectacular surroundings.

Our mornings will start off bright and early as we look to head out before sunrise to maximise our chances of seeing and photographing the big cats in good light. During our time in the Khwai concession we will also have the opportunity of enjoying a Mokoro cruise, a local dug out canoe used to explore the shallow channels of the Okavango Delta. The Mokoro experience is an extremely relaxing way of enjoying the waterways with a variety of interesting things to see.

We will leave camp early in the morning with our bags packed as we transfer to Savuti. The transfer is quite a long (and hot) one as we make our way out of the Okavango Delta system towards the the dry and arid region of Savuti. We will take lunch on the road with us and enjoy it along the way. Instead of heading to our camp straight away we will most likely maximise our game viewing experience, only returning to camp after sunset.

The Savuti area is very well documented by many wildlife photographers and videographers from around the world. The area boasts incredible Elephant numbers, usually congregating in large herds around waterholes. Savuti has also been known in the past for playing home to some “mega” Lion prides, many of which have adapted to taking down young Elephants during the dry season. Once again our days here are not determined by lodge times, and we will have flexibility during our time here, to focus on spending time with wildlife. Our evenings will be enjoyed around a campfire, listening to the sounds of nature and creating memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

We will leave our camp in Savuti early in the morning with our bags packed as we transfer to the town of Kasane. Upon arrival in Kasane we will be met by a Zambezi Collection representative where we will transfer to border control offices, and eventually taken to the Chobe Princess, our houseboat for the next 3 nights. We will enjoy a delicious lunch overlooking the incredible Chobe river before heading on our first river activity in the afternoon. We will return back as the sun sets over the Chobe river, creating a bright orange glow in the calm waters. The sunsets from the houseboat are truly spectacular and is a great time to reflect on the day with your drink of choice.

Our activities during our time in Chobe will consist primarily of river activities in specialised photographic speedboats. The Chobe River attracts a wide variety of species throughout the day during the dry season and is also one of few rivers where one can witness Elephants swimming to get to the islands for food. The Chobe is also a paradise for bird lovers and can be great fun to photograph in between the larger mammal sightings. Our days will be split in two with a morning and afternoon boat cruise, returning to the houseboat for lunch and dinner respectively. The break in the day can be used to review some of the your images of the trip on Lightroom with the expert guidance of your Wild Eye guide, or to soak up the peace and tranquility of the Chobe.

We will enjoy our last breakfast on the Chobe Princess before being transferred back to Kasane. Depending on whether your flight will be departing from Kasane or Victoria Falls, we will arrange transfers accordingly.