Known as one of the world’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries, join us as we discover the Okavango Delta’s astonishing variety of birdlife and awe-inspiring concentrations of mammals on this intimate safari.
Accompanied by an expert local naturalist, this tour spends a week exploring the very best wildlife hotspots during the picturesque green season, focusing on the incredible diversity of birds as well the charismatic large mammals of Botswana’s famed Okavango Delta.
This holiday combines the great wild landscapes and spectacular large mammals of the Okavango Delta with a dedicated focus on the huge range of beautiful birds which may be found here. We visit Moremi Game Reserve for three full days in search of its woodland and wetland birds, experiencing the incredible abundance of waterbirds and summer migrants that flock to delta at this time, as well as seeking out some of its most iconic avian residents such as the Pel’s fishing owl and many species of eagle.
We then shift our comfortable tented camp to Mababe Private Reserve, where we spend a further three full days watching the birds, mammals and other wildlife of the Okavango. Here we have the freedom to explore off-road on game drives, enabling thrilling intimate encounters with the iconic mammals and also giving us access to the best birding habitats. We also take safari drives at night to look for the various nocturnal species.
Wattled cranes, slaty egrets, kori bustards, secretary birds, giant eagle owls, ground hornbills, violet-eared waxbills, rosy-throated longclaws, purple rollers and five species of bee-eater are just some of the numerous birds we are likely to encounter. Through our early morning and evening explorations and night drives we hope to encounter some of Botswana’s more secretive species such as the beautifully marked sable and roan antelopes, the bold honey badger, snuffling Cape porcupines or a stalking African wildcat.
As well as the profusion of birdlife we will be on the lookout for all the incredible mammals, many of which have their young at this time with elephants, hippo, giraffe, red lechwe, impala and buffalo all common.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Johannesburg, connecting on to Maun the following morning.
Day2: Transfer to Moremi
We arrive in Maun early afternoon, where our guide meets and assists us with our onward light aircraft flight over the Delta to our first campsite in the Moremi Game Reserve.
Once we arrive, we are met by the crew who accompany us for our first six nights. There's time to settle in and unpack before a late afternoon safari and then enjoying dinner under the night sky.
Accommodation: Fully-serviced Mobile Camping, 3-nights
Days3-4: Safaris & birdwatching in Moremi Game Reserve
Situated on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled reserves in Africa, and the huge variety of wildlife here will not disappoint. Birding possibilities are outstanding and we may see little sparrowhawk, green woodhoopoe, scarlet-chested sunbird and a dazzling range of bee-eaters. Our route is also excellent for mammals including impala, giraffe, plains zebra, tsessebe, red lechwe and African elephant.
In wetlands and wet grassland we look for striped crake, black coucal and the exquisite rosy-throated longclaw. Dry bush here is home to green-winged pytilia, black-cheeked waxbill and the gorgeous violet-eared waxbill, while in open grassland we may see huge birds such as common ostrich and southern ground hornbill as well as tiny ones including Luapula and chirping cisticolas.
Naturally, while looking for birds we are sure to encounter many mammals, including perhaps African elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, greater kudu, leopard, lion and African wild dog.
Day5: Transfer to Mababe Private Reserve
Today we take a leisurely safari to the north-east to reach the Mababe Private Reserve. Throughout this full day safari, we stop in a variety of habitats to seek out speciality birds and enjoy a mokoro excursion in the calm back-waters of the Khwai and Mbudi channels. Hippo, elephant, buffalo and herds of water loving lechwe will be regular features of the journey. We also pass through open plains where herds of zebra and impala are joined by the occasional sable or roan antelope and along the river channel and mopane woodland edge a plethora of birds of prey can be found. We arrive at our new camp in time for dinner and a night drive.
Accommodation: Fully-serviced Mobile Camping, 4-nights
Days6-8: Safaris & birdwatching in Mababe Private Reserve
We have three full days of exciting wildlife and birding drives in Mababe Private Reserve, starting after breakfast each day and returning to camp mid to late morning where we have free time until the mid-afternoon, when we set out again on another wildlife drive. Our exact programme will be dictated by the latest sightings and local conditions, but we can explore wherever we wish and can expect to encounter of huge diversity of birds and mammals.
Classic birds of the vast wetlands here include African crake, African spoonbill, painted snipe, lesser jacana, saddle-billed stork, purple and Allen’s gallinules, giant kingfisher, groups of majestic, wattled cranes and the near-endemic slaty egret. While Pel’s fishing owl, Verreaux’s eagle owl, bat hawk, African harrier hawk, black sparrowhawk and martial, tawny, steppe, bateleur, Wahlberg’s, brown snake and African fish eagles could be all be among the birds of prey possibilities.
Mababe is also home to an excellent range of charismatic mammals, and with the freedom to drive off-road we may be fortunate to find lion, leopard, spotted hyena, serval and African wildcat in addition to great herds of buffalo, bull elephants and nocturnal mammals and nightjars on night drives.
Day8: Transfer to Maun & Depart
Today it is sadly time for us to leave the delta as we make our way to the Khwai Airstrip where we take our scheduled light aircraft flight back to Maun. This gives us a final chance to look down on the beauty of the Okavango Delta from above. Here we take a flight to Johannesburg to connect with our overnight flight to the UK.
Day9: Arrive UK
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 9 daysfrom £4,495 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 7 daysfrom £3,695 pp
Moremi is an unspoilt and stunningly beautiful reserve, considered to be one of Africa’s finest sanctuaries. Its 3,000 sqkm of woodland, floodplain and reedbed includes the waters of the Okavango Delta, attracting high concentrations of plains game and predators which can be viewed by river or on land.
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Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: Pel’s fishing owl, red lechwe, sitatunga, fire-crowned bishop, scops owl
Excellent for: Walking safaris, Vehicle safaris, River safaris
This 1.6 million hectare wildlife paradise is a vast tapestry of crystal clear water channels, lagoons and small islands, and is known for its concentrations of large wildlife and birds. Outings by boat or on land, at day or night, yields fantastic sightings within the private concessions of exclusive accommodation.
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Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: hippo, Nile crocodile, red lechwe, sitatunga, tsessebe
Excellent for: Walking safaris, Vehicle safaris, River safaris, Birdwatching
This private reserve is situated in the Okavango Delta, allowing visitors to venture off-road and enjoy night drives to watch some of its rarer inhabitants. Wildlife highlights include lion, leopard, wild dog, spotted hyena and a rich variety of birdlife such as African jacana and secretarybird.
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