After six nights of fully-serviced mobile camping, we conclude with three nights at Mma Dinare Lodge, located on a private 272 square kilometres concession in the south-east of the delta, adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve. With exclusive use of this comfortable nine tent lodge we will be able to settle in and unwind, setting our own programme of activities and enjoying the benefits of being on a private concession. Night drives, mokoro boat trips and walking safaris should all be an option in this exceptionally game rich area of the delta.
Over the course of our 9-night stay in the delta we can expect to encounter a wealth of wildlife. Large herds of elephant, buffalo and antelope species such as impala, lechwe, kudu and red hartebeest will almost certainly be a feature of the trip alongside giraffe and zebra. Inevitably with such a high concentration of prey animals we will encounter a variety of predators and we have an excellent chance of seeing lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and wild dog. During our stay at Mma Dinare we will also be joined for a time by J.W. (‘Tico’) McNutt, Founder and Director of Botswana Predator Conservation to hear about the invaluable work that his team are undertaking in the area.
Birder or not, one can’t help but marvel at the spectacular range of avian species on display in the delta. Electrifying lilac-breasted rollers adorn acacia trees, cartoon like saddle-billed storks, bizarre openbills and shimmering glossy ibis patrol shallow pools, while secretary birds stalk the grasslands. All under the watchful eye of soaring vultures, bateleurs, tawny and martial eagles.
As darkness falls a new cast of characters takes centre stage as civets, genets, African porcupine, lesser bushbaby and spring hares emerge from their daytime hiding. With luck we may even be fortunate enough to see some of the delta’s smaller cat species including African wild cat and serval, or perhaps even a honey badger, reputedly one of Africa’s most fearless animals.
On arrival in Maun in the early afternoon, we meet our local guide and transfer to Khwai Community Concession, one of the most scenic areas of the Okavango. This drive takes approximately 3.5 hours, although this depends entirely on what we see en route as the latter part of journey takes us through some prime wildlife areas.
On arrival at our exclusive wilderness camp, we are greeted by the crew who will be accompanying us for our first six nights in the Delta. After settling into our tents and freshening up, we will enjoy dinner under the stars before retiring for a well-earned rest!
Accommodation: Fully-serviced Mobile Camping, 3-nights
Days3-4: Morning, afternoon & night drives in Khwai Concession
After breakfast we head out on a drive, in search of the region’s famed wildlife. We typically return to camp by mid to late morning, when there is an opportunity to have a shower and rest either before and/or after lunch. As the day warms we are free to relax, snooze, read a book or watch wildlife from camp, before heading out again around 4pm, after afternoon tea, for another wildlife drive.
One of the great advantages of mobile camping is that we are not restricted by a schedule. So, if our guide believes that it is in the interest of the group to stay out longer, we have the flexibility to do this. On occasion we may venture out for the entire day with a packed lunch, which allows us to travel further afield.
We have two full days to enjoy the fabulous wildlife and habitats of the Khwai Concession. Our exact programme will be dictated by the latest sightings, but we can expect to encounter of wealth of mammals and birds.
Night drives will open up a whole new world of opportunity to watch wildlife, as a good proportion of Botswana's mammals are active only after dark. Nocturnal species such as African civet, honey badger, lesser bushbaby, crested porcupine, common genet, white-tailed mongoose, scrub hare and spring hare may all be sighted on our spotlighting drives, with perhaps a chance of spotting something really unusual - such as a serval - if we are fortunate.
Day5: Transfer to Moremi Game Reserve
Today we leave Khwai and drive south through spectacular scenery to Moremi Game Reserve and our next exclusive campsite. This takes most of the day as we stop en route to enjoy whatever mammals and birds we come across, as well as for a picnic lunch. By the time we arrive at the end of the afternoon, the camp crew will have our new wilderness home up and running, with a refreshing cup of tea waiting for us.
The feeling of being truly immersed in the wilderness heightens as the sun sets, and the night air fills with the guttural roars of lions or the slow whoop of a spotted hyena. The audacious honey badger may also pay a nocturnal visit to our camp in its search for food.
Days6-7: Morning & afternoon wildlife drives in Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least four prides of lion, which are often seen flanking the perpetually moving herds. Breeding herds of elephants move between the water and the mopane woodland where they browse.
It is possible to see wild dog, along with lion, leopard and the occasional cheetah here. Red lechwe, Burchell’s zebra and impala are common, while the rare and shy sitatunga can sometimes be found skulking in the dense papyrus beds. The area’s colourful collection of birdlife is equally prolific, with Arnot's chat, saddle-billed stork, slaty egret, Heuglin’s robin, scarlet-chested sunbird and a variety of woodpeckers, barbets and weavers among the specialities. We can expect to see long-toed and wattled plovers, white-faced whistling duck, African fish eagle, pink-throated longclaw, numerous species of heron and waterbirds, and perhaps western banded snake-eagle.
Day8: Transfer to The Dinare Concession & afternoon game drives
Today we leave Moremi Game Reserve and drive east to Mma Dinare Lodge, our base for the next three nights. Like our other transfers, the drive is essentially an extended safari and depending on sightings we arrive at the camp in plenty of time for lunch.
On arrival we bid farewell to our guides of the past seven days before settling in to our new surrounds ahead of an afternoon drive.
Accommodation: Mma Dinare Lodge, 3-nights
Days9-10: Wildlife based activities
With exclusive use of the camp, we have the luxury of being able to choose our own programme of activities over the course of the next two days and we will try and be as accommodating as possible, so that everybody can choose their activities.
Depending on water levels, which vary every year, there is the option of taking a trip in a mokoro canoe. This is one of the most tranquil ways to explore the delta and gives you a completely different perspective of the landscape. Hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a wealth of water birds are all very possible on such a trip and it complements the drives that we will have undertaken on the trip so far, very well.
Being based on a private concession also allows us to undertake walking safaris which provide an opportunity to take a closer look at the terrain that supports this incredible wealth of life. There is also a chance that we may encounter a variety of mammals on foot and whilst sightings will inevitably be at a distance, the experience is that much more dramatic from being on foot.
Access to the concession also allows us to drive at any time and to go off road if necessary. This greater flexibility will serve to enrich our drives and with luck, provide even better sightings and for those that wish to partake, extended night drives will also be an option.
During our stay at Mma Dinare we will also be joined for a time by J.W. (‘Tico’) McNutt, Founder and Director of Botswana Predator Conservation to hear about the invaluable work that his team are undertaking in the area.
Whilst there are a wide range of activities available, should you wish to simply sit back and enjoy the confines of the lodge, you are very welcome to do so. The lodge is ideally positioned overlooking the Gomoti River which attracts a wide variety of bird and mammal species over the course of the day. It is the perfect place to sit back and read a book, with the occasional glance at the river just in case anything exciting should appear!
Day11: Depart Maun
Sadly this morning we must bid farewell to the team at Mma Dinare and return to Maun where our early afternoon flight to Johannesburg awaits.
Day12: Arrive UK
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 12 daysfrom £7,695 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 10 daysfrom £6,695 pp
Single supplement:
From £795
Trip type:
Group Tour
Group size: 12
When to go: Jun-Jul
Group Departures: We are currently finalising future dates for this tour. Please contact us for further details.
General Manager of Wildlife Worldwide Dan graduated with an MSc in Zoology, before spending six weeks exploring India’s tiger reserves.
Venturing on to Central and South America and finally Africa, he worked on conservation projects and gained a wealth of big-cat and wildlife knowledge, before returning to the UK where he worked for several years in ecological consultancy, conducting protected species surveys and speclaising in ornithology and herpetology.
Since joining the world of wildlife travel in 2011, Dan has led, pioneered and researched trips to a huge range of destinations in pursuit of some of the world's most sought after species. His enthusiasm for nature and conservation is contagious and his binoculars are never far from reach. Dan's fascination of the natural world extends through all taxa, from the badgers and foxes of his back garden and to the melanistic leopards and snow leopards of India, the Sunda clouded leopard of Borneo and aardvarks of Botswana. In truth there is very little about the natural world which evades Dan's interest!
Born in a village in a remote wilderness area of Botswana's Okavango Pan Handle, Disho spent a lot of his childhood hunting and trapping with his uncles, as is the tradition for young boys in the Hambukushu tribe, skills which helped shape him into the incredible guide that he is today, with a seemingly sixth sense for finding wildlife.
After obtaining a diploma in Travel and Tourism at college, Disho became involved in the tourism industry as a guide, and has followed his passion for wildlife, conservation and photography ever since. He has undergone extensive training as a specialist walking and birding guide, and is the first and only Motswana guide to become a full specialist birding guide by the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa (FGASA).
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.
Find Out More about {acc:title}
Where: Northern Botswana
Ideal for viewing: hippo, Nile crocodile, red lechwe, sitatunga, tsessebe
Excellent for: Walking safaris, Vehicle safaris, River safaris, Birdwatching
The Khwai Concession sits on the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve which is located in one of the world’s premier wildlife watching locations – the Okavango Delta. Home to a dazzling variety of wildlife, there’s a wealth of habitats to explore in Khwai from lagoons and channels to savannah grassland.
Find Out More about {acc:title}
Where: North Botswana
Ideal for viewing: lion, leopard, African elephant, Cape buffalo, cheetah
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.
Find Out More about {acc:title}
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
Mma Dinare Lodge is located in a private concession on the edge of the Okavango Delta. The camp has nine en suite tents with views of the Gomoti River and surrounding landscape frequented by birds and other wildlife. The camp has a contemporary style with modern solar technology, a bar, lounge and pool.
Find Out More about Mma Dinare Lodge
