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Okavango islands & waterways
The Okavango Delta teems with wildlife, and the sheer abundance of water makes for a wildlife destination quite unlike anywhere else. From sneaking past drinking elephant, your mokoro barely creasing the landscape, to slipping by a lion kill on foot, your guide motioning for absolute silence, this is an adventurer’s safari.
6 Nights, 7 Days
- Single supplements and child discounts may apply
- Price varies with seasonality and room options
- Indicative price is for low season
Itinerary
- 3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Jao Camp
- 3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Mombo Camp
Snapshot
Botswana is a wildlife mecca. Almost 20% of its land has been dedicated to wildlife conservation, and no hunting is allowed in the country. Very broadly, there are four distinctive destinations, being the Kalahari Desert in the centre, and the Makgadidkgadi Salt Pans, the Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park in the north. Our Botswana safaris offer a number of combinations of these.
The Okavango Delta is a region of great variation. The primary distinction is between the ‘permanently wet’, and ‘permanently dry’ sections, and sections that lie on the edge of these. The north-eastern section of the delta consists mostly of large permanent water channels, and dry land in between. We call this the ‘edge’. The western part of the delta sees the greatest variation in seasonal flooding, and is not covered by our safaris.
This safari covers the wet and dry sections of the Delta.
The first stop on this safari is in the western part of the delta in a section that is permanently flooded. This area consists of a magnificent forested island, overlooking crystal clear waterways, and is criss–crossed by deep channels and lush vegetation. Most of the field trips are water based. The majority of the game viewing is done by mokoro or small boat, or on foot on some of the many islands that dot this watery landscape.
The second stop heads off to Chief’s Island, a huge area of waterways, plains and forests. Due to its slightly higher elevation, the really big flood waters never reach quite as high as Chief’s Island, which makes it one of the best ‘dry’ safari destinations in the area. Chief’s Island has incredibly high concentrations of plains game and their predators - setting the stage for intense predator interactions. Field trips are almost exclusively on foot or in a game drive vehicle.
Overview
3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Jao Camp
3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Mombo Camp
The Okavango Delta, with its glittering channels and watercourses, is a massive inland delta that covers over 15 000km2. The summer rains that are the lifeblood of the delta, fall in the highlands of Angola and take about four months to complete their journey, lazily meandering their way down the 1 200km watercourse to arrive in the Delta and slowly spreading through the wetlands just in time for winter. There is less than a 2 metre difference in elevation across the Delta, which means that once the water gets there, it fans out extensively. By June each year, the flood basin has normally swelled to three times its normal size. There are an estimated 200 000 large mammals in the Delta, mostly elephant and buffalo, Herds of 250 000 zebra make the 240km march to the Makgadikgadi every year, returning home to the Delta for the winter feast. The predators follow this age-old pattern instinctively. Lions, leopards, hyena, wild dog, cheetah and jackal smack their lips at the inevitable return of the great herds, waiting patiently for their moment to pounce.
Detail
Jao Camp has been crafted to high standards of comfort and luxury. It is secluded, with very few other people around, and has high densities of game, great cuisine, great service, and a world-class wine cellar.
Jao Camp has 9 luxurious tented suites, including a specially designed family unit, and a romantic honeymoon suite. Each of the 9 rooms has an inside and an outside shower, and air conditioning for the warmer summer nights. The suites are under a permanent thatched roof, and each suite has a private sala lounge set in the shade of ancient trees, a perfect place for a midday nap, quiet time with a good book or just to enjoy the adorable sight of the family of mongooses that have decided to make the wooden walk ways surrounding the camp their home.
Jao Camp is nestled on a large island in the heart of the private Jao concession, bordering the permanent delta, and overlooks the seasonal floodplain, where the wide variety of animals that occur here have had to adapt to the waterlogged conditions. Leopards have learnt to hunt the semi-aquatic letchwe in waist deep water, and lions swim to islands in order to ambush the large herds of buffalo. It is a fantastically exciting place to see animals behaving in ways seldom seen anywhere else in the world.
Mombo Camp was recently named ‘Best Hotel in the World’ by Travel+Leisure, and deservedly so. It is sumptuous and ultra luxurious. It is located in the midst of the Okavango Delta on the northern point of Chief’s Island, a huge area of waterways, plains and forests.
The raised camp nestles under large, shady trees and overlooks a floodplain that is generally brimming with life. The extremely spacious and luxurious en-suite tents are raised two metres from the ground and connected by wooden walkways. They feature expansive en-suite sleeping quarters, a large indoor shower overlooking the plains, and a dedicated lounge area that opens onto a long veranda with an outdoor shower and shaded seating.
Viewing high concentrations of plains game and their predators is the order of the day at Mombo. These include all the big cats, of which lion sightings are frequent - setting the stage for incredible predator interactions. Leopard sightings are superb.
The Okavango Delta
Life in the Okavango Delta is governed by the rise and fall of floodwater, and access to different parts of the Delta varies with the season. June through to August is considered the best time for a safari, much of which is done by boat or canoe, as the water is at its highest. At this time of year the extent of the floodwater is at its most dramatic, and the animals will all have arrived in their droves. Hot, dry September and October are also good. The waters will have begun to recede and animals will crowd the waterholes.
The water of the Okavango River never reach the sea. Some drains into the neighbouring Moremi National Park, to the east of the Delta, and into Lake Ngami to the south. But the majority of the water is there to nourish the grasses and trees of the Delta, and to support one of the greatest concentrations of game in Africa. It is a seasonal rhythm, and when the floodwaters begin to ebb, many of the huge herds disperse, following the rains to greener pastures, only to return in the winter months in an endless repetition of one of nature’s greatest cycles.
The largest island in the Delta is known as Chief’s Island. It was formed by a fault line that uplifted an area over 70km long and 15km wide. In days gone by, it was reserved as an exclusive hunting area for the chief of the area, but now it provides the core dry land mass for much of the resident wildlife when the Delta is in flood.
LOGISTICS
This safari commences and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Commercial flight, economy class, ORT International Airport in Johannesburg to Maun Airport, Botswana
- Scheduled charter flight, Maun to Jao Camp
- 3 Nights accommodation at Jao Camp in the Okavango Delta
- Scheduled charter flight, Jao Camp to Mombo Camp
- 3 Nights accommodation at Mombo Camp in the Okavango Delta
- Scheduled charter flight, Mombo Camp to Maun
- Commercial flight, economy class, Maun Airport, Botswana to ORT International Airport in Johannesburg
6 Nights, 7 Days
- Single supplements and child discounts may apply
- Price varies with seasonality and room options
- Indicative price is for low season
Itinerary
- 3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Xigera Camp
- 3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Chitabe Lediba Camp
SNAPSHOT
Botswana is a wildlife mecca. Almost 20% of its land has been dedicated to wildlife conservation, and no hunting is allowed in the country. Very broadly, there are four distinctive destinations, being the Kalahari Desert in the centre, and the Makgadidkgadi Salt Pans, the Okavango Delta and the Chobe National Park in the north. Our Botswana safaris offer a number of combinations of these.
The Okavango Delta is a region of great variation. The primary distinction is between the ‘permanently wet’, and ‘permanently dry’ sections, and sections that lie on the edge of these. The north-eastern section of the delta consists mostly of large permanent water channels, and dry land in between. We call this the ‘edge’. The western part of the delta sees the greatest variation in seasonal flooding, and is not covered by our safaris.
This safari covers the wet and dry sections of the Delta.
The first stop on this safari is in the western part of the delta in a section that is permanently flooded. This area consists of a magnificent forested island, overlooking crystal clear waterways, and is criss–crossed by deep channels and lush vegetation. Most of the field trips are water based. The majority of the game viewing is done by mokoro or small boat, or on foot on some of the many islands that dot this watery landscape.
The second stop heads off to Chief’s Island, a huge area of waterways, plains and forests. Due to its slightly higher elevation, the really big flood waters never reach quite as high as Chief’s Island, which makes it one of the best ‘dry’ safari destinations in the area. Chief’s Island has incredibly high concentrations of plains game and their predators - setting the stage for intense predator interactions. Field trips are almost exclusively on foot or in a game drive vehicle.
Overview
3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Xigera Camp
3 nights in the Okavango Delta at Wilderness Safaris Chitabe Lediba Camp
The Okavango Delta, with its glittering channels and watercourses, is a massive inland delta that covers over 15 000km2. The summer rains that are the lifeblood of the delta, fall in the highlands of Angola and take about four months to complete their journey, lazily meandering their way down the 1 200km watercourse to arrive in the Delta and slowly spreading through the wetlands just in time for winter. There is less than a 2 metre difference in elevation across the Delta, which means that once the water gets there, it fans out extensively. By June each year, the flood basin has normally swelled to three times its normal size. There are an estimated 200 000 large mammals in the Delta, mostly elephant and buffalo, Herds of 250 000 zebra make the 240km march to the Makgadikgadi every year, returning home to the Delta for the winter feast. The predators follow this age-old pattern instinctively. Lions, leopards, hyena, wild dog, cheetah and jackal smack their lips at the inevitable return of the great herds, waiting patiently for their moment to pounce.
Detail
Xigera Camp is one of the most private camps in the Okavango Delta. It is situated on a magnificent forested island, overlooking crystal clear waterways, and is surrounded by deep channels and lush vegetation. Its 10 luxury tented suites have been built on raised platforms right into the lush riverine forest, and each tent commands beautiful views of the floodplains from its raised verandas. Tents are connected to the main living areas with a series of walkways and bridges.
The heart of Xigera is the central fire deck, and at night guests gather for fireside cocktails to watch the twinkling fireflies that transform the river by night. After dinner, the star deck is the perfect place to lie back and observe the heavens. Xigera Camp is completely solar powered in order to minimise its ecological footprint on this pristine environment.
The area around Xigera Camp never really dries up, and most of its acitvities are water based. The majority of the game viewing is done by makoro or small boat, or on foot on some of the many islands that dot this watery landscape.
Chitabe Camp is the perfect combination of luxury, romance and untamed wilderness. Its secluded and intimate tented suites are indulgent in every way, attended to by a team of staff that are friendly, charming and helpful. The guides are extremely knowledgeable, and will make you safari experience fun, fascinating and unforgettable, no matter what your interest.
Chitabe Camp consists of 8 luxury tented suites, including a special honeymoon suite. Set under a towering canopy of trees, the main lodge area is a fabulous place to unwind, a place where the smell of the campfire, the incandescent glow of the Milky Way, and the night songs of the cicadas and frogs, draw a perfect day to a close.
The Chitabe concession is situated on an island in the south-eastern reaches of the Okavango Delta. The Delta rises and falls in an annual cycle as old as time itself, but the really big flood waters never reach quite as far as Chitabe Camp, which makes it one of the best ‘dry’ safari destinations in the area. This part of the delta is still affected by the seasonal ebb and flow, but more gently so, making it a perfect combination of seasonal wetlands, dense forest woodlands and open grassy plains. Chitabe falls in Botswana’s wild dog research area and these highly endangered animals are regularly seen on game drives.
The Okavango Delta
Life in the Okavango Delta is governed by the rise and fall of floodwater, and access to different parts of the Delta varies with the season. June through to August is considered the best time for a safari, much of which is done by boat or canoe, as the water is at its highest. At this time of year the extent of the floodwater is at its most dramatic, and the animals will all have arrived in their droves. Hot, dry September and October are also good. The waters will have begun to recede and animals will crowd the waterholes.
The water of the Okavango River never reach the sea. Some drains into the neighbouring Moremi National Park, to the east of the Delta, and into Lake Ngami to the south. But the majority of the water is there to nourish the grasses and trees of the Delta, and to support one of the greatest concentrations of game in Africa. It is a seasonal rhythm, and when the floodwaters begin to ebb, many of the huge herds disperse, following the rains to greener pastures, only to return in the winter months in an endless repetition of one of nature’s greatest cycles.
The largest island in the Delta is known as Chief’s Island. It was formed by a fault line that uplifted an area over 70km long and 15km wide. In days gone by, it was reserved as an exclusive hunting area for the chief of the area, but now it provides the core dry land mass for much of the resident wildlife when the Delta is in flood.
LOGISTICS
This safari commences and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Commercial flight, economy class, ORT International Airport in Johannesburg to Maun Airport, Botswana
- Scheduled charter flight, Maun to Xigera Camp
- 3 Nights accommodation at Xigera Camp in the Okavango Delta
- Scheduled charter flight, Xigera Camp to Chitabe Camp
- 3 Nights accommodation at Chitabe Camp in the Okavango Delta
- Scheduled charter flight, Chitabe Camp to Maun
- Commercial flight, economy class, Maun Airport, Botswana to ORT International Airport in Johannesburg
Itinerary
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