Day-By-Day Itinerary

This itinerary can be fully customized; to tailor this package to your specific requirements please call one of our travel specialists at 1-800-22-SWAIN.

Day 1 Fly USA to Johannesburg
Please note that international air has not been included in the package price.

Day 2 Arrive Johannesburg
On arrival in South Africa, you will make your way through passport control, collect your luggage and then continue through customs.  After you have completed these formalities, please make your way to the arrivals hall, and look for our representative who will be holding a sign with your name on it. They will handover and explain all your required travel documentation and answer any questions that you may have. You will then be assisted with your onward travel arrangements. 

Day 3 Fly Johannesburg to Maun
Transfer to the airport and board your flight on Air Botswana to Maun, Botswana. On arrival at Maun Airport, you will be met and assisted on to your small scheduled light aircraft for your flight to Kalahari Plains Camp. 

The Kalahari desert is part of the huge sand basin that reaches from the Orange River up to Angola, in the west to Namibia and in the east to Zimbabwe. The sand masses were created by the erosion of soft stone formations. The wind shaped the sand ridges, which are so typical of the landscape in the Kalahari.

Only in recent geological history, 10 to 20,000 years ago, were the dunes stabilized through vegetation, so the area should actually be called a dry savannah. Unlike the dunes of the Namib Desert, those of the Kalahari are stable and not wandering.

Days 4-5 Kalahari Desert
Guided game drives unlock the fascinating wildlife treasures found in this wonderful area.

The landscape and topography consists of flat grasslands and undulating vegetated dunes teeming with a multitude of antelope species and large predators. This area is characterized by vast open grassy plains, seasonal pans, wooded acacia islands, prehistoric scrub-covered dunes and fossil riverbeds.

During the late summer months, after the rains, this area probably offers the best wildlife viewing in Botswana with vast aggregations of blue wildebeest, springbok and gemsbok, followed by abundant predators such as wild dog, cheetah, bat-eared fox and the legendary black-maned Kalahari lions.

Day 6 Fly Kalahari Desert to Okavango Delta
Today you will be taken to the airstrip for your scheduled flight on board a light aircraft to Xigera Camp.

Botswana is home to the largest inland delta in the world. Game abounds year-round in the Okavango Delta and Moremi Wildlife Reserve. Camps in these areas are classified as: land camps – where safaris are undertaken in open 4x4 vehicles; water camps – where activities are centered on boating and mekoro trips; or combination camps - where you can experience the best of both safari styles (subject to water levels which are seasonal).

Day 7 Okavango Delta
Permanent water all year round allows one to enjoy an unparalleled variety of activities including foot safaris, mekoro trips, game drives and powerboat outings in total privacy. Enjoy a true Delta experience while you sit back in a mekoro (dugout canoe) and silently glide through the wonders of the tranquil Okavango waterways observed by a myriad Delta creatures. Watch the sunset and the birds gliding home to roost from a motorboat on the Xigera Lagoon. Observe the wildlife and unique Delta scenery from the comfort of a Land Rover or, for the adventurous, track animals on foot. Or simply take in the beautiful sunrise from your comfortable bed while sipping your morning tea or coffee.
 
Day 8 Fly Okavango Delta to Caprivi Strip
This morning, following your morning game activity and breakfast, check out of the camp and transfer to the airstrip to connect with your light aircraft transfer to the Kwando Airstrip.  Upon arrival at the airstrip, you will be assisted on to a boat for your water transfer along the magnificent Kwando River to Lianshulu Lodge.

Day 9 Caprivi Strip
Activities here include morning or sunset boat cruises, nature drives in the Park and visits to the Lizauli Traditional Village, a model homestead where members of the local community give fascinating insights into their way of life in this remote corner of Namibia.

Many typical savannah species occur in the Mudumu National Park including buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck with elephant and hippo being particularly abundant. Predators are sometimes encountered and around 400 bird species have been recorded in the East Caprivi. Hippo, crocodiles and fish such as bream, tigerfish and catfish can be seen from the lodge deck. 

Day 10 Transfer Caprivi Strip to Livingstone
After a light breakfast, you depart by road to Livingstone, Zambia.  This interesting 5 hour drive takes you across the Caprivi Strip and into Zambia via the border town of Katima Mulilo in Namibia.  After crossing into Zambia, you will be driven through beautiful teak forests and African villages, stopping to visit the old cathedral of Mwandi.

Activities include a tour of the Victoria Falls on the Zambian side, game drives within Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, river cruises and guided nature walks. Other activities on offer in the area at an additional charge include sunset cruises, helicopter flights, micro-lighting, canoeing, jet boating, white water rafting and fishing.  Game drives into the Mosi-oa-Tunya Park offer sightings of general game species such as buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala. There is rich birdlife here too, including several sought-after species such as African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Skimmer (seasonal), Schalow's Turaco and Rock Pratincole (seasonal). Good birding can be enjoyed within the confines of the camp itself, on boat cruises and out on game drives.

The Zambezi River offers some fishing opportunities and tiger fishing is an unforgettable challenge for keen fishermen, particularly during the warmer months (October - December). There are several varieties of bream (Tilapia) which are a good catch. 

Day 11 Fly Livingstone to USA (via Johannesburg)
You will be met in the lobby by our representative and transferred to the airport for your ongoing flight.

Please note that international air has not been included in the package price.

Day 12 Arrive USA