"Botswana Okavango Walking & Mokoro Safari Lodge"

Great Okavango Delta Walking & Mokoro Expedition   

 14 days/13 nights

Incorporating: Okavango Delta from Seronga to Maun

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a truly unforgettable experience.

This unique expedition starts in the Okavango Delta Panhandle

and traverses the entire length of the largest inland delta in the world.

The Okavango Delta has been described as the last remaining wilderness in Africa,

but even here there are pressures from the encroachment of man

and this expedition could well be your last chance to experience a true African wilderness.

We explore this wildlife paradise by powerboat, houseboat, mokoro and on foot.

En route we will track and stalk game, catch fish, bird watch, camp on idyllic islands

and learn more about the subtleties of this wondrous ecosystem.  

THE OKAVANGO DELTA

The Okavango Delta is a unique green wilderness paradise situated in northern Botswana. It is created when the Okavango River encounters the Kalahari Desert and spreads out searching for a route across the flat sands. The result is a shallow inland delta of 15 000 square kilometres, giving life to all manner of plants, game and birds. The Okavango's sense of tranquility is timeless. Its beauty derives from the sweet and translucent water flowing slowly and constantly over pearly beaches while fishes dart in and out of long purple and green wisps and tendrils of water flora dancing on the current; long-toed birds prance with curious strides on lily-pads that embroider dark and brooding lagoons; green grassy flood plains merge with palm-fringed peninsulas. The profusion of islands vary in size from tiny protrusions above the water to larger islands clad in massive ebony, sausage and baobab trees to the 1 000 square kilometre Chief's Island, traditional hunting ground of the Chief of the Bayei tribe. There are 2 distinctly different areas within the delta proper: the northern region which is dominated by small densely vegetated islands and the more open southern regions which supports the plains game.  

Start and end in Maun.

Transport: Open 4 WD, charter  plane, mokoro, on foot, houseboat, power boat.

Accommodation: camping, houseboat.

DAY 1:           MAUN – FLIGHT OVER THE DELTA - SERONGA – MOKORO - CAMPING.

DAY 2 - 5:          NORTHERN OKAVANGO DELTA – MOKOROS - CAMPING       

DAY 6 - 9:          CENTRAL OKAVANGO DELTA – MOKOROS & HIKING - CAMPING       

DAY 10 - 13:          SOUTHERN OKAVANGO DELTA – MOKOROS & HIKING - CAMPING

DAY 14:           SAFARI ENDS

NORTH-SOUTH

DAY 1: MAUN- SERONGA – MOKORO – CAMPING – F/B

On arrival in Maun you will be met at the airport by a representative of the air charter company and assisted to board the single-engine plane which will transfer you right across the Okavango Delta to the north-eastern corner at Seronga where the Okavango river starts spreading out over the Kalahari desert sands. The 45 minute flight will allow you a complete bird’s eyeview of the terrain you will be covering over the next 14 days. At Seronga airstrip you will be met by your guide and transferred by open 4x4 vehicle to the boat launch station (approx 10 minutes). You will board the mokoros and head off on an adventure of a lifetime. The first night will be spent camping on an island.

TERRAIN:  Here in the north the river shows little variation where, as a deep fast flowing river, it winds its way through endless papyrus banks for almost one hundred kilometers. There are far fewer islands in this section than further south and generally they are no bigger than a termite mound.

WILDLIFE: The birdlife is the primary interest, but with luck you will see hippos, crocodiles, leguan, otters, lechwe or even sitatunga or bushbuck, reedbuck or elephant.

ACTIVITIES: Birding, Fishing.

DAY 2-5: NORTHERN DELTA – MOKORO TRAIL – CAMPING – F/B

Today we meet our mokoro polers, who will pole us through the channels and waterways of this magical area. We will stop off on islands to explore further on foot and to make camp at night. The actual location of the islands where we camp will remain flexible and up to our discretion, depending on the game movements and water levels.

Comfortable light-weight tents will be erected for you and you will sleep on camp mattresses. Shared ablutions, which include a pit toilet and hot showers, will be provided. This is an expedition and everything that we carry must be packed into the mokoros, so equipment will be limited.

TERRAIN: As the Okavango River leaves the constricting fault lines of the Panhandle at Seronga, it fragments and spreads out across the sandy land into innumerable smaller rivers, streams and islands to create the spectacular Okavango Delta. The upper reaches of the Delta are permanently flooded and though the water level does fluctuate, the seasonal difference is not enough to affect the vegetation. This area comprises countless small palm fringed islands, huge lagoons, narrow winding waterways and even floating islands.

WILDLIFE: Sitatunga is the speciality of this area. Lechwe, reedbuck, impala, hippo, warthog, baboon and vervet monkeys are found. So are crocodiles and leguan. This is a superb area for riverine forest birds, waterbirds and also Pels Fishing Owl. 

ACTIVITIES: Explore the islands and waterways of this part of the Okavango on foot and by mokoro, birding, fishing.

DAY 6-9: CENTRAL DELTA  – MOKORO TRAIL  – CAMPING – F/B

We continue on our journey southwards.

TERRAIN: This part of the Okavango is typical wetland and the scenery varies from verdant grassy flood plains dotted with large termite mounds to well developed mopane forests and riverine woodland; from meandering streams where water lilies adorn the bracken-lined water courses to large open lagoons; from small islands fringed with palms to larger islands with riparian forests of sausage, baobab, knob thorn and ebony trees. The Okavango Delta’s beauty is beyond compare. During peak flood season most of the area is under water and accessible by boat or mokoro only.

WILDLIFE: Elephant, lechwe, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala, hippo, warthog, baboon and vervet monkeys are common. So are crocodiles and leguan. The birdlife is spectacular. One can also hope to see buffalo, giraffe, bushbuck, lion, wild dog, side-striped jackal, otter, zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, serval, civet, bush babies, fruit bats, kudu, cane rats, springhare and squirrels.

ACTIVITIES: Explore the islands and waterways of this part of the Okavango on foot and by mokoro ; track elephant and other game on foot; birding, swimming, fishing.

DAY 10-13: SOUTHERN DELTA  – MOKORO TRAIL  – CAMPING – F/B

The final stretch of the expedition takes us up to the buffalo fence.

TERRAIN: This seasonally flooded lower delta is distinctly different to the northern section. The islands are much bigger and large Kalahari sand tongues jut deep into the delta and support vegetation and animals more typical of the dry deciduous woodlands surrounding the delta. Grassy floodplains surround the islands and when the floods from Angola arrive these dry, baked floodplains miraculously change to a sea of green, which attracts game from far.

WILDLIFE: Best area for lion and elephant. Zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, lechwe, waterbuck, reedbuck, impala, hippo, warthog, baboon and vervet monkeys are common. So are crocodiles and leguan. The birdlife is spectacular. One can also hope to see leopard, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, bushbuck, wild dog, honey badger, side-striped jackal, otter, serval, civet, bush babies, fruit bats, kudu, cane rats, springhare and squirrels.

ACTIVITIES: Long game walks are the norm; track elephant and other game on foot; birding, swimming.

DAY 14: MAUN - END OF SAFARI – B/FAST ONLY

On our last day of the safari we make our way to the buffalo fence where we will be met by a vehicle which will drive us to Maun where the safari ends in time for your return flight to Johannesburg.

INCLUDED:

All transfers between destinations, accommodation and activities as mentioned; all camping equipment (light wieght tents with hot shower and toilet; mattresses, sleeping bags); all meals; staff members to take care of camp chores; all park fees and permits; the services of a licensed professional guide.

EXCLUDED:

International flights; tips and gratuities; medical and travel insurance; items of a personal nature; laundry; soft drinks, beer, wine & alcoholic beverages; visas.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

·          This trip is an epic expedition. It is a journey of discovery – discovery of the Okavango delta as well as oneself.

·          In the nature of expeditions, the exact route may change and vary from one trip to another. A precise day-by-day itinerary cannot be provided. Different campsites and different channels may be used on each subsequent expedition depending on water levels and game movements.

·          While there is abundant wildlife in the Okavango delta, no guarantees can be provided regarding game viewing. On some days the game viewing can be poor, while on other days it may be exceptionally good. The aim of the trip is not to see game, but to experience this unique part of the world in all its facets, its ebb and flow, its bounty and its flaws.

·          Game walks on the islands and fishing in the channels will be undertaken as and when time permits and where it is deemed safe by the professional guide.

·          The water levels in the Okavango are in constant flux: rising and falling according to the annual flood levels from Angola as well as local rainfall and the rate of evapo-transpiration. Due to this unpredictability the starting and ending points of the trip are entirely at the discretion of the polers and the guide. If the water is not high enough to reach Maun, we will terminate the trip slightly further north and fly our guests back to Maun. In this event the duration and cost of the trip will remain unchanged.

·          Participants must be aware that days may be long and extended hours are spent sitting flat in a mokoro under the African sun. We do provide mokoro seats, but guests must provide their own sun protection by way of sunscreens, hats, covers or even small sun umbrellas.

·          No exceptional physical fitness is required but participants must be comfortable with themselves.

·          Trips will only run with a minimum of four and a maximum of 8 confirmed bookings.

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Okavango Safari lodges offer travellers or adventurous vacationers the unique experience of a Safari vacation by combining daily game excursions with accommodations. You may choose to stay for a day, or a week at a lodge to enjoy the game on safari. Often a Fly fishing guide will accompany the fishing party, guiding them on nearby streams, rivers, or lakes, or some fishing lodges & Houseboats provide fly-in service to remote fishing locations. After a Botswana safari returning to the lodge at the end of the day for some beer, wine, and fellowship around the fireplace, and to engage in conversations about...what else, wildlife.