Botswana Leopard Trail & Kalahari

The safari begins in Maun, where your guide will meet you at approximately 7:30 AM at a pre-arranged meeting point. From there, you will travel 120 km to a private reserve located on the northern border of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Upon arrival, you'll set up camp and enjoy a traditional African lunch.

Spend the afternoon settling into the remote wilderness and soaking up the tranquillity of the Kalahari. As the sun sets, savour your first evening under the stars with a hearty dinner and a briefing about the days ahead.

Overnight: Wild Camping.

Today is dedicated to exploring the area in depth. Head out on game drives in search of desert-adapted wildlife such as oryx, springbok, eland, and predators including lion, cheetah, and the elusive brown hyena. You’ll also take part in a guided nature walk led by a local San tracker, who will share their deep knowledge of the land and offer unique insights into their fascinating culture and survival skills in the Kalahari environment. In the evening, return to camp and enjoy the wide open spaces, clear night skies, and the peaceful beauty of the desert.

Overnight: Wild Camping.

You will wake up as the sun rises and enter the pristine wilderness of the largest game reserve in Botswana. The next three days will be exploring the undeveloped wilderness of the northern region of the Kalahari, moving from camp to camp. Savour the vast open spaces, clear night skies and uninterrupted beauty on game drives and at camp. This is adventure camping in its purest form as water and communications are limited and we travel as a self-sufficient group. Camping is in a private designated campsite with bush ablutions.

After we break camp, we will drive to the Makgadikgadi area. You will spend the night at a camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi National Park, overlooking the Boteti River in Khumaga village. Enjoy an afternoon game drive into Makgadikgadi National Park. Camping at a campsite with fixed ablutions.

After an early morning breakfast you will pass by Maun town for drinks shopping essential for the remainder of your safari. Your adventure will take you from Maun to the Okavango Delta, a special corner of paradise. Once you have reached the edge of the Delta, you will transfer your equipment to motorboats and cruise along the narrow papyrus-lined channels enjoying the exquisite birdlife of the region as well as the stunning landscape. Deeper in the Delta you will meet the local polers with their mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe) and enjoy a tranquil transfer to an island. You will spend two days exploring this beautiful area on mokoro excursions and taking guided walks on the islands and floodplains of the Okavango. You will camp wild with bush ablutions.

NOTE: You will leave your main luggage in the trailer and will need to pack a smaller bag (small backpack, hand luggage) with what you need for the 2 days on the island. Transfers from the mainland to the island where you will stay are done on traditional dugout canoes (mokoro) which cannot accommodate large bags. Your main luggage will safely remain in the vehicle that will be parked in a secured area while you are on the island.

Inspired by the beauty of the Okavango, you will start making your way towards a concession located outside Moremi Game Reserve. Overnight community campsite with permanent ablution facilities.

In the early morning, we will drive through to Moremi Game Reserve (100km, 5-7 hrs), one of the best wilderness areas of Botswana which covers swamp and dry areas. The next three days will be spent searching for the wide variety of wildlife and birds that this area is renowned for while absorbing the sounds and beauty of this region. Game drives in the early morning as the sun rises and in the late afternoon as the sun sets will be the norm. After your morning game drive you will return to camp for lunch and a siesta. On Day 12 you will move campsites to explore a different area of this diverse park (2 nights in Western Moremi and 1 night in Eastern Moremi). Camping will be in private designated areas with bush ablutions.

Chobe National Park, with its diverse and striking landscapes, will be your next destination. As you continue your search for wildlife, you will traverse the drier region of Savuti where bull elephants dot the plains (120km, 7-8 hrs). You will then head northwards to the Chobe River where your game drives will meander along the banks of the river, followed by the call of the majestic African Fish Eagle (170km, 5-6 hrs). Camping will be in private designated areas with bush ablutions.

After a short morning game drive you will then drive to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side (Visa required), where you will spend the night at a comfortable lodge. In the afternoon there will be time to visit the thunderous Victoria Falls and shop for curios. Dinner will be at your own expense at the lodge.

The safari officially ends at 10:00am today. We are happy to arrange post-tour accommodation, activities and transfers to Victoria Falls Airport or lodges, Livingstone airport or lodges or Kasane, Botswana, at an additional cost.