Upon arrival into Johannesburg, after completing immigration and customs formalities, collect your baggage and proceed to the Arrivals Hall. Here you will connect with your scheduled charter flight to Khwai River Lodge, where you will stay for three nights. 

Time permitting, enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days of game viewing activities at Khwai River Lodge.

On early morning and afternoon game drives expect to see a huge range of creatures, from big cats such as lions and leopards, to hippo, rhino, antelope, giraffe and buffalo. Widely acknowledged to be the predator capital of the world, this is the only place in Botswana where the Big Five can be found. Night drives “into the middle of nowhere” are an amazing experience—a rare opportunity to be surrounded by the infinite darkness of the African bush. Don’t say a word, but simply gaze up at the stars and listen to the sounds. Nocturnal animals are out on the prowl—scuffling, howling and, if you are lucky, emitting the occasional deep-throated roar.

On a walking safari through the delta you are totally enveloped in nature. You spot amazing things close-up: an insect, animal tracks, big game droppings, swarming termite mounds. These small, unexpected aspects of life often make the biggest impression. If a game drive is like reading a book: a walking safari is actually like becoming a character in that book.

The lodge enjoys a unique location close to a San bushmen’s village. You may wish to visit this village (additional cost) and you may be invited into a private home to experience aspects of the villagers way of life of people who have had to adapt their ancient traditions to modern times.

After the morning activity and breakfast, you will be transferred by a camp vehicle to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Eagle Island Lodge, where you will stay for three nights.  

Time permitting, enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days of game viewing activities at Eagle Island Lodge.

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is the ultimate Okavango Delta water- experience-focused safari lodge, unveiling a sleek new look after an almost total rebuild. Eagle Island Lodge is one of Botswana’s original safari lodges, perched on a private island encircled by some of the deepest stretches of the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest inland water systems and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Helicopter safaris—signature experience
Helicopter flights over Botswana are one of life’s big bucket list adventures. Experience the Okavango Delta like never before! spot remote, inaccessible lakes and islands as well as an abundance of wildlife from the sky. (Surcharge applies.)

Horse Riding/helicopter safari
This exhilarating safari begins at first light with a 10- minute helicopter flight to where the horses are based, before you saddle up for a guided horseback ride through the grassy floodplains and palm-lined islands of the delta. Move quietly past leopard, cheetah, wild dog, elephant, buffalo, hippo and zebra who are used to the horses being in the area as they go about their daily business. (Surcharge applies; horse riding experience is essential for advanced riders.)

Motorized boating and barge cruises
Being out in the open water is what distinguishes a delta experience from other safaris. Okavango Delta from other safari experiences! These trips allow you to cover more unexplored ground, plunging deeper into the landscape and allowing visitors to spot a greater range of wildlife. Embark on a sunset barge cruise for mesmerizing views whilst sipping a sundowner. (Not available in the dry season, usually November to March.)

Walking safari
Let our experienced guides envelop you in nature. Spot amazing sights close-up: From an insect, to animal tracks and big game droppings, Admire the swarming termite mounds. These small, unexpected aspects of delta life often make the biggest most long lasting impression.

Mokoro canoe safari
Glide silently on a traditional dugout canoe, a traditional mode of transport used by locals for centuries, as you traverse shallow, clear waters past brilliant waterlilies and papyrus grasses, reaching areas inaccessible by boat. Glimpse brightly coloured frogs, kingfishers, dragonflies or elephants feasting on the reeds.

Bird watching
Many people come to the lodge from all over the globe purely to spot the magnificent variety of birds. Over 400 land and aquatic species make for unrivaled viewing, including the rare Pel’s fishing owl, endangered wattled crane and the majestic African fish eagle.

Fishing
The delta’s channels are rich with tilapia, and spotted and silver catfish inhabit the lazy pools. African pike, infamous fighters, are a favourite snare. If you have never fished before, this is the ultimate place to start. (Catch and release fishing only.)

Village life
Visit neighboring Nxhoga village on the island of Xaxaba for an insight into the Motswana way of life. Learn about the mud, reed and can huts, basket weaving and the fishing industry. Meet elders, engage with children, browse the small market, churches and bakery. There is a chance that your Belmond guide hails from Nxhoga and will explain how the community has adapted ancient traditions to suit modern times. (Accessible by boat/mokoro in wet months, and by game-viewing vehicle in dry months.)

After a morning activity and breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip by camp vehicle for your scheduled charter flight to Savute Elephant Lodge, where you will stay for three nights.

Time permitting, arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days of game viewing activities at Savute Elephant Lodge. 

Early morning and late afternoon game drives take you out and among Africa’s largest populations of elephants. Big cats are on the prowl, from leopards to lions. Depending on the season you will also experience the great migrations such as zebra and antelope. Rare sightings might include the endangered wild dog, rock-climbing klipspringers and the elegant roan antelope.

Savute is a bird-lovers’ paradise, particularly in the summer months from December to March. Over 250 species populate the area, ranging from vast flocks of gregarious queleas to giant kori bustards and an array of majestic raptors.

You can also visit the ancient San rock paintings. These works by Bushmen are thought to be more than 1,500 years old—beautiful images of elephant, giraffe, sable and eland antelope. Normally these types of painting might be found hidden in caves, but here, unusually, they are out in the wide, open landscape. No-one knows what materials the bushmen used, but the paint is thought to be a mixture of snake venom, blood and plant juices. After viewing these paintings, continue to the amazing baobab grove—a cathedral-like cluster of 13 giant trees that rival the Bushmen’s paintings in age. Stand among these towering columns at sunset, as the evening light bathes them in a russet glow and wonder at this ancient land.

After dinner, gather round the campfire and exchange your day’s adventures, much as villagers do throughout Botswana. Flames flicker and lamps glow as drinks are served; a choir sings traditional songs and invites you to a buffet of African specialties.  Settle into your seat as lodge guides local Motswana tales of the bush and musicians strike up traditional songs. The evening often ends with everyone on their feet, dancing to rhythms handed down through generations.

The open skies around Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge make it the perfect place to experience the vast, dark dome of the African night sky. “A jewel box” is how one of our guides describes it, and certainly it is a wealth of riches from the Milky Way to Orion and Venus. Discover how Bushmen used the stars to locate the true south. And, using a powerful telescope, gaze on constellations that visitors from the northern hemisphere may never have seen before, including the Southern Cross.

After breakfast and a morning activity, you will be transferred by a camp vehicle to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Maun where you will connect with your scheduled flight to Johannesburg for your departure flight.

Return home, taking with you the sights, sounds, and memories of an incredible African adventure!