2:50 pm: Upon arrival into Johannesburg, after completing immigration and customs formalities, collect your baggage and proceed to the Arrivals Hall and make your way to the InterContinental Johannesburg Hotel, where you will stay for one night.

Depart Johannesburg on your 11:45 am scheduled flight to Maun, Botswana. Upon arrival, after clearing immigration formalities, collect your baggage and proceed to the exit.  Here you will be met by a Mack Air representative and assisted onto your scheduled charter flight to Belmond Khwai River Lodge, where you will stay for three nights.  Time permitting, enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days of 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.

At a time to be discussed the night before: After the morning activity and breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to the Okavango Delta.  Upon arrival you will be met by a camp vehicle and transferred to Belmond Eagle Island Camp, where you will stay for three nights. 

Arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days of activities at Eagle Island Lodge.

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge has reopened as 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.

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 like actually becoming a character in that book.

Embark on a mokoro canoe safari. This traditional dugout canoe takes you gliding over shallow, clear waters past brilliant water lilies and papyrus grasses to areas inaccessible by boat.

Motorboat safaris up the Delta takes to closer to nature and far of areas not acceptable by foot or vehicle. In the late afternoon, head out on a barge cruise for a gently cruise down the Delta for sundowners, you might just see a Fish Eagle taking flight or pods of hippos in the distance through an African sunset.

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is positioned close to Xaxaba village. On request you may visit the village and you may be invited into a private home to experience aspects of their way of life. This is no tourist attraction, but a community of people who have adapted ancient traditions to modern times.

At a time to be discussed the night before: After the morning activity and breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to the Savute region.  Upon arrival, you will be met by a camp vehicle and transferred to Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge, where you will stay for three nights. 

Arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon activity.

Enjoy two full days 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.

It is a fascinating time to spot birds at Savute as the intermittent Savute Channel, dry for 30 years, is flowing past the camp again. With it has come a host of new bird species. Dry land birds such as bustards and secretary birds have suddenly been joined by more aquatic varieties. Simply sit out on your terrace and watch the show, especially at dawn and sunset, as they come to splash and drink right in front of your eyes.

Out in the bush, where rocks rear up among stony hills you will find a collection of paintings that take your breath away. These Bushmen paintings 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.

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.

Boma dinners are offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Gather around the campfire in this circular log hut and exchange your day’s adventures, much as local villagers do in similar buildings throughout Botswana. Flames flicker and lamps glow as drinks are served; a choir sings traditional songs and invites you to a buffet of African specialities. Then take a comfortable seat and listen as camp guides recount tales of the bush. Musicians strike up traditional songs and the evening often ends with everyone on their feet, dancing to rhythms handed down through generations.

At a time to be discussed the night before: You will be collected from your hotel by a Wilro Tours and Transfer representative for your private road transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Return home with fond memories to cherish and new friends to remember!