Date: May 1 – May 10, 2022 (10 days/9 nights)
Group Size: 12 – SOLD OUT
Cost: $8,495 based on double occupancy. There is a $1,300 single supplement for those wishing to have a private room
Safari Origination Point and Conclusion Point: This safari begins in Maun, Botswana and concludes in Kasane, Botswana
The Safari:
Khwai, Savute & Chobe in Botswana arguably offers the best overall game viewing and wildlife photography experience Botswana has to offer. This 9-day/8-night safari concentrates on the prime wildlife areas making sure we cover the most sought-after photographic areas. We have worked extensively in Botswana for a number of years and will put you in the front row seat of photography excellence.
For this exclusive 12 person safari, we will have private access to 3 vehicles. That means only 4 clients per vehicle!
Northern Botswana is a nature paradise with many unique ecosystems and this safari visits 3 of these:
- The trip originates in Maun, Botswana. Both South African Airways and Air Botswana operate daily flights from Johannesburg making for an easy connection into Maun from your arrival flight from the U.S. This is a ‘safari town’ where most trips into the Okavango originate. Upon your arrival, we will transfer you to our overnight, 1-night hotel in Maun (To be determined as of this writing), where our group will meet up for an introductory dinner before our departure into the Delta the next morning.
- Within the Okavango Delta, the Khwai River provides some of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife viewing as the animals concentrate on the river’s edge. The area is made up of sweeping grasslands, riparian forests and floodplains. The Khwai Concession is a good area to see roan and sable antelope which are relatively rare. On your Botswana safari you might see kudu, tsessebe, wildebeest and zebra. There are fairly stable populations of large predators such as lion, leopards, spotted Hyena and African wild Dogs found. The Khwai River Lodge, where we will stay 3 nights, is located on a private concession, vehicles are allowed to drive before and after sunset, as well as off road.
- The Savuti area borders the Delta to the west and Chobe National Park to the east and is one of Africa’s best-known big game areas. Savuti is a place of enchantment, of beauty, and boasts one of the greatest concentrations of animals in Southern Africa. In particular, Savuti is famous for its predators, especially its resident lion and spotted hyena populations. In addition, the magnificent Savute Elephant Lodge where we will stay 3 nights is known for its elephants which can be observed roaming its plains.
- Last, but certainly not least on this trip is a 2-night stay at Chobe National Park. We will stay at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel, which was specifically designed for photographers and we will be game viewing from special boats, specifically designed for photography. This is a fantastic conclusion to our amazing safari experience as photographing elephants swimming the river at sunset is an experience you will not soon forget. On our departure day, we will have plenty of time for an early morning game drive on the water and a hearty breakfast before your flights back to the U.S. Both South African Airways and Air Botswana offer daily flights from Kasane to Johannesburg where you can connect to your flights back to the U.S. ….. or you can join us for our next safari*, which is in Zimanga Private Reserve in South Africa and begins the next day!
*Special Note: We offer special discount pricing if you join us for both this safari and the Zimanga Private Reserve Safari.
Safari Highlights
- Diverse wildlife photographic opportunities from land and water on this tour
- 3 of the best wildlife destinations in Botswana in one highlighted package
- Game Drives Designed for Photographers:
- No more than 4 people per vehicle in Khwai & Savute (2 people per row)
- Private open game viewing vehicles in Khwai & Savute
- At Chobe, we will have custom photo boats with 8 in-line swiveling seats, each with gimbal mount.
- Off-road driving in the Khwai Area
- Opportunity to photograph animals at night with various light sources in Khwai
- Unlimited game drives for as long as we want in Khwai
- Private open game viewers for our purposes in Khwai & Savute
- Luxury accommodation at Khwai River Lodge & Savuti Elephant Lodge
- All rooms are air-conditioned and have en-suite baths throughout the tour
More About the Lodges:
Maun lodging (TBD) – Upon arriving in Maun, we will stay one night at a local lodge. This will allow everyone to get over any jet lag before we fly into our Kwai camp the next day. This web page will be updated once the specific accomodation in Maun have been finalized.
Khwai River Lodge: This spectacular lodge on the banks of the Khwai river is arguably one of the most luxurious lodges in Botswana. Its reputation as being one of the foremost sought-after lodges in Botswana bears testament to this. This lodge is one of the only lodges in Botswana that offers air-conditioning amongst other luxurious features. The Khwai river is also well known as one of the top wildlife hot spots in Botswana. Resident packs of wild dog offer some of the best opportunities with this species. Lions, leopards and Hyenas are also in abundance and a good selection and density of herbivores can be found. Elephant and Buffalo also are resident with good opportunities and sightings on a daily basis. The Khwai area falls outside of the Moremi National Park, which means that game drives are not bound by daylight hours. We can extend our drives well into the night should we want to do so. Off-road driving is also permitted in this area, which gives unequaled opportunity to maneuver for the best photography results.
Savute Elephant Lodge: The famous Savute area is another Botswana highlight. The area achieved international renown by documentaries such as ‘Eternal Enemies’ by Dereck & Beverley Joubert with unbelievable Lion and Hyena interactions. The BBC have filmed numerous documentaries in the area including the famous interaction between Lion and Elephant. More recently productions like ‘Animal Kingdom’ by National Geographic focused exclusively on Savuti wildlife for the entire series. In this area regular sightings of Wild Dog, Lion and Leopard can be expected. The huge Elephant bulls that frequent the area are among the largest in Africa and provide yet another highlight. A variety and density of general game including some elusive species make this area a sought-after destination for Photographers all over the world. Savute Elephant Lodge is spectacular! This 5-star lodge offers an unrivaled level of comfort with luxuries including air-conditioning in each room, ensuring its deserved reputation as one of the most popular lodges in Botswana.
Pangolin Chobe Lodge: The lodge was built especially for photographers. Beautiful artworks line the gallery walls. There are plenty of power points for your electronics and there is a special room for uploading and reviewing images. Situated on a hill overlooking the Chobe floodplains, this comfortable lodge offers us great opportunity to visit the Chobe National Park. The Chobe region is world-renowned for its abundance and diversity of game as well as birds. Huge herds of Elephant, Buffalo, Lechwe and Impala fill the flood plains of this river system. The bird life is especially notable with more than 470 species of birds recorded along the river.
Included in this Safari:
- May 1 – May 9, 2022 (8 nights) accommodation
- Lead by Buddy Eleazer, who has led over 40 photo safaris
- Overnight lodging in Maun, Botswana
- Charter flights from Maun to Kwai, Kwai to Savute and Savute to Chobe including extra luggage allowance for camera gear We are booking extra ‘freight’ seats on flights to accomdate travelers for up to 30kg of luggage per person.
- 3 nights’ full board accommodation at Khwai River Lodge, 3 nights at Savuti Elephant Lodge and 2 night at Pangolin Chobe Lodge
- All meals, teas & coffees – Most dietary requirements can be catered for.
- Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages)
- All game drive activities and boat activities included
- Free Wi-Fi available at all lodges
Not included:
- Visas (not required for U.S. citizens)
- Telephone calls,
- Gratuities,
- Purchases of a personal nature.
- International flights to Maun Airport and back home again from Kasane Airport.
The Cost
- The cost of this all-inclusive safari is $8,495 sharing or the option of a private room via a single supplement of $1,300 for the single remaining room..
- Due to the limited number of spaces available, if a solo guest is willing to share a room and we can match with another guest of the same gender, we will do so. If a solo guest is unwilling to share, then a single supplement will be charged $1,200.
- Deposit and Payment Plan – To reserve your space, a non-refundable deposit of 30% is required. the remaining cost will be split into two equal payments due in February 2022.
- Necessary Fine Print: South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe are stable countries, but the world is changing and Africa is changing with it. We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, cultural, or wildlife migrations) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserve the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participant.
- *Special Note: We offer special discount pricing if you join us for both this safari and the Zimanga Private Reserve Safari.
Terms and Conditions For This Event – Please follow this link for a copy of our Terms and Conditions for 2021 Zimanga and Okavango,Chobe Safaris – web version
