Expedition Overview
Expedition Overview
SPECIAL OFFERS
- Limited Time Offer – Returning Guests Save on Select Trips!
For a limited time, past National Geographic Expeditions travelers can save on their next exciting trip! Book by May 31, 2023 and save $500 per person on select departures. Take advantage of this special offer by calling (877) 728-7282, contacting your Travel Agent or booking online with code BPOSL24.
Available Departures- Jun 12-21, 2023
- Aug 30-Sep 8, 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 - Jan 6, 2024
- Get an in-depth perspective of Victoria Falls and Botswana’s wetlands from one of the renowned conservationists who leads National Geographic’s Okavango Wilderness Project.
- Enjoy exclusive safaris on land and water far from the crowds on private game reserves spotting zebras, lions, hippos and more.
- Soar over southern Africa’s splendid landscapes on a private aircraft from the eastern corner of Botswana to the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers.
- Visit the Motloutse Ruins with an archaeologist and examine pottery shards and trading beads that date back thousands of years.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Soar over southern Africa’s splendid landscapes on an unforgettable journey by private air. Experience some of the world’s best wildlife viewing on safari in private reserves away from the crowds. Choose from a variety of activities, from biking along elephant trails to canoe safaris and bush walks, and stay at some of southern Africa’s top safari camps.
Arrive at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and board our aircraft for a scenic flight to Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, a private reserve in greater Kruger National Park. The distinctive habitat of the Lowveld region is full of big game, including lions, leopards, and white rhinos. Settle into our luxury safari lodge and take your first game drive before our welcome dinner tonight.
Set off on an early-morning safari in open vehicles, and observe wildlife at one of its most active times with naturalist guides. Enjoy time to relax and take advantage of the camp’s amenities before lunch. During our late-afternoon game drive, stop for sundowners in the bush. Continue exploring as night falls, searching for nocturnal predators on the prowl. Gather for dinner around a large campfire in a reed-enclosed boma.
Our private aircraft flies us directly to Mashatu Game Reserve, an enormous private reserve located in the remote eastern corner of Botswana that comprises a diverse wilderness of savanna, riverine forests, marshlands, open plains, and sandstone outcrops. Take morning and evening game drives accompanied by expert guides, and choose two of the following activities: go on a bush walk, join a photographer in a hide to capture close-ups of wildlife (select departures), take a game drive, or mountain bike along elephant trails. Visit the Motloutse Ruins, a significant archaeological site, in the company of South African archaeologist Grant Hall.
Our next flight takes us soaring over the magnificent wetlands of the Okavango Delta to a luxury tented camp in Kwara Game Reserve. Spend two days discovering this untamed habitat by land and water. Explore by open safari vehicle, and take a trip to Gadikwe Island by flat-bottom boat to see hippos and breeding colonies of herons, egrets, pelicans, storks, and cormorants.
Board our aircraft for a flight to Chobe National Park, known for its many elephant families. On a wildlife river cruise, watch for elephants frolicking at the water’s edge and using their trunks like snorkels as they swim. Then fly along the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers to Livingstone, and check in to the luxurious Royal Livingstone Hotel, just steps from Victoria Falls. Design your morning according to your interests: take a canoe safari, visit a local village or the Livingstone Museum, or head into the Maramba market. Explore the falls with a local guide this afternoon, venturing into the mists along suspended walkways. On our final evening, enjoy a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River, followed by an al fresco farewell dinner at our hotel.
After breakfast, fly to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg and connect with your return flight home. Please note that the flight to Johannesburg will be a commercial flight.