Delta and Chobe Waterways

Overview

Delta & Chobe Waterways

The Delta & Chobe Waterways takes you on a comprehensive adventure holiday taking in some of the best highlights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls. Tried and tested over many years this tour offers incredible value with new and exciting experiences each day, connecting you to the grass roots of Africa.

Following your arrival in the City of Gold, (Johannesburg), your epic journey heads north and includes breath-taking views across a variety of terrain from the bustling towns to the wild animals roaming in Polokwane game Reserve, Matobo National Park and Chobe National Parks. Marvel at the thundering Victoria Falls, glide across the tranquil waters of the Okavango Delta and see the endangered African Rhino up close. This 12 day adventure tour allows you to touch and embrace the spirit of Africa, leaving you with a desire to discover more of this diverse continent.

Excludes single supplement. However, if you are happy to share – no single supplement will apply.

Tour price excludes local payment.

Delta and Chobe Waterways

Included Highlights

Bakone Open Air Cultural Museum
Motobo NP, nature Drive and Wilderness Walk – half day
Victoria Falls Visit
Vic Falls Zambezi Sunset Dinner Cruise
Chobe NP, Sunset Cruise
Chobe NP Game Drive
Okavango Delta Excursion, Mokoro/Walking Safari
Gweta Village Walk
Khama Rhino Sanctuary Game Drive

INCLUDED:

1. Tour highlights
2. Transport
3. Accommodation
4. Meals as indicated,
5. Services of an English-speaking driver tour leader.

EXCLUDED:

1. Visas, passport and visa fees
2. Travel insurance
3. Flights
4. Airport transfers
5. Optional activities
6. Laundry
7. gratuities and items of a personal nature
8. Meals not included are purchased ‘en-route’ for lunches, and in restaurants for dinner when in towns. Please ensure you budget for these.

Prices are subject to change

***Price is per person sharing. Excludes single supplement and any additional activities or meals not set out in the itinerary.

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Pretoria – Polokwane
Distance travelled: +/- 320 Km
Approx driving time: 4 Hours

We depart by shuttle via the bustling city and on to the beautiful scenic bushveld of the Limpopo Province. Previously known as the Northern Province, this is a land of myths and legends and is also highly rated as a southern Africa Eco-tourism destination. Arriving in Polokwane, we head to our lodge to meet up with our guide and the rest of the group before we enter the nearby Game Reserve and set out on foot to explore (we recommend sensible footwear).There are over 21 species of mammals, in this reserve including white rhino and some 200 species of birds. Being on foot may allow us closer views of some of the gentler animals of the reserve. We eventually make our way to our accommodations nearby.

Polokwane – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Distance travelled: +/- 600 Km
Approx driving time: 10 Hours

This morning we make our way north crossing out of South Africa and into Zimbabwe. Immigration formalities at the busy Beitbridge border may be lengthy, as this is South Africa’s busiest land border, but once completed we continue to Bulawayo, a pleasant city with broad tree lined avenues and wide open spaces. The area around the city offers much in the way of historical, geological and natural interest. Several national parks are nearby including the well known Matobo (sometimes written Matopos) which we shall visit. Our accommodation for the evening is in a quiet garden setting on the outskirts of town.

Bulawayo – Matobo National Park

We rise early to meet our guides for our visit and game drive into Matobo. Situated a short distance outside of Bulawayo, the wind-sculptured Matobo Hills are the site of numerous Bushman paintings and the area holds a special cultural and spiritual significance to the indigenous people here. The reserve has the largest concentration of Black and White Rhino in Africa and if conditions are suitable, guides will lead us on foot to some of the more concealed places for a close view of these magnificent animals. The park also has dense populations of the elusive leopard and black eagle and we shall hope to glimpse either (or both) at some point during the day. The Matobo hills are also the location of the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, the 19th century colonialist. The grave is not visited as part of the half day park visit but can be seen on the full day upgrade (arranged locally).

Bulawayo – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Distance travelled: +/- 450 Km
Approx driving time: 8 Hours

Departing Bulawayo, we continue north to Victoria Falls. This can be a frustrating day ‘on the road’ because there is little of interest en route and at time of print (July 2016) the road has multiple police checks. Your patience while your tour leader deals with the formalities each time is much appreciated. We usually arrive to Victoria Falls by early afternoon. This is a relatively small town built along the southern banks of the Zambezi River and is Zimbabwe’s primary tourist centre. The Victoria Falls themselves are only a short walk and the town has a variety of markets, shops, cafes within easy distance. Your tour leader will arrange a briefing to explain the numerous optional excursions typically available here and you will have some free time to wander around. Later we visit the Victoria Falls National Park itself to witness one of Africa’s most enduring sights (NB: depending on time available, we may do this the following morning). Please take care when wandering along the pathways inside the reserve – the Falls are almost 100 metres deep and the drops are sheer! We end our day joining a peaceful sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Soak up the African ambience with drink in hand as you cruise slowly up and down and look out for elephant, buffalo, buck, hippo and birdlife along the shallow muddy banks of one of Africa’s great rivers. Eventually we return to our accommodation for overnight or to try some of the local nightlife.

Rising early, we visit the Victoria Falls National Park itself to witness one of Africa’s most enduring sights. Please take care when wandering along the pathways inside the reserve – the Falls are almost 100 metres deep and the drops are sheer!

The rest of the day is at leisure giving you the opportunity to explore and Victoria Falls. The Zambezi boasts one of the world’s highest rated rivers for white river rafting with its many challenging rapids. Alternative options include canoeing, scenic flights, bungee or (more relaxed) afternoon tea at the colonial styled Victoria Falls Hotel.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – Chobe National Park, Botswana
Distance travelled: +/- 90 Km
Approx driving time: 2 Hours

From Victoria Falls we travel the short distance to the Botswana border and cross into the small town of Kasane, and on to our lodge. This afternoon we head out onto a game drive and boat cruise in the Chobe National Park. Chobe is widely known for its populations of elephant, but the park also contains lion, leopard, hyena, giraffe and a host of antelope and birdlife. The Chobe floodplains and Chobe River provide a sensitive eco system which attracts much of the wildlife of the region especially in the dry season when it is not uncommon to see between 500 and 2000 elephants on the floodplains at one time. One highlight of Chobe is the combination of wildlife, birdlife and reptiles seen along the banks of the Chobe River. We take the afternoon cruise for a unique perspective of river-side wildlife. This evening we relax and overnight at the lodge

Chobe National Park – Gweta
Distance travelled: +/- 450 Km
Approx driving time: 6.5 Hours

Following breakfast, we depart for Gweta. Driving south we may be lucky to encounter elephant or buffalo alongside (or on) the road, often strays to the migratory herds which roam freely throughout the area in search of pasture and water. We stop in the small settlement of Nata for lunch or snack before continuing to Gweta where you have the opportunity of exploring the Salt Pans in an optional 4×4 safari. Alternatively try the (also optional) Baobab Forest tour. The night is spent at the lodge.

Gweta – Maun
Distance travelled: +/- 250 Km
Approx driving time: 4 Hours

After an early breakfast we join a guided walk through a local Tswana village to learn something of the life of the community, from schools and doctors to trading and traditions. We then depart and head west to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Maun has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is a bustling provincial centre. Options here include scenic flights but our first priority is to prepare for our excursion into the Okavango Delta. Our accommodation in Maun is simple guesthouse/ lodge/hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to relax with a cool beverage and pack for the Delta excursion for the following day.

Maun –Okavango Delta
Distance travelled: +/- 60 Km
Approximate driving time: 2 Hours

Heading out early after breakfast we begin our excursion into the Okavango Delta. The first part of the journey is by 4×4 over rough sandy paths to the ‘mokoro’ station, where the river level reaches. Here we are introduced to the local Tswana ‘polers’, our guides for the excursion and transfer our luggage and equipment to the mokoros (dug-out canoes). We travel by these shallow canoes amongst giant lily pads, tall grasses and labyrinthine channels to our camp on the edge of the Okavango. From our camp we venture out on guided walk in search of some of the prolific birdlife and larger mammals that inhabit the reserve. The whole area is a natural wetland spreading over some 1,600,000ha of northern Botswana offering a perfect habitat for the wildlife that roams here freely. The Okavango River rises in Angola (far to the north) and flows south dividing repeatedly to form an intricate floodplain of channels and swamps which then spreads out into a broad flat inland delta – the only one of its kind in the world. We enjoy the afternoon wilderness experience and for many people the feeling of being at camp overnight is an unforgettable experience

Okavango Delta – Maun
Distance Travelled +/- 60 Km
Approximate driving time: 2 Hours

This morning we explore the surrounds on a nature walk where you have the thrilling experience of being out in the natural wilderness. This is a great way to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the wilderness and enjoy nature as it wakes for the day. After the bush we enjoy breakfast and then pack up again onto our mokoros, leaving nothing behind but footprints. Returning to our 4×4 and bidding our polers farewell, we return to Maun. The afternoon offers the opportunity to join the guide for a trip into town for a little shopping. Another popular activity here is an optional scenic flight over the ‘Delta’ for a bird’s eye view of the wilderness you have just explored by mokoro and on foot. Prices depend on number of people interested but seeing the vastness of the Okavango from the air gives a further appreciation of the beauty of this part of Africa. We return to our lodge for dinner and overnight.

Maun – Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Distance travelled: +/- 700 Km
Approx driving time: 11-12 Hours

Another early rise for our long journey skirting the greater Kalahari, where we may glimpse in the distance the vast salt pans of central Botswana to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary which we normally reach by late afternoon. In 1989 a group of local people wished to convert the Serowe Pan, previously a hunting area, into a conservation region for the rhino that inhabited the area. The ‘Pan’ was chosen because of its rhino-friendly habitat (and for its proximity to the Botswana Defence Force base for 24-hour protection against poachers). Khama is a prime habitat for white rhino, zebra, wildebeest and giraffe and with its community-based wildlife project, allows the local people to benefit from tourism. We take a game drive to catch sight of some of the rhino with guides often pointing up interesting facts about the local fauna and flora. Our last night on safari is spent at the Stevensford private nature conservancy situated on the Limpopo River in Botswana’s Tuli Block. At 3500 ha, this reserve is home to many species of antelope, crocodile, hippo, zebra, giraffe and a plethora of bird species.

Martins Drift – Pretoria, South Africa
Distance travelled: +/- 400 Km
Approx driving time: 6 Hours

Our last morning sees us joining the main route along Martin’s Drift border post. Crossing the mighty Limpopo River into South Africa, we take in the scenic views and notice changes to vegetation, infrastructure and populated areas. We arrive in Johannesburg where our tour ends normally by mid to late afternoon.