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Global Adrenaline's "Botswana and Victoria
Falls Explorer" is designed to reveal some of Southern Africa's many
magnificent, unspoiled destinations to those travelers willing to venture
just a little ways off the beaten track. On this safari, we'll lose ourselves
in the wild African bush so that we can come into direct contact with
some of Africa's most spectacular wildlife. There is no better place than
in Botswana's famous game parks to observe, at close range, hyenas, lions,
elephants and other wildlife. The sandy thorn veld of Botswana's southern
Kalahari Desert gives way to the greener bush veld regions of the center
and finally to the lush marshland of the Okavango Delta in the north.
All of these environments are great for game-watching. We'll visit several
of northern Botswana's most famous game parks, including the Chobe National
Park, the Moremi Wildlife Reserve and the Okavango Delta. Our trip will
begin with a visit to the spectacular Victoria Falls near the border with
Zambia and Zimbabwe. This half-mile wide rush of thunder and spray, where
the Zambezi River plunges off a high veld escarpment, is truly one of
the world's greatest natural spectacles.
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No previous hiking or camping experience is required
to enjoy this safari. However, in order to fully
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| Group at the Zimbabwe border. (Zimbabwe) |
enjoy the expedition's activities, particularly
the canoeing portion of our trip, participants should be fit, in good health,
spirited and properly equipped.
This trip is regarded as a participative camping safari, and it is designed
to provide a truly wild and adventurous experience. We typically invite
our participants to join us in foregoing the use of tents while on the trail.
Evenings will typically be spent around a campfire under the sheltering
stars. Meals, which will be cooked on open fires, will be enjoyed as we
huddle around the campfire with the mysterious and haunting sounds of the
African bush surrounding us. Participation levels during the camping portions
of our trip may sometimes take the form of assisting our guides with cooking,
washing up after meals and packing and unpacking the camp and our vehicles.
All camping equipment, with the exception of personal sleeping bags, will
be provided. Trip participants should bear in mind that campsites will be
rather rustic, but the basic necessities will always be provided.
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After our arrival in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe,
we'll be met by our representatives and transferred to our campsite close
to the town of Victoria Falls. We'll have the afternoon to get settled
in and get
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| Mekoro canoe safaris. (Okavango Delta, Botswana) |
acclimated to the excitement of our high veld setting.
There will be time for exploring the area and resting to recover from any
residual jetlag.
We'll enjoy a free day during which our activities
will likely include exploring the town of Victoria Falls and viewing the
spectacle of the falls, where the wide Zambezi thunders over a half-mile-wide
horseshoe-shaped escarpment. We may also choose to indulge in some of
the region's optional activities, including whitewater rafting trips,
sunset cruises, elephant treks and helicopter or hot air balloon rides
over the falls.
After breakfast, we'll depart for Botswana, reaching
the nearby town of Kasane in time for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy
a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. The sunset cruise provides amazing
opportunities for photographing wild animals. Hippos often rest in the
waters, with only their nostrils breaking the water's surface, great herds
of elephants are visible on the banks, and unusual water birds, such as
the African fish eagle, fly overhead.
After breakfast, we'll head off into the wilds
of Botswana's famous Chobe National Park, where we can expect to see a
vast array of animals, ranging from elephants to crocodiles. Chobe is
famous
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| Group shot at the falls. (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe) |
for its vast herds of thundering elephants. After
an afternoon game drive, we'll indulge in some traditional African cooking
around our open campfire. Perhaps we'll be serenaded by the far-off roar
of an African lion skulking deep into the shadows of the night! We'll began
to experience the excitement of blending into the African bush, surrounded
by wild animals simply going about their daily lives, as we watch a beautiful
sunset, in all its awe-inspiring beauty, unfold before us.
Our first unforgettable night in the bush over,
and breakfast behind us, we'll pack up and head off deeper into the bush.
We'll move in a southerly direction towards the area of Savuti, famous
for its large herds of bull elephants sometimes encountered at very close
quarters! After lunch, we'll enjoy an afternoon game drive in Savuti.
The Moremi Wildlife Reserve, south of Chobe, is
renowned for its large variety of animals and true African beauty. The
drive from Savuti is adventurous as we negotiate sand banks and mud flats…..and,
inevitably, the occasional elephant blocking our path.
Our arrival in Moremi is usually
signified by the sudden appearance of water. The Moremi area is on the
fringes of the world-famous Okavango Delta. Moremi is the home of the
rare sitatunga
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| At the game reserve entrance. (Moremi Game
Reserve, Botswana) |
antelope, a spiral-horned relative of the more common
bushbok. Moremi also typically offers the chance for close encounters with
many other species, including wild dogs, leopards, giraffes, other antelopes
and, of course, the mighty lion. During the night, wildlife will sometimes
wander into the vicinity of our camps. We may have the thrill of being roused
from a deep slumber by the sudden scream of a baboon in a nearby tree or
by the rustling in nearby bushes as the elephants enjoy a midnight snack.
We will spend the entire day exploring this exciting
destination. Moremi is also renowned for the variety of its bird life.
Our guides will be sure to point out most species of interest. By this
point in our expedition, we will all truly feel that we have lost ourselves
into the wilds of Africa. As the sun sets on another hot, dry and dusty
day, we can't help but feel overwhelmed by the enormous beauty that surrounds
us on every side.
Unfortunately, we'll have to leave our Moremi
paradise, but a new and even more exciting destination awaits us: the
Okavango Delta. We'll stop in the dusty town of Maun, near the
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| Lion. (Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana) |
southeastern edge of the delta, for the night. We'll
have the chance to catch up on all of the showers that we've missed and
an opportunity to go for a refreshing swim in the camp's pool. After settling
into our camp on the banks of the Thamalakane River, a few miles outside
the town, we'll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy a nice cold drink
at the local bar.
After breakfast, and after a stop in the town
to stock up on much-needed supplies, we'll head off into the bush. We
recommend that, while we are in Maun, you purchase enough drinks to last
you for the next couple of days, as there are absolutely no shops or facilities
in the Okavango Delta. We'll arrive in the Delta in time for lunch. After
a picnic lunch, we'll meet our native polers, who will be our guides and
helpers for the next couple of days. Transport takes the form of dugout
canoes made from trees found in the area. A short journey takes us to
our camp where, after settling in, we'll head out for a brief afternoon
game walk.
During our time in the Delta, we'll spend a lot
of our daytime hours on guided game walks and many of our evening hours
on sunset cruises in our dugout canoes, known locally as mokoros. Walks
generally take place in the early morning hours and are typically three
hours in duration, depending on the presence of wild animals. Our guides
will lead our walks, and our polers will
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| Group on safari in Botswana. (Botswana) |
help them carefully survey the area in search of
wild animals. Lions, elephants and buffaloes are found in the area, and
great care is taken to spot these animals before they spot us! The Okavango
Delta has a very special and indescribable ambience. A visit to the Delta
is an experience that often leaves visitors speechless, humbled and in total
awe of the vastness of the African continent.
After a morning game walk, we'll head back to
Maun, settling again in our previous camp along the banks of the Thamalakane
River. We'll spend the afternoon reflecting on the adventures of recent
days and enjoying some down time as we catch up on letters, postcards
and sleep. For those still hungry for more, there will be time to sample
the optional activities and adventures offered in the Maun area.
After breakfast, we'll transfer to Maun International
Airport for our flights home.
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