Victoria Falls
Described by the Kololo tribe, who lived in the area in the 1800’s, as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ or ‘the Smoke that Thunders’, the Victoria Falls - one of the seven natural wonders of the world – are a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, bordering Zimbabwe and Zambia.
From many kilometres away you can see the plume of spray rising into the air and hear the roar of the water, as the Zambezi River plummets over 100 metres down a huge chasm in a waterfall almost two kilometres wide. The wide basalt cliff, over which the Falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.
For many years, Victoria Falls has captured the hearts, minds and adventurous spirits of people the world over. It was David Livingstone who, after that now famous entry in this diary - “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight” - claimed it for the British crown and named it after his Queen.
The Falls and the surrounding rainforest have been preserved as a national park, ensuring that they remain virtually as they were when Livingstone first saw them in 1855. Although small in size, the unique nature sanctuary that overlooks the Falls is rich in wildlife, bird life and botanical glories and is a tranquil setting from which to view the cascades of water thundering over the cliff. The spray can be considerable, so protect your camera and take a raincoat.
The volume of water that flows over the Falls varies considerably. At its lowest, between late October and early November, as little as 20,000 cubic metres of water a minute flow into the gorge below. But when the rains are heavy, the flow increases swiftly and dramatically. The Falls are at their most spectacular between February and May, when more than 500,000 cubic metres of water a minute cascade over the edge.
In April and May, the peak of the flood season, the six falls - Devil’s Cataract, Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls, Armchair Falls and the Eastern Cataract - form the largest curtain of falling water in the world. At this time of year, visibility from the Zimbabwean side is reduced due to the high level of spray. In the dry season, however, between September and November, almost no water plunges over the Rainbow and Armchair Falls or the Eastern Cataract on the Zambian side.
There are many different activities based around the Falls, including the ‘Flight of Angels’, a short flight over the Falls in a small plane, helicopter or microlight. White-water rafting is run from the ‘Boiling Pot’ downstream of the Falls, through a sequence of rapids. In addition to an adrenalin kick, rafting provides a great opportunity to see Verreaux’s eagle and the African fish eagle, taita falcon, augur buzzard and rock pratincoles. Also on offer are bungee jumps from the bridge that spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, boat trips, elephant rides and the popular gorge swing.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park - Botswana’s second largest Park - is arguably the country’s finest destination for game viewing. Famous for its impressive numbers of elephant, with the largest continuous elephant population on earth, Chobe also boasts one of the greatest concentrations of game on the African continent.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
The Park is divided into four distinctly different eco-systems: Serondela with its lush plains and dense forests in the Chobe River area in the extreme north-east, the Savuti Marsh in the west, the Linyanti Swamps in the north-west and the hot dry hinterland in between.
The particularly game rich areas are the beautiful Chobe River and the Savuti Marsh area.
Often described as one of the best wildlife viewing areas in Africa today, the Park is home to over 100,000 elephants as well as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog and eland. Predators include lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox and even cheetah and wild dog.
Unfortunately the Park can have a tendency to get crowded at peak times. Visitors looking for a more remote experience should consider the neighbouring private concessions, such as the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve or the Kwando or Selinda Concessions.
Linyanti Wildlife Reserve
The private Linyanti Wildlife Reserve is a 125,000 hectare concession area on the western boundary of Chobe National Park. A remote and pristine wildlife area, it is bordered by the Linyanti River, which runs from west to east. On the far bank of the river lies Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, the long wetland of this otherwise arid country.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
The Linyanti area is renowned for its predators and large concentrations of game, particularly elephant. Dereck and Beverly Joubert made the region famous in their National Geographic films. "Eternal enemies" is a classic, and chronicles in detail the interaction between lion and hyena.
There are three main features of the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve: the Linyanti River, Savuti Channel and the woodlands of the interior. The last stretches of Africa's Great Rift Valley separate the forests of the interior from the rivers and floodplains of the Linyanti and it is along this ridge - and along the Savuti Channel - that the best wildlife can be seen.
The Savuti Channel is a "dry waterway" that used to connect the Linyanti River at Zibadianja Lagoon with the interior of the south Chobe National Park at the Savuti Marsh. The Savuti has only ever flowed intermittently and dried up for the last time in 1980. Two thirds of the famous Savuti Channel savannah is in the Linyanti concession and guests are able to view the abundant wildlife privately and exclusively.
Elephants are one of the prime attractions, especially during the dry winter months when they congregate along the waterways and around the waterholes as the rainfall-filled depressions and pans of the interior dry up. At times the reserve must have several thousand elephants roaming around. Red lechwe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, waterbuck, sable, roan, eland, giraffe, baboon, monkey, warthog, crocodile and buffalo are some of the other animals to be found here. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and hyena. Night drives provide a chance to see nocturnal animals such as bushbaby, spring hare, aardwolf, serval, genet and pangolin. Birding is excellent from the Okavango "specials" such as slaty egret, white-rumped babbler and wattled crane through to the bushveld species.
Okavango Delta
The most famous geological feature in Botswana is without any doubt the Okavango Delta, listed as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in 1997 by the Ramsar Protocol on Wetlands. The water in the delta originates in the highlands of western Angola, flows through Namibia as the Kuvango River and enters Botswana as the Okavango River at Mohembo in the north before it finally spreads over the sandy soils of the Kalahari to form a maze of lagoons, channels, palm-fringed islands and fertile floodplains. The varied habitats offer an incredibly diverse range of fauna and flora.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
This is southern Africa’s largest wetland, spread over an area of around 12,000 square kilometres and has been described as “the river that never finds the sea”. Formed by persistent seismic shifting of the earth’s surface, the area is a magical oasis surrounded by the sands of the Kalahari semi-desert. The river system annually brings more than 2 million tons of sand and silt into the delta.
Less than three percent of the water flowing into the delta emerges at the other end to either flood Lake Ngami or cross another 300 miles of the Kalahari, to enter Lake Xau and the Makgadikgadi Pans. The biggest percentage of delta water is lost to the atmosphere through evapo-transpiration. Unfortunately the delta is getting smaller and smaller with global warming.
As a reliable source of permanent water, the delta attracted the San or Bushmen, one of the oldest tribes in Africa. In fact archaeological evidence suggests that the Okavango region has been inhabited for more than 30,000 years. It has historically been less densely settled than other riverine areas on the continent, probably because of insect borne diseases caused by tsetse fly and mosquito. Consequently, the Okavango Delta is arguably the most pristine wetland in the world.
The delta is a natural refuge and giant water hole for the larger animals of the surrounding dry areas such as Nxai and Makgadikgadi Pans and the Kalahari desert. The water gives rise to many forms of life unexpected in a "desert". Hippos open channels through the papyrus on their nocturnal forays to graze, recycling nutrients from land into the water. The water loving sitatunga and red lechwe traverse across the swamps, which are fringed with the tall trees of garcinia livingstonii, giraffe thorn, knob thorn acacia, jackal berries and African ebony - giving shade to herds of larger game.
It is in these forest fringes and savanna grasslands that larger game such as elephants, buffalo and giraffes can be found, alongside a wide variety of antelope including wildebeest, kudu, sable, roan and impala. Of course the predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and wild dog are never far away. The area also supports an abundance of bird life and a high diversity of fish.
The delta is a fragile and unique example of dynamic equilibrium at work in nature. Gliding silently through the reeds and water lilies in a traditional mokoro canoe is the best way to appreciate its extraordinary beauty, watching the birds and the fish and the animals as they come down to the waters to drink. You can fish in the clear water or game view by boat, 4x4 vehicle or on foot.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Larger than Denmark or Switzerland, and bigger than Lesotho and Swaziland combined, the 52,800 square kilometre Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which was set up in 1961, is the second largest game reserve in the world. Situated in the centre of Botswana, the reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds.
Image supplied courtesy of Wilderness Safaris
“Kalahari” is derived from the Tswana word Kgala meaning “great thirst” – and it has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent water. The Kalahari Desert is the largest sand basin in the world stretching 2,500kms from the northern regions of South Africa through to Namibia/Angola and ending in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The term ‘desert’ is however not quite accurate when referring to the Kalahari, the region receives an annual rainfall of 60mm-175mm, too high to be classified as a true desert.
After the summer rains arrive in the northern section of the reserve, from Deception Valley to Piper Pans, the vast plains burst with sweet grasses and this becomes one of the prime game-viewing areas in Botswana. Not many people seem to be aware of this and visitors are few. The clear blue sky fills with gigantic clouds and the stage is set for an amazing transformation. Into the scene enter thousands of migratory gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest. This gathering of animals is a sight to behold and can be compared with the Serengeti/Masai Mara migrations of Tanzania and Kenya.
Predators abound with plentiful lions – especially the famous Kalahari black-maned lion, cheetah, leopard and jackals. Brown hyenas and wild dogs are also found in the area.
Several species of antelopes make the trip to the sweet grasses of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve which include the eland, springbok, steenbok, gemsbok, hartebeest, kudu and duiker. Honey badgers are regular visitors as well as ground squirrels and meerkats. Many an hour can be wiled away watching these fascinating animals.
In the winter months, the Kalahari is more typically a desert-type system: warm and dry. Game viewing remains productive and moves into the vegetated dunal belt and pan systems surrounding the valleys; a series of ecologically placed waterholes further enhance wildlife viewing.
Bird life is aplenty with the world heaviest flying bird – the Kori bustard being common as well as the black korhaan who continuously calls during the daytime. Ostrich are seen roaming free – usually in large flocks. Raptors from the most common pale-chanting goshawk to the rock kestrel, bateleurs and brown and tawny eagles are also seen regularly.
|
 |
Adventurer Camps:
The style and essence of Adventurer Safaris takes you back to the bygone days of Africa’s exploration. 3mx3m dome tents, complete with mini-verandas, allow you to feel more connected to nature, accentuating the feeling of the wild and untamed. Pure cotton linen bedrolls (with duvets) on GI stretchers, bedside table with silver lantern and mini luggage benches add to the atmosphere. Shared separate toilet and shower ‘bathrooms’ with old-style tin bucket showers and basins create simple serviced comfort.
Adventurer camping aims to bring guests closer to nature, by means of lively campfires, hurricane lanterns, diverse activities and a warm atmosphere permeating the camp. Adventurer camps are specifically outfitted to create that camping feel with a clear emphasis on essential comforts and pristine wilderness experience.
Seasonality:
The safari adapts with the changing seasons so as to provide the best possibilities of wildlife viewing on an annual basis. Therefore, between 1 December and 31 May, to maximise the possibility of viewing the zebra migration and other game at this time that moves between Linyanti and Savute, the safari switches a night from Linyanti Trails Camp to Savute, in Chobe National Park. Please note that the zebra are usually back in the Linyanti region by the end of May which heralds the end of the migration. If the rains are poor, this migration does not usually occur.
Departure dates:
The trip operates to scheduled departure dates. Private departures are also possible for small groups, subject to vehicle and guide availability. For the scheduled departures there is a limitation of a maximum of 5 tents at any site.
Sample Botswana Itineraries
 Darkling Beetle Trek
Diving Beetle Expedition
Ground Beetle Tracker
Kheper's Adventures
Leaf Beetle Discovery
Scarab's Wilderness Journey
Scarab's Untamed Lands
Siamufumbula's Discovery
Stag Beetle Retreat
|
