You will be met on arrival in Maun International Airport. International flights from Joburg and Cape Town arrive around 1.30pm and your charter flight will be schedule to meet this. A representative from Mack Air will be waiting to assist you onto your charter flight at approximately 14h00 to the Xakanaxa airstrip in Moremi Game Reserve where you will be met by your guide. (If you are staying in Maun prior to the safari, please request an airport transfer, Mack Air will liaise with your accommodation the day before to confirm the flight departure time.)

The first three nights are spent in the Xakanaxa region where you will explore the surrounding wilderness on morning and afternoon game drive excursions.

This is a diverse environment with every type of mopane habitat being well represented in this drive from the towering cathedral woodlands Xakanaxa to the classic climax mopane woodland and in the drier and harsher habitats, extensive stretches of scrub mopane. The San-ta-Wani region has scattered ephemeral water pans with large floodplains and camel-thorn woodlands. 40 km of the drive is in Moremi Game Reserve with a further 40 km in areas designated for wildlife management where animals roam freely to and from the Game Reserve.

Today and for the rest of the safari your days begin early, at dawn – this is when predators are still active and the best chance of catching those exciting sightings. As the sun rises and the heat increases the animals move to the shade in the middle of the day, so an early start is essential for productive game viewing. After a hot drink around the fire and light breakfast option you depart on your morning game drive, tracking the events of the night before.

You will be out for around 4 hours or so- depending on the sightings, stopping for a coffee break along the way. Returning to camp as the heat begins to settle in mid-morning, around 11am. You will then have a hearty brunch followed by some time to relax in camp and rest – as the animals do – in the shade!

Later that afternoon you set out again after tea and cake for your afternoon drive, as the animals become active again as the sun begins to set. Stopping in a scenic spot to soak up the incredible sunset views is a tradition on safari, drink in hand you toast the setting sun before returning to camp where a camp fire will welcome you back. Dinner is served under the stars followed by drinks around the camp fire, a chance to discuss the days events and share stories before retiring to bed.

Moremi lies on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta. Habitats here range from wide-open floodplains, marshes, lagoons, papyrus fringed channels, vast stands of Miscanthus and Phragmites, woodland and savannah. As a result of the extremely variable habitat the diversity of both wildlife and birdlife is excellent.

The Moremi is amongst the best game reserves in Africa for viewing the endangered African wild dog. Xakanaxa is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least 4 prides of lion which may often be seen flanking the ever moving herd. Breeding herds of elephant move between their browsing areas in the mopane forests and the fresh water of the Okavango. Red lechwe are one of the more unusual antelope species and commonly found here.

Following an early morning breakfast you take a slow drive through Moremi Game Reserve north-east towards the Khwai and Mababe Areas. This is not a transfer, this is a game drive and an opportunity to explore the wide ranging habitats of the Moremi. The camp staff will drive ahead and set up camp which will be ready on your arrival.

The Manuchira Channel is known as the Khwai River at its eastern most extremity. The day’s journey follows this water course, with the track weaving from the riverside and floodplains into the mopane veld and the woodlands to Mababe Private Reserve where camp will be set up on the banks of the Khwai River before it flows out into the Mababe Depression. We pass the magnificent Dombo Hippo Pools in the morning stopping to enjoy the scenery and the antics of the resident hippo.

The western mopane veld is home to mostly breeding herds of elephant whilst the eastern reaches of Mababe is home to some impressive old bulls. The mature bulls revel in the cool waters and are far more approachable while drinking and bathing than the breeding herds.

The river has an unusually high density of hippo as well as some huge crocodile. Leopard, cheetah, serval and lion are common predators along this route and both Xakanaxa as well as Khwai are included in the home ranges of 2 different packs of wild dog. General game includes southern giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, tessebe and red lechwe with roan and sable antelope being less common residents.

This is a beautiful and exciting area to visit. You will arrive in camp after a full day’s game drive and relax into your new home.

The next two days follow the same routine with early morning and later afternoon drives exploring the Mababe region. This concession has a strict maximum number of vehicles allowed at any given time making for an exclusive safari experience.

The Khwai River forms a boundary between the reserve and the community area. Exploring after dark with spotlights offers you an opportunity to experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. As well as the usual suspects like the big cats and hyena, we look for the smaller species, genets, caracals, aardvark, ardwolf, bush babies and more.

We will also have the opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot and enjoy an up close and personal encounter with Botswana’s flora and fauna. It is important to note that night drives and guided walks are not permitted within the national parks and reserves. These activities are conducted outside the boundaries of the Moremi Game Reserve in the Khwai community area.

We spend our time between the dry-land habitats of the lead-wood and camel-thorn woodlands and savannahs and the riverside and marshy back-waters of the Khwai River, as well as the more desert-like habitats in the western parts of the concession.

The Mababe region boasts excellent populations of both bull elephant as well as breeding herds. Lion, leopard, serval and African wildcat are common predators of the region with wild dog and cheetah being less common. Buffalo use this area seasonally with large herds moving in during the summer rains. The swampy areas in the west are home to red lechwe. Other ungulates include tsesebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope and impala.

After breakfast we take a game-drive to the airstrip where you will be met by your charter flight back to Maun. This will be planned to connect with your onward international flight to Joburg or Cape Town. We can also arrange for direct flights to other camps in the Okavango or elsewhere in the northern Botswana region.