Name: East African Explorer (29 days)
Brand: Acacia Africa
SKU: N/A
Price: 3280 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (1 reviews)

Compare all Botswana Safari Tours & Packages tours, cruises, and vacations from hundreds of companies. Get the best price and experience for your...

Botswana Safari Tours & Packages Tours & Trip Packages

Africa

Botswana

Botswana Safari Tours & Packages

Read 101 traveler reviews on tours to Botswana Safari Tours & Packages.Compare trips from over 41 companies. Pick your perfect trip with confidence.

Botswana Safari Tours & Packages Tour & Trip Reviews |...

We are just back from an amazing family holiday in South Africa. We used them on a recommendation but they even surpassed our expectations. 

This was our first trip so SA so we gave Claire a budget and left the planning to her. She assured us that it would be a holiday of a lifetime and it certainly was. We stayed at 5 different places and the standard of accommodation and service provided at each stop were fantastic. She had every bit of the trip meticulously planned and presented everything that we needed in a useful folder. Highly recommend Claire and Mahlatini and will definitely use them again. Thank you for an unforgettable holiday.

Mahlatini Luxury Travel

The Best Of Botswana And Victoria Falls

Exodus Adventure Travels

Intrepid Travel

G Adventures

Ker & Downey Africa

ROW Adventures

Acacia Africa

Backroads

National Geographic Expeditions

andBeyond

Cheeseman's Ecology Safaris

World Expeditions

Road Scholar

This was a trip of a life time in so many ways. It was a retirement present 
and a chance to prove we could still do it. It was a chance to see so many 
animals and different environments and to see a wonderful country determined 
to benefit from It's wildlife while protecting this precious resource.
We were guided on the adventure by N'gand  who was so knowledgeable and happy 
to share his love of the wild and his country. Melo, the cook, fed us amazing 
meals, whether in a layby on route or on an open fire in the bush, we were 
stuffed with fresh bread and tasty food.  Timon and Derek just quietly work 
on our creature comforts putting  up and striking tents, digging the "bushy 
bushy" and making sure that we were safe and left nothing behind except warm 
memories. We did games walks and drives and mokoro rides. We saw all the 
animals on our lists and more besides. Even the " its just a bird" traveller 
began to appreciate the diversity out there. There were changes of plan, 2 
punctures, one dead rear axle and so much late rain that the salt pans were 
lakes but all was dealt with so we hardly noticed with Nata being a  good 
substitute, even if meeting other not so well behaved groups reminded us that 
bird watching needs quiet.  It is a trip in the wild with dangers that we are 
not used to and we had total trust in our team that they would make it the 
best they could but keep us safe. The Falls are impressive and Zimbabwe 
provides time to recharge batteries (ours and cameras) as well as washing 
clothes.The group pulled together well, loading this arthritic pensioner in 
and out of the bus.  We will keep in touch to share amazing photos and 
memories of this wonderful trip.
Too difficult to say.  Drifting on the mokoro trip through the reeds, The 
polers singing round the campfire. The welcome of the people. Going to sleep 
in a tent with lion roaring in the distance..  Walking thro the bush. All of 
it.


N'Gandi was a brilliant leader who was always polite and firm while 
encouraging us in the right way. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the 
animals and birds, an interest in people and respect for the countryside. He 
explained local customs and sensitivities as well as making sure all park 
rules were obeyed and that we took away only good memories. He was quietly 
always checking for our safety.


Pack less, bags get heavy and getting sleeping bags back into full cases each 
night is impossible. One wind proof top was all I needed, fleece was unused. 
Also only used trainers, boots were surplus luggage. Charging packs for 
cameras essential if like me you take thousands of photos. Our scarves were 
borrowed by those on windy hot seats!


Do It!

Wildlife & Wilderness of Botswana

Ivan Pinto has given an excellent account of our trip so I have little to 
add.
Our elephant encounters were thrilling but I was so pleased that Moses 
allowed us to spend quite a lot of time just sitting and watching a family of 
lions interacting with one another - magical.


Excellent - as acknowledged and described by Ivan.


Ladies, in particular, if you're worried about needing to go for a wee during 
the night (when trips to the bushy-bushy are not recommended for obvious 
reasons!) take an old ice cream container with you.  Mine had a lid so 
doubled up as a useful bedside table!

Botswana is the size of France but with just 2million people and an 
enlightened approach to conservation resulting in an unspoilt environment 
which benefits both local people and wildlife. Driver/guide Moses ably 
supported by chef Johnny and staff Ronny and Derek looked after all the needs 
of our group of seven with patience and good humour. Johnny provided 
fantastic food including freshly baked bread, cottage pie and fish &amp; chips!
The Okavango delta camp provided our first brush with elephants at close 
quarters as two bull elephants approached to within a few feet when we were 
on a walking safari with Moses and the local guides. Moses was the epitome of 
calmness as he gently shoed them away. We were still buzzing when a couple of 
hours later sitting back at the camp by a small pond another two elephants 
decided to have a ruckus and one chased the other straight through the pond 
to within a feet of us again. It was only the start of the trip and it was 
going to be hard for Moses to maintain that kind of experience for the rest 
of the holiday. But he excelled himself delivering honey badgers on two 
separate occasions, leopard, lions galore including one at an elephant kill 
not to mention the usual suspects- giraffes, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest 
together with various deer and antelopes. Botswana is a birders paradise even 
in its winter (we were there in June/July) and we saw a wide variety of 
eagles and smaller birds. Wild camping was a great experience with people 
comparing what animals they heard the previous night both in the surrounding 
area and in camp. We had leopard and hyena visit overnight!
The only negatives related to our second night at the Audi camp, Maun when 
both electricity (needed to recharge camera batteries) and water were out 
when we arrived early evening. While the electric was eventually restored the 
water was not until we were leaving the following morning and the toilets 
were in a truly disgusting state. Also we arrived at Victoria Fall Rest 
Chalets to find our cabins had been given to others and we had to camp, again 
the toilet block was poor. One bright spot was the Nata camp site which was 
excellent.
Our first full day at the Okavango Delta camp with the two close encounters 
with elephants (described above) was hard to beat. However, spotting a 
leopard as we rounded a corner on the road and hearing a male lion roar next 
to its elephant kill ran it close as did another elephant experience on the 
Chobe river cruise when an elephant in the water approached us while pulling 
up weeds, washing and chewing on them all within touching distance. Then 
there were the honey badgers including one in broad daylight and then 
……... you get the idea!


Moses was a superb guide, a safe driver and never seemed to stop working, 
whether it was helping put up/take down tents or digging the bushy-bushy. He 
was very patient with the various demands made of him- a little forward or a 
little back (sometimes at the same time!) as people vied to get the best 
angles for photographs!


It's been said before, in winter (June/July) it gets very cold especially in 
the open vehicle when travelling in the mornings or evenings. Take wind-proof 
jackets, warm clothes and even gloves. Opportunities to recharge camera 
batteries are limited especially in the second week so make sure you take 
spares to last at least four days and top-up the charge whenever possible. We 
were a group of seven so space on the vehicle was not an issue, however with 
a full or near full compliment of 12 space would be very limited especially 
if some people carry a large amount of camera equipment.


Just do it! It's a real adventure, you just don't know what nature will throw 
at you next. The wild camping was comfortable and the food excellent and 
plentiful. We did the flights over the Okavango and Victoria Falls as well as 
the Chobe River cruise and I would recommend them. We didn't go on the 
Zambezi River cruise but the group members that did had negative comments 
regarding it mainly because it was more of a booze cruise with some raucous 
clientele which spoilt the game viewing.

Botswana is a country the size of France or Texas, but with a population of 
just over 2 million and some of the most stunning scenery and wildlife.  We 
arrived at the beginning of May, just after the rainy season, so much of the 
country was still green.  It was also the rutting season for some animals.

Our safari was in the northern half of the country, starting in Maun and then 
taking a mokoro (canoe) journey through the waterways of the Okavango Delta 
to the wild campsite (ie a clearing in the trees with no other people or 
facilities around).  Our arrival was livened by the hippos in the pool by the 
campsite.  Hippos came be my favourite animal, for my wife it was the many 
colourful birds.  Hippos spend the day in water if they can, coming out after 
dusk.   Whilst in the water, they come up for air, grunt, yawn, play and make 
the occasional belly flops when not sleeping: they just like to enjoy 
themselves.  After our time in the Delta, we took an optional 40 minute plane 
ride over the Okavango Delta and realised the vastness of it, particularly as 
we only saw part of it in that time.  There were great stretches of 
waterways, grasslands and scrub with herds of animals scattered across it.  
No wonder it takes time to find the animals, they are all there but just 
scattered over this vast area.

During our journey in Botswana, first east to the salt flats near Nata, then 
up to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, before returning via the Chobe, Savuti and 
Moremi national parks in Botswana, we saw herds of zebra, giraffe, 
wildebeest, buffalo, baboons and assorted types of deer, as well as ostrich, 
tortoise, puff adder, elephants, lions and a leopard up a tree with a lioness 
underneath waiting for her dinner to come down.  We saw two Impala 
challenging each other and two giraffe fighting, using the horns on their 
heads to hit their opponent's side, as well as the amorous attentions of male 
impala and kudu for their females, and a lion kissing a lioness behind her 
head.  We had elephants walk past our campsites and saw a den of hyena with 
the pups playing outside.  On another occasion we saw an elephant thoroughly 
enjoying her bath, rolling in the water and throwing water over herself.

At Victoria Falls, we organised our own walk to the bridge, which straddles 
the gorge between Zimbabwe and Zambia.  At the Zimbabwe customs we got a 
bridge pass which allowed us to visit this 100 year old bridge and see the 
gorge, as well as bargain with the many pedlars of wood carvings and copper 
bracelets.  Then it was on to visit the falls, with its 17 viewing points.  
Start at the first viewing point, which looks over the Zambesi river, before 
it plunges over the falls.  From there on the viewing points get 
progressively wetter and the views more spectacular - so go expecting to get 
very wet.  After that we dried out at a cafe, with magnificent views of the 
bridge and Zambia across the gorge.  Our return was diverted by elephants on 
the footpath and rewarded by seeing a warthog on route as well as monkeys and 
a family of mongoose.  That evening we joined the dinner cruise on the 
Zambesi, for some more hippos, a four course meal with plenty of wine and 
another great sunset.

Our team of four led by Ngande and Melo (our cook), set up our tents and kept 
us well fed and looked after, even providing "pottys" for some of the wild 
camps where a night time walk might not be advisable.  We all got used to the 
bush toilets, even the occasional collapse when the sand gave way!  Bush 
showers were also provided, with a water bag slung over a branch and suitable 
enclosure.

Mello's ability to provide three great meals a day in the bush was 
outstanding.  He even provided "home" cooked bread with "Welcome to ... " 
moulded into the bread, something most of us would struggle to do with a 
fully equipped kitchen, let alone on a camp fire.

This is a great safari, with superb staff, scenery and wild life.  And one 
that all ages can enjoy, our oldest member was 80.
Each day provided new inspirations, from punting in and flying over the 
Delta, to each game walk and game drive, the road side wildlife, the sand and 
dirt roads through the game reserves, the trees ripped up by the elephant, 
the many colourful birds, and not least the Victoria Falls and bride.  Not 
forgetting the team that looked after us.


Ngande was a superb group leader, very knowledgeable of the wildlife, the 
people and areas through which we travelled.  He made sure that each campsite 
was left spotless when we left, with fire embers buried and all rubbish 
remove.  Even apple cores were collected up to ensure that the local flora 
was not challenged by a foreign plant.


Check the likely weather for the season you are travelling.  We were there in 
May, the days were hot, but the nights were sometimes cold.  You needed a 
sleeping bag and warm top.

The vehicle is open sided, with four rows of three seats.  On the long 
journeys, you need a warm top at the start and end of the day, as well as 
long sleeves and and a scarf or hat to protect you from the wind and sun.

Think about tips.  You have two people looking after you for the full two 
weeks and another two for the last 10 days.  You also have a group of locals 
looking after you in the Okavango Delta.

Also recommended are the optional flight over the Okavango Delta, the dinner 
cruise on the Zambezi (for the occasion) and the afternoon cruise on the 
Chobe river (for the animals).


We spent five days in Cape Town on our way back to London and can thoroughly 
recommend this if you have opportunity.  At the moment you have organise the 
Cape Town end yourselves, but we were able to extend our group flights to do 
this.  Hopefully, Exodus will provide this as an option in the future.

A great safari, definitely to be recommended.

This was an excellent opportunity to see African wildlife and experience 
camping in the National Parks.  We had six nights 'wild' camping in the parks 
and game drives early morning and evening.  The other nights were on camp 
sites with showers, restaurant and a bar (open to 2am so noisy), and 2 nights 
at Victoria Falls in a comfortable but basic lodge.  The wildlife is varied 
and plentiful and met most of my expectations.
Travelling in Mokoros in the Delta was magical although the wildlife was 
sparse.  The activities there were nature walks rather than game drives.  The 
evening cruise down the Chobe River gave us our first real  encounter with 
hippos and other game.  Seeing the leopard and  lions in Chobe/Moremi close 
up.


Kenny was great at spotting and tracking animals and birds.  His knowledge of 
natural history was extensive.  He was a safe driver which is essential given 
the terrain and the state of some of the tarred roads.  He sometimes had 
difficulty in herding 11 of us to what he wanted and I had to buy a map 
(Shell tourist map of Botswana is excellent)  before he described where we 
were going.  Botswanas are friendly people and the crew were keen to please.


Be prepared for some long, uncomfortable journeys in an open vehicle not 
designed for long distance travel.  Seating 12 it will not provide good seats 
for all if there is a full uptake of places.  Wild camping is without any 
permanent facilities and animals close by so head torch (with back-up), wet 
wipes and insect repellant are essential!  Take a South African plug adaptor 
for the camp sites and Victoria Falls as they cater for SA visitors.
Quite a few extras for the 'optional' activities eg anything at Victoria 
Falls, Chobe River cruise and flights over the game reserves as well as camp 
site meals and the usual tips.


Take a good camera and long lens and trust the guide to get you into the best 
positions.

Camping in the game parks and see a variety of wildlife

Of all the safaris I've done this is the most wildlife I've seen in a small 
period! 4 of the big 5 in one day.
Then at night enjoy the sounds of the animals beneath more stars than you've 
ever seen.

It is tent based but very comfy, food is amazing - fish &amp; chips + baked fresh 
bread one night! They even do a bush shower so it isn't roughing it.

The guides are excellent, wildlife and scenery even more so - this isn't a 
holiday it is an adventure.
Finding a leopard on the final day in Savuti, perched high above us and so 
well concealed. Our guide Moses found lots for us to see.

Also heading out on the walks and being taught to pole a Mokorro canoe by 
Hendricks in the Delta - they were great guys and loved showing us their 
culture and wildlife


Moses was fantastic, he dealt with problems calmly, adjusted plans to fit in 
with client requests and found us lots to see.
Throughout we were sharing jokes as well as details of each area we visited.


The prices listed in the trip notes for optional activities can be quite far 
out. The Chobe River cruise is 410 pula for instance.

If your main focus is Vic Falls then go in wetter months but other areas may 
be harder to get to, if you want lots of wildlife the drier months bring them 
to waterholes and the grass isn't so tall.


Be aware wild camps mean exactly that, animals will be close to camp and 
despite being briefed some people felt they could wander about, then seemed 
shocked when a guide came running after them to make sure they were ok.

Facilities in Nata and Audi camp are much like a holiday camp in the uk, with 
showers and facilities to use, and good restaurants.

Botswana Safari Tours & Packages Tour & Trip Reviews

Amazing family holiday!