The 13 Day Wildlife Trail

MOPANE LEVEL

A classic wildlife adventure with prime game viewing and a combination of lodging and camping.
Incorporating: Victoria Falls, Zambezi, Chobe, Savuti, Moremi and the Okavango Delta

SUMMARY

Start Vic Falls. End Maun. Transport: Closed bus, open 4 WD, boat, mekoro, canoes, on foot. Accommodation: camping and lodging.

DAY 1: VICTORIA FALLS - LODGING – ILALA LODGE
DAY 2 - 3: ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK – CANOEING - CAMPING
DAY 4 – 6: NORTH-WESTERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK – CAMPING – BUFFALO RIDGE CAMPSITE
DAY 7: SOUTH-WESTERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK – LODGING – MANKWE CAMP
DAY 8 - 9: NORTHERN MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE – XAKANAXA AREA – CAMPING
DAY 10 - 12: SOUTH-WESTERN MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE – SANTAWANI AREA – LODGING – SANTAWANI CAMP
DAY 12: RETURN

SAFARI ITINERARY

DAY 1: VICTORIA FALLS - PAMUSHA LODGE - LODGING
On arrival at 11h00 you will be met at the Vic Falls airport and transferred to Pamusha Lodge by Baobab Safaris.

TERRAIN: Pamusha Lodge is a bed and breakfast establishment situated in the suburbs of Victoria Falls and is within an easy walking distance to the “Smoke that Thunders”. We spend one night here.

GAME: Elephant, buffalo, bushbuck, baboon, vervet monkeys and warthogs are common.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES: Visit To the Victoria Falls & Rain Forest; Free time to explore the markets & shops; Dinner at Mondi Village;Elephant-back ride (early morning); “Flight of the Angels” by helicopter (1/2 hour); Zambezi River Sunset Jet-Extreme Cruise.

DAY 2-3: ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK – CANOE TRAIL - CAMPING
Transfer by road to our launch spot in Zambezi National Park from where our canoe trip will start.

TERRAIN: Zambezi National Park, situated on the Upper Zambezi River, is one of Zimbabwe's most beautiful national parks. It consists of well wooded riverine forest and is home to a wide range of fauna and avifauna. It offers good game viewing and guests have the ideal opportunity of combining a walking with a canoeing safari.

GAME: Elephant, buffalo, kudu, impala, baboon, vervet monkeys, warthogs, waterbuck, and hippo are common. One could also hope to see: lion, leopard, wild dog, giraffe, bushbuck, sable, roan, mongoose, crocodile and leguan.

ACTIVITIES: Canoeing.

DAY 4-6: NORTH-EASTERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK - NGOMA - CAMPING – BUFFALO RIDGE CAMPSITE
Road transfer by bus across the border to Botswana. Transfer in our open game drive vehicle to the public campsite at Ngoma overlooking the Chobe river where we spend the next three nights.

TERRAIN: Along the Chobe riverfront the terrain is that of a typical riverine ecosystem. Away from the river we have mixed miombo and broadleaved woodland that harbours rich avifauna.

GAME: Northern Chobe is famous for its elephant & buffalo herds, puku, kudu, Chobe bushbuck and hippo. One could also hope to see: lion, leopard, wild dog, giraffe, waterbuck, zebra, impala, baboon, vervet monkeys, warthog, sable, roan, lechwe, banded mongoose, crocodile, leguan.

ACTIVITIES: Game drives; birding; boat trip on the Chobe River

DAY 7: SOUTH-WESTERN CHOBE NATIONAL PARK - MANKWE CAMP - LODGING
While the staff pack up and move camp we will do a full day’s game drive with a picnic lunch en route through Chobe National Park and Savuti to Mankwe Camp situated on the outskirts of Chobe. We spend one night here only.

TERRAIN: The Marsh in Savuti is typical grassland surrounded by Accacia bush and stony outcrops reminiscent of Serengeti.

GAME: Savuti is famous for its lions and hyeanas, lone elephant bulls, zebra and wildebeest migrations. Other game one can hope to see include: giraffe, tsessebe, warthog, black-backed jackal, leopard, cheetah, bat-eared fox, impala, wild dog, kudu, baboon, steenbok, dwarf, slender and banded mongoose.

ACTIVITIES: Game drives; birding.

DAY 8-9: NORTHERN MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE - XAKANAXA AREA - CAMPING
Game drive along the Khwai River from Mankwe Camp to Moremi where our mobile camp had been set up in advance in a private campsite and where we spend the next two nights.

TERRAIN: Moremi being an extension of the Okavango offers a typical wetland system with grassy plains and pans surrounded by well-developed mopane forests and riverine woodland. This part of the Okavango Delta consists of grassy flood plains dotted with large termite mounds, small islands fringed with palms and larger islands with riparian forests of sausage and ebony trees. Water lilies adorn the bracken-lined watercourses and streams.

WILDLIFE: Elephant, lechwe, waterbuck, impala, hippo, warthog, squirrels, baboon, vervet monkeys and banded mongoose are common. So are crocodiles and leguan. One can also hope to see buffalo, giraffe, bushbuck, lion, wild dog, leopard, cheetah, black-backed and side-striped jackal, zebra, wildebeest, tsessebe, bush babies, fruit bats, sable, kudu, roan, steenbok, duiiker, honey badger. The birdlife includes waterbirds as well as dry land birds.

ACTIVITIES: Game drives; birding, mokoro trip.

DAY 10-12: SOUTH-WESTERN MOREMI WILDLIFE RESERVE - SANTAWANI AREA - LODGING – SANTAWANI LODGE
While the staff pack up and move camp to Santawani Lodge in the wildlife management area adjacent to South Gate of Moremi we do a game drive with a picnic lunch en route. We spend three nights here.

TERRAIN: This part of Moremi is drier and affords a better chance of seeing more plains game.

WILDLIFE: Elephant, impala, tsessebe, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, warthog, squirrels, baboon, vervet monkeys and banded mongoose are common. One can also hope to see buffalo, giraffe, bushbuck, lion, wild dog, leopard, cheetah, black-backed and side-striped jackal, bush babies, fruit bats, sable, roan, steenbok, duiker, honey badger. The birdlife includes waterbirds as well as dry land birds.

ACTIVITIES: Game drives; birding.

DAY 13 (FRI): RETURN TRIP
Transfer to the airport in Maun in time for your return flight.