World Wildlife Fund

The Epic Botswana & Namibia Safari

$15,395 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $2,495.

Trip Overview

This is the ultimate southern African safari. A small group of just eight travelers will spend a fortnight crossing a vast tract of Africa’s prime wildlife regions on a journey that evokes the classic safaris of old. Though we stay in out-of-the-way locales where we see far more big game than people, our deluxe tented camps are the apex of comfort and atmosphere in the bush. We also venture into Zambia, for a befitting finale: Victoria Falls.

There is no Africa itinerary that offers more diversity than this; from the Namib Desert to the waterways of the Okavango Delta, teeming with life, we experience Africa at its most primal and magnetic.

Trip Itinerary

Please note that the dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.

Saturday, July 16: Windhoek, Namibia
Upon arrival, transfer to a guesthouse poised above Namibia’s former colonial capital, which retains its German character. Meet for an informal welcome dinner. Olive Grove (D)

Sunday & Monday, July 17 & 18: Sossusvlei Sand Dunes
Fly to Little Kulala, amid massive gold-orange dunes that rise more than 1,000 feet from the floor of the oldest desert in the world. Amid this arid clime you may find springboks, gemsboks, ostriches, bat-eared foxes and aardwolves. Discover the desert’s quiet magic on short walks and drives, returning to the comfort of the camp for sunsets and stargazing. Little Kulala (B,L,D daily)

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 19 & 20: Damaraland / Skeleton Coast
Follow the Skeleton Coast by air, looking for the remains of shipwrecks on the beach below, to the port city of Swakopmund. During a private boat cruise in Walvis Bay, you’re likely to see seabirds, Cape fur seals and dolphins. Arrive at Damaraland, where the stark desert is cooled by early-morning mists from the coast. Explore the austere and rocky terrain on foot and by four-wheel-drive vehicles, tracking the unique, desert-adapted elephants and watching for ostriches. Damaraland Camp (B,L,D daily)

Thursday & Friday, July 21 & 22: Etosha National Park
Drive to Etosha National Park, an ancient lakebed where perennial springs draw a plethora of animals. Your lodge is set on an extensive private reserve with access to Namibia’s best wildlife viewing. Take day and night drives and walks, and watch animals up close from hides. Myriad species reside here, including black and white rhino, elephant, lion, cheetah, gemsbok, springbok and hartebeest. Ongava Lodge (B,L,D daily)

Saturday & Sunday, July 23 & 24: Okavango Delta, Botswana
Leaving the dry Namib Desert, fly to another realm entirely: the Okavango Delta, where the river pours over the sands of the Kalahari in a green maze of canals and lagoons. Stay in solitude at a camp in the Moremi Reserve. There is water here year-round, and you’ll glide silently in a mokoro – a traditional dugout canoe – spying a host of animals and birds on the banks. Xigera Camp (B,L,D daily)

Monday – Wednesday, July 25 – 27: Northeastern Okavango Delta
Depart by light aircraft and journey deep inside the Selinda Concession, a huge private reserve on the dry floodplains edging the delta. The remote camps here are only accessible by air, and you’ll stay in old-style luxury beneath spreading shade trees. On wildlife drives and bush walks, look for elephants, buffalos, wild dogs, hyenas, leopards, lions, cheetahs, roan and sable antelopes and large eland herds. Discoverer Camp (B,L,D daily)

Thursday & Friday, July 28 & 29: Linyanti Concession
A drive takes you into Linyanti Reserve, one of the best wildlife-viewing regions in Botswana. The camp is built on raised boardwalks overlooking a hippo-filled lagoon. Day and night drives may reveal all the large predators as well as impalas, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest and other plains animals. Duma Tau (B,L,D daily)

Saturday, July 30: The River Club, Zambia
Fly to Chobe National Park. Famous for its vast herds of elephants, the park is also home to feline predators and plenty of hoofed beasts. Enjoy lunch aboard a boat cruise down the Zambezi River before entering Zambia, en route to your accommodations. At an elegant, Edwardian-flavored lodge facing west, elephants and hippos often frequent the riverbank. River Club (B,L,D)

Sunday, July 31: Victoria Falls / Home
Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and arguably the most stupendous waterfall on the planet. Your epic exploration comes to a fitting end with a guided tour to the falls, followed by a transfer to the airport. (B,L)

Optional Extension

Several customized pre- and post-tour extensions are available in conjunction with this tour. They include:

Cape Town, South Africa
Spend a suggested four days exploring what's widely regarded as the world's most beautiful city. Flanked by the pristine coastline of the South Atlantic, Cape Town boasts one of Africa's most colorful regions, replete with garden walkways, mountain vistas and rolling vineyards.

Cederberg Mountains
Stay at an ecological oasis that unites luxury and nature with a place of discovery and refuge. Starting in July, the veld comes alive with spring flowers, revealing the colors of thousands of beautiful species. Walk, bike or 4x4 to find any of the area’s 35 mammal species and 150 bird species. The reserve is rich in Bushman rock art, and activities include sunset nature drives, early morning rock art excursions, nature hikes, mountain biking, canoeing, swimming, fly-fishing and archery. We recommend three days.

Rocktail Bay
Situated in a World Heritage Site within South Africa's Maputaland Coastal Forest Reserve, Rocktail Bay offers the chance to experience a side of southern Africa that most tourists miss – the unspoiled Indian Ocean coast and its incredible natural beauty and abundant wildlife. The beach here, rivaled by few on Earth, is reason alone for a visit. While Rocktail isn't traditional big game country, it is home to an array of fascinating wildlife, including massive leatherback and loggerhead turtles, a variety of whales and dolphins, interesting antelope species, hippos and many species of rare and endangered birds. A five-day stay is suggested.

Skeleton Coast Safari
Namibia's famed Skeleton Coast is one of our planet's most remote and beautiful places. For most of the past decade, access to this private area has been heavily restricted; however, in April 2000, a special 12-bed luxury tented camp opened, and we can now offer four-and five-day fly-in safaris to this spectacular area. It is wild, desolate and uninhabited – and stunningly beautiful. Here, the cool ocean air meets the warmth of the desert and nearly every morning mists cover the coastline, bringing life-sustaining moisture to the desert's fauna and flora. A four- or five-day extension is ideal.

South Africa Safari Camps
Spend five days in the province of Mpumalanga and its famous Kruger National Park – a true wildlife haven. The private reserves adjacent to Kruger provide the best wildlife encounters while maintaining the intimate atmosphere and wonderful comfort that we demand for our safaris. Sharing an unfenced border with Kruger, these private game reserves allow wildlife to move freely among one of the largest continuous wildilfe areas on the continent. The camp provides varying levels of luxury, all offering the highest level of service and wildlife viewing. 

Please inquire about rates.