Botswana Luxury Lodges Self-drive

Transfer by light aircraft from Maun to Pom Pom Camp. The camp is situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta on the Xudum river. Accommodation is in Meru-style safari tents on raised platforms with en-suite facilities and private viewing decks. The main building is attractively constructed of thatch and canvas and the swimming pool is situated close to the main lodge and the bar, making a perfect location to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the heat of the day.

As Pom Pom is in a private concession, activities include both land and water based game viewing. Game drives (day and night) are conducted by qualified and experienced guides, and you will be able to explore the Okavango Delta by mokoro or motorboat, as well as taking part in guided nature walks on the many surrounding islands while at Pom Pom Camp.

Transfer back to Maun where you pick up your vehicle before heading next to Leopard Plains situated on a private 8,000 hectare reserve adjacent to Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Accommodation is on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis with guided activities offered into Makgadikgadi Pans or on the private reserve.

Drive west to Deception Valley Lodge – in 43,000 hectares of private reserve on the northern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. With a stunning location overlooking the waterhole, each of the 8 spacious brick and thatch suites has a bedroom, separate lounge area, en-suite bathroom and outdoor shower.

Activities are varied. The reserve’s extensive network of tracks make for perfect day and night driving terrain.

A visit to Deception Valley Lodge would not be complete without experiencing a walk with the San (Bushmen). Walk through a terrain that appears to the uninitiated to offer little in the way of sustenance, but is a treasure-trove of fruits, berries, tubers, barks, herbs and flowers used in cooking, medicine, ceremonies and for a plethora of other purposes.

Head back to Maun where you spend the next night at Thamalakane River Lodge on the outskirts of Maun. Accommodation is in a chalet on a bed and breakfast basis.

Continue to Nokanyana Camp on the banks of the Khwai River in a game rich private concession next to the Moremi Game Reserve. The lodge is in prime wildlife country – game is rich and varied and birdlife is prolific.

Accommodation here is in spacious en-suite tents with private decks and is fully inclusive of all meals and activities. The scenery here is spectacular, with leadwood and mopane woodlands in close proximity to open grasslands bordering the Khwai River.

Continue on to the Savuti area of the Chobe National Park, spending the next three nights at Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge. Perched high on the Ghoha hills overlooking the Savuti region, Ghoha Hills offers guests privacy and exclusivity, away from the crowds that frequent the more commercial regions in Chobe. Ghoha Hills has been designed to take advantage of the views – rooms, the pool and dining area all have views.

There is a waterhole located at the bottom of the hill which is home to an abundance of wildlife and large predators. Guests can expect to see anything from leopard to rare species of bird. Game drives take place in the private concession of the Ghoha Hills, and also on the famous Savuti channel and marsh.

Continue through Chobe to spend the next night at Chobe Elephant Camp in the western riverfront of the Chobe National Park. Chobe Elephant Camp is overlooks the Chobe river floodplain with stunning views – a perfect place to relax (the swimming pool overlooks the floodplain too). Accommodation is inclusive of all meals on the first night with meals and guided activities. The game viewing activities are conducted along the riverfront area of the Chobe National Park.

Drive to Kasane where you return the vehicle. Accommodation is at Jackalberry Chobe on the banks of the Chobe River. Accommodation is in a river view room on a full board basis with guided activities included. Explore the best of Chobe National Park on game drives and boat cruises, with elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe and zebra being just a sample of the wildlife you may encounter.

Transfer across the border to Victoria Falls, spending the final night at Palm River Hotel, situated along the Zambezi River. The Zimbabwean side has approximately 2/3 of the fall’s frontage and the falls are easily viewed on foot. Victoria Falls has a lot to offer the visitor and is known as Africa’s adventure capital. From high adrenalin activities like bungi jumping and white water rafting to more sedate pastimes like viewing the falls by helicopter, Victoria Falls has it all.