BIRDING EXPLORATION THROUGH BOTSWANA AND BEYOND SAFARI      

Quietly cruising along reed lined channels and floodplains, you will enjoy the spectacular landscape of this unique region during the tranquil transfer taking you deeper inside the Delta. You will spend two safari days exploring this beautiful area with mokoro excursions and guided nature walks on the islands and floodplains of the Okavango.

The main attractions of the Okavango Panhandle, a narrow strip of swampland that extends for about 100km from Etsha 13 to the Namibian border, are bird watching and fishing. In the panhandle, the waters spread across the valley on either side to form vast reed beds and papyrus-choked lagoons. The Okavango Panhandle is the main watercourse supplying the Okavango Delta. The Panhandle is a stretch of approximately 70km of the Okavango River from where the river enters Botswana until it fans out.

There are 500 recorded bird species which is attracted to the Okavango Panhandle because of the abundance of fish in this Panhandle. Between August and October there is a barbel run whereby the barbels swims in their thousands upstream, a very unique phenomenon. The Wildlife like the Hippopotamus and crocodile are more thinly spread.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in the Panhandle; (However, the bird watching in this area is also first class, with rarities such as African skimmers and Pel's fishing owls as well as a host of egrets, storks, kingfishers and warblers).

Botswana’s tourism capital lies on the southern fringes of the Okavango Delta, and still, despite recent modernisations, carries the feeling of a dusty, frontier town. For many tourists, Maun is the point of entry into the Delta, and often into Botswana, with direct flights from both Johannesburg and Gaborone. You will overnight in a mid-range lodge to pass to the delta.

Frequently, the ‘people’ side of the Okavango is overlooked, with tourists merely using Maun as a transit point to embark for the Delta. However, exploring the traditional villages along the western fringes of the Delta, in the panhandle area, is worth the time and effort, and for many tourists, becomes a real highlight of their travels in Botswana.

The next day we spend a full day in the bush on a game drive. Departing after a full breakfast we take our 4x4 and drive through the wilderness area of the Passarge Valley, spotting a variety of game that frequent this region that borders CKGR. Picnic- lunch will be in the wilderness area under the shade of trees. 

This is a long valley with many pans and several campsites. Approaching from the east, it's easily reached from Leopard Pan by finding the junction of tracks to the north of the pan, and heading north from there. Initially the landscape is quite a thick mixture of small trees and bushes; typical Kalahari sand veld. Then after about 13km you'll find an old green sign saying: 'Passarge Valley. Help keep this valley pristine by staying on the track', and gradually you descend into a valley with a more open landscape of more grassland now heading southwest.

The remoteness of this region, along with its climate and undulating terrain, has kept the environment in immaculate condition and as a result, any visit is richly rewarded with some of the finest African wilderness experiences. The geology of the Passarge Valley provides optimal grazing for Kalahari game, who gather in large herds and attract a variety of predators, including cheetah, lion, leopard and brown hyena; each of whom fight for supremacy at the top of the food chain.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in the Passarge Valley; (But the wildlife activity doesn’t just exist on the ground, there is plenty going on in the sky: Montague’s harrier, pygmy falcon and steppe eagle can often be seen wheeling in the skies and rarer sightings include the endangered lapped-face vulture).

This is one Africa biggest sanctuaries. We travel to the north of the reserve to Deception Valley. Our private campsite is our base to explore a tiny piece of this vast wilderness. It is home to the famous black-maned Kalahari Lions and the open grasslands support good densities of Cheetah. Herds of Oryx can be seen laid up in shade during the day, adapted perfectly to their desert environment.

The name ‘Deception’ stems from the dry surface of the pan that crafts a mirage, making it seem as though it is full of water - but only until you reach its edge, when this illusion stops. Occasionally some of the wildlife can be just as deceptive. But, despite its seeming hostility, wooded dunes and mature shrubs and trees line the valley and support wildlife all year round, even when the surface waters become non-existent. When the rains arrive, fresh verdant grass and thousands of animals appear on what was previously the hard, sun-baked earth of the Kalahari Desert.

Deception Valley is a long, broad valley running roughly north–south; it's thought to be the bed of a fossil river, in Botswana's Ghanzi region. During and after good rains this is carpeted in green grass that attracts dense concentrations of game. It's the park's most famous location, and where Mark and Delia Owens lived.

 During the rainy season the grass in the valley tends to be lush and green, attracting thousands of animals. Unlike most of the landscape of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Deception Valley is a grassy area and lies between wooded dunes. The habitat provides for the wildlife in the area all year round, including the dry season when there is no surface water.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in the Deception Valley; Although Deception Valley also has a rich abundance of bird species ranging from lilac-breasted roller and red-headed finch to rock kestrel and Martial eagle, the wildlife spectacles are accentuated by the stunning landscape of golden grass, rolling mounds and sculpted trees.

Makgadikgadi Pan is a large salt pan in the middle of the dry savannah of north eastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger than Switzerland, but dried up several thousand years ago.

 The landscape of the Makgadikgadi pans is often described as looking like the surface of the moon. These are the remains of a great lake that once covered most of northern Botswana, fed by rivers carrying salts filtered from the lake's catchment area. Because the basin had no outlet, the salts were concentrated in low lying areas. Less than 10,000 years ago, climactic changes caused the lake to evaporate, leaving only salt deposits, creating the wondrous area we now know as the Makgadikgadi Pans.

After the rains, from April to November, herds of zebra and blue wildebeest migrate westwards to the Boteti River, creating one of the biggest migration spectacles in Africa. Temperatures during this time are warm and pleasant during the day, but mightily cold at night. From

November to March, the rains fall on Makgadikgadi, filling the salt pans with a layer of water and making instant mud. Often roads become impassable and game drives can't take place, which is why we recommend visiting in winter when it’s dry. The birdlife is abundant during the rainy season. Thousands of flamingos arrive to breed on the southern edges of Sua Pan. Pelicans and waterfowl congregate more towards the northern edge.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in Makgadikgadi; (ducks, geese, flamingos, waterfowl and Great White Pelicans).

After having morning quick shower and breakfast, we pack to heard to Nata. Sua Pan is one of the pans which make up Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. It lies between the Ntwetwe Pan and the main Francistown-Nata Road. Nata Bird Sanctuary is part of Sua Pan. It is not within a National Park but was proclaimed a conservancy in 1992 and is run by the community.

The Nata Bird Sanctuary is a community managed reserve on the Sowa pan where bird life and wildlife is protected. In the dry season (May to October), it’s possible to drive around the sanctuary in a 2WD with high clearance, though it’s best to enquire about the condition of the tracks before entering. During the rainy season, however, a 4WD is essential. The entrance to the sanctuary is 15km southeast of Nata.

The pans were formed millions of years ago when they were part of an inland lake. When the rivers changed their course, the lake dried up. Nowadays, the pans fill up only during the rainy season. The great draw of the sanctuary is during the rainy season when flamingos and pelicans come to nest and breed on the pan. And, of course, there are lots of other water birds to be found there.

 The Sowa pan forms a part of the Makgadikgadi Pans. You will experience the magnificent vast open space of the salt pans driving towards the lookout point and with luck you will find the flamingos that come to breed in the winter. It is one of the greatest breeding sites for lesser and greater flamingos in the world.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in Nata; It's at its best in the wet season when the sanctuary becomes a haven for Cape and Hottentot teals, white and pink-backed pelicans and greater, lesser flamingo, stilts, Korhaan’s, bustards and spoonbills amongst others.

Today's journey takes us out of the ancient lake bed and Kalahari basin, through the teak forests that make up the north eastern part of Botswana. For a long part of the journey we will follow in the footsteps of famous missionary and explorer Dr David Livingstone.  We spend the next two nights camping in a wilderness camp-site near the Chobe River, exploring the riverbanks and surrounding flood plains on game drives. On this part of the trip you will also enjoy a beautiful Chobe Boat Cruise.

The Chobe National Park is one of Africa’s finest game sanctuaries. Situated in the far north of Botswana, Chobe encompasses a wide variety of diverse habitats offering extreme contrasts and is home to a breath-taking variety of animals and birds.

The Chobe River Front is famous for its abundance of elephants, the highest concentration of elephants to be found anywhere in the world.

Chobe is also famous for its huge herds of Buffalo, for its rich birdlife and for its exquisite sunsets, a wildlife experience not to be missed.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in Chobe; (Half Collared and Giant Kingfisher, African Finfoot, Grey-headed Gull, Coqui Francolin, Three-banded Courser, White-crowned Lapwing, White-backed night Heron and Rosy-throated Longclaw, African Fish Eagle, Martial Eagle).

David Livingstone is believed to be the first explorer to have discovered Victoria Falls; in 1860 he spread the word about his travels to Victoria Falls. With so much enthusiasm and passion about Victoria Falls the area became a popular tourist.

Today, Victoria Falls is a still a popular holiday destination for honeymooners, families and couple.

Victoria Falls has been called “the greatest known curtain of falling water” – and it is a truly spectacular site to see. Victoria Falls borders on Zambia and Zimbabwe, and can be viewed from vast distances from both sides. Columns of spray can be felt from miles away as 546 million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge at the height of the flood season over a width of nearly 2 km (1708 m) into a deep gorge, over 100 meters below. The spray flowing above the falls at Victoria Falls can sometimes be seen over 5 km away.

Victoria Falls thunders over the wide basalt cliff, and transform the Zambezi River from a wide placid river to a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges. Another sheer wall of basalt faces Victoria Falls, and rises to the same height.

This creates a virtual ‘rain forest’ as the mist gathers to drench the surrounding trees and vegetation. This Zimbabwean National Park is located 23.4 km in the north western part of Zimbabwe and covers a large part of the Zambezi River. This part of Victoria Falls is found in the Zambezi National Park and is characterised by a flourishing rainforest with palms, liana vines and magnificent trees.

Victoria Falls has the most beautiful weather all year round, with most days containing 8 hours of sunshine. During summer (November to March) the weather can become unpredictable; the rainy months bring the most water to the falls making Victoria Falls even more magnificent. Victoria Falls has the least amount of water flow in November and the most around July and the weather is the best over the early months in the year.

The best time for bird watching is during the rainy season from November through to April. During a time of year when other game viewing isn’t at its best, the bird life thrives against a beautiful and luscious backdrop.

Migratory birds have all returned and you’ll get to see many birds with their full breeding plumage – a special sight to behold. However, even the winter months offer a memorable birding experience, with large eagles and other birds of prey becoming more conspicuous, and gracing us with their fascinating courtship displays.

Possible Sighting & Targeted Birds in Vic Falls; (Some distinct birds you almost guaranteed to see include the African Darter, the Goliath Heron and a variety of kingfishers including the Giant and Pied. You might also be lucky enough to spot the rarer African Fin foot, Rock Pratincoles and the Allen’s Gallinule).

Today is your last day in Botswana. Enjoy your final morning activities followed by a leisurely breakfast before being collected at the camp and transferred through to the airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Maun International Airport, where you board your connecting flight back home.