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17 Days from$6575 p/p in USD -
DeparturesYear Round
Destinations
Botswana, Zambia, Namibia,
Tour Type
Guided
Safari Standard
Mid Range
Tour Overview
The Livingstone Birding Trail is our most popular birding safari and with good reason – it visits some incredible locations including the Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans and Moremi Game Reserve. Boat cruises are included on the Okavango and the Chobe River. Starting in Maun – the gateway to the Okavango Delta – we go on to visit Lake Ngami, the south-western most ‘lake’ of the Okavango before heading north to its panhandle. The tour also takes in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, Victoria Falls and Choma in Zambia before heading back into Botswana where we visit Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and Moremi Game Reserve.
General Information
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Safari types:Birding Safari, Camping Safari, Guided Safari
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You will visit:Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Pans NP, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Lake Ngami, Mahango Game Reserve, Caprivi Strip (Zambezi Region), Katima Mulilo, Victoria Falls, Choma
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Wildlife:Birds, Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, Hyena, Roan, Antelope
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Activities:Game Drive, Walking Safari, Boat Cruise
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Getting around:Transfer Vehicle
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Start/end:Start/end in Maun
Highlights
- Lake Ngami’s birding wonderland
- Panhandle of the Okavango Delta
- Caprivi specials
- Zambia and the Victoria Falls
- Miombo woodlands of Nkanfa River Conservancy
- The dramatic Chobe National Park, Magkadigkadi Pans & Moremi Game Reserve
- Birding on the fringes of the Okavango Delta
Outline Itinerary
- 1 night Lake Ngami, Letaka Tented Camp
- 2 nights Pan Handle, Letaka Tented Camp
- 2 nights Katima Mulilo, Lodge accommodation
- 2 nights Livingstone, Lodge accommodation
- 2 nights Choma, Lodge accommodation
- 2 nights Kasane, Lodge accommodation
- 1 night Nata, Lodge accommodation
- 1 night Maun, Lodge accommodation
- 3 nights Moremi Game Reserve, Letaka Tented Camp
Price Per Person – USD
From USD 6,905 per person
What's Included
- Accommodation
- Meals as per itinerary
- Park entry fees (except Vic Falls)
- Excursions stated
- Transfers
- Border fees
What's Excluded
- International return flights
- Gratuities for guides and staff
- Items of a personal nature
- Any applicable visa fees
- Optional excursions
- Travel/medical insurance
Disclaimer
- This itinerary is owned and delivered by ‘Letaka Safaris‘
- All prices are ‘From’ and may vary at the time of booking
- Display price is usually based on two people sharing
- ‘Letaka Safaris‘ reserves the right to change the content and price of the itinerary
- All itineraries are subject to availability
Day by Day Overview
We whisk you away from the airport in the frontier town of Maun and our private camp at Lake Ngami. This spectacular venue produces birds in astounding quantities and will get our birding experience off to a flying start. (Black-tailed Godwit, Greater & Lesser Flamingo, Great White & Pink-backed Pelican, White-backed Duck, Lesser Jacana, Pririt Batis)
Our next destination is close to the northern border of Botswana and Namibia. From our camp we will explore the panhandle on boat and foot. This is our number one spot for Pel’s Fishing Owl and Narina Trogon and a fair amount of our time is devoted to finding these impressive birds. (White-backed Night-Heron, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Black-faced Babbler, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Narina Trogon, Western Banded Snake-Eagle, African Skimmer)
We cross the border into Namibia and drive through the Mahango Game Reserve which is renowned for its population of Roan Antelope as well as its diverse and abundant birdlife. Moving into the Caprivi proper we head east through the teak woodlands birding on the way to our lodge on the Zambezi River. Meaning ‘dim the fire’ Katima Mulilo is home to one of the more spectacular birds on our list, the Schalow’s Turaco. From our hotel here we explore the surrounding area looking for the Turaco and other specials in the area. (Rufous-bellied Tit, Racket-tailed Roller, Sharp-tailed Starling, Purple-banded Sunbird, Copper Sunbird, Wood Owl, Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Schalow’s Turaco, Giant Kingfisher, Racket-tailed Roller, Rock Pratincole, Shelley’s Sunbird, African Finfoot)
From the Caprivi we head east into Zambia towards the mighty Mosi-oa-Tunya (Smoke that Thunders) which is the local name for the Victoria Falls. The riparian forest along the Zambezi provides some good birding in this area. (Trumpeter Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Verreaux’s Eagle, Taita Falcon, Narina Trogon, Olive Woodpecker)
We leave Livingstone at dawn for the drive to Choma and the Nkanga River Conservancy, stronghold of Zambia’s only true endemic, the Chaplin’s Barbet. Miombo birding here is also excellent. (Chaplin’s (Zambian) Barbet, Souza’s Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, Red-faced Crimsonwing, Spotted Creeper, Miombo Pied Barbet)
Leaving Zambia we re-enter Botswana and head Kasane which borders the renowned Chobe National Park where 60,000 elephants and countless birds make their home. Birding in and around the Chobe is diverse and rewarding throughout the year. (Collared Palm-Thrush, Bronze Mannikin, Orange-winged Pytilia, Racket-tailed Roller, African Finfoot, African Skimmer, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Brown Firefinch)
Our next leg takes us south into typical semi-arid Kalahari habitat. The highlight is the vast Sowa Pan adjoining the Nata Bird Sanctuary. (Greater & Lesser Flamingo, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Montagu’s Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Abdim’s Stork, Marsh Owl).
We leave the Pans in the morning and head west to Maun where we get to our lodge around lunch time. Afternoon at leisure whilst your guide changes over vehicles for the Moremi Game Reserve expedition. There is some good riverine and woodland birding from the lodge grounds. (White-backed Duck, Lesser Jacana, Bat Hawk, Kalahari Scrub-robin, Purple Roller)
Our final destination is the Moremi Game Reserve on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta. The diverse habitat in this reserve provides excellent birding and great wildlife experiences all in pristine wilderness areas. (Rufous-bellied Heron, Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret, Black Coucal, Swamp Nightjar, Malachite Kingfisher)
We drive back to Maun where our adventure ends. Fly back to Johannesburg for onward connectioins.
Key to Itinerary Codes
FB/TC – Full Board in Letaka Safari Tented Camp with fully serviced en-suite tented accommodation. This includes all meals, snacks, local beverages.
FB/HL – Full Board in a lodge or hotel. This includes dinner, bed and breakfast at the lodge or hotel with picnic lunch. Mineral water is included, all other drinks are excluded.
Please note
- Itinerary may be subject to change without notice depending on local conditions
- Full medical & travel insurance is mandatory
- Be aware that Yellow Fever certificates are required by South Africa for any travllers who have been through Zambia
