Botswana & Victoria Falls Combination Safari

Arrive at Maun Airport where you will be met by one of the team members and escorted to the light air charter plane or vehicle to take you to camp. On arrival, you will be greeted by your host and guide, before being settled into Camp Kalahari. The camp is nestled among the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyaena Island, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, adjacent to the Makgadikgadi-Nxai Pans National Park, Botswana.

A thatched central library, living and dining area featuring an eclectic mix of original African furniture and textiles provide the perfect area in which to relax and enjoy the serenity of this enchanting area. Cool off in the swimming pool or enjoy a siesta in the thatched pavilion!

Head off after tea in the beautiful afternoon light, for an introductory ride – primarily to match horse and rider but also your first opportunity to experience the beauty of this magical area. Return to the camp for sundowners around the fire followed by dinner, before the lions of the Kalahari commence their nightly prowling.

Up with the dawn, a light breakfast is followed by a long morning ride through the “land of a thousand islands”. Stranded on the ancient lake-bed, these sand dunes covered in palm trees are one of the most beautiful and fascinating areas of the Botswana wilderness. The white encrusted pans between the islands provides excellent going for the horses, but if there has been a lot of rain then many of these areas will be full of water attracting several species of migratory water birds. Head back to Camp Kalahari in time for a refreshing shower and lunch.

Rest through the heat of the day in the welcome shade of the camel thorn trees or cool off in the camp swimming pool. After tea, head off to see some unique desert species such as springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest and the elusive brown hyena; these consummate desert specialists survive in arid areas where both food and water are scarce.

Optional excursion – quad biking experience into the desert and possible sleep out if time allows.

After breakfast, drive through the bush to the traditionally built Bushmen village; where the community gathers during the day. The huts provide shelter from the harsh Kalahari environment but are not the community’s permanent accommodation. On arrival, the elders of the community will meet you in a traditional manner after which you will walk out into the bush with the men, women and children. The focus of the walk will be to provide a gentle introduction to the Kalahari and Bushmen way of life. The group will point out the distinct ecological characteristics of this area and its animal and bird species. Spontaneous gathering and discussions about the uses of plants and wildlife by your Bushmen guides provide the link between culture and wild environment that we seek to offer our guests.

Time for one more lunch before you bid farewell in preparation for your onward flight to Macatoo Camp.

The flight is a spectacular experience in itself as it offers an eagle’s eye view of the desert and Okavango Delta. A safari vehicle (or one of the local ‘mokoro’ boats depending on the time of year) will be waiting for you at the airstrip to whisk you away on your first 45-minute game drive back to Macatoo Camp. On arrival, you will be handed an ice-cold drink and introduced to the staff before being shown to your tented accommodation.

After settling in, you will be offered afternoon tea and homemade cake during a briefing from your guide, before heading to the barn for your first chance to mount up (if time allows). Evening rides are shorter and deliberately taken at a slower pace to let you enjoy the sunsets and make the most of those Kodak moments provided by the extensive wildlife. After a hot shower, drinks and snacks are served in the comfortable mess tent before sitting down to a delicious alfresco dinner set by the fire.

If you aren’t woken by the dawn chorus then you will receive a gentle wake-up call and a steaming cup of tea or coffee, from the comfort of your room. A light breakfast is served around the cozy campfire to prepare you the day’s adventure.

Your morning ride will vary depending on the season but could involve some long canters across the dried flood plains, swimming through floodwaters or navigating the tall grasses in search of giraffe, zebra, antelope, elephant, buffalo – and any other surprises you can find.

Back at camp a hearty lunch will be served daily. This proves incredibly popular after all those miles in the saddle and is often accompanied by a glass of wine to lead you nicely into an afternoon siesta before tea and the evening ride or evening game drives. The afternoon rides are slower allowing you to take time absorbing the Delta’s magic and listening to the sounds of the bush and the snorting and splashing of the horses. Enjoy Africa’s ‘golden hour’ where the wonderful afternoon light sets the landscape alight with beautiful colours. Sundowners are often enjoyed out in the bush before heading back to camp to freshen up before dinner.

After waking up to yet another glorious African morning, and sipping on a mug of something hot, you will be impatient to jump on. Taking a new direction, encounter new scenery and the exciting opportunity to see a different combination of game. Enjoy picking up the pace and keep up with some of the larger animals such as giraffe or zebra.

After lunch, if you don’t fancy a siesta, then read, watch the wildlife go by from your tent deck, or enjoy the camp pool – an ideal place to cool down and escape the midday heat. After afternoon treats of homemade cakes or scones, you have the option to swap an evening ride for some sunset fishing off the boat, or from the banks of a pool often home to the odd wallowing hippo (water levels depending). A game drive, accompanied walk or boat rides – depending on the time of year – are also available for those wanting time away from the safari horses or for non-riding partners and guests. No two days are the same and every day is a different adventure out across a new and intriguing landscape.

Again you will ride through a variety of landscapes, passing clouds of bushman hair grass to plains dotted with fig trees. You might encounter giraffe or shyer antelope while passing through mopane woodlands. When you hit the flood plains, your pace can pick up as you embrace that feeling of freedom which can only be felt on the back of a horse.

The afternoon offers the possibility of hiring a helicopter for the flight-of-a-lifetime over the Delta (at an extra cost) or finish off the day with a night game drive to find those glinting eyes with the spotlight and seek out game harder to see in the daylight, such as leopard and hyena. Afternoons are also the perfect opportunity for a tranquil ride in a mekoro, the traditional way of traversing the glittering, lily-lined lagoons and waterways. It is a chance too, to venture out on foot to appreciate the smaller creatures that inhabit the bush – or to learn some rudimentary tracking skills. Enjoy an evening around the fire before dinner under the stars.

One final morning in paradise you will have time for a leisurely breakfast before hopping into the vehicle for a game drive to the airstrip. A picnic lunch will be provided to keep you going before you set foot back into life outside this watery paradise.  You will have a light air charter flight to Kasane Airport.

At Kasane, you will be met for a cross-border road transfer to Ursula’s Homestead – This takes around 1.5 hours plus border crossing. Crossing the border is a true authentic African experience! Your driver will help direct you on where to go and what to do.

Over tea, coffee, you will have a safety briefing and horses will be allocated according to abilities and preferences. Once you’re mounted up and orientation is finished, you set off with your guides for a leisurely evening ride (if time allows)

The lodge is situated in the Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve and your ride will often begin with tracking last night’s elephant tracks or rhino tracks.  Your guides will impress with their abilities to read the tracks, and excitement builds as you head off through the vegetation to see what wildlife you can spot!

Get back to the lodge in time for a wonderfully cool glass of wine or gin and tonic before dinner at either Ursula’s Homestead or the sister lodge, the Stanely and Livingstone.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast before mounting up for a long morning ride into the Zambezi National Park. Heading for the river you will ride across diverse habitats including grasslands, forests and rivers which are the idyllic environments for scenic game viewing experiences.  Depending on the season you may see elephant, buffalo, kudu, impala, bushbuck, waterbuck, banded mongoose and warthog. But remember, no game is guaranteed – your ride is more about riding in an amazing wilderness area.

Return to Ursula’s Homestead for lunch and an hour or two of relaxation before heading out on horseback again. Perhaps you spend the afternoon on a rhino search or just enjoying the scenery. When you get back to the lodge, enjoy a cooling swim or chill in the outdoor relaxation area before dinner (option to book dinner at the Stanley Livingstone Boutique Hotel, book a private outdoor dinner, or dine at the lodge – the choice is yours)

This morning,  you’ll ride through beautiful landscapes with lovely sand tracks and wide grassy areas, which are calling out for long canters and faster riding. Traverse rugged hills with stunning views and open vleis bordered by magnificent trees. Your guide will help you spot the birds and wildlife that is often hidden until trained eyes point them out. Birds and other wildlife abound, of all colours, shapes and sizes. You will also learn many of the traditional uses of plants and trees, basic principles of tracking, and aspects of traditional village life.

After brunch, transfer to Victoria Falls town and explore the rainforests and the wonders of the Falls themselves.  Victoria Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, and a tourism destination of note. The primary attraction, the Victoria Falls themselves, need little introduction, but you can also undertake a wealth of activities – Sunset boat trips, paragliding, helicopter flips and ziplining are just a few of the highlights. In the evening, take a game drive in this wonderful private game reserve.

Rising with the sun you will head out to meet the horses for a long morning ride through beautiful scenery, keeping an eye out for game and enjoying a last long canter. After returning to the lodge for brunch and a quick shower, you will bid a sad farewell to your faithful steed and guides, before being transferred back to the airport for your flight out. (If you have an early flight, you will not be able to go on the final ride)