GRSTRX Hyena Safari 2018

Chobe ~ Sioma ~ Liuwa Plains ~ Victoria Falls

Hyena Safari

A 14-day Camping Safari adventure

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

The Hyena Safari

Prepare yourself for a true safari adventure as you explore the remote and beautiful Liuwa Plain National Park in western Zambia. This seldom visited park offers some of the best hyena sightings in the whole of Africa along with the largest wildebeest migration in southern Africa. Witness this spectacle as the wildebeest move from Angola to the Liuwa Plains of Zambia. Visit Chobe National Park before heading north through small villages, teak forests, and the Zambian countryside.

We are offering only one departure date (Nov 14, 2020) for this unique safari. Minimum of 6 clients to guarantee departure. You can choose to extend your safari for 4 more days and continue onto Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve, ending in Maun.

This safari is a "participation mobile camping safari" because guests "participate" by setting up their own tent, carrying their luggage from the vehicle to the tent, and sleeping on a mattress pad (not a bed or cot). The safari runs with one vehicle and a trailer to haul all the supplies as you move from camp to camp. Many guests will also pitch in with the cooking, though this is not required. Each safari is accompanied by a professional guide and a camp assistant who will ensure your safari is safe, educational, and fun.

SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS

• Sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River • 2 days in Chobe National Park area • 5 days in Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia • 2 days at Sioma Waterfall, Zambia • 3 days at Victoria Falls, Zambia •

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

Days 1-2 | Chobe National Park | Camping

This safari expedition starts in Kasane, Botswana. On arrival in Kasane your guide will give you a full safari briefing over lunch and then enjoy a game drive into the park and set up camp. The next day you will enjoy a morning game drive and an afternoon sunset boat cruise along the Chobe River.

The Chobe River is famous for its large herds of elephant and buffalo. Near the end of the dry season the river provides the only permanent water source and so attracts enormous numbers of animals. Thousands of zebra, impala, and buffalo migrate to the river for water and grazing. Breeding herds of elephants visit the river to drink and bathe. Seeing an elephant family come to drink at the river's edge while a red sun slowly descends to the horizon is a sight that will last a lifetime.

Overnights | Camping in Chobe National Park Included Meals | Lunch, Dinner Activities | Game drives and boat cruise

Day 3: Mango Tree Road, Zambia | Wild Camping

Today our journey to Liuwa Plains begins. After a very early start you will travel from Botswana through Namibia, stopping shortly in Katima Mulilo to get some fresh supplies and then into Zambia (visa required). After crossing seemingly endless teak forests, you will descend onto the Zambezi floodplains and travel along the beautiful and picturesque Mango Tree Road which will lead you north to Kalabo. Beautiful Zambian villages are the highlight of this journey. At the end of the day you set up camp in the forest to camp wild with bush ablutions.

Days 4-8 | Liuwa Plain National Park | Wild Bush Camping

You will rise with the sun and have an early breakfast before continuing your journey to Liuwa Plain National Park. With few roads, facilities, or visitors, a safari to Liuwa Plains is a true adventure. During this time of the year the wildebeest migrate from the Kameia National Park in Angola to the Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia. Thousands of wildebeest can be seen making this journey in search for palatable grass and following them are the kings of Liuwa plains, the hyena. The birdlife is also exceptional in this area. The next 5 days will be spent exploring this National Park during morning and afternoon game drives. Wild camping with bush ablutions.

Liuwa Plain National Park is located in the upper floodplains of the Zambezi River, protecting 1400 sq miles of vast open grasslands dotted with islands of palm trees. This special place has a long history of conservation, starting in the late 19th century when the King of Barotseland designated the area as a game reserve. The national park was created in 1972.

Each year the park displays one of Africa’s great wildlife spectacles, the second largest wildebeest migration on the continent. During the dry season (June-Oct) the thousands of wildebeest disperse into the woodlands of Angola. With the arrival of the rains, the wildebeest move from Angola onto the Liuwa Plains for fresh grazing and to drop their calves. November is an ideal time to witness the congregation of many thousands of wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo. You’ll think you’re in the Serengeti (though with far fewer visitors) as the endless plains are full of wildlife.

The Liuwa Plains are also home to a healthy population of hyenas, with large numbers congregating around their dens. For decades lions were virtually extinct in the park, but due to reintroductions the lion population is rebounding. Wild dogs and cheetahs can also be found hunting on the plains. Bird numbers rival those of the wildebeest. Keep an eye out for the endangered Wattled Cranes and large flocks of Grey Crowded Cranes. Pelicans, Grey Herons, Saddle-Billed and Marabou Storks, Pygmy Geese and even Slaty Egrets are frequently ~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

seen in the wetlands. Others to keep a look out for include Rosy-Breasted Longclaw, Pink-Billed Lark, White-Cheeked Bee-Eater, Martial Eagle and Fish Eagle, and the threatened Black- Winged Pranticole.

Overnights | Camping in Liuwa Plain National Park Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Game Drives

Day 9 | Mango Tree Road, Zambia | Wild Camping

You will leave Liuwa Plains National Park after an early morning drive and retrace your journey back along Mango Tree Road. Wild camping with bush ablutions.

Overnight | Camping along the Mango Tree Road Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Drive through the Zambian countryside

Days 10-11 | Sioma Falls, Zambia | Camping

This morning there will be time to visit the local market in Kalabo. You will then head south toward the Sioma Falls on the Zambezi River. Sioma Falls (also known as Ngonye Falls) are, next to Victoria Falls, the most breath-taking waterfalls in southern Africa. The horseshoe-shaped falls are mostly impressive because of the sheer volume of water that cascades over the staggered sixty-foot drop. An interesting characteristic of this area is the Zambezi flows underneath the rock on either side of the falls. It is quite remarkable to stand upon them, feeling and hearing the river flow beneath your feet. Very few tourists venture to these pristine falls. The next two days will be spent exploring the falls, with a picnic lunch by the falls and swimming in the mighty Zambezi. Camping is at a designated campsite with permanent ablutions.

Overnights | Camping at Sioma Falls

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Market visits & exploration of Sioma Falls

Days 12-13 | Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | Comfortable Lodge

After descending the road along the western bank of the Zambezi, we cross the river and arrive in Livingstone, Zambia. You will spend the next 2 nights staying at a comfortable lodge. There will be time to visit the thunderous Victoria Falls or enjoy one of the many activities on offer in Livingstone and Victoria Falls and shop for curios.

The Victoria Falls is created by the Zambezi River which forms the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe. In the local Kololo language it is known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “The Smoke that Thunders”. The name says it all for when the river is high the Falls are at their most magnificent as the towering column of spray and thunder of cascading water can be heard miles away.

What makes the Falls so stunning is not only the sheer volume of water flowing over it (550,000 cubic meters every minute), but also its incredible breadth. Where the river meets the cliff, the Falls is over a mile wide making it the longest curtain of water on the planet. This water tumbling across such a long expanse falls over 300 feet before crashing into the canyon below, creating what is considered one of the natural wonders of the world. Victoria Falls is a National Park and a World Heritage Site.

Through millions of years of erosion, the Zambezi River has created a series of waterfalls, each slightly upstream of the previous one. The present Victoria Falls will eventually give way to a new waterfall. This process is already starting at the Devil's Cataract on the Zimbabwe side. Evidence of the previous waterfalls can be seen in the zig-zagging gorges downstream of today's Victoria Falls.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

Activities in Livingstone include white water rafting down the Zambezi Gorge, canoeing or sunset cruises on the upper Zambezi, elephant rides, and helicopter flights over the Victoria Falls. Or just simply walking along the Falls and enjoying the view! From the Livingstone side of the Falls there’s a hiking trail leading down to the Boiling Pot, where the Zambezi exits the gorge at the base of the Falls.

We are happy to arrange post-tour accommodation, activities and transfers to Livingstone airport or lodges, Victoria Falls airport or lodges or Kasane, Botswana, at an additional cost.

Overnights | Comfortable Lodge, Victoria Falls Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Optional Victoria Falls visit and activities

Day 14 | Departure

Today you’ll be transferred to the Victoria Falls Airport for your departing flight. If you’d prefer, you can add extra nights for more time to explore the Victoria Falls area (additional costs). Please inform GrassTrack Safaris if you’d like to extend your stay. The safari officially ends at 10h00 on Day 14.

Meals | Breakfast ~ End of Services for Standard Safari ~

OPTIONAL EXTENSION (4 Nights/5 Days)

You may choose to extend your safari for another 5 days, continuing south from Victoria Falls through Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve. The extension ends in Maun on Dec 1, 2020.

Days 14-15 | Chobe National Park | Wild Bush Camping

You will depart early from Victoria Falls and re-enter Botswana and drive through Kasane where we will resupply for the next 4 days in Botswana's famous National Parks. You will enjoy an afternoon game drive along the Chobe River. The next day you will leave northern Chobe and head south to the arid region of Savute where bull elephants dot the plains. Camping will be in designated campsites with bush ablutions.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

Unlike the vast majority of the country, Savute is not flat landscape. Large outcrops of volcanic rock reach up out of the Kalahari sands, towering over the endless savannah. These hills provide habitat for a completely different array of small wildlife, birds and plants. The Savute Marsh has been the stage for many of the most dramatic wildlife documentaries in Africa. The wide-open country, good ungulate populations and particularly strong prides of lion and hyena clans make for dramatic wildlife interaction and excellent viewing opportunities. The area is inhabited by a huge pride of lions with numbers fluctuating from 20-30 members. These remarkable lions have learned over the years how to hunt elephants! Launching their attack under darkness and using their numbers, they manage to kill adolescent and even young adult elephant.

Game drives in the early morning as the sun rises and in the late afternoon as the sun sets will be the norm. After your morning game drive, you will return to camp for lunch and a siesta. Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions.

Overnights | Camping in Chobe National Park Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Game Drives

Days 16-17 | Moremi Game Reserve | Wild Bush Camping

You will rise with the sun and head south east to Moremi Game Reserve, one of the best wilderness areas of Botswana which covers swamp and dry areas. The next two nights will be spent searching for the wide variety of wildlife and birds that this area is renowned for while absorbing the sounds and beauty of this region. Camping will be in private designated campsites with bush ablutions.

Moremi is on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta and protects vast areas of swamps, lagoons, floodplains, woodlands, and savannah. As a result of the extremely variable habitat the diversity of both wildlife and birdlife is excellent. This is superb lion and elephant territory and one of the best places in Africa of seeing the rare African painted dog. Other wildlife includes leopard, giraffe, buffalo, cheetah, warthog, and a wide variety of antelopes. Bring your ~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

binoculars as Moremi is home to nearly 400 species of birds, from the ostrich to the colorful Lilac-breasted Roller.

Overnights | Camping in Moremi Game Reserve Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities | Game Drives

Day 18 | Departure

Today you’ll be transferred to the Maun Airport for your departing flight. If you’d prefer, you can add extra nights for more time to explore southern Africa (additional costs). Please inform GrassTrack Safaris if you’d like to extend your stay. The safari officially ends at 10h00 on Day 18.

Meals | Breakfast ~ End of Services for Extended Safari ~

2020 SAFARI RATES

Hyena Safari (Nov 14-27, 2020): $3175.00 per person

Hyena Safari, extended (Nov 14 – Dec 1, 2020) $3780.00 per person

Single Supplement: $145.00

Minimum of 6 guests must be booked on this trip to confirm departure (max 10 guests)

Rates subject to change due to exchange rate fluctuation or any unforeseen price increase. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required to confirm booking.

Please contact us for availability and current rates

Optional Safari Extensions: We can assist with any pre-/post- safari extensions to other destinations in Botswana or southern Africa. Please contact us for further information.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

INCLUDED EXCLUDED

• Accommodation as specified in • All international flights and departure itinerary. taxes. • Dome style tents with mattress • Entry visas. (sleeping pad). • Travel insurance (required). • Services of a professional guide and • Accommodation not specified in the camp assistant. itinerary (i.e. pre-night in Kasane). • Transport in customized safari vehicles. • Victoria Falls entry fee. • Camping in private campsites within • Optional activities/excursions. the national parks and reserves. • Staff gratuities. • Lodge accommodation in Victoria • Beverages (alcohol, soft drinks), Falls. • Meals in Victoria Falls. • All entrance fees and camping fees • Sleeping bag/pillow within national parks and reserves. • Airport transfers. • Meals, water/tea/coffee only, as • Items of personal nature and toiletries. specified in itinerary (rate does not • Increases in park fees. include any other beverages). • All activities as specified in the itinerary.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

Safari Vehicles & Camping Gear

All safaris are equipped with the luxuries required for travel comfort and peaceful relaxation (custom-built safari vehicles, a mobile kitchen serving good wholesome food with an African flavor and ice-cold drinks for that tropical sundowner) while still maintaining the exhilarating spirit of the adventurous traveler. All vehicles are customized, tough, reliable Safari Land Cruisers. Vehicles are extra wide with more seating space and have:

1 Folding windscreen, 2 Removable canvas roof, 3 Perspex windows for the cold and rain, 4 Fridge for cold beverages, 5 Folding side door, 6 Comfortable coil spring suspension, 7 120L water tank with tap, 8 Open sides for unobstructed views, 9 Chair box for easy access, 10 Easy modular packing system – saves time, 11 Folding side table complete with full kitchen behind.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH

The tents are large and comfortable, the showers and bush toilets are private and clean. Meals are served in a tranquil setting next to the campfire in the African bush and are prepared on the open fire by the camp assistant. Our custom designed vehicles and trailers are ideally suited for photographic safaris in the African bush.

~ GrassTrack Safaris ~ [email protected] |603.443.0155 | www.grasstracksafaris.com Dan Hopkins | Lebanon NH