TRAVEL INFORMATION

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Date: Tuesday, 1 September 2020 Email: [email protected] Property of: Safari Guru Pty Ltd Telephone: (+61) 0427 782 226 CONTENTS

OKAVANGO DELTA OVERVIEW...... 3 UNDERSTANDING THE DESTINATION...... 3 • Land / Dry Camps...... 3 • Water / Wet Camps...... 3 WHERE TO STAY...... 4 1. Sandibe / Chitabe Reserve...... 4 2. Abu Reserve...... 4 3. Jao Reserve...... 5 4. Duba Reserve...... 6 5. Vumbura Reserve...... 6 6. Chiefs Island...... 7 WHAT TO SEE - MAMMALS...... 8 WHAT TO SEE - ...... 8 Why engage with Safari Guru Pty Ltd...... 9 OKAVANGO DELTA OVERVIEW

Mention the Okavango Delta to any keen safari go-er and watch them go misty-eyed and swoon…this is one of Africa's top wildlife sanctuaries, a truly pristine and pure African wilderness. This watery wonderland offers big game viewing and fantastic birdlife in a myriad of rich and varied picturesque habitats.

Perhaps the Okavango may not be what you have in your mind's eye when you think of a safari, but it is home to the big 5, many other predators, plains game and hundreds of species of and birds and offers the chance to spot creatures seldom seen elsewhere, such as , Pels fishing owl, wild dog and the ever so majestic wattled cranes. In our opinion, the Okavango Delta is the bucket list of bucket-list destinations. Ask many safari guides and specialists if we could only go to just one more destination – chances are - this would be it.

The Okavango – the world's largest inland delta and a World Heritage Site – is simply an incredible wild sanctuary of lush water channels, shallow reed beds and deep lagoons, flood plains and higher dry 'islands' each created as the floodwaters flow their way, annually, from the source in creating this unique habitat. It can take six months or so for the water to flow down from Angola, meaning that unusually the Delta receives its water in the dry season.

UNDERSTANDING THE DESTINATION

The Moremi Wildlife Reserve is a national park protecting the Okavango Delta's incredible delta environment. Around it, a network of excellent public and private safari reserves and concessions, most of which contain just a couple of small, private safari camps where guests arrive by light aircraft and offer various safari activities. Typically, in the private concessions, the guides are allowed to drive off-road, conduct night-drives enabling you to see the nocturnal animals and offer walking safaris; but most valuable of all for this destination is the privacy - you'll see few other people on safari here; real luxury in such a pristine area!

The flood in the Okavango Delta varies from year to year – but follows a broad(ish) pattern. The variances of annual and ad-hoc geographical circumstances can have a significant impact on wildlife viewing! Depicted in this short documentary, The Buffalo Hunters; wet years versus dry years will impact local game movements and the ultimate success of a variety of species, therefore the outcome of every safari per region. A great itinerary may mix contrasting areas to ensure travellers experience the Delta's vastness in wildlife, experiences and scenery, taking into account any particular interests a visitor might have – which is where we come. Not only does Safari Guru maintain a presence on the ground in to keep up to date with natural events and happenings, but through our close network of Botswana based safari operators, wildlife research teams and local bush-based film crews, we offer up to date knowledge and recommendations based upon real-time data. We know and understand the Delta better than most!

• Land / Dry Camps

Land camps, sometimes referred to as dry camps, allow for simply remarkable and world-famous game viewing by open 4x4 safari vehicles and by foot on walking safari with a professional guide. The vast tracts of dry areas are made up of varied woodlands, , and seasonal floodplains, attracting much plains game and predators such as lion, leopard, wild dog and cheetah. The Delta's premier land-based camps are generally unfenced and focus on early morning, late afternoon and night game drives in wildlife-rich regions known for consistently good predator sightings.

• Water / Wet Camps

Water camps or wet camps really allow you to be fully immersed in the Delta's waterways. Set on the edge of permanent lagoons and rivers; these camps and lodges offer water activities, such as motorboat trips and mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe) experiences where you'll watch wildlife at eye level and explore the ever-changing network of channels; carved by Africa's mega-herbivores, and hippos. These camps allow guests to explore the Delta ecosystem and offer unique views of the abundant aquatic life and spectacular birdlife. WHERE TO STAY

The famous Delta has beautifully adorned authentic safari camps, offering luxury and magnificent views of this -studded landscape. Here are a few of our favourite Delta regions each offering a selection of camps or lodges. While we share a few areas of the Okavango Delta, this is by no means all of what is to offer… (Contact Safari Guru for further options.)

1. Sandibe / Chitabe Reserve On the southern side of the Okavango Delta, this concession is split into two halves. This is a spectacular place for game viewing; with a mix of wooded, wetland and habitats, the area, one of our very favourites, is known for its incredible numbers and diversity of wildlife, in particular predators.

One half has the Sandibe Reserve concession with just one lodge. The Sandibe Safari lodge which is a visually stunning and luxurious camp, which, when built, caused quite a stir architecturally. The camp's main area is designed to resemble a pangolin or scaly anteater, and the individual 'tents' are large, comfortable and stylish. This camp offers a mix of dry game viewing and deep-water activities.

To the south, the adjacent Chitabe Reserve has two excellent dry-land safaris 'sister' camps Chitabe Camp and Chitabe Lediba Camp; both highly recommended by Safari Guru not only for their authentic comfort and luxury but for action-packed predator viewing; including African wild dogs and big cats.

The impressive Qorokwe Camp. borders this concession, sharing some common traversing areas along the Gomoti Channel. Qorokwe Camp is one of the Delta's newest, stylish and most prized safari camps. The Gomoti Channel, favoured for full day or extended safaris is a wildlife haven at the right time of year, offering fabulous photographic opportunities in the hands of the right safari guide. You can expect to find large pods of hippo, , general game, good predators and buffalo when the conditions are right. This area can also produce great rhino sightings, with off-road access to ensure the best views while not interfering with the rhino's wellbeing!

2. Abu Reserve Home to the famous and ultra-luxurious Abu Camp; where an up-close and personal elephant experience with Abu's own herd of wild elephants can be had. The essence of the Abu Camp (named after a famous bull elephant, Abu) is to experience the natural habitat of the elephant while 'being part of an elephant herd'. The reserve also has Safari Guru's family favourite, the ever so family-friendly Seba Camp, which is also fabulous for small groups travelling together, and a truly unique mobile safari outfit for private groups of up to ten wishing to get back to the basics and focus on walking safaris, and wildlife tracking by foot. While other mobile safari options are available in Botswana, the ABU Concession mobile safari is unique in being private, i.e. single group and family bookings only, with only helicopter access to the island where the main camp is located.

The Abu Concession was once only famous for luxury, and unique elephant experiences as wildlife was known to be shy and skittish from the hunting carried out before 2014 (it's not just the elephant that remembers!). Fantastically, the area has come a long way in the past few years. Following the hunting ban, wildlife has settled and the variety of natural habitats, from open grasslands to secluded island sanctuaries and papyrus-fringed channels, mean that an abundance of general game now call this home and are frequently seen. Giraffe, zebra, elephant, , tsessebe, , wildebeest, buffalo and warthog roam here. Hyaena and leopard are resident and often seen close to the lodges, and lion pride and African wild dog frequently move through the area, with the big cats calls heard most nights.

These are dry camps, but do offer limited water activities in good flood season. We can highly recommend this area for pure wildlife enthusiast wishing for prime year-round game viewing coupled with walking and elephant experiences and superb luxury. High-season is the dry season between June and October, and then there are fabulous photographic opportunities in the green season, generally the wetter months, between January and April.

3. Jao Reserve The watery Jao Reserve is a wonderful area in the heart of the Okavango Delta, sharing the landscape for what it is; a remote, genuine, and wild aquatic wilderness. The camps here focus on water activities and offer a very relaxing alternative to camps and lodges that prefer open 4x4 safari vehicles only.

With the exception of Jao Camp itself, the camps here are mainly small and intimate, yet are all very well positioned to take advantage of the annual flood when available. On the southern end of the concession is the luxurious Jao Camp; entirely rebuilt in 2019, the camp is beautifully designed and offers some of the most spacious villas available in the Delta today. With the main area cleverly elevated into the tree canopy, offering expansive views over the Delta, Jao Camp is difficult to leave.

As a true wetland area of the Okavango Delta, water activities here focus on the mekoro (traditional canoes) or boating excursions allowing you to view the which are an ideal habitat for the elusive sitatunga antelope, common red lechwe, and there are plentiful hippo and . Jao is a birder's paradise, offering wetland species as well as dry. Birdlife is exceptional with the largest concentrations of the endangered as well as slaty egrets, rosy-throated longclaws, African skimmer and Pel's fishing-owl. During drier times, lechwe, impala, elephant are commonly seen, with lion, leopard and buffalo sighted occasionally. 4. Duba Reserve On the northern side of the Okavango Delta is the stunning Duba Concession, which operates under the Great Plains Conservation banner. In partnership with the local community, this is the perfect setting for Duba Plains Camp and Duba Explorers Camp. This highly sought-after reserve, a setting stage for many a National geographic wildlife documentary largely consists of vast grassy plains offering rich, nutritious grass; often attracting large herds of buffalo, amongst other game species.

Safaris to Duba Plains are renowned for the enthralling battles between lion and buffalo, as captured by Safari Guru founder Deon De Villiers during a photographic safari, and this is where well-known filmmakers and conservationists, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, chose for their home base and set out on countless hours of filming the harrowing tale of Relentless Enemies.

But this area also offers so much more. Its biosphere is complex—a tapestry of palm-fringed islands, waterways and expansive food plains. A huge variety gathers here in abundance throughout the year among the ancient ebony, fig and garcinia trees. You can expect to see a real diverse range of species; giraffe, lechwe, kudu, tsessebe and large herds of elephants and buffalo move across the plains with many hippo trudging the creating their channels and paths daily. Leopard are also regularly spotted as are the endangered African wild (painted) dogs. Being a wetland mekoro and boating opportunities are available, and birds abound making this a popular twitcher destination.

5. Vumbura Reserve The expansive Vumbura Reserve is one of the best and most scenic of the Okavango Deltas safari reserves, offering year-round boating in permanent waterways, seasonal flood plains and wooded savannah attracting hugely diverse species, such as lion, cheetah, African wild dog, giraffe, zebra and much more. Like Duba Plains Reserve, this is a fantastic area for open 4x4 safaris, and walking safaris; not only rivalling for the best wildlife area in terms of the quality and diversity of its game but too one of the most scenic. The Vumbura concession offers two great camps – the classic Little Vumbura Camp, comprising only six rooms and located on a small island, accessible only by boat, and the newer more luxurious Vumbura Plains Camp; the Delta's only truly minimalist, modern safari camp, offering large comfortable accommodations.

With a broad range of activities, including hot air balloon safaris, Vumbura is the perfect destination for family vacations and is easily matched with other suitable safari camps and lodges for a complete holiday package and tour. 6. Chiefs Island In 2001 rhino's were reintroduced to the Mombo Concession, on Chiefs Island which falls within the Moremi Game Reserve. There are now thriving populations once again; free to roam, and constrained only by the waterways of the Delta. Breeding has been positive, and Botswana is well on its way to having a nucleus of successfully breeding animals, alas, poaching for their horns is once again on the increase.

Chiefs Island is considered Botswana's richest wildlife area, and this is where the famous Mombo Camp. is located; a firm favourite of the Safari Guru team. Mombo Camp is nicknamed the 'place of plenty' for the vast numbers of wildlife that is attracted to the nutritionally fertile floodplains.

Safari Guru is a specialist and preferred booking agency for Mombo Camp and Little Mombo Camp in Botswana. Having spent six years involved in the camp operations, we have intimate knowledge in piecing together luxury safaris and getting the most from your stay at this award-winning destination. Read More WHAT TO SEE - MAMMALS

A common safari goal is that of the big five, and with the reintroduction of rhino, the Okavango Delta once offers this, and much much more.

Elephant and buffalo occur here year-round in large numbers, and you're likely to see wildebeest, giraffe, plains zebra (Burchell's), impala, kudu, tsessebe, red lechwe, waterbuck, reedbuck, common duiker, bushbuck, steenbok, warthog, baboon and vervet monkey throughout the Okavango Delta. The rarer sable and are also (but less commonly) found across the region. The papyrus areas of the Delta have thriving populations of sitatunga, which live deep in the swamps, and the deep-water area housing large groups of hippo and more than enough crocs!

Leopard and to a lesser extent cheetah can be abundant, and lions really thrive in the area, many adapted to the water! The Okavango Delta is central to wild dog, which occurs widely across much of Northern Botswana – and they're easiest to find on the northern and eastern sides of the Delta.

Two species of jackal can be seen, both the black-backed and side-striped, which can be harder to find. Good populations of spotted across the Delta, and brown hyena have been known to occur, but this would not be the destination to expect such a sighting, just like bat-eared fox are here but rarely seen.

There are a wide variety of mongoose found here, including the slender, banded, dwarf, large grey, water and Selous'. Meanwhile, in the water, you can find both spotted-necked and Cape clawless otters, yet sightings of these shy creatures are generally quite short-lived!

Serval, aardwolf, caracal and aardvark are found throughout the Okavango, yet due to their mostly nocturnal habits, they are only occasionally seen. If your luck is really in pangolins are also found here.

WHAT TO SEE - BIRDS

A birder’s paradise! Over 400 species call the Okavango Delta home, and with such variety of habitat, one would rarely find these species preferring a particular environment living in quite close association with each other. This variety sheer number of different species makes the Okavango a marvel for birder’s but anyone is sure to enjoy the birding spectacle.

Although there are no birds that are truly endemic the Okavango Delta, there are a few species, including a number rarities worthy of noting. First on the Okavango's list of 'specialties' is the slaty egret – which can be found in shallow, reedy back-waters and pans. Aside from the Okavango River's Delta, this rare egret can also be found in quieter corners of the Chobe and Linyanti areas, as well as the Bangweulu Wetlands in .

A highlight for all types of birders and safari-goers are the magnificent wattled cranes, which are easily seen in the Delta. They're usually in pairs or small groups, wandering about shallow floodplains or wet grasslands, searching for their preferred diet of fish, amphibians and reptiles.

Other Okavango Delta specials include coppery-tailed coucal, brown firefinch, Bradfield's hornbill, pink-throated longclaw, the tiny chirping cisticola and our all-time favourite lesser jacana.

Contact Safari Guru for further information and ideas on the how, when and where to piece together the very best safari experience. You can also download this information in PDF for reading later, otherwise visit our Botswana page for recommendations of safari camps in the various regions. Why engage with Safari Guru Pty Ltd

EXPERIENCE: With nearly fifteen years of operational experience in managing high-end luxury safari camps in remote locations, learnings and knowledge is applied to all itineraries to ensure all logistics and travels are operationally sound!

TAILOR-MADE: Specialists in bespoke journeys for those looking for “travel with purpose” and "family safaris" that offer peace of mind, body and soul in remarkable destinations. Dream vacations do not rely on a "one size does fits all" approach! This is YOUR safari …

SUSTAINABILITY: With a strong conservation background each safari itinerary is pieced together bit by bit based upon real-life experience and first-hand knowledge of operators who actively adopt sustainable practices to protect community, land and the natural world! *** Africa is an enormous and incredibly diverse continent and is guardian to a multitude of cultures and iconic natural wonders. Immersing and exploring these amazing places is definitely on many peoples ‘to do’ list, yet the reality is that only a few are able to do so. Therefore, getting the most out of a journey that most are just able to dream of is essential if one is to maximise this fantastic opportunity, yet navigating through so many options, and destinations effectively can be daunting at best.

We believe in taking your dream, adding our passion and knowledge to create a tailor-made safari that suites and exceeds your personal expectations. Whether you would like to be pampered and indulged or would like to ‘rough it’ and explore Africa in her exciting raw beauty, we are able to safely put you in the right place at the right time, at the right price.

East and Southern Africa are considered to be the two major safari areas, and both offer incredibly diverse safari and cultural delights, rich in sights, sounds and smiles. From the vast rolling expanse of the Serengeti Plains to the crystal clear flowing waters of the Okavango Delta, or even to the thick sand of the Kalahari Desert, each unique and incredible destination can be experienced in a manner perfectly suited to your tastes.

Let us create a seamless itinerary that allows you to immerse yourself in a continent that has captivated thousands from across the globe, in what many have openly said has been the best journey of their lives.

Africa lays delicately in our hands!