Vacation of a Lifetime: Botswana Experience

• Applicable domestic flights within Africa

• One night at The Saxon Boutique Hotel and Spa (Johannesburg)

• Three nights at Jack’s Camp (Makgadikgadi Pans National Park)

• Three nights at Xigera Camp (Moremi Game Reserve)

• Two nights at Chobe Game Lodge (Chobe National Park)

• Nine breakfasts, eight lunches and eight dinners

• Meerkat experience

• Quad biking into the salt pans

• A special secret sleepout under the stars in the salt pans

• Walk with the Bushman

• A one-day private game drive experience with a guide

• A photographic safari with a world-renowned photographer

• Champagne breakfast in the bush

• 30-Minute massage at Jack's Camp

• Game drives as specified in the itinerary

• Services of qualified English-speaking guides, drivers, rangers and trackers

• Transportation in deluxe vehicles

• Entrance fees for sightseeing as indicated

• Lion World Travel representative meet and greet upon arrival

Day 1

• Upon arrival at Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport a security approved representative will meet you at the aircraft and escort and assist you through customs and immigration. You will be accompanied into the arrival hall where a Lion World Travel representative will meet and transfer you to the 5-star Saxon Hotel and Spa.

• Airy and spacious, all rooms incorporate a strong element of African art and are a peaceful oasis. Latticed shutters cover large windows that look onto the tranquil gardens or pool area.

• The Saxon has witnessed history within its walls as it became home to Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison. It was during this time that South Africa's former President used the serene setting of the hotel to edit his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom”. Saxon Qunu Grill is named for the late former President's hometown. It was also the site of Oprah Winfrey’s 50th birthday party.

• No meals included today

• Accommodations: The Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa

Day 2

• After breakfast, you will be transferred to Johannesburg Airport for your flight to Maun. On arrival in Maun, you will connect with your light aircraft transfer to Jack’s Camp.

• Please Note: Luggage restrictions on the Botswana light aircraft transfer flights is 20kg/44lbs in soft bags – including hand luggage.

• The camp sits in a striking spot on the edge of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans, gazing over glittering salt pans and shimmering expanses of sun-scorched earth. Jack’s Camp is an oasis of style and comfort in the middle of Botswana’s Kalahari Desert. Spectacular views, creative surprises, expert guiding, old-world safari styling and superb cuisine all come together to create an experience that is completely different from any other. The camp features ten Bedouin-style tents with en-suite bathrooms featuring indoor and private outdoor showers, scattered below a soft canopy of molokwane palms, each one an ode to safaris of old.

• Separate tents contain an antique pool table, library, and a bar with an excellent selection of fine wines.

• Although the desert is never a place of abundance, the Makgadikgadi is full of elusive species and desert-adapted animals and the perfect complement to Botswana’s traditionally game-rich areas, like the Khwai Private Reserve and the Okavango Delta.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Jack’s Camp

Day 3

• While staying at Jack's Camp, you will go out on game drives with one of the amazing private guides for a unique experience of desert wildlife to view brown hyenas, bat-eared foxes and if you're lucky enough you might even spot a lion or elephant.

• On these guided game drives, you can explore the expanse of the Makgadikgadi Salt pans to see rare desert species. Ornithology enthusiasts will enjoy birding walks to seek migratory and resident bird species.

• On nature and anthropology walks you will be able to seek ancient stone tools dated 2,000 to 500,000 years old and you will be able to enjoy Sunset "sundowners" on the pans and surreal astronomy evenings with the guides. During the wet, rainy season 35-75,000 zebra and wildebeests migrate into the area with regular sightings of lions, cheetah, and other predators on the hunt of their trail. See hundreds of thousands of pink flamingos on the soda lake at Kubu Island in the wet season – the greatest flock on earth.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Jack’s Camp

Day 4

• Enjoy a day of wildlife viewing. A visit to the Makgadikgadi means getting up close and personal with the local meerkat families.

• Here you have a great opportunity to meet these social mongooses while gaining insight into how Kalahari meerkats band together to face the challenges of this unique and unforgiving environment.

• Walk amongst them (you’re not allowed to touch or feed them) and if you take a seat, you might be lucky enough to be mistaken for a termite mound, where you will be used as a lookout point for predators.

• Spend time walking and interacting with a group of Zu/’hoasi Bushmen and gain insight into their ancient culture.

• During the dry season, go quad biking across the lunar expanse of the pans. During the green season, experience the spectacular migration of zebra and wildebeest – the second biggest in Africa, and the last remaining in Southern Africa.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Jack’s Camp

Day 5

• Today you will be transferred by light aircraft to the Okavango Delta.

• Please Note: Luggage restrictions on the Botswana light aircraft transfer flights is 20kg/44lbs in soft bags – including hand luggage.

• Each guest suite is fully air-conditioned and solar-powered by the Xigera Energy Centre, which supplies over 95% of Xigera's energy needs. Water is also purified using an innovative reverse osmosis mineralizing process, to enable guests to drink the water.

• On arrival at the camp airstrip, you will be met and transferred to Xigera Safari Lodge, where you will spend 3 nights, including all meals and two activities each day.

• Xigera ("Kee-jera") Safari Lodge is a bold new statement in Botswana's most unspoiled wilderness on the western side of the Moremi Game Reserve, in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Discover 12 suites suspended above the forest floor, with a deck that offers uninterrupted views over the floodplains and passing wildlife. Floating delicately above the water and allowing wildlife to pass uninterruptedly beneath, the suites are situated on two islands, bridged together with an extraordinary bronze lily centerpiece.

• Each guest suite is fully air-conditioned and solar powered by the Xigera Energy Centre, which supplies over 95% of Xigera's energy needs. Water is also purified using an innovative reverse osmosis mineralizing process, to enable guests to drink the water.

• The lodge is surrounded by palm-filled islands, breath-taking floodplains and riverine forests: a pristine lacework of islands, papyrus swamps and dense trees. In the afternoon, enjoy a game viewing activity in the Okavango Delta, where you might encounter lions, leopards, elephants, crocodiles and more than 450 bird species.

• During your free time, admire Xigera's 'living gallery' of bespoke works commissioned exclusively by Africa's most exciting artists and craftspeople. Relax around a totemic firepit sculpture by blacksmith artist Conrad Hicks, holding the fire as a boma centerpiece and offering a contemporary take on the traditional boma setting.

• The spectacular spa provides a tranquil haven, with an extensive spa program focused on mindfulness, wellness and holistic healing, tapping into the natural healing powers of the bush. Practice yoga each day, spend time in the gym or swim in the flowing water of the swimming pool, which overlooks the river.

• Dining at Xigera is a true bush experience. Beneath the velvet night sky, dine on delicious dishes that are inspired by the Delta, using the very best fresh and local ingredients. African-inspired menus, designed by experienced Red Carnation Executive Chefs, are complemented by much-loved signature recipes and a cellar that showcases a superb selection of award-winning Bouchard Finlayson wines.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Xigera Camp

Day 6

• At Xigera, you're at the heart of one of the most incredible ecosystems in Africa. It's a wetlands paradise where the ebb and flow of the seasons paints an ever-changing vista to frame your wildlife experiences.

• Embark on an early morning and afternoon game viewing experience, as Xigera's expert guides generously share a lifetime's knowledge of the local flora and fauna. Take a flexible game drive or walking safari, or journey through the labyrinth of waterways on a mokoro craft or sleek motorboat.

• With exceptional clarity of light and stunning scenery, the Delta provides unlimited space and opportunity to capture outstanding photographs. During your stay, you will have the opportunity to embark on a photographic safari with Ike Mogalakwe – Head Safari Guide at Xigera. You can be assured that he will deliver the very best safari experience for you.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Xigera Camp

Day 7

• Exquisite palm forests and long miscanthus grass; papyrus-lined channels and large floodwater lagoons all form the dramatic stage of an ancient land that showcases one of Africa's greatest natural wildernesses. Witness this magical world come to life on a walking safari, with the opportunity to spot wildlife that might otherwise be missed from a vehicle.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Xigera Camp

Day 8

• After breakfast, you will be transferred to the camp’s airstrip for your flight to Kasane. On arrival in Kasane, you will be met and transferred to Chobe Game Lodge.

• Chobe Game Lodge is an elegant, five-star, fully Ecotourism-certified safari lodge with spacious guest rooms and suites. The expansive main area incorporates several comfortable and tastefully appointed seating areas from which to enjoy the tranquility of the lodge surroundings.

• Following the banks of the river, the 820 foot elevated boardwalk and viewing deck offers seemingly endless panoramic views over the Chobe River. Find your favorite spot along the platform and settle down to watch the ever-changing wildlife parade across the river, on the islands and the surrounding floodplains.

• At Chobe Game Lodge, they are leading the way in responsible tourism with a variety of sustainable tourism initiatives including an electric safari fleet of electric land vehicles and electric and solar-powered safari boats – a clean and quiet way to enjoy a boat safari and another first for tourism in Africa.

• Gender equality and creating better employment opportunities for women in the Botswana tourism industry is a key focus at Chobe Game Lodge where they have been training women in the guiding fraternity since 2005 and today has a full complement of professionally trained female guides and 65% of all the staff members at the lodge are women.

• Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton decided to tie the knot in 1975 (for the second time) at Chobe Game Lodge which catapulted the lodge and region into the international limelight. There is a possibility that you could stay in the Burtons honeymoon suite!

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Chobe Game Lodge

Day 9

• Take an early morning drive along the river looking out for fresh tracks – there is always evidence of predator activity. There are huge herds of elephants and buffalo, and impala and giraffes are everywhere.

• On your return from the morning game drive and after breakfast, you can watch the animals come down to the river, or spot wildlife across the floodplains. Enjoy the facilities including a large swimming pool with terrace, a riverside boma area, a stylish bar with an outside terrace and an expansive deck with magnificent views over the Chobe River.

• Lunch and high tea are served on the boardwalk before the start of the afternoon’s activity.

• Go on a late afternoon open vehicle game drive or a sunset boat cruise. The river cruise presents an opportunity to view the animals from a different perspective. Keep an eye out for hippos, crocodiles and elephants drinking and splashing at the water’s edge.

• Dinner is served on the terrace overlooking the Chobe River as you enjoy the sounds of the Chobe surroundings.

• Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Accommodations: Chobe Game Lodge

Day 10

• Transfer from the camp to Kasane Airport for your flight to Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo International Airport. Connect with your scheduled departure international flight.

• Return home with a lifetime of memories!

• Meals included: breakfast