Please note: Bushlore Safaris plans your self drive holiday to suit your specific requirements, budget, interests and time frame. Contact our reservations team who will put together the ideal self drive safari for you.

You are met by a Bushlore representative and transferred to our offices where a discussion of the trip and introduction to the vehicle will take place. We then move North towards Botswana and overnight at Waterberg Wilderness Reserve.

The Waterberg mountain range is situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa and is one of the more pristine, scenic and wildlife rich areas in South Africa. Positioned on the Eastern side of the Waterberg range the Waterberg Wilderness reserve is only 2.5 hours from Johannesburg and conveniently positioned half way to Botswana. Due to the rugged nature of the reserve which is typical of the Waterberg, a 4x4 vehicle or vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended to access the property. In the wet season a 4x4 vehicle is often essential.

Certain areas of the Waterberg Wilderness Reserve offer spectacular views over the surrounding hills and valleys and exploring the impressive gorges with natural streams and pools is certainly a highlight. The reserve is ideal for the more active with some beautiful walks and potential mountain bike trails.

Accommodation - luxury tents - self catering

After an early morning game drive and breakfast we continue North towards the Makgadikgadi pans. Depending on the rains in Botswana we will most likely aim for the Boteti river area where the third largest Zebra and Wildebeest migration in Africa takes place during the dry season. Good numbers of Lion, cheetah and wilddog are present in this area and not far from the migration. Most other larger animal species also occur in this area although spote\ted Hyena are rare and Buffalo do not occur. If however heavy late rains have fallen or when travelling in the wet season then we ill concentrate on the eastern side of the Makgadikgaid reserve on a raised camp looking over the pans.

Accommodation - campsite

In the wet season the pans come alive with the plains game attracted by the nutritious grasses. Closely following are the predators. In the season large herds are drawn to the only water supply in hundreds of kilometers. Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans National Parks offer the openness and seasonal migration of zebras from Chobe towards Central Kalahari and abundance of exotic birds. The desert environment which makes up the CKGR with vast grassland stretches of savannah and thorny scrubs.

It covers 2500km2 and was proclaimed in 1970, later extended to its present size including Baines baobab. Nxai National Park is located on the Northern fringe of the Makgadikgadi basin and includes Nxai pan, an ancient lake bed that was once part of ancient Lake Makgadikgadi. Nxai Pan National Park Consists of series of fossils pans acacia tress on islands that form shady spots for the animals to rest during hot weather.

South Camp Campsite is situated not far from the second entrance gate in a well shaded area. Camping.

Accommodation - campsite

Audi Camp is 12 kilometers north of Maun, on the road toward the Moremi Game Reserve, located on the banks of the Thamalakane river - the southernmost tributary of the Okavango Delta. We have luxury en-suite tents on raised wooden decking overlooking the river, mini-meru tents with beds, lights their own fire places and cooking area. Large dome tents with stretcher beds. We also have many shaded camping areas and some of the sites have power points. We have a bar and a la carte restaurant. Maun offers good shops and facility to stock up and prepare for the following days of remote camping and no facilities.

Accommodation - Bedded tents

The Okavango Delta is one of the world's largest inland water systems. It's headwaters start in Angola's western highlands, with numerous tributaries joining to form the Cubango river, which then flows through Namibia (called the Kavango) and finally enters Botswana, where it is then called the Okavango. Millions of years ago the Okavango river use to flow into a large inland lake called Lake Makgadikgadi (now Makgadikgadi Pans).

Third Bridge camp site is located on the Western side of Moremi Game Reserve along the off stream of Moanachira River. Third Bridge camp site can be accessed along a 58km route North Westly direction through some diverse scenery across first and second bridge.

Another route from the South gate goes through the Mophane forest 60km long via Xakanaka. Third Bridge area that borders on the delta and Mboma Island enjoy heavy concentration of wildlife in the dry season. Third Bridge offers much more of the wilderness experience than most of Southern African camping grounds with unspoiled wilderness and top destination. Currently, a boat station development is underway to provide boat activities and transfers to Gcudikwa and Gxhobega lagoons where the heronry of migratory birds are located. The boat station will further provide means of transport for provision of camping facilities at the Wilderness sites namely; Gxhobega and Gcudikwa 1& 2.

Accommodation - campsite

Moremi, hunted by the Bushman as long as 10,000 years ago, was initiated by the Batawana tribe and covers some 4,871 km2, as the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Moremi is mostly described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is the great diversity of plant and animal life that makes Moremi so well known. The Khwai River is well known for huge hunters and wildlife and offers some of the best viewing in Southern Africa.

Accommodation - campsite

Savuti Camp lies on the Savute Channel in northern Botswana, a famous waterway in a thrilling state of flux. For a quarter of a century, the Savute Channel was dry, creating wide-open grassland, home to both quantities and varieties of wildlife and a legendary predator's enclave. In 2008, the waters returned, and Savuti Camp now has front-row seats to view the abundant game that has congregated and adapted in its wake.

Game concentrations here are high, particularly in the winter dry season, and apart from abundant plains game, species such as roan and sable antelope, southern giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyaena, black-backed jackal and wild dog may also be encountered. In winter, this area can also be excellent for the sought-after aardvark and aardwolf, which are big ticks on anyone's mammal lists!

Accommodation - campsite

In the wet season when the Mababe depression is at its best we spend an extra night in Savuti exploring the plains to the South east of the camp which attracts thousands of Zebra and other plains game along with many predators that follow in their wake. In the dry season we choose to head North to the Chobe river area where we spend 2 nights camping on the shores of the river. Game viewing is exceptional with huge herds of Buffalobeing one of the bigger attractions.

Accommodation - campsite

We cross into Zambia on the ferry which negotiates the magnificent Zambesi River and head east to the famous Vic falls which is one of the biggest attractions in Africa and the largest falls on the continent. The area is tourist friendly with a number of cultural highlights and numerous places to overnight. There are a number of high adrenalin activities available from Vic falls that have almost become as well known as the falls themselves.

Accommodation - Bushfront lodge

The Mudumu National park is a vast 1010km squared of dense savannah and mopane woodlands, with the Kwando River as its western border. In the contrast to the rest of Namibia, the area is lush with marshes, and riverine forests.

Accommodation - Camp Kwando campsite

Costing:

R 6058.00 per person sharing including Botswana Park and vehicle fees

(Vehicle Rental quotes separately)