Your Safari Experience: What to Expect

The Following topics are covered for your information:

1. Our Lodges & Accommodation
2. Travel between our lodges
3. What is included in your stay?
4. The Safari experience
5. Our guides & staff
6. Travelling with children
7. Our responsabilities
8. Your saftey
9. Health care precautions
10. Safari Air
11. Baggage Restrictions

Our lodges & accommodation

All our lodges are small and exclusive, and some of them are located in private concession areas only accessed in our own vehicles or aircraft. Most of our properties accommodate a maximum of between 16 and 24 people. Our largest property, Chobe Game Lodge, is the only permanent lodge built within the Chobe National Park and has 46 rooms - a superb property for a management conference with a difference or an incentive group.

Despite the remote locations of our lodges, all our rooms (and in some cases tents), have the comforts one would expect from a modern hotel - en suite bathrooms, walk in showers, flush toilets, and in some of our properties, air conditioned rooms and where air conditioning is not available, overhead fans. Our aim is to make your stay as comfortable as possible so such amenities as tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms and hair dryers are provided for. Each lodge is very different and we are able to offer a choice of tented or brick and thatch accommodation depending on your preference.

Most of our lodges rely on generator power and 12 volt batteries for lighting at night, but in some cases we have permanent power via underground cables. Whatever the case, the chances are that you won't even notice!

Travel between our lodges

Part of the excitement of visiting Desert & Delta Safaris Lodges, is the getting around! We offer a fully integrated private air charter service, operated by our subsidiary company Safari Air, which operates single engined Cessna 206's, 207's, 210's and twin engined Britten Norman Islander aircraft . Some of our lodges have their own private airstrips. However, if flying in a light aircraft is not your cup of tea, then we can also provide our own specially adapted four wheel drive vehicles for transfers to or between the lodges that can be accessed by land. For our water based lodges in the Delta and the Chobe / Namibia areas, we use private powerboats for transfers. In fact we are the only safari company in Botswana to offer such a service for travel between lodges enabling for you to have a truly unique experience.

Our vehicles at the lodges are either open Toyota Landcruisers carrying a maximum of 7 people or Land Rover game viewing vehicles carrying a maximum of 9 people. All Landcruisers have individual buckets seats while the Land Rovers have bench seats. Each vehicle has a removable canvas roof enabling for shade and ample storage space for cameras, binoculars etc. The Land Rovers at Chobe Game Lodge are even equipped with 12V power points for your cam recorders.

What is included in your stay?

One of the great things about staying with Desert & Delta Safari Lodges is that all our rates are fully inclusive, offering excellent value. Included in our accommodation rates are all game activities (whether they be by vehicle, on foot , in a mokoro or a power boat), meals (buffet breakfasts/lunches and al la carte dinners), drinks with meals (soft drinks , local wines and beer), national park fees, laundry and medical evacuation insurance.

Your Safari Experience

While staying at our lodges, everything is geared around the best game viewing times, specific to each lodge. Days start very early, sometimes at sunrise and often finish late in the evening. This is to utilize the best times to view game - so often the middle part of the day is free for relaxation which is why all our lodges have swimming or plunge pools with sun decks. All our lodges are also equipped with well stocked libraries and comfortable lounges to relax in. Smoking is not permitted in any of our safari vehicles, but is allowed in sections of the lodge.

A typical day on safari (winter times):

06h00 Wake up call
06h15 Early morning tea/coffee and a light breakfast consisting of fruit, yoghurt, toast, and cereals all served with freshly brewed coffee and tea.
06h30 (+/- depending on season) Depart for early morning game activity; game drives, walking, boat activities. Cool drinks,coffee and tea served half way through the activity.
10h30 Return to the lodge to relax and refresh or shop as this is when our curio shops are open.
11h00 Buffet brunch is served. Afterwards, your time is free for rest and relaxation, game lodges, time to enjoy around the pool or in the case of some of our lodges, a cultural visit to one of the local villages.
15h30 High tea/coffee, cake & savoury snacks.
16h00 Afternoon game activity with sundowners in a scenic location
19h00 Return to the lodge
20h00 Pre dinner drinks with hot/cold snacks in the bar followed by an a la carte or table d'hote dinner.
21h00 Drinks/coffee/ liquors around the boma/campfire.

Please note all times are approximate, depending on the game sightings and seasonality.

Our guides & staff

Having been established in the country since 1982, we are fortunate to have many long serving staff that is the envy of other lodge operators in Botswana. All of our guides are local Batswana, recruited from nearby villages and some of them have 'worked through the ranks' from trainee level right through to fully qualified guides. John Kata of Camp Okavango is our longest serving guide has been with us since the company was established in 1982.

Desert & Delta Safaris, through its parent company, Chobe Holdings Ltd is a listed company on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE), and is the only tourism enterprise listed in the country.

Traveling with Children

We recognize that families with children of all ages would like them to experience the wonders of an African safari. We have two properties specifically dedicated to children of all ages - Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge (both equipped with inter leading rooms).

All our other properties, regretfully, do not accept children below the age of 12 years due to the nature of the activities offered (mokoros and walking), and because of national park regulations.

Our responsibilities

All our lodges are governed by strict environmental standards and in many cases we exceed the basic requirements as far as waste disposal, game management, care of the natural environment goes. We employ a fully qualified ecologists to ensure that our lodges are as eco-friendly as possible. In many cases we try and use solar power as far as possible for lighting.

Your Safety

Your safety is our primary concern which is why certain procedures must be followed while staying at our lodges. Very few of our lodges have fences and movement around the lodges in the evenings is restricted and our guides will escort you to your accommodation. While on game activities it is essential to listen to our guides who will not only advise you of the wonders of the bush, but the hidden dangers too!

Health precautions/ vaccinations

Vaccination requirements change from time to time and we suggest guests consult their local doctor or health department for the latest health precautions. Malaria including Plasmodium falciparum exists in certain areas. All guests must consult with their own MD or the Center for Disease Control regarding the use of anti-malarial tablets prior to departure.

There are many brands available and we recommend that guests consult their doctor, health clinic or health department as to which brand they should take.

Safari Air

For many people traveling to Botswana for the first time, stepping on to a light airplane is where their safari begins. Safari Air has been established since 1989 by Derek Flatt who at that time had been flying commercially out of Maun for 10 years for both of the pioneering Maun charter companies - Northern Air and Aerkavango.

Safari air operates 2 Brittan Norman Islanders, 4 Cessna 206s, a Cessna 207 and a cessna 210. Plans to add a Cessna Caravan to the fleet are well advanced. The complement of 8 professional pilots is headed by Operations Manager Steve McKissock, who has been involved in tourism in the Delta for 20 years and flying here for the last 11 years.

Safari Air has its base in Maun with a sub-base in Kasane where the 207 and a 206 are based to facilitate air movements to and from Kasane. This will also serve as a springboard for planned expansion in the region, in particular Zambia and northern Namibia.

Baggage Restrictions

Due to the nature of travel in light aircraft, mainly because of safety and space concerns, baggage is restricted to 12 kgs (26 lbs), per person. This baggage must be soft sided so to allow for it to be packed properly. If you do have extra bags or have suitcases heavier than the specified allowance, we must be advised in advance as soon as the booking is made so we can make arrangements for the baggage to be transferred or stored at an extra cost.