Platinum Botswana
Botswana
11 days from $25,795 per person
* Based on double occupancy, incl. taxes & fuel surcharges, restrictions apply.
Discover a front row seat to nature’s theatre at luxury tented camps that draw on decades of safari heritage. For real adventure in unreal style, this ultra-lux African safari is made for those for whom attention to detail matters, privacy is paramount, and style and sustainability perfectly intersect.
How Your Trip Matters
Embrace the call of the wild at stylish camps that are passionate about sustainability and hospitality. Recharge at Xigera Safari Lodge, delight in the Magic of the Makgadikgadi, and take a walk with the Kalahari bushmen.
Highlights
Explore the Selinda Reserve, one of Botswana’s most prolific wildlife areas boasting staggering wildlife populations year-round. Home to leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, zebra and giraffe, it is also a refuge for some of the more uncommon species such as African wild dog, roan and sable.
Discover the Makgadikgadi Pans, a landscape of space and otherworldly vistas in search of unique desert wildlife. Enjoy a blockbuster of activities including quad biking, bushman walks, traditional game drives and meerkat encounters.
Experience exclusive, unrivaled flexibility at Xigera Safari Lodge in the heart of the incredible Okavango Delta, with no set times, no itineraries, just the unique chance of exploring the bush at a personalized pace.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are conscious travel experiences chosen with great care based on the positive social or environmental impact they have both on their communities, and on those who experience them: our guests. You can identify these experiences across our trips by locating the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience seal.
Accommodations
1. Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa
South Africa, Johannesburg
The enchanting Saxon Hotel is the perfect blend of rich cultural history and contemporary five-star service. As a guest of the Saxon you may choose to stay in one of the luxuriously elegant suites in the main hotel, or you may prefer the sense of quiet retreat of the more private villa suites. The tranquil suites feature a king size bed, separate bathroom with bath and walk-in shower. The open plan layout includes a lounge and dining area with business desk and iPod docking station. In room amenities include complimentary full mini bar and snacks, high speed Wi-Fi, in suite entertainment, a bottle of sparkling wine on arrival and 24 hour butler service. While at The Saxon, join the chefs on an experiential, culinary adventure at one of the hotel’s many restaurants. A fitness center offers state-of-the-art equipment and is available 24 hours, while the spa is an oasis of calm, complete with hydro facilities, water features, outdoor stones and gardens.
2. Jack's Camp
Botswana, Makgadikgadi Pans
Jack’s Camp is one of Africa's most storied and iconic camps and just one of three in a one million acre private wildlife reserve. Located in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the 100% solar powered camp is fashioned in classical 1940’s style. The stylish canvas tents feature en suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers, an overhead bed cooling system to ward off the desert heat, and a wood burning stove for the chilly morning and evenings. Each tent has a private veranda with a plunge pool. The main tent houses a library with an antique pool table, a nomadic Persian tea tent, a dedicated spa tent and a Natural History Museum with one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient artefacts in Botswana. A swimming pool pavilion, the only one of its kind in Africa, has views of the glittering landscape. An oasis in striking contrast with the rugged wilderness, Jack’s Camp promises Real Adventure in Unreal Style.
3. Zarafa Camp
Botswana, Selinda Reserve
Zarafa Camp is an intimate tented camp located on the private Selinda Reserve in northern Botswana. The perfect balance between luxury, romance and adventure, the tents are set on raised decking, under flowing canvas. Entering through a heavy wood Lamu door guests are transported into a lavish space. Each bedroom is connected to a full lounge with gas fireplace, and open layout bathroom complete with cooper claw-foot bath and indoor shower. Decking around the tent leads to the private plunge pool and outdoor shower. The camp’s main lounge includes a library, dining area, bush boutique and an outdoor gym. In-room massages are available. Only recycled hardwoods and canvas were used in the construction. All the camp’s electricity comes from its solar farm and a bio-gas system converts vegetable waste into usable cooking gas. Few camps rival the location of this little gem, overlooking the crystal waters of Zibadianja Lagoon.
4. Xigera Safari Lodge
Botswana, Okavango Delta
Xigera is a bold new safari lodge set in the heart of the Okavango Delta in Botswana's iconic Moremi Game Reserve. Meticulously designed to frame the breathtaking floodplains and riverine forests, the lodge is in complete synergy with its surroundings. Spacious suites look out onto lily-filled lagoons, providing a front-row seat to the theatre of the African bush. Each suite floats delicately above the water, allowing wildlife to pass uninterruptedly beneath. The interiors are filled with exceptional one-off works of art and design created by 76 of Africa’s most globally acclaimed designers. The lodge is 100% solar powered, with a dedicated focus on sustainability. Defined by Red Carnation’s passion and art of hospitality the lodge offers an exclusive experience of unrivalled flexibility. There are no set times, no itineraries, just the unique chance of exploring the bush at a personalized pace.
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrive Johannesburg, South Africa
With a warm welcome, you will be transferred to the enchanting Saxon Hotel. Situated on ten acres of magnificent indigenous gardens, the hotel provides a private and peaceful retreat.
Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa
Day 2. Johannesburg, South Africa / Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Fly to the otherworldly vistas and discover the Magic of the Makgadikgadi. The old-world glamour of Jack’s Camp is a Kalahari legend with stunning touches like the nomadic Persian tea tent and Natural History Museum cabinets. (BLD)
Jack's Camp
Day 3. Makgadikgadi Pans
As the sun rises, meet the pixie-faced meerkats then learn about the secrets of the desert on a walk with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen. On game drives, keep your eyes peeled for the elusive brown hyena and Kalahari lion. After dinner, enjoy a 360-degree view of the stars. (BLD)
Jack's Camp
Day 4. Makgadikgadi Pans
The Makgadikgadi is a place of unpredictable spectacles. During the dry season, a shimmering whiteness envelops the scorched landscape. This is the time of year for a thrilling quad bike ride or sleeping under the stars. When the rains fall, the pans are transformed into a layer of emerald-green grass that stretches out in every direction. Try to time your visit to the second largest migration of zebra and wildebeest in Africa. (BLD)
Jack's Camp
Day 5. Makgadikgadi Pans / Selinda Reserve
Fly to Zarafa, in the private 130,000 hectare Selinda Reserve, known for its staggering wildlife population year-round. Home to leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, zebra and giraffe, it is also a refuge for some of the more uncommon species, such as African wild dog, roan and sable antelope. (BLD)
Zarafa Camp
Day 6. Selinda Reserve
Explore the nearby forests and grasslands. Bring the provided Swarovski binoculars on guided walks and game drives to spy the elusive leopard, regal cheetah or the endangered African wild dog. After a busy day on safari, be lulled to sleep by the sounds of Africa’s wilderness. (BLD)
Zarafa Camp
Day 7. Selinda Reserve
Water levels permitting, Zarafa’s special pontoon boat is an utterly unique experience, complete with couches, a dining area and bar. Enjoy a floating brunch or a sundowner while watching hippos and elephants in the water. (BLD)
Zarafa Camp
Day 8. Selinda Reserve / Okavango Delta
Enjoy incredible aerial views as you fly over the Okavango Delta to Xigera Safari Lodge. The 100% solar powered lodge sits within a stunning mix of palm-filled islands, riverine forests and expansive floodplains. Delve deeper into the living gallery of African art before enjoying a unique culinary safari. (BLD)
Xigera Safari Lodge
Day 9. Okavango Delta
Your safari experience is entirely flexible, take a walk on the wild side, enjoy high tea in the bush, glide through the waterways in a glass-bottomed boat, or stop for a ‘feet-in-the-water’ sundowner. Marvel at the beauty of the sculptural Baobab Treehouse. (BLD)
Xigera Safari Lodge
Day 10. Okavango Delta
Each safari experience is an opportunity to explore a wonderland teeming with creatures from crocodiles who glide stealthily among the lilies to the agile monkeys in their palm tree playground. Actively participate in conservation work by helping record wildlife movements and habitats with Wild Entrust Africa. (BLD)
Xigera Safari Lodge
Day 11. Okavango Delta / Depart
Enjoy one last magical morning before you bid farewell to one of Africa’s finest jewels, the Okavango Delta. (B)
Pricing
Land Arrangements (Price per person)
**Surcharges Apply Jan 01-15, Dec 20 - 31.
Air Arrangements (Internal Airfare)
Johannesburg - Maun - Johannesburg
Similar Trips
11 days from $18,295 per person
Botswana
Sightseeing
Safari
Nature
Embrace the wild heart of Botswana’s most extraordinary landscapes. Glide through the Okavango Delta's hidden channels by mokoro, track majestic wildlife on safari drives in Moremi Game Reserve, and marvel at the vastness of the Makgadikgadi Pans. From serene waterways to desert plains, each day unveils a new, untamed wonder.
Add-Ons
Currently there are no add-ons for this tour