19 July 2007

Explore Botswana - 10 day Lodge Safari

Explore Botswana - African Lodge Safari

Explore the best of Botswana on this 10 day Lodge Safari and visit Chobe, Makgadigadi, Moremi, the Okavango Delta, and get a glimpse of the Victoria Falls in Zambia.

Destination(s): Botswana, Zambia
Tour Details: Livingstone to Maun
Trip Duration: 10 Days and 9 Nights

You will be met at the airport and taken to the Zambezi Waterfront Lodge. Your afternoon will be spent talking about the great experience and adventure lying ahead and exploring the area. You will spend one day in this magnificent location near the majestic Victoria Fall. There are ample activities to keep one busy in the Victoria Falls, one of the seven world wonders, so your afternoon will be a busy one.
Accommodation: Zambezi Waterfront Lodge
Activities: Numerous adventure activities, sight seeing at the Victoria Falls and curio shopping.

This morning you will travel to ‘’the smoke that thunders’’. As you feel the drizzle of the water from the falls your breath will be swept away by the awe-inspiring site. You will leave the magnificent site of the falls behind and depart for your next stop in the marvellous Chobe Region. A new country and a new location beckon you to continue your journey. The Chobe area is a stunning green-shaded area in Northern Botswana. The Chobe river makes its flowing blue mark on the ground while, at sunrise and sunset, the sky is painted purple-pink and yellow by the sun. The Chobe is famous for its stunning sunsets and game viewing opportunities. The sunrises will give you the opportunity get up early and the sunsets the opportune occasion to unwind with a cold beer. As you enjoy sipping your beer and looking out over Chobe River you may see some elephants drinking the Chobe’s water.
Accommodation: Elephant Valley Lodge
Activities: Game viewing and boat cruises

It will be an early start as you depart from the famous Chobe and the elephants to the infamous Makgadigadi area with its Baobab Trees and salt pans. Although it is a 5 hour drive you can enjoy the remarkable scenery and the solitude of the landscape that is so different from the roads travelled at home! The Baobab trees is known as the ‘’upside down tree’’, and upon looking at one it is clear why. The tree and its branches create and image of the roots of a tree. Compared to humans they grow to be humungous. Today you will see this awkward phenomenon. Tomorrow you will have the opportunity to experience another one: the Ntwetewe pans.
Accommodation: Planet Baobab
Activities: Guided Baobab Bush Walk, Visit to Ntwetwe Pans, Half day quad bike excursion and game drive.

This morning you will make your way to Maun. On arrival in Maun, board your flight over the Delta and fly to Camp Okavango. This afternoon why not enjoy a Mokoro excursion? Alternatively you can spend the evening relaxing and enjoying the natural environment. Your guide will not accompany you on this part of the journey, but rest assured as you’ll be met by a local guide at Camp Okavango.The delta environment has large numbers of animal populations that are otherwise rare, such as crocodile, red lechwe, sitatunga, elephant, wild dogs, buffalo, wattled crane as well as the other more common mammals and bird life. You will experience a sense of solitude in this wildlife filled area of waterways as you explore them, but feel safe in knowing that you have guides that know the Delta. On your second day at Camp Okavango you can choose between numerous ways to pass the time and take in the delta landscape.
Accommodation: Camp Okavango
Activities: You can chooses between motorised boat activities, a guided walk or another mokoro excursion.

DAY 7 & 8: Moremi, Botswana
Board your flight mid-morning and make your way back to Maun. Your guide will meet you when you land and transfer you to Moremi for a 2 night stay at Mankwe Bush Lodge. Moremi is located east of the Okavango Delta. The wildlife reserve is a magnificent site and renowned for its beauty. The wildlife is as diverse as the green shades of the bush and the amount of experiences. Originally the idea behind Moremi was to support the locals of the area in creating an honourable living. Today, Moremi help visitors to create fantastic memories.
Accommodation: Mankwe Bush Lodge
Activities: Game Viewing

Today you will travel back to Maun. The name Maun comes from the word ‘’Maung” meaning ‘’place of short reeds’’. You will realise that although the tour were a short 10 days long, the memories of this place, Botswana, will last a life time.
Accommodation: Island Safari Lodge
Activities: Sightseeing

Stand up and breathe in the breathtaking beauty of Botswana. Take a last look around and take in as much as possible of the scenic surroundings. The journey is at its end, but the sharing of the experiences you had is just beginning. You will be sad to leave this brilliant country and although it has only been ten days the memories will last you forever!


Experience Botswana with Lathita Expeditions.

05 July 2007

Explore Namibia - African Safari

Explore Namibia on this epic African Safari with Lathita Expeditions.


Tour Details: Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Brandberg, Ethosha, Otjiwarengo, Windhoek
Tour Duration: 15 days

DAY 1: Windhoek - Namibia
Your guide will meet you at Windhoek Airport. From here you will leave for a relaxing night at Hochland Nest, a game reserve just outside Windhoek. Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and has a combination of a cosmopolitan and German flair. Windhoek is a wonderful town and the ideal location to start your tour.
Accommodation: Hochland Nest
Hochland Nest is a mere 40 minutes drive from Windhoek and is the ideal breakaway from the city or for you to start your journey in Namibia. The Lodge is cozy and intimate with friendly staff providing attention to each and every guest. It is a home away from home. The chalets are individually styled and furnished. They have private en-suite bathroom and secluded outdoor deck. Generous spacing between the chalets ensures complete privacy. What makes Hochland Nest so unique is the fact that it is next to the Friedenah Dam, which has water through out the year. In this dry sand-filled country this is truly an amazing site. Almost just as amazing and unique as the experiences of the tour that lies ahead.
DAY 2: Aloe Grove Safari Lodge -Namibia
Today your Namibian adventure begins. During the early morning you will go on a nature drive after which you will drive to your next destination: The Aloe Grove Safari Lodge near Otjiwarongo. Otjiwarongo is neat, prosperous and green. The town has got modern facilities such as banks, shops and restaurants. A quick drive through this town will bring you to your next destination that, as in Otjiwarongo, boasts with modern facilities in the middle of the bush.
Accommodation: Aloe Grove Safari Lodge
The atmosphere at the lodge is as phenomenal as the sunrises and sunsets. As an international tourist you can expect international standards. The cuisine and service are of the highest quality. You will feel safe in your comfortable and luxurious room after the game drive in the bush. For Nature-lovers and photographers, Aloegrove is sheer bliss. The spectacular bird- and wildlife of these Savannah will captivate you. Animals to be seen include kaleidoscopic birds and sensational game such as lion, kudu, eland, giraffe, oryx, mountain-zebra, hartebeest etc.; and of course the scurrying warthogs! For those who venture out on one of our many hiking-trails, the experience will be truly memorable. Your experience in the bush does not end with a game drive, but continue when you are given the opportunity to feed the leopard, lion and cheetah!
At Aloegrove you will be spoilt by beauty and able to savour an unspoilt landscape from the vantage point of a luxury Bungalow.

DAY 3: Onguma Lodge, Etosha, Namibia
Etosha is a beautiful National Park with plenty animals and easy game viewing. Depending of the season, animals will roam the open plains or cluster around watering holes, where you will see herds of zebra, impala, springbok, lions and elephants. Be sure to go to Etosha Pan, where you can park at the pan edge to view the vastness of this moon landscape.
Accommodation: Onguma Tented Camp
Onguma Tented Camp is a beguiling mixture of sophistication and relaxation, of elegance and the earth. It is the intriguing combination and attention to detail that makes Onguma Tented Camp the ultimate in safari chic.
The surrounding nature lends itself to long lazy afternoons, spent relaxing on the sofas in the lounge, watching the animals go. And when things heat up, all that is required is a gentle stroll to the rim flow pool.
In the local Herero language, Onguma means,” the place you don’t want to leave”. With the atmosphere, and the daily activities taking place around the water hole at Onguma Tented Camp you certainly wish you could stay longer.
DAY 4 & 5: Etosha Mountain Lodge, Etosha, Namibia
After breakfast you will drive to Etosha National Park. Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. About two million years ago, this area was an enormous lake, fed by the Kunene river. Although the lake dried up, the game is flourishing. Two nights in Etosha should allow for ample game viewing opportunities. Be sure to go to Etosha Pan, where you can park at the pan edge to view the vastness of this moon-like landscape.
Accommodation: Etosha Mountain Lodge
Etosha Mountain Lodge is situated on the southern border of the Etosha National Park. The lodge is situated amongst dolomite hills and offers a combination of luxury, wilderness & cuisine. The private reserve on which the Etosha Mountain Lodge is situated is well stocked with game and you can expect to encounter both black & white rhino as well as giraffe, eland, mountain zebra, kudu, oryx, cheetah, leopard, springbuck, blue wildebeest, black-faced impala, sable, hartebeest and other wildlife endemic to the area.
With all there is to see in Etosha you will be happy to close your eyes and rest after the busy day.

DAY 6 & 7: Brandberge, Namibia
This morning you will drive to the Brandberge in Damaraland which is famous for its bushman rock engravings – the ‘’White Lady’’ being the most famous. Damaraland is well known for its awkward looking plants and trees that look like they have been imported from outer space. The Brandberge is the highest mountain in Namibia and is sure to be one of the highlights of your stay.
Accommodation: Brandberg White Lady
The lodge is named after Namibia's most famous rock painting, the White Lady, which graces the side of a hill in the Brandberg Mountains. After a local mine closed in the early 1990s, a group of unemployed men in the community got together and organized the service after unescorted tourists were found to be defacing and stealing the rock paintings. In 2004, the Tsiseb Conservancy opened a visitors' center that offers a coffee shop, Internet café, tourist booking office and a crafts shop. The impressive stone building is a source of pride for the community. And through their efforts of conservation your are able to see the mark left by the early inhabitant of this area.
DAY 8 & 9: Cape Cross, Namibia
Today you will travel from the Brandberg Mountains to the sand and see of the skeleton coast. The Portuguese seafarer Diego Cão, in 1486, was the first European to arrive in Cape Cross - He put up a Padrao (cross) in honour of the king of Portugal. As you arrive in this seldom-explored town you will be amazed by the awe-inspiring site of the awesome beaches. Although it is one of Namibia’s smaller towns with little permanent residents, an enormous colony of 100 000 seals, has made Cape Cross its home.
Accommodation: Cape Cross Lodge
You will be staying on the sand in luxury and under the beautiful Namibia sky listening to the waves of the Atlantic ocean.
The atmosphere is that of a holiday beach house. You are almost forced to relax. And in the tranquil surroundings that is created by the staff and the décor you will be reluctant to do anything else.
Day nine will be packed with activities: Your journey starts off with a visit to the biggest Cape Fur Seal-breeding colony in the world on the main land. During your visit to the Seal colony, the guide will inform you of all relevant information regarding the seals and the historical background of Cape Cross. Cape Cross was the first European contact in Southern Africa in the year 1485. This was so important that a replica of the original cross was created and erected. As Namibia is internationally renowned for big herds of breeding Seals, Cape Cross is known for this unique feature. Then we proceed to the petrified salt lagoon, where you can dig and see the crystallization of salt over 400 years old and experience the process of salt mining.
Thereafter and on our way to the Messum Crater, we stop at one of the richest Lichen stretches of the Namib Desert where we have found all six species that have to date been discovered in Namibia. The nutrient rich, cold Benguela Current not only generates a wealth of marine life, but it also produces fog which ensures the survival of an intriguing variety of desert adapted animals and plants.
We then depart to branches of the Messum River where a dense population of Welwitschias are growing, including the largest recorded Welwitschia in Namibia. Thereafter, the excursion continues across the stark lunar landscape to view the Messum Crater. The silence and solitude of the Crater is totally contrasting with the turbulence of other destinations.
After such an event filled day you will be glad to go and unwind in your room hearing the waves in the back ground.
DAY 10 & 11: Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, Namibia
After a good breakfast you will tackle the drive to Swakopmund, the second largest town in Namibia. You will stay in Swakopmund for two days, giving you the opportunity to explore the town and surrounding area, with its many restaurants and pubs. A visit to Walvis Bay will be well worth your while: The route to Walvis Bay is amazing with yellow-shaded sand dunes on one side and the blue Atlantic Ocean on the other. Both Swakopmund and Walvis Bay allows for a wide variety activities that can be enjoyed during your stay.
Accommodation: Langholm hotel
The Hotel offers all the comforts of home. The comfortable lounge and private bar are open every evening until 22h00, where guests may have a drink or simply relax after a busy day. Langholm is a stone's throw away from the lagoon, golf course and swimming pool. Tours into the desert, the lagoon and surrounding areas can be arranged to make your stay more enjoyable. Langholm's bedrooms are comfortably and tastefully furnished with en-suite bathroom, telephones with direct dialing and television.
During your stay in Swakopmund you will be going on a quad-bike adventure on the sand dunes. You can ride the dunes: It will be like the wildest and spiral roller-coasters of the Namib. The 38 – 50 km guided tour includes drinks, safety gear and transfers. It provides excellent photographic opportunities and guarantees an adrenaline rush.

Day 12 & 13: Sossusvlei, Namibia
You will leave early morning going into the Namib Desert. While visiting the Sosusvlei area you will go on hot air balloon excursion in the Namib where you will have a champagne breakfast and a nature drive. You will receive a flight certificate. You will also go on a sun downer trip at Betesda. Overnight at Betesda Camping Site. (Dinner included).
Day 14: Windhoek, Namibia
After breakfast you will depart on your way back to Windhoek. You will be able to explore the city of Windhoek. Visit some of the attractions like the Craft market, the National assembly or the Natural Scientific Museum. Relax at the hotel and make use of the many activities they offer. Overnight at Windhoek Country Club Resort. (Accommodation includes breakfast)
Day 15: Departure
Depart to Windhoek Airport from where you will catch your international flight.