Okavango Delta Extension
Luxury all inclusive Okavango Delta
4 nights / 5 day safari
The worlds largest inland delta makes the Okavango truly unique. Also known as the predator capital the area is incredibly rich in wildlife big and small.
Location, location, location… no where else in Africa is this more important when it comes to your exclusive game viewing experience. Although it is a huge area it is small in comparison to regular conservation areas. At the heart of the Okavango Delta lies a handful of exclusive camps. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for, the Delta is the epitomises this on Safari. For camps on the fringes of the Delta accessible by dirt roads and tracks most of the year it is not the same as being right in the middle and the only way to reach the heart is by light aircraft landing on small islands and dirt runways. After landing you will travel in highly modified Land-Cruisers designed to spend most of their life in water. From the camps safari’s are carried out by vehicle, boat, mokoro (dugout canoe) and by foot.
The Okavango is truly magnificent and like nowhere else on earth. When it comes to game viewing and wildlife conservation a safari into the heart of the Okavango with Sanctuary Retreats is worth every penny. Trent Moon.
OKAVANGO DELTA EXTENSION
4 night extension safari: Experience the magic of the Okavango Delta and it amazing wildlife.
DAY 1 – Fly Maun to Stanley’s Camp
Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp
On arrival at Maun Airport a Sanctuary Retreats representative will meet and assist you to your light aircraft charter flight to Stanley’s Camp. The flying is approximately 15 minutes. On arrival at the airstrip a representative will meet and transfer you to the camp. Sanctuary Stanley’s is situated in a 260,000-acre private concession, thus affording guests absolute exclusivity. Guest accommodation consists of eight classic styled safari tents. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the game viewing activities. A completely unique Stanley’s feature is an educational experience with a group of semi-habituated African elephants and a highly recommended activity at an additional cost. Other activities available include serene mokoro canoe excursions (subject to water levels), exclusive bush dinners, and game drives in customised, open 4 x 4 vehicles – including the rare opportunity of night drives.
All drinks & meals included.
DAY 2 – Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp
Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp offers some of the best game viewing in the Okavango, including the rare and elusive wild dog. A completely unique Sanctuary Stanley’s feature is an educational experience with a group of semi-habituated African elephants and a highly recommended activity at an additional cost. Other activities available include serene mokoro canoe excursions (subject to water levels), exclusive bush dinners, and game drives in customised, open 4 x 4 vehicles – including the rare opportunity of night drives. As Stanley’s Camp is in a private concession, guests also have the exclusive option of walking safaris with an armed professional guide.
All drinks & meals included.
DAY 3 – Baines Camp
Enjoy a morning game viewing activity followed by breakfast before transferring by vehicle to Baines camp with game viewing on route. This region is known as the “predator capital” of Africa and is considered to have the finest game viewing in Botswana including the Big Five. Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, the smallest and most intimate camp in the Sanctuary collection, features just six luxurious light and airy suites. Raised on stilts and complete with curved terraces overlooking the river. The afternoon is at leisure. Activities available include game drives and seasonal mokoro excursions (subject to water levels).
One of the finest ways to witness the wildlife around Sanctuary Baines’ Camp is from a locally made dugout canoe, known as a mokoro. These used to be carved from ebony but are now made from fibreglass to protect the fragile environment of the Okavango. Float around the waterways and lagoons that make up the delta, scouting for animals such as crocodiles, while enjoying a remarkable view of the plains game from a new and exciting perspective. For the less intrepid, the camp also offers motorised speed boats for use when the rivers are in flood. (All water based activities are seasonal and dependent on the water levels of the delta).
All drinks & meals included.
DAY 4 – Baines Camp
The day is at leisure to enjoy the game viewing activities on offer. The game viewing opportunities around Sanctuary Baines camp are excellent. Elephant, wild dog, cheetah and leopard can all be spotted close and the area also boasts over 500 species of bird. Mokoros, local dugout canoes, are ideal for getting close to the bush in the company of a highly trained local guide. Each June the whole area around the camp floods and turns the Okavango Delta into a labyrinth of lily-filled lagoons and streams where hippos fight for bathing rights and crocodiles wait for unwary antelope to linger too long over a drink. Poling through the byways created by the floodwaters is a magical experience that allows guests to get very close to the biggest of game and to see the world from a totally different angle – looking up onto the banks rather than down onto them.
All drinks & meals included.
DAY 5 – Fly Baines Camp to Maun
GAME DRIVES
Stanley’s Camp – Game drives in this region are unique, as water crossings are part of the adventure, and watching zebra standing belly-deep in water, grazing is a sight to see. Even giraffes will cross water up to their hocks. During higher water levels, game drives will be combined with excursions in traditional dug-out canoes called Mokoros. Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is set in a private concession which means we can also venture out at night on exciting game drives to see the many nocturnal animals that live here. The evening drive starts after sundowner cocktails, using a spotlight to identify nocturnal creatures including the ones that are easier to catch a glimpse of in the dark, like hyena and leopard. Tiny fireball eyes that seem to levitate through the air and reappear again in different trees are bush babies, just one of several different creatures to be found. (Night drives are seasonal, depending on water levels)
Baines Camp – Famed for its big cat and bird population, the Okavango Delta is a peaceful haven where animals have been protected for decades and know they will not be disturbed. At Baines’ Camp, you have the opportunity to see animals up close with your expert guide on morning and evening game drives in open 4 x 4 vehicles. A night game drive is the perfect means to see some of the nocturnal animals one wouldn’t see during the day time. The concession also boasts a diversity of landscapes with desert, dry savannah, lagoon and swamps all in close proximity. During higher water levels game drives will be combined with motorised boating excursions. (Night drives are seasonal, depending on water levels.)
MOKORO EXCURSIONS
Stanley’s Camp – The Okavango Delta is of course flooded for much of the year and when it is, guests can experience serene silence at the gentle pace of a poled mokoro excursion along the narrow channels. Sit back and relax as you glide through lily ponds on local dugout canoes while seeing eye to eye with a buffalo as it laps water from the river, watch crocodiles sunbathe on the banks or cruise past a pod of hippos as they lie in a pool. Fish eagles, frogs and fabulous lilies form much of this experience, but more frequently it is the quietness and gentle pace that makes its impression.
Baines Camp – One of the best ways to see the wildlife around Sanctuary Baines’ Camp is in one of the locally made dugout canoes, known as mokoros. These used to be carved from ebony but are now made from commercially grown wood and fibreglass to protect the fragile environment of the Okavango. In one of these traditional crafts it is possible to float around the waterways and lagoons that make up the delta, looking for crocodiles in the water, but also getting a remarkable view of the plains game from a new and exciting angle. This gentle and informative mode of safari is unique to the river Bushmen, comprising three different tribes who made the Delta their home. For the less intrepid, the camp also has motorised speedboats that can be used when the rivers are in flood. (All water based activities are seasonal and based on the water levels of the delta)
SCENIC HELICOPTER FLIGHT
Stanley’s & Baines Camp – Experience the magnificent Okavango Delta by air with Helicopter Horizons Scenic Flights – a completely personalised experience offering the very best of the untamed wilderness and wildlife in widescreen. These scenic flights involve flying west towards the permanent delta, exposing areas which are unreachable by vehicle or boat and showcasing the sheer enormity of the Okavango Delta. Helicopters are a perfect way to explore deep into the Delta exposing permanent waterways, palm islands, and lagoons, with sweeping views of floodplains and incredible game sightings. Doors are removed for unrestricted views which offers great photographic opportunities.
Being a personalised activity, it’s up to you what time of day you would like to do the activity, however, we would recommend early morning and late afternoon as these times usually provide the best light for photography. Preferred flight times can be requested on booking.
This activity is at an additional cost. Please enquire for rates.
WALKING SAFARIS
Stanley’s Camp – Our professional guides will show you the bush on foot. This is a chance to see the Delta from a different perspective, one that is up close and personal with the surrounding environment. Walks allow you to read the news of the night in the smooth sand of the road. Lion, leopard, elephants, genets and even millipedes are all part of the signs, each with their story to tell. A walking safari is about seeing the small five and the various flora in the area.
Baines Camp – Find out how to track and follow even the most elusive of animals in the Okavango. With the camp being set in a private concession, there is the opportunity to get very close on foot in perfect safety with one of our guides. This is an exciting activity and a little nerve wracking for first-timers who have only ever driven around in a safari vehicle and enjoyed sitting above lion, elephants and other animals. On foot, one cannot approach these animals, obviously, but learning about them, walking their walk and seeing the bush at their level is a wonderful and educational experience.
Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp
Hidden deep in a private concession bordering the renowned Moremi Game Reserve is Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp, a hymn to sustainable architecture and understated elegance set under the dappled shade of mature ebony and sausage trees.
Every detail of this traditional canvas tented camp has been considered to minimise its environmental footprint and sing with contemporary African design, offset by eclectic antiques that conjure the spirit of the camp’s Victorian namesake, the adventurer, Henry Stanley.
An intimate collection of ten authentic safari tents makes up the distinguished accommodations, while communal areas include a grand mess tent, the ‘Explorer Lounge’, and a sociable outdoor bar, all of which have been designed to foster an unrivalled connection with nature and place guests at one with the wild.
The camp also features a striking infinity pool – there really is no greater pleasure than slipping into the water immersed in the sights and sounds of the bush and its animals after a day on the delta.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Authentic safari experience in the bush
- Located in the heart of the Okavango Delta on a private concession
- Activities include game drives, night drives, walking safaris and mokoros
- Minimal environmental footprint
Sanctuary Baines Camp
Intimacy is guaranteed at Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, an exclusive hideaway perched above the Boro River in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve.
The smallest camp in our portfolio, with just six beautiful suites, every detail of the space has been crafted to foster romance and connection. From the star baths and sky beds found on each private deck to the camp’s elevated position on raised platforms high above the water, you won’t find a better spot for blissed out adventures à deux.
Named after the 19th century explorer and painter Thomas Baines, a pioneering spirit runs through the camp’s design, with its wide wooden walkways that connect and surround the large communal areas and luxurious, stilted standalone suites, all of which are decked out in bold, dynamic décor.
The extended decking of this papyrus-fringed camp ushers in the world-famous Okavango Delta, ensuring guests feel fully part of this extraordinary wildlife-rich ecosystem, where desert meets wetland and wilderness meets luxury.
One of the finest places to experience the magic of this location is at the swimming pool. The ideal spot to observe the varied wildlife present here, watch hippos wallow at the edge of the lagoon or get to know one of the many elephants who live in the area.
Proudly eco-friendly, this property was built using only commercially grown wood, with more than 150,000 recycled aluminium cans incorporated within the walls to provide insulation. We encouraged our local community in Maun to collect cans, with a fee paid for every can, which were then recycled to form the backbone of the camp’s structures.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ideal for honeymooners, with romantic sky beds and star baths on each private deck
- Located on a private concession allowing walking safaris and night drives
- Seasonal mokoro excursions and motorised boating available
- Eco-friendly camp built from recycled cans
FINE DINING
Sanctuary Retreats prides itself in the personalised service we are able to offer our guests. Please let us know if you have any special requests and/or dietary requirements.
Dining will be individual table settings placed in spots around the camp with unique viewpoints. There will also be comfortable sofas and umbrellas placed in and around the camp in special spots with great views for guests to sit and soak up the surrounding area.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your stay – and dining is a mix of silver service, multi course and buffet style depending on the camp. On early morning game drives, indulge in a packed breakfast enjoyed in the middle of the bush and head back to the lodge for a late lunch; or leave after an early breakfast and indulge in a scrumptious packed lunch enjoyed whilst on a full day game drive. For a more intimate experience you can choose to dine on individual tables set in special spots around the camps.
Afternoon tea is served just before the afternoon game activity and offers a selection of cake, tea, coffee and fresh fruit juices. Sundowners and snacks offer the perfect way to end the day as the sun sets over the savannah. Pre-dinner drinks can be enjoyed around the fire before dinner.
ABOUT BOTSWANA
A landlocked nation, bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers up to 70% of the country’s land surface, the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta and the Chobe National Park in the north.
Vast and untamed, a country with thousands of square miles of exquisite wilderness, Botswana offers exceptional game viewing as well as a varied safari experience across its broad and flat expanses of savannah, desert, salt pan and wetland.
GETTING TO EAST AFICA
This Safari experience begins in the town of Maun in Botswana. Maun is easily reached by flying through Johannesburg in South Africa.
Getting to East Africa is relatively easy with two main hubs on the continent form where you can get to where ever you need to go. Those being Johannesburg and Nairobi.
Flying from Australia QANTAS has regular and direct flights from Sydney – Johannesburg while South African Airways fly directs to Johannesburg ex Perth to meet connections onto Nairobi and Kilimanjaro.
If you prefer to to fly with Emirates or QATAR they have regular flights ex Melbourne and Sydney via Dubai and Doha to Nairobi.
Departing from Europe you will find many direct flights into Nairobi, the main East African hub. Flying from the United States you will find direct flights to Johannesburg from New York and Atlanta while getting to Nairobi will generally take you through Europe.
MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFE TIME
With the benefit of digital photography don’t hold back taking pics, you can always delete them. We recommend packing your largest lense, all safari vehicles have padded rest for stable long distance shots.
BOTSWANA
VISA INFORMATION
For most passports, a visa is required. Please check with local authorities for details. Two blank passport pages are required when travelling to Southern Africa. Check the number of days given on arrival at the immigration desk as there are steep fines for overstaying the number of days given. Departure tax is dependent upon which airline you are travelling with.
Visas Not Required: Foreigners from most Commonwealth and European Union countries, as well as the United States, are not required to obtain visas for entering Botswana, except in cases where the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs has directed otherwise.
Visas Required: Please visit www.botswanaembassy.org for a full list of nationalities requiring visas for entry into Botswana. Please note this information serves as a guide only. Travellers should check for visa requirements pertaining to their citizenship, as entry requirements can vary. Visas are to be obtained in advance and cannot be issued at port of entry.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
Guests travelling to Botswana need to be aware that parents travelling with children would now be requested to provide the following information for all travelling children. Any children under the age of 18 will not be allowed to enter the country without these documents.
Child and both parents:
- An unabridged birth certificate
- A valid passport for the child
Child and one parent, parent must produce:
- An unabridged birth certificate
- A valid passport for the child
- A court order / death certificate / affidavit confirming the absent parent has given permission for the child to travel
Child and guardian, guardian must produce:
- An unabridged birth certificate
- A valid passport for the child
- A court order / death certificate / affidavit confirming the parents have given permission for the child to travel
- Copies of parents / guardian ID documents
- Contact details of parents/guardian
TIME ZONE
GMT + 2 hours
LANGUAGE
The official languages are English and Setswana.
WEATHER
Botswana straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and experiences extremes in temperatures. Days are normally clear, warm and sunny while the nights range from cool to cold. Botswana is primarily a dry country, but a summer rainy season lasts from November to March. Average annual rainfall is around 500mm. During the summer, days are generally sunny with short, abrupt rainstorms which usually clear within hours. Average temperatures during this period range between 20°C and 38°C. From late May to August, rain is rare anywhere in the country. During this dry season temperatures can plummet as low as 0°C at night and the average maximum temperature is around 27°C.
MONEY MATTERS
There will be little access to ATMs or banks while on safari. We suggest guests travel with cash in small denominations for tipping. Accepted currencies are USD, GBP, Euro and Pula – change will be given in the local currency. All cash should be locked in the safes, or safe bags, provided. Sanctuary Retreats’ lodges and camps in Botswana accepts credit cards, apart from Diners and American Express.
TIPPING
Tipping is not obligatory but general suggestions are as follows:
$15 per guest per day for the guide and $10 per guest per day for the rest of the staff.
NEW BOTSWANA TOURISM LEVY
As of 1 June 2017, visitors travelling to Botswana are liable to pay US$ 30 per person at the port of entry into the country. The levy will be payable at all ports of entry, including airports and border posts, through electronic payment machines, cash and debit and credit cards. A unique receipt, corresponding with the passport, will be generated automatically which then needs to be presented to Immigration Officials. The receipt will be valid for a 30 day period and can be used for multiple entries.
For more information, please visit www.botswanatourism.co.bw/tourismlevy
2024 extension option to our 4×4 tag-along safari tour $9520USD pp September 30 – October 4 includes 4 night stay and seasonal discount, transfers and ex Maun return charter flights.
Recommend minimum tip direct to driver $10USD pp pd / guide and staff communal tip box $10USD pp pd
Other dates on request based on the below information.
Fly Maun to Stanley’s Camp – from $300 USD per person
Sanctuary Retreats Stanley’s Camp – prices in USD based on double / twin share. Single supplement on request
Sanctuary Retreats Baines Camp – prices in USD based on double / twin share. Single supplement on request
Valid from 3 January – 31 March; 1 November – 20 December
Fly Baines Camp to Maun – from $300 USD per person
BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS
Maximum of 20kg of luggage per person is allowed for light aircraft flights, including hand luggage and camera equipment. Maximum luggage dimensions are 30cm x 35cm x 70cm. Hard case baggage is now accepted.
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