Botswana – The Five Rivers Safari Special

For regular safari-goers, the name Kwando needs no further introduction. But for those of you who are new to the world of safaris, or new to the world of Botswana safaris in particular, this little intro is for you.

The Kwando camps are located in some of the most wildlife rich and pristine safari locations of Botswana. These are very coveted camps that can only be had at luxury prices during the ‘high’ season. But once a year, Kwando gets together with two other companies to offer an affordable range of safari camps that cover all the major wildlife locations that occur around the five major rivers in the region. This is a fantastic value and an opportunity for people to explore some of the most wild and remote areas of the country at a reasonable cost.

This 5 Rivers Safari usually runs from 1st December to 31st of March, a period known as the ‘green’ season. Although this is traditionally seen as the ‘low or rainy’ season, it is a very special time of the year to visit southern Africa. Summer rains are a time of plenty, when mammals are fat and healthy and for many species, it is a time to bring their young into the world. The bush is an emerald green, dotted with an abundance of flowers and migrant bird species arrive in their thousands. For the experienced African traveller and specialist photographer, this is definitely the time to visit southern Africa.

As for what constitutes a rainy season, know that Botswana is, in fact, a very dry country – the local currency of Botswana is called the Pula, which is also the word for ‘rain’ in Setswana, a stark reminder of how desirable rain is considered to be in this country. Although weather patterns have been changing in recent years and the last 2 rainy seasons have brought a higher than average number of overcast and wet days, Botswana’s rainy season is nothing like the monsoon season in India. The rainfall in the 5 -Rivers areas is typically in the form of quick thunderstorms, which usually occur in the late afternoon and last about an hour or so. Nor is true that game or wildlife viewing is poor at this time, and difficult to see – all 5 Rivers camps and lodges are situated within prime game viewing locations and expert rangers and trackers go to great lengths to maximise sightings. The bush is alive – Africa is at its most productive!!

Remember also that this is ‘high season’ for the desert camps and we recommend including one of these camps into your itinerary – not necessarily for wildlife (though your sightings should be great, and if you’re lucky, you may catch the annual zebra migration sometime between January-April), but for the magnificent and unforgettable landscapes of the Kalahari and Nxai Pan, stargazing, and time spent with the San Bushmen in their own desert environment.

Kwando Safaris are once again participating in the “5 Rivers Safari” program for the 2012/13 season. The 5 Rivers Safari offers you the opportunity to experience the following unique camps and spectacular safari destinations, all at one common rated nightly price:

• Stanley’s Safari Lodge – 10 private cottages bordering the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, with a view over the spray of the Victoria Falls in a distance (rate available for open cottages only, surcharge for bookings suites)
• Ntwala – 4 ultra luxury suites in the Chobe Area, offering fantastic boat-based game viewing on the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers
• Lagoon & Lebala camps – 8 luxury tents each (one family room each) in the Kwando/ Linyanti wetlands, big game country with consistent wild dog and large predator sightings
• Kwara – 8 luxury tents in the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta and a wildlife and water paradise
  Xakanaxa – 12 luxury tents in the Moremi Game Reserve, a wildlife haven inside the Okavango Delta
  Tau Pan – 8 luxury suites (one family room) the first official lodge inside the stunning Central Kalahari Game
• Nxai Pan – 8 luxury suites (one family room) in the spectacular Nxai Pan National Park, at its best during the 5 Rivers season.

Here’s the offer:

[message_box color=”yellow”]Update: The Kwando 5 Rivers Special is out for 2014-15. Click here to view prices from November 2014 to March 2015.[/message_box]
As simple as One, Two, Three…

One, choose the lodge/camp or combination of lodges/camps that you want
Two, figure out the total per person cost by multiplying the number of nights you want by $360 for travel from December 2012 – March 2013
Three, the discounted flight portion will be added on to calculate the final price

These are the conditions of the offer:

1. Minimum 3 nights booked at 1 camp or lodge
2. Minimum 4 nights at any two camps or lodges
3. All Air transfers with Moremi Air only Special rates apply. Please contact us as these fluctuate due to fuel prices and exchange rates (single travellers pay a 50% surcharge on flight transfers).

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