The Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana

Makgadikgadi salt pans, Botswana

They say that the Makgadikgadi Pans are one of the few places in the world ‘where the silence is so complete you can hear the blood circulating through your ears’.  The pans cover an area larger than Switzerland, making it one of the biggest salt flats in the world, and changes drastically between the wet and dry seasons.   This is home to the last surviving Zebra and Wildebeest migration in southern Africa and there are also plenty of large predators, such as lion and cheetah, making for excellent game watching. 

There are few safari experiences in Africa that compare to Jack’s Camp -where luxury and authenticity combine with the sheer, untouched magnificence of the Makgadikgadi Pans which we have listed below.

Jack’s Camp:

From$1490

There are few safari and tented experiences in Africa that can compare to Jack’s Camp where the pioneering spirit of one man and his family has been translated into a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combines luxury and authenticity with the sheer magnificence of the Makgadikgadi Pans and the endless vistas of the stark and beautiful Kalahari Desert.

Jack's Camp, Botswana, Makgadigadi salt pans

 San Camp:

From$1228

The Makgadikgadi Pans is one of the most remote and starkly beautiful places on earth. At Uncharted Africa’s San Camp, guests are brought into a landscape of nothingness, a desert backdrop that has an untold romance. A tented camp experience, San Camp combines five star luxury with The simplicity of nothingness and nature in its rawest state.

Camp Kalahari:

From$682

A tribute to pioneering safari expert, lover of Africa and brave explorer Jack Bousfield, Camp Kalahari reflects his life and love of the remote Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana, a place so remote and so vast that one can see the curvature of the earth. Here, Uncharted Africa has set up camp in honor and in the style of the man who started it all.

Leroo La Tau:

From$463.32

The lyrically named LeRoo Le Tau lodge (the name means lions paw) is an exclusive offering situated above the Boteti River that stretches across the western border of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. This magnificent park plays host to the last large scale migration in southern Africa – a spectacle featuring tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest and the predators that follow them.

Leroo La Tau, Makgadikgadi salt pans, Botswana

Nxai Pan Camp:

From$518

Semi-desert wilderness in the dry heart of Botswana is the setting for remote Kwando Nxai Pan lodge. This fossil salt pan is now a National park adjoining the larger Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and part of the Kalahari, conserving a fascinating variety of desert adapted wildlife and birds. The eco-friendly lodge overlooks one of the two permanent waterholes in the park, attracting elephants, big cats and plains game to drink.

We would love to help you book this amazing adventure to see such beauty.

Contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us

 

Himba People of Namibia

This is one of our favorite cultural visits in Namibia.

himba_montage

Meet the Himba people of Namibia’s Kaokoland.  The Himba are a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who live in the Kaokoland area of Namibia. They are descendants of a group of Herero herders who fled to the north-west of Namibia after being displaced by the Nama people.

Namibia, Himba tribe

The Himba rub their bodies with red ochre and fat to protect themselves from the sun, and the women also add mixtures of aromatic herbs in their skin rub to fragrance their bodies. The Himba make numerous beautiful jewellery items, mostly from iron, ostrich shells, and, more recently, from PVC pipes. Their intricate designs have become popular among Western tourists. Himba homes are cone-shaped and made from palm leaves, cattle dung and mud.

Namibia, Himba

During a stay at Serra Cafema Camp in Namibia one can visit a Himba village in the area. On this guided visit you will be taught about the fascinating culture of the Himba people and gain greater knowledge and appreciation of cultural heritage while respecting the values and aspirations of the Himba community.

Let us help plan your cultural journey to visit these amazing people!

Contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us

2016 Great African Flying Safari

2016 Great African Flying Safari

Very special DELUXE Itins from GREAT Plains! 

Exploring the wilds of Botswana along with the open natural wildlife filled landscapes of Kenya.

Great Plains Conservation presents their 13-day private Great African Flying Safari! We are very proud to present our private flying adventure, exploring Botswana and Kenya on-board a Next Generation Pilatus PC12. This private safari brings a select number of guests the unique opportunity to experience the best of Botswana and Kenya – Africa’s premier wildlife viewing destinations, on a safari often dreamed about.

Your Safari Highlights…

  • Duba Plains, located in the northern reaches of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, ranks as one of the best destinations to experience lions hunting during the day
  • Zarafa Camp, with its impressive marquis styled tents and sweeping views across the Zibadianja lagoon, makes this Relais & Chateaux recognised property the ideal camp in which to explore the wonders of the 138 000 hectare Selinda Reserve
  • ol Donyo Lodge, Kenya’s first Relais & Chateaux property, with Mount Kilimanjaro forming a constant backdrop whilst viewing some of Africa’s largest tuskers
  • Mara Plains, home to the largest cat population of lion and leopard in the greater Maasai Mara is now recognised as Kenya’s second Relais & Chateaux property

http://www.africa-discovery.com/botswana/safaris/great-african-flying-safari.php

For more information, contact Africa Discovery at:
1 800 886-7321, (415) 444-5100
or Email us

The Ultimate Namibia Safari

With most of their 2016 dates already sold-out, Ultimate Safaris has announced the 2017 dates for their ultra-popular 10-day small-group set departure, Ultimate Namibia Safari! This “best of Namibia’ guaranteed departure safari has a minimum of 1 and maximum 8 pax.  Guests stay inside Namib Naukluft Park for optimal Sossusvlei sunrise photo opps, track desert-adapted elephants in Damaraland, visit a remote Himba settlement (exclusive to Ultimate), explore Etosha National Park and visit the AfriCat Foundation!

Watch this video about a black rhino vs. lions in Etosha National Park!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtQVyzjLrXY

It offers fantastic value for money with a recommended 2016 rack of R43,660 (about $2,800) in high season! NOW is the time for provisional bookings to secure 2017 space.

Contact us at

Africa Discovery
1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
info2@africa-discovery.com 

 

 

5 Reason’s To Visit Ethiopia

Five reasons to visit Ethiopia (according to Bradt Guides- which are the most reliable published guides for travel in Africa)

1. Enjoy stunning scenery

“Every bus trip in the Ethiopian Highlands is a visual treat, whether you are snaking into the 1km-deep Blue Nile Gorge, bouncing over the grassy moorland and planted fields of the central highlands, wending your way through the thick forests of the west and south, or pelting across the Rift Valley floor, its acacia scrub dotted by extinct volcanoes, crumbling lava flows and beautiful lakes”Ethiopia scenery

2. Look out for endemic species and a wealth of birdlife

“Mammals such as the Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala, Walia ibex and gelada monkey are found nowhere but the highlands, and the same is true of 30 of the 900-plus species of birds which have been recorded in the country. National parks like Bale and Simien are a veritable paradise for natural history enthusiasts, as well as for the hikers and mule trekkers who visit them for their scenery.”

3. Visit the former capital of the ancient Axumite Empire

“According to legend, it was home to both the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of the Covenant. Today it is best known for the engraved obelisks (stelae) that tower over its horizon, but there’s plenty else to see here, including ruined palaces, trilingual tablets recounting events that took place 2,000 years ago, and some of the oldest churches in Ethiopia.”

4. Marvel at the geological wonders of the Danakil Depression

“It is one of the lowest-lying places anywhere in the planet, dropping to 116m below sea level, while temperatures on its shadeless plains often soar above 50°C, and are exacerbated by a fierce gale. This is a challenging travel destination but, for all that, the Danakil is an area of singular geological fascination: a strange and at times beguilingly beautiful desert landscape punctuated by austere volcanic calderas, explosive cauldrons of bubbling red lava, malodorous sulphur-caked hot springs, recently solidified black lava flows, and vast, blinding salt flats that stretch for up to a kilometre below the surface.”

5. Discover Africa’s richest diversity of culturesMursi decorations

“The people of the highlands have assimilated a variety of African, Judaic and even Egyptian influences to form one of the most unusual and self-contained cultures on this planet in the region of South Omo, including the Mursi, Hamer and Kara – whose colourful adornments evoke pre-20th-century Africa.”

 

Book a trip to Ethiopia today to see all or some of these must see’s.

Africa Discovery
1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
info2@africa-discovery.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jozibanini Adventure Camp in southern Hwange

Jozibanini Camp is situated in the remote southern section of Hwange, Jozi was for many years the home of a Ranger Station, protecting the extreme south of the park. This post was abandoned 12 years ago and Imvelo Safaris is excited to breathe new life into Jozi! This exclusive tented ‘fly camp’ is set under acacia trees and overlooks the Jozibanini pan and features two 18m x 18m tents with en suite flush toilets and hot and cold running water built on a raised deck behind an unobtrusive elephant proof barrier. It will include a lounge and dining area and camp staff will comprise a guide, tracker (armed), chef, waiter and tent attendant. Activities are game drives, walking safaris, mountain bike safaris and enjoying some great photographic opportunities from the nearby blind. It is an ideal two night adventure for Bomani and Camelthorn guests into a very wild and off the beaten path section of the park. A large pack of 18-22 wild dog is know to den and regularly frequent this area.Wild dog near Bomani

 

For travelers looking for an adventure off the beaten track – ‘Jozi’ will be an exciting 2 day add on.  The camp is very simple and wild and it is a long way to get out there. But the experience for the right kind of guests is unparalleled.

 

mountain bike safari

 

Book this amazing adventure today!

Africa Discovery
1 800 886-7321
(415) 444-5100
info2@africa-discovery.com