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CENTRAL KALAHARI — MAKGADIKGADI PANS — NXAI PAN
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the most remote & unspoilt parts of Africa & has only recently been opened to the general public.
It is the largest game reserve in Botswana, covering 52,800 km2. At certain times of the year, during & shortly after the rains, this is one of the prime
game viewing areas of Botswana, rivalling the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania for shear numbers of game. Thousands of springbok, gemsbok (Oryx) &
wildebeest migrate into the area after the rains. Lion, cheetah & jackal are frequently seen, & brown hyena are numerous in this area, although
being very nocturnal they are not seen as frequently.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is also unique in that it was initially set aside for use by the San Bushmen & the Bakgalakgadi, tribal people who
preferred to live as hunter-gatherers. Both of these groups were pushed into the Kalahari by the expansion of the Tswana tribe during the 16th &
17th centuries. They have completely adapted to the semi-desert conditions. Today there are between 1,000 & 2,000 people living permanently in the
area in various settlements. They are allowed to keep goats, horses & donkeys but not cattle.
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Day 01:
Depart from Maun, Botswana in safari trucks for the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. We travel via Makalamabedi & cross over the Boteti River before
turning south east & travelling to Rakops. Here we will need to top up with fuel. From Rakops we drive directly west & enter the Central Kalahari
Game Reserve at the veterinary cordon fence. We camp at the Owens old camp site in Deception Valley.
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Day 02:
Game drives in the Deception Pan area.
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Days 03,04 & 05:
Game drives in the Deception Pan area.
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Day 06:
Now we travel along a fossil river valley which usually also has plenty of game after the rains. Camp wild.
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Day 07:
Travel north through the north-eastern secter of the Game reserve encountering pans, fossil riverbeds and typical Kalahari scrub on the way. Camp wild.
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Day 08:
Our journey now takes us out of the Central Kalahari & into the Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve, stopping at Rakops for fuel & water en route.
We camp at the Khumaga Camp site in the south western corner of the Reserve.
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Day 09:
Game drives in the Mkgadikgadi Pan Game Reserve.
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Day 10:
Now we head northwards to the Nxai Pan Game Reserve. En route we will stop to admire the group of Baobab trees known as Baines Baobabs, after the well
known painter, engineer & explorer, Thomas Baines, who painted these trees in 1862. They still look exactly the same today, 137 years later!!
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Days 11,12 & 13:
Nxai Pan Game Reserve is the northern most point for springbok & gemsbok (Oryx) in Botswana & they migrate here in their thousands after the rains
have begun. Impala are also found here, the only place where impala & springbok are found together in Botswana. Predators include lion, cheetah, leopard
wild dog & spotted hyena. Here we should also see giraffe, kudu, black backed jackal, wildebeest, steenbok, hartebeest, bat eared fox, perhaps the
odd elephant &, if we are lucky, brown hyena.
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Day 14:
After an early morning game drive & brunch we head back for Maun, arriving in the late afternoon.
..:: End of Safari ::..
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Safari Cost 2005: (14 day trip):
EUROS (please contact us) per person (Excl. 10% vat).
US$ (please contact us) per person (Excl. 10% vat).
Prices in regional currencies on request. Special prices for groups.
Departures on request.
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