Livingstone to Maun: via JNB???
 

It's looking like I'm going to have to accept the insanity of flying Livingstone to Maun via Johannesburg. Is there really no sane alternative? I just found the Google story of someone who took public buses, and I have no desire to replicate that!

Thanks,
-- Ethan

Most people take a road transfer to Kasane, Botswana and then you can fly directly to a safari camp from there or start in Chobe and you have already arrived.

"wild horizons" take most of the tourists to the port (both livingstone and kasane) , let them cross the river, transfer from port via border post to kasane and off they fly to any camp either on mack air, safari air or sefofane (wilderness).
the transfer from livingstone to the other side kasane should take no longer than 1 hour depending where you stay in liv.

div

foggy i should say that the transfer cost between livingstone lodge and kasane airport incorporating 2 car/bus rides, river crossing by speddboat and migration/immigration assistance if wished costs roghly 60$/pax.

div

That will all get me to Kasane, but how to get from there to Maun? I'm joining a mobile safari that meets in Maun, so there's no place to fly to the next day. And I'm traveling solo, so I don't have anyone with whom to split the costs of a flight.

Thanks!
-- Ethan

We rented a car and drove from Maun to Kasane. It was a great trip--very easy and interesting--even had elephants on the highway.
We spent a night on the way but it could be done in a day. The road is "tarred" all the way and there is very little traffic.

FoggyEthan,

Talk to your mobile operator and get them to organize a flight transfer between Kasane and Maun. They will be able to book your transfer through any of the air services that normally transfer people between camps across Northern Botswana. For that matter - they will be able to do a transfer between Livingstone/kasane/Maun.

Totally unnecessary to fly back to JNB.

Hi HariS -- you think that they (Capricorn) will be able to arrange my transport at a sane price, even though I'm a single? I would think that chartering the flight for just me would be very expensive, but truthfully I have no sense of how expensive.

Charter flights, my experience. You pay for two seats minimum. That is, if someone else is on the flight then you pay for only yourself, if not then you pay for two. So yes, can be expensive.

regards - tom

Foggy...what date is that horrendous transfer required?

FoggyEthan,

All you have to do is ask Capricorn (I don't know them personally) - This route is a standard one more or less. They should have connections with all operators in Maun - and they will always have someone or the other flying out of Kasane.

In Botswana - I have never heard of single supplement for airplane transfers. There are usually other people transferring between camps, including camp staff that need to be transferred.

it's one of wilderness policy's particulars - if booked a single accomm they put a single surcharge on the flight seat as well.

&beyond just charges the seat fare doesn't matter single or not.
so does sanctuary, k+d, d+d

div

The date would be June 7, although I may try to make plans to avoid this. I guess it makes sense that a lot of people will be flying from Kasane to Maun, so it should be an easy transfer assuming that Capricorn will help me find a transfer and air charter.

Any sense of price or how long this would all take?

Thanks!
-- Ethan

depending where in liv you are travelling from it might take 30 - 40 min to get to the border, 10 min+ migration, 5-10 min boot transfer, border crossing into botswana and further to the airport 30 - 40 min.
the flight itself kasane-maun roughly 1,5 hours depending on how many stops are in the pipeline to drop people at camps/airstrips.

frankly - if i were in your shoes i would clarify at what time i have to be in maun in order to meet these requirements and organise the whole thing with

http://www.wildhorizons.co.za/main.asp?id=6

i am sure they can arrange anything for a reasonable rate.

div

Just fly Air Namibia to Maun from Vic Falls,Zim.

http://tinyurl.com/cl5jbk
Flt SW139 MWFSS

Ethan you can also look at hitching a ride from kasane to maun if that is your sort of thing. Botswna is very safe and there is quite a lot of trafficbetween on that route. Alternatively, check with mack air or Moremi air as they have daily flights between the 2 towns.