Tony_Brisbane

First trip to Africa next September - locked in and spending 5 days in SabiSabi then 3 days in Livingston. Thought (hoped) it might be relatively easy to get to Botswana (say Chobe or the delta) from Livingston before flying out from Joburg. If so could I please have some suggestions and options and places to stay/see in 3-5 days.

Many thanks for any help

Tony

stokeygirl

You should be able to get a transfer from Livingstone to Kasane and from there you can fly into the Linyanti or Delta. For your return flight, do you have to go back to Livingstone, or could you go onwards via Maun and back to Jo'burg?

There are loads of options from Kasane, but whether you have 3 or 5 days, and your budget, will make quite a big difference. Also, are you on your own? Single supplements can be a killer.

Also, are you interested in just game drives or do you want mokoro and water activities?

My personal choice and assuming you have to go back to Livingstone would be to spend a couple of nights in Chobe to keep the costs reasonable, then fly into a Linyanti camp such as Lagoon (Kwando) or Selinda (WIlderness) for 3 nights. But that's because I like wild dogs (Linyanti is great for them) and I'm not that fussed about mokoros.

However, if you have money to burn, you could do 2 camps, one in the delta and one in the Linyanti. Or Chobe and Delta. But September prices in the private concessions are high- $800-$900 pppn. Chobe will work out cheaper, which is why I'd go for a couple of nights there then fly to one camp for 3 nights.

ShayTay

You might check and see if there is any space available on the Ichobezi safariboats out of Kasane. I used those last year and it was a great way to see Chobe from the river. Because they are Namibia-based, they can stay on the river overnight. We tied up in Elephant Bay and were surrounded by eles day and night. They also have small speedboats for "game drives". Then, you can move on to the Savuti or Linyati areas as Stokeygirl suggests.

atravelynn

<b>ShayTay</b> can you elaborate on the safariboat?

How many nights on it? Do you book as a group or as an individual like a camp? How many people on the boat and in the speedboat? How did you spend your days? Did you go into Namibia? Anything else that would be important to know.

Thank you!

ShayTay

Atravelynn, here's a link to the Ichobezi website:

http://www.ichobezi.co.za/index.php

Our trip was booked by Bill Given of "The Wild Source". The safariboat was his suggestion and was one of our favorite parts of the trip. One of our travelers who has traveled the world said it was one thing she would do again. We booked our 11 as a group, 7 on one boat and 4 on the other. The staff shuttled the 4 to our boat for meals, which kept our group together, a nice touch. We spent two nights on the boat, but I think 3 would be better, as you could go further up the river. I'm sure you could book it individually, too. There was a couple on the "4" boat with their SA guide that moved on after the first night. There are 4 cabins on each boat. The speedboats could hold 4 plus the guide.

The speedboat picks you up at a dock in Kasane, where you "check out" of Botswana. Then, they take you across to Impalila Island in the Chobe River, where you "check in" to Namibia. From there, the speedboat takes you to the safariboat. It may be docked nearby or up the river a ways. Ours were nearby, so we sailed upriver to our spot for the night in Elephant Bay. The pilot could spot things as small as a Malachite Kingfisher and swing the boat around for a closer view. Of course, there were hundreds of eles and buffs, crocs, hippos, and birds. It was fun to pass those small dayboats crammed with dozens of people while we were stretched out on lounge chairs on the deck. Lots of envious looks came our way! Because the boats are Namibian-registered, they are allowed to stay on the river overnight. The eles were all around us, including in the river. We did "game drives" in the speedboats, but some of the group did a walk on the island. The speedboats allow you to get really close to the wildlife that come down to the river to drink. We also got views of the villages and fishermen on the Namibian side.

Here are some of my photos: http://sharontaylor.smugmug.com/Afri...64349267_4Bg29

atravelynn

Thanks so much ShayTay!

Tony_Brisbane

Thank you all for your input to date..

Tony_Brisbane

Sorry meant to add on the response:

There are two of us (wife and myself)

No we don't have to go back to Livingston

A combination of Chobe and the delta sounds great as does the safariboat!

canadian_robin

Another vote for the Ichobezi - a wonderful experience.
See bottom of page 30 for photos and a report of our time on the Ichobezi. CR

http://bert-and-bin.smugmug.com/Trav...6570901_CHCFz5

ShayTay

Your photos were helpful to me before I left, Canadian_Robin. When you're dropped off at the island, you have to wonder if there really IS a Namibian immigration office up that path!

Gondwana2704

If your budget stretches to it then i would definitely agree with Stokey girls suggestion. If you do a couple of nights at a camp in the Linyanti then a couple of nights at a camp in the Okavango Delta then this will give you one of the finest gameviewing experiences you can ever hope to have and September will be amazing for wildlife there. This would work out pretty pricey though.

If you are looking for a cheaper option I can definitely recommend the Ichobezi Riverboats as well- they tend to work more than staying in some of the hotels in Kasane but it is a much more unique way of seeing Chobe. One of the drawbacks of Chobe in the July - September peak season is that it can get very busy with vehicles in the area near Kasane and it can feel like a bit of a circus. By going on the Ichobezi you avoid all this as you do all your gameviewing from the boat so it is more peaceful. You also still see a lot as many animals come down to the river to drink. I personally would recommend 2 days on the boat and there is no problems booking on as a couple.
Another option that you may want to consider is a private mobile camping safari. There are some very good companies doing this out of Kasane. It depends how much luxury you want but the better ones use good sized tents which are ensuite and it will be cheaper than staying in a permanent tented camp. 5 nights would be just about long enough to do one of the quieter areas of Chobe such as the Savute area and then a few nights in the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta.

Mark, Gondwana Tours & Safaris, Maun

DMBTraveler

TonyB,

Recently spent 5 days in Livingstone. Day trip to Chobe in Botswana easy from there. US$140, leave at 7:30am back at 6pm.

Here's part of my experience going there:

http://youtu.be/_hZYg5RiYxg

Tony_Brisbane

Hi Mark

Thanks for the response - is it possible to contact you directly to discuss/aarange our plans?

thanks

Tony