Mobile safari in the beautiful Okavango Delta area in Botswana. Absolutely stunning birdlife - we saw 197 species in a week. Highlights were the fish eagles, spoonbills, hornbills and lilac breasted rollers. Besides the prolific birdlife, we also had the privilege of seeing lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe and various antelope. We were often the only people witnessing these special moments. The stunning orange, pink and red African sunsets made a atmospheric backdrop to our sundowners each day. Our night drives anticipating the animal night life was exciting too. Luxury camping made the experience memorable. All in all a terrific holiday.
S.A. North Yorkshire, Nov 22
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Botswana's Desert & Delta (Birds)
Tour Code: BWA02A 10-day birdwatching holiday to the spectacular inland delta of the Okavango, one of the natural wonders of the World!
£4,595 (Inc flights)
£3,595
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders and home to wealth of exotic birds and other wildlife. The Moremi Wildlife Reserve lies on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta and is the focus of this exciting birdwatching camping safari. There is no better way to enjoy the African bush than camping under the stars, lulled to sleep by the nocturnal sounds of Africa. Birds include Slaty Egret (a Botswana near-endemic), Pel’s Fishing Owl, Lesser Jacana, Bat Hawk, Southern Carmine Bee-eater and Giant Eagle Owl. Elephant, Giraffe, Buffalo, Impala and other African game are also abundant, stalked by Lion, Cheetah, Leopard and African Wild Dog.
- Visit the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders
- Explore Khwai Concession and Moremi’s Xakanaxa region
- 7 nights of fully serviced camping in the African bush
- Open-sided safari vehicles, great for photography
- Look for the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl
- Night drives within the Khwai Concession
- Abundant mammals, often including African Wild Dogs
- Expertly guided by a local ornithologist
Grading
A traditional African safari, travelling by vehicle with the occasional gentle walk.Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: A mobile wilderness safari camp under the shade of trees in comfortable tents equipped with camp beds, bedding, pillows and ensuite facilities (shower and 'bush loo').
- Food: All food is included in the cost of the holiday (with the exeption of lunches on Days 2 and 9) and consists of delicious meals cooked by camp staff.
Reviews
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This holiday was extremely good value and well run. The two guides (brothers) were first-rate and very efficient, and the organisation was superb. The camps’ staff were amazing, and always ready to help. Although we went on this trip with some trepidation despite the mixed weather, we had no problem at all. Generally a fantastic trip and I would recommend it to anyone.
Anon. Berkshire -
As always a wonderful trip with Naturetrek. All the guides and camp staff in Botswana were first class. The guides were very knowledgeable not just about the birds but all the animals, from the biggest elephant to the smallest frog. I am not a serious bird watcher and was apprehensive before hand as I was afraid that it would be too intense. Fortunately, this was not the case and I learnt a lot, saw a lot and had plenty of laughs along the way. Thank you Naturetrek for another great trip!
S.W. Monmouthshire -
Thank you for organising such a wonderful holiday - it was a great adventure and a never-to-be forgotten experience. The arrangements for travel and camping were first rate and camping in the vast Okavanga wilderness was an extraordinary experience.
Mr & Mrs B. Co. Durham -
Again Naturetrek delivers a wonderful trip. Thanks to Paul and all the office staff in the UK for all their efficient work and to the guides, their knowledge and abilities are without question - superb. The camp staff were faultless, to produce meals of the quality they did, and dismantle the complete campsite to another site in the demanding wild bush, with the heat as it was, deserves some praise.
Mr & Mrs P. West Midlands -
Quality of ornithological and general wildlife knowledge was outstanding. Tented camps were brilliant in terms of support staff, locations, facilities and catering. Exceptional value for money re: location and trip content
E.C. Essex -
Overall and excellent trip, the outstanding feature being the superb guiding by Brent and Grand Reed. Their knowledge of the area and its wildlife and their expertise in finding it was first-class. Nothing was too much trouble for them and it was a pleasure to be in their company.
G.S. Bristol -
One of our best Naturetrek holidays so far. We are looking forward to many more, but would recommend this to anyone wanting to see the 'real' Africa.
Mr & Mrs A. Lancashire -
The use of a local leader who really had an immense breadth of knowledge of all natural history was a massive bonus. Disho was both great company and a superb leader.
J.P. Lancashire -
The Delta is a special place but the trip was enhanced by the knowledge of the guide. We saw 240 species of birds on the trip as well as cats, Giraffe, Antelope, Elephant and hunting dogs. A very special experience!
Mr & Mrs J. Australia -
Lucas Tshupo (our guide) was excellent. The company was good, the food was good, and the camp sites were gloriously open and wild. I wanted to go to wild Africa, and it certainly fitted that requirement. We also saw a great variety of game.
J.N. West Sussex -
Our local guide had great depth of knowledge and knew all about animals and birds and where best to find them. He also had lots of other useful facts to impart. The staff at the camp were really good and made our holiday trouble free – nothing was too much trouble for the entire team.
A.S. West Yorkshire -
The holiday was amazing. The tour leader, Matambo, was excellent as were the camp staff. They all worked tirelessly to make our holiday as comfortable as possible, nothing was too much trouble. The food was extremely tasty . The wildlife that we saw was wonderful, varied and at extremely close quarters but at no time did we feel unsafe. The settings for the camps were lovely, especially the one by the lake. All in all, the holiday was everything we expected and more. We would and are recommending it to everyone. Thank you for an amazing time.
G.E. Worcestershire -
I've been on four other safaris and this was the best one by some distance. We got to spend quality time with the animals we wanted to look at. I think the fact that the people on our jeep got on so well was a big plus and everything had been thought through and catered for by the safari team.
I.T. Hampshire -
The guides and local staff were professional, very well informed, informative and very pleasant. The service provided e.g. dismantling and erecting tents was extremely efficient and the food was excellent. We saw large numbers of animals in a beautiful, natural and uncrowded environment. It is a truly wonderful area.
Mr and Mrs C., Republic of Ireland
Dates & Prices
2025
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Our bargain birdwatching tours suit keen birders who want an active, fast-paced birding holiday with a dedicated focus on searching for birds rather than on looking at the area’s other wildlife or cultural highlights.
We offer a wide selection of long-haul holidays to many destinations in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and elsewhere.
What can I expect?
- An expert English-speaking local ornithologist leader
- Outstanding value for money
- Dawn-to-dusk birding with limited time for rest, relaxation and outside interests
- Enviable bird lists
- Focused searches for endemics and regional specialities
Who are these tours best suited to?
- Keen & active birders – whether expert or making their first visit to a country or continent
- People looking for an action-packed bird-focused tour
Where can I go?
Naturetrek's selection of birdwatching holidays includes many South and Central American countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Panama.
In Africa our selection includes Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa, while in India and Nepal we offer a choice of 17 bargain birdwatching tours! Here are a few more choices:
- Endemics of Western Australia
- Argentina's Mar Chiquita
- Birds of Brazils Atlantic rainforest
- Colombia – home to the world’s richest avifauna
- Sri Lanka’s endemic birds
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
All Bargain birdwatching Tours
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Safari Holidays – Experience Earth’s Greatest Continent for Wildlife
Why choose Africa for wildlife safaris?
When people think of visiting Africa, safari holidays are regularly at the top of the list. Riding in an open-top jeep along dusty tracks and looking out across sun-baked savannahs teeming with big game is arguably one of life’s best experiences.
For the nature enthusiast, Naturetrek’s African safari holidays offer unparalleled opportunities. Africa is the world’s greatest continent for wildlife, being home to many of the planet’s most iconic mammals and birds.
Many of these animals are relatively easy to observe and exist in scarcely believable abundance, guaranteeing that our African safari tours are always full of amazing sightings.
From the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to Namibia’s Etosha National Park and the superb Kruger National Park in South Africa, our African wildlife safaris will take you to all the continent’s most unmissable destinations.
Classic African safari holidays
We offer classic safari-style packages to Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia.
On these African safari tours you will stay in or very near the prime game-rich areas such as national parks and reserves, heading out daily for wildlife watching in vehicles. There will usually be additional chances to join night drives and look for nocturnal species.
On the majority of our African wildlife safaris, even those in our bargain range, we are able to use superb accommodation, including in remote locations. Tented, fully serviced camps with private facilities are the norm.
Expert naturalist guides
All of our African safari tours are led by expert naturalist guides. Most of our tours are led by superb local guides (the quality of guiding in many parts of Africa is second to none), while some of our longer tours are joined by a UK leader.
What wildlife might I see?
Africa is the best place in the world for seeing large concentrations of big game such as African Bush Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe and Blue Wildebeest. On Naturetrek’s African safari tours we visit some of the world’s most famous national parks and reserves, such as the Serengeti, Kruger and Okavango Delta, as well as some less well known regions, in search of a full range of the continent’s most spectacular mammals, from Hippos, Wild Dogs and White Rhinos to Leopards, bushbabies and African Wildcats.
The birdlife is equally staggering, with an enormous variety of charismatic species found across the continent, from bee-eaters and hornbills to finches, weavers and a stunning diversity of birds of prey. Naturetrek’s African wildlife safaris offer a chance to search for a superb variety of species and avian spectacles, such as flamingo-lined lakes in the Rift Valley, bizarre Shoebills in Uganda’s swamps, and giant Ostriches strutting across endless savannahs.
See our list of the best African Safari Holidays
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer a superb choice of expert-led African safari holidays ranging from 9-day bargain tours in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to a 17-day birdwatching and mammal-viewing safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. For those who have previously enjoyed a traditional safari, I would recommend our ‘South Africa’s Rare Mammals’ tour, which targets some of the continent’s most rarely seen creatures, such as Aardwolf, Black-footed Cat, Cape Porcupine, African Wildcat, Brown Hyaena and the iconic Aardvark
Paul Stanbury – Operations Manager
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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