Central District, Botswana

You will be picked up from a hotel or lodge by a Marvelous Mobile Safari guide who will do a trip briefing before departing to Makgadikgadi Game Reserve. You will drive along the A3 road which interconnects Maun and Khumaga. Upon arrival at the entrance gate, packed breakfast will be served. After breakfast clients will have a chance to do a game drive along Boteti River where they will see lots of Zebras, wildebeests, giraffes and large herds of elephants. During lunch, the guide will find a nice place around the park where the clients will have packed lunch. Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is one of the largest flat salt pans in the world. During the wet season (November to March), wildlife viewing is excellent, particularly when large herds of zebra and wildebeest begin their westward migration to the Boteti region. Whilst Botswana is a world-renowned safari destination, the wildebeest and zebra migration here is one of Africa’s best-kept secrets. Species include gemsbok, eland and red hartebeest, as well as kudu, lions, cheetah, leopard, duiker, giraffe, springbok, steenbok, and even elephant, with all the accompanying predators, as well as the rare brown hyena. The Makgadikgadi will provide opportunities to focus on semi-desert species such as elusive brown hyena, bat-eared fox or meerkats. During the game drive, you will be able to track the black maned lion of the Kalahari. The black maned lion of the Kalahari has a dominant color, its adaptation is very high and therefore it can survive in harsh conditions. African wild dogs, cheetahs, brown hyenas can also be found following their prey in this unmated wilderness. After a game drive in the park, you will be transferred back to Maun and dropped off at your place of accommodation.

Spend a night out under the stars on the Makgadikgadi Pan, one of the biggest salt flats in the world located in the middle of northeastern Botswana's dry savanna. Get picked up and dropped off at your hotel in Kasane, and savor included dinner and breakfast. After pickup on the first day, drive for about 4 hours to the Makgadikgadi Pan, specifically the Ntwetwe Pan, one of three large pans in Makgadikgadi. On the way, keep an eye out for wildlife such as ostriches, jackals, ground squirrels, meerkats, and birds. Upon arrival, marvel at a site where, according to recent studies of mitochondrial DNA, humans first began to evolve around 200,000 years ago. Admire a perfect sunset over a vast area, then sleep under the stars on the included bedding and camping equipment. On the second day, enjoy a perfect start with a beautiful sunrise over the salt pan. Tuck into your breakfast, then make your way back to Kasane for drop-off at your hotel.

Day 1 We will depart from Maun at 0700hrs and head to CKGR to set camp in the Deception valley. We should reach CKGR in 2 hours. During and shortly after good summer rains (September to January), the flat grasslands of the reserve’s northern reaches teem with wildlife, which gather at the best grazing areas. These include springbok and gemsbok, as well as wildebeest, hartebeest, eland and giraffe. At other times of the year, when the animals are more sparsely distributed, the experience of travelling through truly untouched wilderness, of seemingly unending dimensions, is amazing. We will arrive at camp to have lunch and enjoy an afternoon siesta. We will head out for an evening game drive & sunset within the Deception Valley. Upon return to the camp, you will be treated to a hot camp shower before proceeding to dinner around a campfire. You will then retreat to your 3.2 x 3.2m tent equipped with a stretcher bed, a veranda and an attached bathroom with flush-able toilet, shower and sink. Day2 Rise and shine and say hello to a fresh morning over coffee/tea and rusks for a 0630hrs morning game drive to Sunday Pan waterhole, and have brunch at Passarge Valley. Under the dense umbrella thorn Acacia tortillis thickets cheetah and lion rest up in the mid-day heat. CKGR boasts an amazing variety of birds, believe: Secretary bird, Kori Bustard and Ostrich are the most prominent of the species to be spotted, with good chances of seeing Lapped-faced Vulture and White-backed Vulture too. We will continue to explore this amazing landscape in search of its beauties. Our final leg of the morning drive will take us back through Leopard Pan to arrive at camp for lunch and enjoy an afternoon siesta. After a well deserved rest we will depart for an evening game drive to Deception Pan where we will enjoy a great sunset. Once the sun goes down we will head back to camp. Day 3 Rise and shine and say hello to a fresh early morning over coffee/tea and rusks! We will head out for a game drive at the crack of dawn with the hopes of spotting cheetah, a resident pride of lion and several leopard whose territories include parts of the pan. We will head back to camp around mid morning to enjoy warm shower before a scrumptious breakfast. Once we have had breakfast we will embark on our vehicle for a leisurely drive back to Maun. The reserve might have little farewell surprises as we drive back “home” so keep those cameras ready to capture the last memories of the Kalahari. We will enjoy the leisurely drive as we continue our learning about this reserve and its beauties, mostly very unique. We anticipate to arrive in Maun mid afternoon, depending on what we spot along the way. You will be transported to your hotel or start another tour to either Moremi Game Reserve or Okavango delta, both highly recommended destinations to augment the Kalahari experience.

In a tour of the city, you will get a chance to visit the Three Chiefs Monument. Here we start the Story of Botswana where we find Obed Ramotswe's story in Botswana's history and why cattle were/are such an important part of Botswana and Precious's life. This is then followed by a drive down to Zebra Way, referred to as Zebra Drive in the Book Series, this street is where Mma Ramotswe would have had her house. We cannot access the house, it is private property however we get to appreciate the neighborhood and its architecture. Lets not forget visit the Anglican church we visit along the way where the real Trevor Mwamba was bishop. From here we head off to the Old Tlokweng Bridge, where at the Notswane River she solved her very first case as a detective. Crossing the river puts us in the village of Tlokweng, home of 'the Orphan farm' (visits can be arranged by request), and 'Speedy Motors'. The drive takes us back into Gaborone passing Riverwalk Mall and through Grace Makhutse's 'suburb' in the city before she got married. Optional extra: Tea at the Mma Ramotswe tea corner (at own cost, please let us know in advance) Please note the television set where the short stories were filmed is neither operational not available for viewing. Walk in the footsteps of Precious Ramotswe and her amazing adventures.