Wattled Crane Safari: Day-by-day
More detailed information of what each day entails, and the various places you’ll stay on the Wattled Crane Safari. Everything we do is completely tailor-made so while this is an idea which works well, we’ll always design an itinerary just for you.
Starts: Maun Airport
Maun to Savute by light aircraft & 4WD
On arrival in Maun, you'll be met and taken to your light aircraft for the flight of about 45 minutes to Savuti Airstrip. Here, your guide will be waiting with an open-sided 4WD for the short game drive to Savute Safari Lodge: your first experience of Chobe National Park.
Savute Safari Lodge
Perched on the banks of the Savuti Channel within Chobe National Park, Savute Safari Lodge offers a good location from which to explore the nearby Savuti Marshes. Comfortable without being luxurious, the camp enjoys views over the Savute Channel and its two pumped waterholes, which – especially during the dry season – attract vast numbers of elephant to drink in the afternoons and evenings.
Perched on the banks of the Savuti Channel within Chobe National Park, Savute Safari Lodge offers a good location from which to explore the nearby Savuti Marshes. Comfortable without being luxurious, the camp enjoys views over the Savute Channel and its two pumped waterholes, which – especially during the dry season – attract vast numbers of elephant to drink in the afternoons and evenings.
Savute Safari Lodge has a down-to-earth feel and attracts an eclectic mix of guests who enjoy great hospitality, friendly staff and some excellent guiding, all in a top game-viewing region, particularly during the dry season. The lodge itself may not suit those wanting a more bushcamp feel, but the dining area overlooking the channel and nearby waterhole is a big plus. The region also offers a good contrast to the Okavango Delta, although a greater number of visitors than in the private reserves can make it feel less exclusive.
"should I return to Botswana I would want to return here"
Mr JfromCoventryArrived 26 Jan 2018, 3 nights
STOP PRESS: Savute Safari Lodge temporarily closed for refurbishment on the 15th October 2023 and will re-open on the 1st of June 2024. See our full report on Savute Safari Lodge
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Helicopter
Savute to Moremi by light aircraft & 4WD
After a morning activity from Savute Safari Lodge, you'll be driven to the airstrip for a spectacular flight of half an hour or so over the Delta. On landing, a guide from Camp Moremi will be waiting to drive you through wildlife-rich woodland to camp, arriving in about 15 minutes.
Camp Moremi
With front-row seats looking across Xakanaxa Lagoon, the stage is set for watching wildlife at Camp Moremi. Right at the tip of the Mopane Tongue, it’s a setting that’s hard to beat. Framed by waving reeds edged with waterlilies, the clear waters are beloved of elephant, while hippo wallow in the shallows and the birdlife can be superb.
With front-row seats looking across Xakanaxa Lagoon, the stage is set for watching wildlife at Camp Moremi. Right at the tip of the Mopane Tongue, it’s a setting that’s hard to beat. Framed by waving reeds edged with waterlilies, the clear waters are beloved of elephant, while hippo wallow in the shallows and the birdlife can be superb.
Take it all in from a boat as it heads up to the Moanachira River, or absorb the scenery from land – perhaps from a sunlounger by the secluded pool, or with drink in hand in the lounge or dining area, both raised on stilts to enhance the view.
In the morning, awake to the sounds of the bush in your canopied bed, artfully draped with mosquito netting. Wander out onto your private deck or relax on a comfy sofa chair, with views of the bush beckoning through bi-fold doors. These chalets are substantial!
"very good overall."
J & JfromYorkArrived 11 Sep 2022, 2 nights
Spend your days exploring the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve, either by boat or in an open-sided 4WD. Return to camp at midday for brunch and a siesta, before setting out again in the afternoon. Then round off the day with drinks around the firepit, and a three-course dinner – often served under the stars. See our full report on Camp Moremi
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Boat trip
Moremi to Maun by 4WD & light aircraft
There may be the opportunity for a last activity at Camp Moremi before you head back to Xakanaxa Airstrip to board your light aircraft. The flight offers truly memorable views of the Delta wilderness before landing in Maun after around 20 minutes, well in time for your onward connections.
Ends: Maun Airport
Experiences you can add to this trip.
Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst staying at lodges on this trip. These are usually best arranged in advance so talk to us.
Helicopter Flight - Botswana
Various: from 30 minutes to half a day.
Low-flying, agile and offering superb views, helicopters are an ideal way to move around the Okavango Delta.You can use them instead of fixed-wing inter-lodge transfers or as an addition to other wildlife watching activities, and of course, helicopters can hover to allow that perfect pic, whereas fixed-wings can’t.
More about Helicopter Flight