Showing posts with label Botswana Safari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Botswana Safari. Show all posts

June 03, 2009

Spectacular Honeymoon in Botswana

Honeymoon Safari in Spectacular Botswana
(8 nights / 9 day itinerary)

A Honeymoon in Botswana is the ultimate romantic getaway. Your days will be spent on safari exploring the wild, pristine wilderness of Africa and your evenings will be filled with romance - exclusive private candlelit dinners under the African stars, right in the heart of the African bush. Desert & Delta Safaris have intimate, small and exclusive lodges, allowing for personalized service and attention to the smallest detail. Lodge staff are passionate and committed to making your dream African honeymoon a reality that will be cherished for a lifetime.


Highlights: To celebrate your honeymoon Lathita have included a number of unique experiences to enhance your African safari:- Upgrade to Honeymoon Suite with own private plunge pool at Chobe Game Lodge - Candlelit dinner on your private deck at Savute Safari Lodge - Enjoy a romantic dinner for two on Xugana Island’s famous floating deck, under the diamond studded skies over the Okavango Delta.- A memorable tree planting ceremony where you will plant your own tree. A plaque with your names will be placed on the tree.

Honeymoon Safari in Spectacular Botswana
Botswana Safari - Honeymoon Safaris - Chobe Safaris


Day 1 to 3 - The Chobe

Upon your arrival at Livingstone or Victoria Falls Airport, you will be met and welcomed by a representative from Chobe Game Lodge. You will be transferred by road to the Lodge, where you will spend two nights. Experience this legendary lodge made famous by Richard Burton and Elisabeth Taylor who celebrated their second wedding at Chobe Game Lodge.
After settling into your luxurious Honeymoon Suite, you will have time to freshen up and relax. Enjoy a delicious lunch served on the terrace restaurant overlooking the Chobe River.Set out on your afternoon game activity - a sundowner cruise on the magnificent Chobe River or an exciting game drive exploring the Chobe area. Sunset Cruises are spectacular as you will be able to view wildlife that congregates at the water’s edge and enjoy a spectacular African sunset.The Chobe National Park is famous for its huge herds of elephant and buffalo and magnificent star-gazing. Your professional guide will be happy to show you the African skies, explaining the stars while sharing local folklore.
Chobe Game Lodge facilities include a riverside boma where traditional dancers perform, a large swimming pool, a stylish cigar bar with an outside terrace overlooking the Chobe River. Chobe Game Lodge also has wildlife reference library with lounge and terrace.
Should you wish to pamper yourself whilst on honeymoon, you can schedule an appointment with the in-house beautician.


Day 3 to 5 - The Savute

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before you transfer to Kasane Airport. Depart on your scheduled charter flight to Savute Safari Lodge, situated inside the world renowned Chobe National Park, where you will stay for two nights. Savute is known for its incredible predator activity and abundance of wildlife.A handful of small pans sustain Savute's thousands of animals with a permanent, yet fragile, water source. On your game drive, experience magnificent bull Elephants shuffling past you as you sit in your open vehicle. All drives are led by professional guides who have incredible knowledge of the Savuti area.
Savute Safari Lodge has 12 twin-bedded luxury wood, thatch and glass safari suites, well-suited to the hot and dry conditions. The suites have spacious interiors, glass sliding doors, private viewing decks and en-suite bathrooms.
Facilities at Savute Safari Lodge include a lounge, library and cocktail bar, which are situated in the exquisite thatch and timber main building. A viewing deck is ideal for watching game at the water hole. A swimming pool on a raised wooden teak deck overlooks the channel. After a day out in African bush, cool off with a dip in the plunge pool or sip a cocktail on the viewing deck.
Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner on your private deck. As the sun sets, you will watch animals drinking at the water holes situated in front of camp. Listen to the sounds of the African night as you enjoy your delicious meal.


Day 5 to 7 - The Okavango Delta

After an early morning activity and breakfast at Savute Safari Lodge, you will connect with a light aircraft for your flight to Xugana Island Lodge, where you will stay for two nights.Xugana Lagoon is in the permanent Delta, a world of crystal clear waterways winding through vast reed and papyrus beds and opening onto tranquil lagoons. Located in a private concession, Xugana is a true water -based camp.Xugana Island Lodge has only eight chalets which are raised on wooden decks. Each chalet has en-suite bathrooms and private decks which overlook the lagoon. Xugana Lagoon offers magnificent African sunsets.
The lodge has an open boma and outdoor dining area. The lounge, bar and dining areas are set back under an Ebony and African Mangosteen tree canopy. The swimming pool, in the centre of the island is a perfect place to relax.
After a delicious lunch, you depart on your afternoon game activity. Enjoy a boat cruise and even try your hand at some fishing for bream and tiger fish. Enjoy tranquil mokoro trips in eco-friendly dugout canoes, combined with adrenaline pumping walks on surrounding lagoons and islands in the concession.
A romantic dinner for two on the famous floating deck, with a magnificent sunset view, will leave you with everlasting memories of the Okavango Delta.


Day 7 to 9 - The Kalahari and Makgadikgadi


Enjoy a morning activity before departing on your scheduled charter flight to the desert location of Leroo La Tau, where you will spend two nights. Leroo La Tau is built on 15m high cliffs above the dry Boteti River which gives guests opportunities for spectacular wildlife sightings from this raised vantage point.The main reception and lounge areas sit high on the cliffs overlooking the Boteti Riverbed and the sweeping scrub and grasslands of the Makgadikgadi.
Luxury glass and thatch chalets on individual raised wooden platforms provide unsurpassed views over the dry riverbed and grassy plains.
From the pool you can watch the herds of zebra and wildebeest that congregate to drink from the waterhole. View animals on day and night game drives and perhaps see Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Brown and Spotted Hyena and maybe even the rare White Rhino.
Take part in a memorable tree planting ceremony where you will plant your own tree. A unique gesture where you will contribute to the preservation of the natural environment in Africa - for present and future generations.


Day 9 - Departure
After a morning activity and breakfast, you will be transferred from Leroo La Tau to Maun Airport for your onward arrangements. Unforgettable memories, newfound friendships and the promise of a return journey to Botswana ever close to your heart.


Botswana Safari - Honeymoon Safaris - Chobe Safaris

8 nights accommodation (2 nights Chobe Game Lodge, 2 nights Savute Safari Lodge, 2 nights Xugana Island Lodge, 2 nights Leroo La Tau)- Suite upgrade at Chobe Game lodge- Private dinner at Savute Safari Lodge- Private floating deck dinner at Xugana Island Lodge- Tree planting ceremony at Leroo La Tau - All meals as specified - Airport departure tax at Kasane Airport- Scheduled activities - All soft drinks and local brand beverages - National Park entrance fees- Laundry services - Medical evacuation insurance- Scheduled charter flights & road transfers as specified (KASANE to MAUN or MAUN to KASANE)
Excluded
- Meals other than specified- Premium brand drinks- Gratuities- Sightseeing and activities other than specified. - Visa fees- Travel insurance- Flights & airport taxes


Travel between lodges

Flying is an integral part of your Botswana safari and is a unique way to experience the area you are visiting from the air. Part of the experience of visiting Desert & Delta Safaris’ lodges, is the journey between camps.
We offer a fully integrated private air charter service, operated by our sister company Safari Air. Safari Air operates single engine Airvan’s, Cessna 206s, 207s, 210s, Cessna Caravans. We have a compliment of pilots originating from all over the world including countries such as New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and Botswana. All our pilots hold Botswana Commercial Pilots Licenses together with Commercial Pilots Licenses for their country of origin.
Unless you have booked a private air charter, your flight transfers will be booked as a "seat on plane" basis. Flight times are arranged according to each day's requirements and to fit in with activities, thus the plane may pick up and drop off other guest’s en-route to your destination. Times therefore vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure. Flights to Kasane for the Chobe lodges and for Victoria Falls/Livingstone depart early to meet the scheduled road transfers. Therefore early morning activities for guests departing on these flights are curtailed.
Private charters can be arranged, in which case you will be the only guests in the plane and you may specify your departure times. We are happy to quote separately for this.

The Safari Experience

A typical safari day...
06h00 Wake up call 06h15 Early morning tea/coffee and a light breakfast. 06h30 Depart for early morning game activity; game drives, walking, boat activities. Cold drinks, coffee and tea served half way through the activity. 10h30 Return to the lodge to freshen up and relax.11h00 Buffet brunch is served after which your time is free for relaxation. Enjoy time around the pool and other facilities that the lodge offers. 15h30 High tea/coffee, cake & savoury snacks. 16h00 Afternoon game activity with sundowners in a scenic location 19h00 Return to the lodge 20h00 Pre dinner drinks with snacks in the bar followed by an a la carte or table d'hote dinner. 21h00 Drinks/coffee/ liquors around the boma/campfire.
Please note all times are approximate, depending on the game sightings and seasonality.
At the lodges our vehicles either open Toyota Land Cruisers carrying a maximum of 7 people or Land Rovers carrying a maximum of 9 people. All Land Cruisers have individual buckets seats while the Land Rover have bench seats. All vehicles have a removable canvas roof which is important for the hot African days. Smoking is not permitted in any of our safari vehicles, but is allowed in sections of the lodges.
Safari activities
Chobe Game Lodge offers game drives conducted in open four-wheel drive vehicles, normally early morning and late afternoon. There are also excursions in motorboats and sunset cruises on the Chobe River. Professional guides or a environmentalist offer star gazing on the stargazing deckSavute Safari Lodge offers daily game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles in the Savute area of the Chobe National Park, including the Savute Marsh. A visit to Gubatsa Hills and ancient San rock paintings is also available.Xugana Island Lodge offers Mokoro trips in eco-friendly dugout canoes built to the traditional design, boat safaris to lagoons and islands and wilderness walks. Bream and Tiger Fishing can be excellent at certain times of the year. Birdwatching is excellent throughout the year.Leroo La Tau offers day and night game drives in open 4 x 4 safari vehicles.
Guides and Staff
Desert & Delta Safaris were established in Botswana in 1982 and today we are fortunate to have many long-serving staff in our employ. All of our guides are local Batswana, recruited from nearby villages. As many of them have grown up in wilderness areas, they have an intimate knowledge of the wildlife and ecology of Botswana. Many of the staff have been with us from trainee level right through to fully qualified guides.John Kata of Camp Okavango is our longest serving guide – he has been with us since the company was established in 1982.

April 02, 2008

Travel to Africa

Travel to South Africa

Promoting travel to South Africa has the potential of increasing and expanding your travel business tremendously. South Africa has so much to offer, and almost everybody thinks of "Safari" when talking to them about travel to South Africa.An African Safari is an opportunity of a lifetime. South Africa has preserved wide tracts of land for conservation; allowing visitors to witness and experience close encounters with African animals at home in their natural habitats. Many game reserves can be found around South Africa, all offering excellent opportunities and experiences. The Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in South Africa at nearly 2 million hectares is home to an impressive number of species.

The Big 5 - lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino, are among these. Also to be seen are zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, cheetah, wild dogs and hippo. Private game reserves offer exclusive luxury accommodation in harmonious bush lodges or luxury tented camps. With most of these lodges in excellent settings, it is not uncommon to see game from your private viewing deck overlooking a waterhole. Game viewing takes place from open-air vehicles and a private game guide will ensure that the experience is unforgettable, getting you up close and personal with the wildlife. Before dark falls, watch the blazing African sunset melt away and darkness take its place as a lion roars in the distance. With every modern comfort, excellent cuisine and sipping South Africa’s delicious wines, the romance of Africa is certainly captured. Later around the campfire, recall and share the exciting experiences and game viewings of that day while listening to the calls of the night.

To ensure that your clients have an "experience of a lifetime" and have peace of mind about traveling to South Africa, there are certain things you need to be aware of when booking your clients on a tour and safari to South Africa. It is important to know the tour operator you are booking with. I suggest that an agent book their clients' safari vacations through a company that is familiar to them, not just an unknown company that they might have stumbled upon on the internet, but one that they personally know or that has been recommended to them. It is even better if that company has an office within the United States. Being able to call that company on a toll free number to talk directly with a representative and have all your questions answered is so assuring!Client satisfaction is key in selling any vacation, but is paramount when selling a safari vacation! Know what your clients' interests and needs are. Do your clients want a luxury tent accommodation or do they prefer a more modern lodge? Do they want to travel with a very small group only or do they want to be part of a larger group of travelers? Are they the more seasoned and adventurous traveler whose interest lies in a self-drive tour?

The baby boomer generation and senior travelers travel well in small groups. Traveling in smaller groups is much more enjoyable. This offers greater intimacy, and the leader and the guide can pay attention to each client and their comforts, and they feel that this tour is designed just for them. Escorted tours and personally accompanied tours make your client feel unique and safe. They are not just a number in a large group, but they get individual attention and have the opportunity to experience South Africa just the way they always imagined to.Look for a company that can cater to your clients' needs, one that can offers specialized tours and customized travel, one that is flexible and can offer tailor-made tours to meet your clients' needs such as honey moons, anniversary destinations, small group travel where your client is made to feel unique and safe, or even cater for larger groups such as university alumni groups. Your clients might be interested in cultural experiences, the theatre, home visits to local South Africans, or food and wine tours. South Africa boasts two luxury trains. Their main route is from Pretoria to Cape Town and vice versa taking either one or two days for the journey, but there are other shorter or longer side trips that are available. Both offer a memorable and very special experience.Another important aspect to consider is the issue of malaria.

There are a number of game parks and reserves in malaria-free areas that offer the "Big Five" (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo) game viewing experience in just a great a way as the famous Kruger National Park does. It is important for you to be able to offer this malaria-free safari option to your clients through the operator you are working with.South Africa is the destination of the future. Most of your clients have been to Europe, have done more than their fare share of cruises, and want to learn and experience something new. Exchange rates make South Africa particularly attractive. Some Americans are considering alternatives to a European holiday, as the euro-to-dollar exchange rate makes such trips more expensive. The situation has made South Africa, with the favorable exchange rate of more than 8 Rands per dollar, more alluring. And on closer look, many travelers discover the nation's offerings are often on par with those of Europe.

Lathita Travel offers unique travel to South Africa. Robin and Stella personally accompany the groups from the USA on requestand travel with them for the entire duration of the trip. For more information, contact Lathita Travel at www.lathita.co.za, robin@lathita.co.za, or call 1-866-466-8222 or 502-545-1878. (USA)

January 01, 2007

Welcome to 2007

Welcome to 2007, we at Lathita Expeditions wish you all a great year filled with joy and prosperity. We will be launching a number of new projects and new destinations in the coming year and wish to invite everyone to join us in exploring and rediscovering the African Continent. Some of the new destinations include Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda and Reunion. We are currently not promoting our full range of products on our website, but early in 2007 this will change. We are in the process of updating the site and will start adding all our products to the site soon.

Products will include;
- Luxury Accommodation
- 4x4 Jeep Hire (New Product)
- 4x4 Jeep Tours (New Product)
- Luxury Tours
- Mobile Safaris
- Motorcycle Tours
- Active Adventures
- Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tours (New Product)
- Romantic and Exclusive Destinations
- “Mma Ramotswa” cultural tours (New Product)
After the famous Ladies Detective Series based in Botswana.

Together with the product listing and launching we have started a number of promotional blog’s where we are promoting destinations in Africa. This includes Private and Public Game Reserves, Indian Ocean Island destinations, Private and group packages and general information on all the different destinations we offer.

The Blog’s include;
http://lathita.blogspot.com/
We focus on Private and Public Game Reserves through this blog and list activities and general information on African countries alternately.
http://safari-in-africa.blogspot.com/
This blog focus on Safari products and includes products that we tailor made for clients and some scheduled packages.
http://gorilla-safaris.blogspot.com/
As the name states this blog will focus on Gorilla viewing and will include destinations in Uganda and Rwanda.
http://honeymoon-in-africa.blogspot.com/
This blog features exclusive and romantic African Destinations
http://africanaccommodation.blogspot.com/
Included in our product range we have approximately 600 places of accommodation in Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, which will be featured here.

Lathita Expeditions will do a number of marketing projects through 2007. The first appearance will be at the “Expo4Brides” in Pretoria, South Africa. We will primarily focus on Luxury Destinations for this Expo. Not too long after that in will be “Valentines” and more exotic destinations and we will include a number of short breakaway packages. After Valentines we will focus on Easter and will be promoting a number of family orientated products, specifically in the Eastern Cape Region of South Africa. Some of the other promotional activities you can look out for includes;
- Indaba 2007
- SCG Conference 2007
- Mma Ramotswa Cultural Experience
- Winter Kalahari Experience


Just a last word before I say goodbye. At the SCG Conference we will be running scheduled trips to great sites and activities around Port Elizabeth, which will include, Addo Elephant National Park, Addo Elephant Back Safaris, Baviaans Nature Reserve and Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve. On this note I would like wish you all a great year in 2007 and hope to see you on Safari with Lathita Expeditions.

Best Regards,

Johan Gerber.

December 28, 2006

Eagle Island Camp, Okovango Delta

Spend your Honeymoon in the Okovango Delta;

Hidden from the world, deep within Botswana's Okavango Delta, is the paradise we call Eagle Island Camp. Situated on the island of Xaxaba and surrounded by Illala Palms, the camp overlooks a lagoon fed by the tranquil waterways of the Delta.The area offers exceptionally high quality wildlife viewing with prolific birdlife and mammal sightings. It is also the site of one of the most romantic bars in the world, the Fish Eagle Bar, as voted by New York Times.
The camp offers a cool retreat from the African sun and is shaded by a canopy of indigenous trees.

Eagle Island Camp Xaxaba is one of the Delta's most pristine natural locations, a region of myriad waterways, palm-tree covered islands and vast flood plains.
Built to blend into its environment, the camps afford guests with a peaceful setting perfect for enjoying the sights and sounds of the Okavango Delta.
The magnificent sunsets can be enjoyed during times of high flood from the camp's most romantic Fish Eagle Bar at Eagle Island or from the raised deck overlooking the lagoon.


After settling into your luxurious en-suite tented boudoirs, relax and soak up unparalleled vistas of the African bushveld and wildlife. Use the opportunity to indulge in a calming yet invigorating sensual massage on your own private deck whilst the call of the wild beckons a mere few meters away. The highly specialised massage and body care therapist manipulates body, mind and soul and satiates the senses with her special blend of oils sourced only from natural African plants such as macadamia, marula, geranium and black pepper. The ‘Total Wellness Massage’ – an extravagant blend of massage styles such as Swedish, Thai, Shiatsu, Pressure Point and Indian Head Massage – is an absolute must-try while the ‘African Storm Treatment’, which includes a full-body exfoliation, mineral mud-wrap and African Hot Stone Therapy, uses the energy and passion of Africa to enhance your holistic indulgent experience.
Contact Lathita Expeditions to create your unforgetable romantic getaway.