Zimbabwe

Day 1: Arrival in Maun

Upon your arrival in Maun, you will be met by a hotel transfer agent, as well as a representative from Walk Botswana and transferred to your accommodation. Please note that dinner reservations need to be arranged on your own.

Accommodation: Maun Waterfront Guesthouse (or similar), Maun

Day 2: Transfer to Central Kalahari Game Reserve; Optional afternoon activities

You will be picked up from your hotel at 8am by a Walk Botswana representative and transferred to Kuki Fence (approximately 2 hours). From here, you will be met by a game drive vehicle and transferred to the Great Tsau Hill tented camp (approximately 1.5-2 hours), a remote and majestic setting within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This afternoon you will have time for optional excursions/activities offered by the camp. To cool off, you may take a dip in the pool area before enjoying sundowners. Tonight there will be an option to go on a night drive if you have the energy.

Accommodation: Great Tsau Hill, Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Day 5: Walking Safari in Central Kalahari Game Reserve

We are led on remote and engaging walking expeditions early in the morning, with a return to camp for lunch and siesta. We then venture back out to the bush for a late afternoon walk as the animals once again become more active with the setting of the sun. There may also be options for bushman cultural activities such as foraging, wilderness survival, arts and crafts, and night drives. This is something you will determine with your guide the night before.

Accommodation: Mobile Safari Camp, Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Day 6: Transfer to Okavango Delta; Lodge-based Safari Excursions

Depending on the timing of your charter flight today, there may be time for a morning excursion either by foot or jeep. Then we will say goodbye to the Kalahari and your Walk Botswana Safari guide will transfer us by safari jeep back to the main road where we meet our vehicle and head to Maun. From there we will hop on a short (approximately 20-minute) charter flight into the southeastern portion of the Okavango Delta region. Your safari lodge will be at Mma Dinara, a beautiful tented-accommodation situated in the neighboring concession to the one in which we conduct walking safaris in the Okavango Delta. An afternoon game drive or water-based activity (depending on water levels) can be enjoyed for your afternoon at the lodge.

Accommodation: Mma Dinare Lodge (or similar), Okavango Delta

Trip Preparation

In order to prepare for the walks on this trip, we encourage you to exercise 3-4 days per week for 1-2 hours at a time for several months leading up to your departure. Activities such as biking, hiking, walking, skiing, and running are great for conditioning. Please consult your physician about your participation on this safari if you have any concerns regarding your health. The better prepared you are physically for this adventure, the more you’ll be able to enjoy your surroundings and feel rewarded by the overall experience.

Meals

Meals are prepared over the open fire by our very own safari chefs. They pride themselves on being able to create quality meals using fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, including produce grown in Robyn and Gareth’s family farm in Maun. Alcoholic beverages, sodas, juice, and water are provided throughout the safari. In major towns such as Gaborone, Maun, and Victoria Falls, you will be booked on a bed & breakfast basis.

Arrivals & Departures

It is important that you plan to arrive in Maun, Botswana on the first day of your safari (please inform us if you are arriving sooner, and we can help make arrangements). South African Airways offers direct flights from New York City airports to Johannesburg, South Africa, with connections to Maun.

Your safari will end in Maun, Botswana unless you choose to book an extension to Victoria Falls (Walk Botswana can arrange transfers and accommodations for this extension; please see our Zimbabwe extension page). You may book your return international flight departing from Maun on the afternoon of the final day of your safari. However, to play it safe, we advise that you plan to spend a night in Maun after your safari and book your international flights out for the following day. We can assist with booking post-tour accommodations for you upon request.

Gareth Flemix

Gareth Flemix was born in South Africa and raised in the bush, becoming a wildlife enthusiast at a very young age. In his youth, Gareth learned the hunting trade from his friend’s father, a professional hunter. This experience left a profound impression on him, and upon completing his formal schooling, Gareth became a qualified professional hunter in 1998.

From there, Gareth went on to guide in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve (part of the Greater Kruger National Park) in South Africa, an area renowned for its luxurious accommodations and service, quality guiding, and sought-after game viewing. Having gained in-depth experience in the South Africa safari guiding world, Gareth moved to Botswana in 2002, where he worked for Kwando Safaris in the Linyanti region before starting his own company in 2005.

From remote stretches of Xai Xai to the bustling Chobe riverfront and the furthest reaches of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Gareth has an extensive and intimate knowledge of Botswana’s wild places and a keen eye for wildlife photography. His passion for the conservation of Botswana’s wild places also earned Gareth an honorary wildlife officer designation under the Department of Wildlife and National Parks—a prestigious recognition within Botswana’s wildlife community.

With nearly 25 years of safari-based experience in the wilds of Africa, Gareth is known for his high-caliber guiding, his ability to keep his guests entertained, and for operating in areas most people wouldn’t dream of venturing. Gareth leads nearly all of Mountain Kora’s Walk Botswana safaris, custom-designing each itinerary alongside his wife, Robyn. He also maintains all of our safari equipment and vehicles and is certainly the backbone of the entire operation!