General Costs
US$ 100-150 per day for the vehicle
US$ 50 for park fees and camping per person per day
US$ 50-100 per day for food and diesel
JNB-MUB return flight: US$250-ish
Fly Airlink and not Air Botswana (too unreliable).
Rent a vehicle from Bushlore
Hilux (HilC2) is fine but Landcruiser (CruC2) is stronger and more comfy
2 trip ideas – both start in Maun.
Try avoid starting on a Fri, Sat or Sun.
These below are fast trips – if you can add on 2 or 3 days, definitely do it.
TRIP 1: NORTH CIRCUIT
North only (Moremi, Savuti – Vic Falls at the end if you want)
Day 1: Sleep Maun
Land Maun (2pm-ish on Airlink)
Bushlore delivers vehicle to you at airport
Shop for supplies
Stay at Sitatunga Lodge
Try to not have this a Friday (pay-day in Africa so towns and banks and shops get busy) or a weekend (not everything open – no alcohol sold on Sundays).
Day 2: Sleep Third Bridge (inside Moremi Game Reserve)
5 hrs Maun to Third Bridge
Day 3: Sleep Third Bridge (inside Moremi Game Reserve)
Day 4: Sleep Magotho Campsites (not in a park, so no park fees)
3-4 hrs Third Bridge to Magotho
Day 5: Sleep Magotho Campsites (not in a park, so no park fees)
Back to Maun or
Day 6: Sleep Savuti (Inside Chobe Game Reserve)
4-5 hrs from Magotho to Savuti
Day 7: Sleep Savuti (Inside Chobe Game Reserve)
Day 8: Sleep in Kasane (Bushlore have a depot there)
Day 9: Vic Falls (Zim or Zambia side)
TRIP 2: MOREMI + CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (CKGR)
Day 6: PM resupply in Maun. Sleep Maun
Day 7: Sunday Pan – CKGR
Day 8: Piper Pan – CKGR
Day 9: Piper Pan – CKGR
Day 10: Kori Campsites (Deception Valley) – CKGR
Day 11: Fly out Maun
HOW TO MAKE BOOKINGS:
Sitatunga Lodge (Maun)
First you need to book campsites.
Once you have campsites secured, then you pay park fees with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP).
Park fees can be paid at the last minute, even upon entering the park. Better to pay in advance though. Less admin once you are there.
DWNP is government so can be inefficient and if you start making amendments it gets complicated.
So wait till all your campsites are booked and the trip is in place before paying park fees.
It can be done by email but can sometimes take a few weeks.
You can also pay (by card) as you enter the parks. Not ideal as it can be slow. But it is doable.
You can pay at the DWNP office in Maun (behind the police station) after you land, but it will take an hour out of your day.
THIRD BRIDGE – MOREMI
Best site: 4
Avoid: 5 (if the baboons come through, they will crap all over you)
Book through Xomae
admin@xomaecamps.co.bw
xomaesites@btcmail.co.bw
SAVUTI – CHOBE
Best sites: Paradise, CV03, CV04, CV01
Book through SKL
reservations@sklcamps.co.bw
MAGOTHO CAMPSITES – Khwai area – between Moremi & Savuti
Best sites: 02, 03
Book through: Khwai Trust
If you go off-season, you can just rock up. Lots of sites.
KORI CAMPSITES – CENTRAL KALAHARI
Best sites: CKKOR-01, CKKOR-02
Book through DWNP
dwnp@gov.bw
PIPER PAN – CENTRAL KALAHARI
Best site: CKPIP-01
Book through Bigfoot
reservations4@bigfoottours.co.bw
SUNDAY PAN – CENTRAL KALAHARI
Best site: CKSUN-04. CKSUN-03
Bigfoot also have two nice wilderness camps between Deception and Piper Pan.
They are called CKWIL-06 and CKWIL-07
Book through Bigfoot
reservations4@bigfoottours.co.bw
TRAVEL TIMES IN WET SEASON (Nov-March)
Maun > South Gate Moremi: 3hrs
South Gate Moremi > Third Bridge: 3 hrs
Third Bridge > Magotho via North Gate: 5 hrs
Magotho > Savuti: 3-4 hrs
Maun > Savuti: 6-8 hrs
Maun > Matswere Gate (GKGR): 3 hrs
Matswere Gate > Deception Valley: 2 hrs
Matswere Gate > Sunday Pan: 2-3 hrs
Deception Valley > Piper Pan: 2-4 hrs