Namibia, Botswana & Zambia

Black Rhinoceros © Geoff Lockwood

A taste of Africa in three countries! A spectacular tour with superb game- and bird-viewing in some of Africa’s special wild places—from the vastness of Etosha to the beautiful waterways of the Okavango, from the game-rich woodlands of Moremi to the mighty Victoria Falls, there is something for everyone.

Little-known, but among the last great wildlife strongholds on earth, Namibia and Botswana offer fabulous game-watching, a host of special birds, and abundant photographic opportunities. We stay at camps and lodges within prime wildlife habitat, traveling between them in small chartered aircraft.

In Etosha National Park, each waterhole attracts an endless parade of creatures great and small. Much of our time will be spent at these spots, alert and ready for the next arrival: Lion, zebra, Springbok, and Greater Kudu, among many others. Elephants are common, visits from Black Rhinos and Cheetahs still occur, and the bird life includes such species as Secretarybird, Martial Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Blue Crane, White-quilled Bustard, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Pied and Bare-cheeked babblers, and Crimson-breasted Gonolek, plus many endemics.

Nxamaseri, in far northwestern Botswana, finds us in one of the world’s most pristine swamps, the Okavango River Delta. Our visit coincides with the receding of the annual flood as birds concentrate in the drying marshes and arrive to nest on the newly exposed sandbanks. Almost all of the African waterbirds can be seen here, including scarce ones like the Black Heron and Slaty Egret, Rufous-bellied Heron, Pygmy Goose, and Wattled Crane. We will also search for the incredible Pel’s Fishing-Owl on some of the wooded islands. The evergreen groves in camp attract hordes of fruit-eating birds, while colorful bee-eaters and kingfishers nest in the banks. The wild yelp of the fish-eagle is our daily alarm clock; by night, we will search for the incredible Pel’s Fishing-Owl and the gorgeous White-backed Night Heron.

The Mopane woodlands, seasonal lagoons, and grassy plains of Moremi in Botswana’s Okavango Delta offer the chance of stunning Leopard, Lion, and hyena sightings, along with elephant and a host of antelope species. The birding is also exceptional, with birds such as Wattled Crane, the striking Saddle-billed Stork, and a variety of raptors and owls all possible.

We wrap up the tour at the majestic Victoria Falls—rightly ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Our morning boat trip on the Zambezi River offers awesome birding, with regular sightings of African Finfoot on previous tours, as well as a host of other water- and bush-bird species. The Mosi oa Tunya National Park contains a diverse range of birds and mammals, and our afternoon game drive offers the chance of a close encounter with a prehistoric-looking White Rhinoceros.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience southern Africa as it was 50 years ago with its great mammal herds still intact, as well as an impressive variety of bird life.

Moderate to excellent accommodations; some long travel days; travel by small plane charters and game-viewing vehicles; limited walking; cold to cool mornings and evenings, and beautifully mild-to-warm daytime temperatures.

White-quilled Bustard © Geoff Lockwood