7 Day Highlights Of Botswana Overland Tour – Accomodated (midrange)

My wife and I and a friend of ours visited Botswana for about 6 days. We loved Botswana and our time there. We booked our entire trip with Kalahari Bree3 Safari. Maria was very helpful with adapting the tour to meet our interests and setting everything up ahead of time months in advance. We did a No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Tour in Gaborone with Andy (very knowledgeable and friendly) and were in the capable hands of Chanda as a guide for much of the rest of our trip. We learned about the inhabitants and culture of Botswana. We hiked in the beautiful gorge of Goo Moremi, seeing baboons and learning about the history and natural beauty. We were awed at the beauty of the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, seeing loads of wildlife. We also experienced wildlife up close through a national park from a SUV. (Lots of bumpy sand roads to see these great animals, btw) We capped off our trip with an exhilarating Mokoro Boat trip and short hike in the Okovango Delta near Maun. We stayed in fantastic accommodations along the way, particularly Waterside Cottages, Maun Lodge and Goo Moremi Gorge Resort, which were all secured by KBS. It was a trip of a lifetime.

Never got to go because of Covid-19 but received Exceptional service. Friendly and helpful. Above and beyond their duties. Highly recommend them and I'm sure the safari would've been a blast.

We did the Three River 8-day Safari that starts in Maun (3 nights), Kasane (2 nights), and Victoria Falls (2 nights). This was our first safari so we wanted a trip that exposed us to different environments in Botswana and Zimbabwe in relative comfort. Kalahari Breeze did an amazing job of coordinating all of the accomodations, game drives, excursions, and transfers. Maria and Chris worked very close with us, coaching us through the registration and payment process. They met us at the start of our safari, and we had the good fortune to visit with them at length at the end of our time in Maun. In Kasane, we met up with Maria's sister Lizzy who also helps out in this family-owned and operated safari business. We liked the various safari offerings that Kalahari Breeze offered for a mid-range cost, and highly recommend their service to first-time safari travelers. The three lodges that we stayed at were very different: Enviro-Villa, a small lodge with a very laid-back ambience, was on the edge of Maun next to a dry river bed. We thoroughly enjoyed the pavilion next to the pool and the ability to take our meals inside or out while watching the cattle and goats graze nearby. The staff were extremely accomodating and courteous. One night the night watchman built a fire for us to enjoy. While the outside of the lodge looks very authentic with its thatched roof, expect somewhat cramped quarters and uneven floors! Otherwise, a very pleasant place. In Kasane we stayed at Kwalape Lodge, a larger lodge with forty rooms. We came on a weekend when there was a large birthday party poolside. It felt touristy and not quite what we expected for a safari lodge. But the room felt spacious and the grounds were nicely groomed. The breakfast buffet was good, but the first night we waited 1-1/2 hour for dinner. Masuwe Lodge in Zimbabwe was absolutely wonderful. The staff, accomodations, and food were 5-star in our opinion. It is about 7 km outside of Victoria Falls situated in a private game reserve. While we didn't expect to have this level of service on a mid-range safari, it certainly helped make our last two days the very best. Game drives: The Maun portion of the trip took us to the Moremi Game Reserve where we went overland to the edge of the Okavango Delta and boarded mokoro boats to view the hippos, crocodiles, birds, and even a green mamba! The 2nd day land tour to the Moremi Game Reserve provided views of many impalas, zudus, some steenbok, elephants, giraffes, a pride of lions, baboons, and zebras. Tour guides for both days were excellent and well-versed in the ecology of the delta. The morning drive in the Chobe Game Park took us along the Chobe River and the afternoon boat ride was on the river. In the morning we didn't see much that we hadn't seen before in the way of wildlife, but watching the lions devour the cape buffalo up close was rewarding. Our tour guide was not very experienced or communicative, and he spent too much time on trying to start his vehicle. The evening boat tour was lovely with good views of hippos and cape buffalo. Victoria Falls turned out to be quite fun for our family. On the second day my husband and I decided to skip the game drive at Masuwe Lodge. They warned us that we would see little else other than impala and a few cape buffalo. We opted to zipline across the gorge, a first for us. Our son opted for the gorge swing, which starts with a 70 metre free fall. Both were exhilarating and a lot of fun for us. This part of the tour was extra and not something Kalahari Breeze provided. In the afternoon Kalahari Breeze had arranged High Tea on Livingstone Island. The high tea part is malarky! You will be taking a dip in the Devil's Pool at the edge of Victoria Falls. If you are scared of heights, fast-running water, and risk-adverse, you will want to avoid this, but our family had the time of our life! Our "high tea" was gin&tonic and beer. Next to Masuwe Lodge at Victoria Falls is the Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve. We learned that they were involved in black rhino conservation. The Masuwe Lodge manager arranged for us to have an early morning game drive at extra cost before we departed that morning for Johannesburg. It was totally worth it. We say 7 rhino - two mothers and babies in one area, another mother and babe upclose in the bush, and another solitary male. You will also see lots of zebras, baboons, and giraffes as well. We were very satisfied with our safari overall. It was definitely more "glamping" than camping, but for a first time experience it provided everything we wanted. Chris and Maria can provide a more authentic bush experience for those who want fewer material comforts. With the exception of one land transfer between Botswana and Zimbabwe that caused us to miss our welcome and lunch at Masuwe Lodge, all connections happened in a timely fashion. Tips: 1) Be sure to bring warm clothing for the early morning open air land drives. 2) Carefully investigate the visa situation. We made multiple entries in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which requires a Uni-visa of Kaza Visa. These visas must be paid in US currency, no credit cards or checks! 4) Have lots of small bills for tour guide tips.