Focus on Botswana Wildlife Safari
with Roy Toft
 This safari gives you an opportunity to explore three different habitats in northern Botswana. Your adventure begins in the heart of the Delta, which offers one of the finest nature and game photo opportunities in Africa. We also visit Moremi, and the Linyanti area where we will photograph many elephants. Besides your normal plains game, these areas have good concentrations of roan, sable, lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog. Large herds of elephant also move through the area.
Our safari will include day and night game viewing in open 4x4 vehicles, nature walks, and excursions on the scenic waterways of the Okavango Delta. Your stay ends with an overnight at the famous Victoria Falls, “the smoke that thunders.”
As an added bonus, we will put no more than four photographers in a Land Rover in addition to your photographer escort who will rotate between the vehicles on game drives.
Dates: March 21-April 2 2010 - SOLD OUT
Our Itinerary
Sunday, 21 March 2010
JOHANNESBURG
We
will all arrive in Johannesburg today where we will be met and transferred to our hotel.
Africa Center Lodge (B)
Monday – Thursday, 22 - 25 March 2010
JOHANNESBURG – MAUN - OKAVANGO DELTA – MOREMI RESERVE
 We depart today for Maun and continue by chartered flight to the heart of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta is formed from rains that fall over 600 miles away in northern Angola. This life-giving moisture travels down the Okavango River and spills out onto the Kalahari Desert creating the world's largest inland delta. A rich tapestry of channels flowing with crystal-clear water, the Okavango Delta stands as an oasis within a surrounding desert landscape. Over 1100 species exist in this beautiful and exceptional wilderness.
Kwara Camp (BLD)
Kwara is located in the remote northern part of the stunning Okavango Delta within the private Kwara concession. The camp fronts onto a huge floodplain, adjacent to the permanent water of the Delta and is backed by extensive bush. It is a magnificent wilderness area in excess of 650 square miles, bordering the Moremi Reserve. No trip to Botswana is complete without a visit to the Delta, the shimmering and unique watery jewel in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. Kwara encompasses a wide diversity of habitats, ranging from the clear Delta waters with reed-lined lagoons and channels, to open grasslands, mopane woodlands and palm-fringed islands.
The eight luxury safari-style tents are built on raised decks, within a grove of huge and ancient African Ebony trees. Resident hippos will generally serenade you year round from the water on the floodplain in front of the camp. Each tent has its own viewing deck, private en-suite facilities including hot and cold running showers, flush toilets and modern amenities.
The forested island on which the camp sits is typical of those encountered throughout the vast 4 million acres of the Okavango Delta. At Kwara, you will discover why the Okavango is considered one of the ecological wonders of Africa and indeed the world. It is mysterious, calming, unpredictable and very wild.
Friday - Sunday, 26 - 28 March 2010
OKAVANGO DELTA - LINYANTI
 This morning we fly north. This area is best known for its enormous herds of Elephant, which move down to the Kwando River at the start of our winter months and only retrace their steps inland once the main rains arrive. Sable and Roan Antelope occur, as well as Lion, Leopard and Wild Dog. he marshes are home to Red Lechwe, Sitatunga, Hippo, Crocodiles and wonderful birdlife. Moving along the fringes of the waterways, guests can see Kudu, Zebra, Buffalo, Waterbuck and Impala.
Lagoon Camp (BLD)
Lagoon Camp lies on the shady banks of the Kwando River among tall and ancient African Ebony and Marula trees, under the watchful gaze of the resident hippos.
Lagoon Camp accommodates only 12 guests in 6 twin bedded luxury safari-style tents. Each tent looks out over the water and has private en-suite facilities, including 24 hour hot and cold running water, open-air showers, flush toilets and modern amenities.
Over the years, many of our guests have commented that Lagoon Camp stands out as one of the most beautiful settings of any safari camp. Morning and night game drives are conducted by our specialist guides and trackers in open safari vehicles. This area is home to huge herds of elephants and buffalo. There are few places in Africa where such concentrated numbers of these animals exist, especially in the dry season.
The shady, treed environment of the camp hosts a great variety of birds and squirrels that visit daily. A family of hippo and an elephant or three are regularly sighted from the tents. This contributes to the relaxed calm that prevails at Lagoon. The predators are also well represented by lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah and wild dog. These animals are generally very relaxed in the presence of vehicles, meaning the sightings are usually at close range.
 Among the great variety of antelope species found at Lagoon, the endangered Sable and Roan are often seen. Seasonally, large herds of elephant drink almost daily at the river bank in front of the camp, in full view of the guests. The big herds attract big predators. The lions of Kwando are famous for their elephant, hippo and buffalo kills. Playful spotted necked otters are commonly seen performing in the Lagoon right in front of the tents.
Boat cruises along the Kwando River provide excellent opportunities for birding. We also offer specialist fly fishing and spinner fishing for Tiger fish and Bream. Some excellent catches have been made by Kwando guests. Lagoon's staff is there to look after you quietly and efficiently, so as to ensure a relaxing, peaceful stay.
There is a guest pool in which to cool off during the hot months. Freshly prepared delicious meals are served in the thatched dining room overlooking the tranquil waters of the lagoon.
Lagoon camp is also the venue of our legendary Guides Training Courses which are held annually to train our guides and some limited numbers of paying guests. For the ultimate safari experience book yourself onto one of these courses.
Monday – Wednesday, 29 – 31 March 2010
LINYANTI WETLANDS
Our morning game drive ends at our next camp in the Linyanti Wetlands. The wetlands and flood plains around Lebala offer a wonderful variety of wildlife with excellent sightings of elephant, hippo, lechwe, zebra, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, kudu, tsessebe, roan, sable, buffalo and the ever present predators; wild dog, lion, cheetah and hyena. After dark, spotlights are switched on and the game drives expose our guests to nocturnal sightings of rare and elusive species such as, leopard, Selous Mongoose, small spotted genet, and aardwolf, to name a few. Nocturnal bird species that are encountered include Natal Nightjar, Pennantwinged Nightjar and a large variety of owls.
Lebala Camp (BLD)
 Lebala means wide open spaces in Setswana and the scenery is dominated by vast plains with scattered palms and tree clumps backed by wooded savannas. This wild expanse is contrasted with the casual elegance and luxury of the camp itself. Lebala Camp is situated 30 kilometers to the south of Lagoon Camp and fronts onto the Linyanti Wetlands.
Open grasslands scattered with Illala Palms stretch to the south and west of Lebala. The perennial and southerly flowing Kwando river disappears into the vast marshes before emerging as the Linyanti river, flowing in a north easterly direction. The triangle formed in Namibia by this direction change is home to the Mamili National Park.
The eight spacious tents are unique and were designed by us specifically for this camp. Each one is built on a raised teak deck, laid out with maximum comfort and privacy in mind. The tents have an entrance foyer with a reading and writing area, en-suite bathrooms with Victorian clawfoot bathtubs, "his and hers" washbasins and flush toilets. The bathrooms lead out to a reed enclosed open-air shower with hot and cold running water, powered by LP gas for hot water on demand.
Each secluded tent has its own sundeck, and is set back among the trees. The endless vistas from the large windows and decks across the vast plains, make Lebala one of the finest wilderness camps in Africa.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
LINYANTI – KASANE - VICTORIA FALLS
We fly to Kasane and transfer by road today and cross the border into Zimbabwe. We have the afternoon and the next morning to explore and photograph the falls. The Victoria Falls is one of the greatest natural wonders on our planet. As the Zambezi River drops 300 feet over a mile-wide sheer basalt fault line, a cloud of spray is created which can be seen up to 20 miles away! There is a bridge across the mighty Zambezi just yards from the falls, which forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and now provides easy access between the two countries.
Ilala Lodge (B)
Ilala Lodge is the closest hotel to the Victoria Falls and is located next to the Zambezi National Park. It is a small intimate hotel that ensures a special, personalised atmosphere. Each room has an overhead fan, en suite bathroom and French windows that open out onto the lawn and natural bush of the Victoria Falls National Park. There is a pool, bar and a charming restaurant that offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
Friday, 2 April 2010
VICTORIA FALLS - JOHANNESBURG
This morning we will have time to do some more photography around the Victoria Falls area before being transferred by the hotel to the airport where we fly to Johannesburg where we connect with our flight home.
The Price of Adventure (Per Person, Double Occupancy)
- Photographer’s Price: $6,995 per person exluding airfaire
- Single Room Supplement: $2,000
- Deposit to confirm registration: $1,400 per person
- Deposit is non-refundable
Register by printing, filling in and mailing this form:
Your Safari Price Includes:
- Accommodation as stipulated in the itinerary.
- Transport in custom built safari open Land Rover.
- Services of English-speaking safari driver/guide.
- Game viewing drives and parks entrance fees as per itinerary.
- All Government taxes and levies.
- All meals on safari as indicated.
- Mineral water during game drives.
- Charter flights as indicated in the itinerary.
Not included: Not included is international airfare (including the international flights within the Continent of Africa) and personal expenses such as personal insurance; excess baggage fees; phone calls; gratuities to camp staff and driver/guides; airport departure taxes; passport and visa fees, and beverages, and any additional nights not noted in itinerary.
Your Photographic Expedition Leader
 Dedicated to documenting our natural world for future generations, professional photographer Roy Toft is an accomplished conservation photographer. With a background in wildlife and conservation biology, Toft chooses to focus solely on wild images that convey a sense of the animal’s character and spirit. His images have been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Audubon, Wildlife Conservation, Discover magazines and other notable publications to advance conservation efforts globally. As a result, he has been named a founding fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). Toft's striking wildlife images are also available worldwide through the National Geographic Image Collection and Getty Images.
Roy shares his love for teaching & photography by regularly instructing photographic classes, tour groups and workshops in the field. Roy's popular Rainforests of Costa Rica workshop was recently filmed for television. The show, Fine Living Network's Fantasy Camp, has appeared on T.V. and airline flights. His home office is in the scenic mountainous region of beautiful north county San Diego.
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