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WorldWild Tours: Botswana
A Project Elephant Footprint
Wildlife Safari

For itineraries, brochures, and registration information for all WorldWild Tours call 619-685-3247, or contact us using our online form.

Itinerary

Day 1~Friday~June 11 San Diego/ Washington D.C./En Route
Your journey begins as you board your South African Airways overnight flight on the east coast.

Day 2~Saturday~June 12 Johannesburg
Upon arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport this afternoon, you will be met and escorted to your hotel. A great, relaxing place to begin your journey into southern Africa, the luxurious Airport Sun Intercontinental Hotel is a short walk from the arrivals terminal.

Days 3/4/5~Sunday/Monday/Tuesday~June 13/14/15 Maun/ Okavango Delta/Kwara Camp
Today you will fly to Maun, Botswana, where upon arrival you will board your light aircraft for your flight to one of the world’s most distinctive regions, the Okavango Delta – Earth’s largest inland water system. Spend the next three nights at Kwara Camp situated in the 432,434-acre private Kwara Concession in the remote northern part of the Okavango Delta.

Days 6/7/8~Wednesday/Thursday/Friday~June 16/17/18 Kwando Concession/Lebala Camp
This morning’s flight takes you to Lebala Camp, situated in the southern part of the 895,757-square- mile Kwando Concession. Lebala Camp is situatated on a peninsula that juts out into the Linyanti Marshes that surround the camp. After dark, spotlights are switched on and the game drives expose the guests to nocturnal sightings of rare and elusive species such as, leopards, selous mongoose, small spotted genets, and aardwolves.

Lebala Camp has eight secluded luxurious tents, built on raised Zimbabwe teak decks, designed to offer expansive views over the surrounding plains while also affording privacy. As you drift off to sleep, you will often hear hippos grazing out of water near your tent. The camp balances understated elegance with untamed Africa to perfection.

Days 9/10/11~Saturday/Sunday/Monday~June 19/20/21 Chobe National Park/Mobile Camp
Board your flight to Kasane this morning and transfer by road to the mobile camp, which is set specifically for your group at Chobe National Park, where Dr. Chase and Ms. Landen will join you for the rest of your trip.

You’ll spend the next three days on wildlife drives and boat activities with Dr. Chase, learning firsthand about his important elephant studies and conservation efforts in the area. Dr. Chase and Ms. Landen will share insights about the challenges of their research, advocacy, and conservation activities and will introduce you to their world of elephants.

Experienced camp staff will be available all day to see to your every need and ensure your comfort at all times. Relax in style, and indulge in some of the finest cuisine in the bush. The evening is spent around the fire listening to the sounds of the wild, and discussing the events of the day with Dr. Chase.

Days 12/13~Tuesday/Wednesday~June 22/23 Chobe National Park/Victoria Falls
Today a new adventure awaits you as you drive, accompanied by Dr. Chase and Ms. Landen, to Victoria Falls. Your exciting visit will include a guided tour of the falls on the Zimbabwean side followed by an afternoon sundowner cruise along the Zambezi River, watching hippos snort, elephants drink on the riverbank, and monkeys jump from branch to branch. You will also enjoy an unusual elephant-back safari along ancient game trails in Victoria Falls National Park, where you will see a variety of wildlife including giraffes, zebras, and waterbuck.

Day 14~Thursday~June 24 Livingstone/Johannesburg / En Route
Enjoy a last wildlife run this morning and a hearty breakfast before flying back to Johannesburg via Livingstone where you connect with your South African Airways overnight flight to the U.S.A.

Day 15~Friday~June 25 Washington D.C. / San Diego
This morning you land in the USA, bringing with you the memories of all the wonderful sights of southern Africa.

Additional information

 Elephants Without Borders
The San Diego Zoo has partnered with Botswana-based Elephants Without Borders to protect nearly half of Africa’s remaining elephants. Through our Project Elephant Footprint, we are supporting the conservation efforts of Dr. Mike Chase, a world-renowned elephant ecologist and the founder of Elephants Without Borders. Dr. Chase has discovered the world’s largest and longest elephant migration in Botswana and the surrounding region, and is studying and working to protect the elephants in this 50,000-square-mile area. This tour has been specially designed so participants will be able to spend time in the field with Dr. Chase to learn about the important conservation work we are doing on behalf of elephants.

Director/Founder, Elephants Without Borders

Mike Chase, Ph.D., has been studying the ecology of elephants in Botswana for nearly ten years, and in 2007, was the first Motswana to earn a doctorate specifically in elephant ecology. Much of his childhood was spent in the bush accompanying his father on safaris. Eager to conserve Africa’s wildlife and wild places, Dr. Chase embarked on an academic career in conservation ecology. After earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Natal, he returned home to Botswana, where he spent eight years with Conservation International working to conserve the Okavango Delta and its rich wildlife. It was his passion for elephants which, in 2001, ultimately led him to start an ambitious study on the ecology and movements of elephants. He received his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in natural resources and wildlife conservation.

Dr. Chase has provided new data on the status of elephants and has published his work in scientific journals, magazines and news articles. At present, he is the Henderson Endowed Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellow at the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.

Director/Program Manager, Elephants Without Borders

Kelly Landen joined the project in February 2003. Her enthusiasm for wildlife inspired her to a dedicated career in conservation. She began as a volunteer, monitoring and collecting data on a variety of wildlife species for several conservation projects, as well as, worked as a naturalist/field guide in Alaska, Central America, and South America. Kelly is a licensed marine captain and crewed for several years as part of the UNOLS fleet of oceanographic research vessels, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Scripps Institute of Oceanography. The variety of projects she has worked with have given her a well-rounded knowledge of field operations, organizational skills, and logistics.

Kelly oversees the project’s operations and manages public relations. She participates in all aspects of field work, is an aerial survey observer, and conducts the photo analysis of surveys. Kelly is a professional photographer, and her work has been featured in a number of prestigious magazines, Web sites, scientific publications and journals, and news articles.

Your Specialist Guide In Botswana ~ Tina Chase

Tina Chase is one of those lucky individuals who has been “on safari” for all of her life. She was born in Arusha, Tanzania, just the other day. She is the oldest child of John and Tina Bekker, who brought her and her two brothers to live in Botswana when she was still a teenager. Tina and her new and old families have made their homes in the bush in more places than most of us have had hot breakfasts. Her knowledge of Botswana is phenomenal, and there are not many places inside her borders that she has not seen. Tina has many years of experience in setting up super-comfortable camps, and her natural flair and attention to detail ensures that your stay in one of her camps will be luxurious and memorable.

As far as hostesses go, this woman is indeed in a class of her own. Unlike most people who entertain professionally, Tina LOVES catering, and she LOVES people, and it shows. She loves showing people a good time while they marvel at the wonders of the African bush and why she and her tried and trusted team are so good at it. To do it well out in the “sticks” is no task for the faint hearted, and her special talents are much appreciated by all who are lucky enough to sit at her dinner table.

Tina is no slouch out of base camp either, and you are in for another treat once you join her while she is in her most favorite persona. This is when she has a pair of binoculars in one hand and a Toyota Landcruiser in the other. She has a special love of Africa’s impressive array of birds and trees and is a professional guide with a huge wealth of knowledge and experience.