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Deception Valley Lodge, Adventurer Camp, Xigera Camp

Explore the stunning contrasts of the "petrified" Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, and the fertile green islands and crystal-clear waterways of the Okavango Delta - all the while enjoying spectacular summer congregations of wildlife. This trip is specifically designed around the Kalahari Desert at its most productive, when sporadic summer rains cause wildlife to migrate into the desert valleys in large numbers.

Day 1: Deception Valley

Upon arrival in Maun, you will be met by your guide and transferred by road to Deception Valley Lodge, located approximately 25 miles from Deception Pan bordering the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The lodge accommodates 16 guests in private chalets, each with a spacious lounge, en-suite Victorian-style bathroom, outdoor shower and veranda. The main area, connected to the chalets by elevated wooden walkways, boasts dining, lounge and bar areas. From the deck wildlife can be seen at the nearby waterhole and there is a curio shop, small library, swimming pool and boma for evening meals. A cultural highlight here is fascinating interaction, through an interpreter, with San Bushmen who will explain their traditions, hunting methods and natural medicines. Added to this is a short game drive en route to the nature walk with an experienced Bushman guide. We also enjoy a night drive on the reserve. Overnight at Deception Valley Lodge on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 2-5: Deception Valley 2

After an early breakfast, depart overland to the private Adventurer campsite in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Enjoy lunch en route.

Deception Valley - a prehistoric riverbed, flanked by petrified dune lands - is very appealing after brief rains, when it is covered with nutritious grasses that attract vast animal herds from all over the enormous reserve. These large congregations of desert wildlife with their young are followed by opportunistic predators - lion, cheetah, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox and African Wild cat - all of which makes for outstanding viewing. The rare and seldom seen brown hyena is also sighted from time to time. Bird life is prolific, with over 400 species in the region.

The four-night stay in Deception Valley is vital to allow guests the time to relax and unwind, while at the same time day trips afford the opportunity to explore the further reaches of the park that are not normally accessed and ensure the best possible wildlife experience. Enjoy extended game drives (with picnic lunches), taking in the game-rich Pipers Pans area of the Kalahari, as well as the Letiahau and Deception Valleys. Overnight for four nights at the Adventurer camp on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 6-7: Moremi Game Reserve

After a light breakfast depart overland to Maun (approximately 6 hours), and from there fly by light aircraft in the afternoon to the water-filled paradise of the private Xigera area within the Moremi Game Reserve. Xigera is the Okavango Delta personified, with serene waters flowing through innumerable channels around remote islands and a profusion of plant and animal life.

Xigera Camp is a luxury, tented camp situated in the heart of the delta. It has something for everyone, in an area where there are no other camps and where year-round water allows for a variety of activities. Enjoy a true delta experience while you sit back in a mokoro (dugout canoe) and silently glide through the tranquil Okavango waterways or watch the sunset and birds gliding home to roost from a motorboat on the Xigera Lagoon. The Xigera area has the highest density of the rare sitatunga antelope found anywhere in the Okavango Delta and wildlife is often seen on boating trips. Sightings may also include spotted-necked otter, elephant, red lechwe and even leopard on occasion. Birding in the area is phenomenal, with Pel's Fishing-Owl, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Swamp Boubou, African Pygmy Goose and Chirping Cisticola some of the sought-after specials. Learn about the ecology of the delta or find a painted reed frog - Xigera certainly offers a holistic experience of this wonderland.

Nestled in a soothing riverine forest, Xigera Camp consists of ten luxuriously furnished tented rooms with en-suite facilities and outdoor shower. Each room is raised off the ground on a wooden deck offering superb views of the seasonal floodplain and waterhole. Meals and drinks are enjoyed under the thatch of the raised lounge, pub and dining area overlooking a permanently flowing channel. A traditional boma offers alternative dining under the African stars. Wooden walkways wind through the forest connecting the rooms to the main area and there is a plunge pool in which to cool off during the heat of the day. Overnight for two nights at Xigera Camp on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 8: Depart

After a last early morning activity and breakfast, fly back to Maun, where your adventure ends.