Botswana: Embark on an Okavango Delta wildlife safari with a pro
Ron Glazier knows where the wild things are. The retired director of the Santa Ana Zoo has led 20 safaris to Africa in search of its exotic denizens. Next year, Glazier leads an 11-day trip to the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Nature Reserve in Botswana to find lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants as well as wild dogs.
The trip, sponsored by Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo, starts in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a stay at the luxury Peermont D’Oreale Grande for one night before leaving for the backcountry of Botswana. A plane flight plus a hop in a light plane takes you to the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland water system and whose headwaters start in Angola. For three nights, guests experience the safari life with opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles and elephants.
On the sixth day of the trip, a plane carries guests to Seba Camp, which features eight tents -- each with a private deck -- on a river with excellent opportunities to sight birds and pods of hippopotamuses. The last backcountry stop goes to Lebala Camp in the Linyanti Marshes, a wetland covered with palm trees that’s also excellent wildlife territory.
During the safari, guests go on night game runs and river excursions in dugout canoes. The trip ends back in Johannesburg.
When: May 24-June 3.
Price: $6,995 per person, double occupancy; solo travelers add $1,995 per person. It includes camp lodgings, safari and sightseeing, guide, meals and internal flights in South Africa. International airfare is extra.
Info: Ron Glazier, (480) 634-1901 or e-mail rjglazier1105@gmail.com
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