5-Day Central Kalahari & Makgadikgadi Safari

Xaa Safaris

4.7/5 – 24 Reviews

$2,002 pp (USD)

2 travelers on Start date

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Xaa Safaris Directors

Xaa Safaris

4.7/5
(24 Reviews)

Office In:: Botswana
Size:: 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
Member Of:: HATAB & BOGA
Tour Types:: Small & medium group tours (Mid-range)
Destinations:: BW

ZW

Xaa Safaris Directors

Xaa Safaris is a mobile camping service provider that offers fully serviced mobile safari tours with custom-made packages to and around major tourist attractions such as Okavango Delta, Moremi, Chobe, Savute, Nxai, Makgadikgadi Pans and the Central Kalahari Game Reserves. Join us for a memorable safari experience with our highly experienced team of Guides. Select from one of our standard packages or consult us to put together a custom-made package just for you and your loved ones.

Reviews24

Laura –

Reviewed: Nov 13, 2024

An amazing safari with a wonderful team, it exceeded all our expectations!

5/5

I highly recommend Xaa Safaris and the “10-day classic safari tour with Victoria Falls” we went on with them in July. They were very responsive and more than happy to adapt the program to suit our wishes, and the team was really professional, attentive and gave their everything to ensure we had a great time. Our first stop was Victoria Falls, where we stayed at Pamarah Lodge (I really recommend it!) and had a couple of days to discover the area. The Falls were breathtaking, we had a go at bungee-jumping and we enjoyed cruising along the Zambezi river at sunset.

They then took us to Botswana, to begin the safari part of our trip, which was a once in a lifetime experience. We camped for 6 nights, first in Savuti, then in Khwai and finally in the Okavango Delta. Each area was very different, Savuti was quite arid, Khwai was much lusher and the Delta was a maze of canals. The tents were roomy and well set-up, with ensuite bathrooms, and you felt safe and cosy in your bed while hearing the lions roar outside at night. With that and the delicious food prepared by Kempo, we felt we were staying at a 5-star hotel, only better! Kempo’s food was excellent – tasty and varied, and it was all the more impressive for being cooked on a woodfire. I still remember the warm bread rolls, fresh out of the “oven”. Kenny and KB completed the logistics team and were really welcoming and professional. The camp was always set up when we arrived, they welcomed us with a smile, a nice chat and some warm water, and did a great job of anticipating and accommodating all our needs and wants.

The first 4 days of the safari we had the luck of having Titi as our guide. He was really knowledgeable, friendly and made sure to adapt the program of the day to our rhythm. Aside from driving around with him during the day, we also enjoyed great long conversations with him and with Gape at dinner time and around the fire. We had a great time getting to know them, learning about Botswana and talking about many different things.

Thanks to Titi, we learned a lot about the fauna and the flora of the areas we visited. Furthermore, he was very respectful of animals, he didn’t harass them and gave them their space, but we were still able to see many animals from up close. We were lucky enough to see a lion and a lioness sleeping under some bushes, only a couple of meters away, as well as a leopard, who was preparing to hunt. Thanks to his perseverance in tracking animals, we also saw a group of hyenas and another group of African wild painted dogs, both with cubs. Elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffalo, impalas, steenbok, zebras, coyotes, pumbas... and loads of birds, including the lilac breasted roller, the African jacana, the “go-away” bird… - it would be a long list if we wanted to name all the animals we saw. We did not only see animals during our drives, but also while we were at camp. We woke up to discover hyena tracks by our tents, an elephant passed by while we were having breakfast, we said our good-nights with many eyes looking at us in the dark (from a herd of zebras)…

We then switched the jeep for mokoros, and went off into the canals of the Okavango Delta with our mokoro guides, Freddy and Luke. Here we were also very lucky to have knowledgeable and friendly guides who showed us around, made sure we avoided the hippos and crocodiles and helped us discover the wonders of the Delta, by boat and on foot. It was such a calm and restful experience to glide silently on the water, in between the reeds. It was also great to be able to walk around with our guides and discover the area in a different way.

We then sadly had to part ways with the team of Xaa safaris, who dropped us off at Maun to continue our journey. We hadn’t known what to expect, as it was our first safari, but it surpassed our expectations. It was a definite luxury to have such a lovely and professional team taking care of the 4 of us and it was worth every penny. We would like to thank you all and we hope to see you again !

Anja –

Reviewed: Oct 12, 2024

Professional handling, flexible, customer oriented

5/5

I had booked the 9-day classic safari tour through Savuti, Khwai and the Okavango Delta, with the first 2 nights in Victoria Falls. The whole organization of the tour went very well, and the safari was a truly great experience to remember.

I was a solo female traveler and felt well protected and looked after by the crew: Ranger, an experienced guide and driver and good company to spend a safari day with, George, not only a good cook, but also a gifted baker who miraculously baked all kinds of delicious things in his „oven“ over the woodfire, and the two camphands Luke and KB who were never tired working in camp and making sure everything was ready on time and my stay was pleasant. The team was flexible with regards to my requests - be it how to spend the day or change the itinerary or with regards to setting up the camp.

I had a very comfy spacious tent with an en-suite bathroom and loved hearing the lions roar and hyeanas howl at night and watching the elephants strolling through the campsite in Khwai during the day. I even encountered an elephant drinking out of a my wash basin while I was inside the tent! We saw lions a few times, came across a pack of wild dogs and a bat eared fox couple and had a great leopard sighting where we could spend quite some time with the animal. Apart from that we enjoyed spotting many gracious giraffes, a lot of hippos and elephants. It was good fun and excitement to track lion, leopard or hyaena.

Thanks to Xaa Safaris and the crew for truly memorable, exciting and fun days in the bush!

Manfred –

Reviewed: Sep 26, 2024

Incredible once in a lifetime experience

5/5

I enquired about this 9-day-tour on a short term notice, just one week before it started, and the detailed offer came instantly and well prepared, so I booked. And everything worked out to my absolute satisfaction, starting with the airport pick-up and transfer to the first lodge, and then all the way to the last day.
I was stunned to find out that I was the only guest, and instead of cancelling the tour, Xaa Safaris realized the trip just with me! So I found myself with a safari car, a driver/ranger, 3 wonderful camp hands - one of them a chef, who each day miraculously produced the most wonderful food in the midst of the bush - and a local guide in the Okavango-Delta for spectacular walking safaris. Wherever we arrived, the tents (with open-air shower and toilet), the kitchen and the eating canopy were put up in no time, while I was taken on a sunset-safari-drive. When we returned, the fire in the middle of the camp was burning, tea and dinner was ready and we had the most wonderful chats together.
Each day began with an overwhelming sunrise drive at around 6am, which was followed by a rich breakfast/lunch and a siesta during the hot hours, and ended with a sunset-safari at around 4pm, when most animals are out from their hiding spots. And not to forget the tasty dinners at nightfall. The driver was an experienced track reader and had no problems to find ALL the animals, even twice a leopard absolutely close to us. My emotions soared into the sky.
Spending 6 nights (2 nights per park) in tents in the bush, with a giraffe feeding nearby and being surrounded with all the sounds of night animals is so different to staying in a lodge, if you are the adventurous character. I can honestly say that not 1 second did I feel endangered, because I was in such competent hands, who, for example, surrounded the camp each night with a circle of candles.
Driving on sandy roads for the transfer from one park to the other was the most strenuous part and is not recommended if you suffer from car sickness. But this is what Botswanan road are - nature tracks and you might encounter elephant crossings more than once. It was a fantastic journey I will not forget all my life - thank you so much, Xaa Safaris, I am very grateful!

Esther –

Reviewed: Sep 24, 2024

Wonderful Experienced Caring Guides and Staff provided an amazing Safari adventure

5/5

This was my first trip to Botswana for work and I extended my time so i could take a Safari. Xaa Safaris came highly recommended. I was a woman traveling by myself so safety and attentive staff were important along with seeing the natural beauty of the landscape and of course seeing the animals up close in the wild was an awe inspiring experience. The Guides were first rate and it was a source of pride to them make sure I saw and experienced as much as possible. The chef did an outstanding job of preparing delicious meals with a simple camping setup. I was so impressed by each member. The memories they helped to create are embedded in my mind and heart forever. I would highly recommend Xaa Safaris

Jen Ussi –

Reviewed: Jun 17, 2024

Professional, exceptional service and an amazing campsite.

5/5

We had the most amazing 2 night trip on the banks of the river in the Delta. The campsite was perfect clamping. Food by Amos the chef was exceptional. All the staff were friendly and professional. Our guide, Oros, was knowledgeable and we saw everything from hippos to lions and elephants. We learnt a lot about both the flora and fauna from him. The mokoro cruises were fab. Definitely worth doing this trip with this company, we absolutely over it.