Cry of the Kalahari Safari

Mobile Safari Itinerary

Deception Valley – Central Kalahari Game Reserve

5 days/4 nights

Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the remotest areas in the Kalahari Desert. To explore this area is to travel back to an Africa of another time.

Deception hosts huge herds of gemsbuck, springbuck, wildebeest and hartebeest attracted to the area by the flush of sweet grasses that flourish in the ancient valley following the rains. There is also a good chance of seeing the Kalahari lion, cheetah, brown hyena and meerkat.

This area is well known from the writings of Mark and Delia Owens, an American couple who lived here researching the desert predator ecology of the valley. Their book, “Cry of the Kalahari” makes essential reading for anyone undertaking a trip to this little known and remote part of Botswana. Time will be spent exploring Deception Valley, visiting the Deception Pan and an excursion to the Piper Pan area searching for other intriguing desert species.

Day 1 Fly to Deception Pan. Your safari vehicles and guides will meet you and drive you to your private dune-top camp at Sunday Pan. Large tents equipped in luxurious fashion complete with beds, down pillows and pure cotton sheets are your desert home for the next few days. The only concessions to roughing it are the bucket showers and bush toilets, which are private and en-suite. Enjoy your first bucket shower and settle in for the incredible sight of a Sunday Pan sunset

Day 2 Wake early and a drive up to Leopard Pan in the cool morning light. Watch honey badgers, jackal and look out for elusive predators. Lions and cheetah are around and there has recently been the discovery of a population of African wild dogs in this peaceful and isolated wilderness area. Return to camp for a sumptuous lunch. We’ll set off in the afternoon to the famous Deception Valley campsite where Delia and Mark Owens did their research.

Day 3 We’ll take a packed lunch for our day-long mission to Passarge Valley looking for predators and prey. An in-depth immersion into the Kalahari ecology and wildlife including behavioral observations of cunningly desert- adapted mammals and birds. Return to camp for a delicious dinner and a cozy evening under canvas.

Day 4 We’ll drive into the stabilized dune area to examine the floral and fauna variations between the valley and dune ecologies. Sprawling acacia forest cedes to thick dune grasses and hardy bushes. Fleeting herds of Gemsbuck, the elusive Kalahari giraffe and the ever-present Steenbuck keep us company. The scenery is unlike any you will have experienced and a biological experience sure to exceed your expectations.

Day 5 Bidding goodbye to the desert, we’ll drive to the airstrip at Deception, where you will be collected by private charter to continue your onward journey.

Contact Duffle & Compass for the current cost of this itinerary.