MEERKAT MANNERS If you’re a fan of Animal Planet’s Meerkat Manor, you’re already


familiar with the little creatures’ rambunctious social habits and endlessly fascinating domestic dramas. If you’re not, suffice it to say that meerkats are charming, highly social cousins of the mongoose that live in tight-knit communities, hunt termites and small prey for a living, and stand 9 to 14 inches tall on their hind legs, which they do a lot, on the lookout for predators. Normally shy, the meerkat families you’ll meet on our tour of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana are accustomed (or perhaps indifferent?) to humans, and don’t mind a little interaction as they scurry about their daily routine in groups that are properly called meerkat “mobs,” “clans,” or even “gangs.”


Field equipment gadgets reveal hidden sights and sounds of wildlife


7. MAKGADIKGADI PANS / THE SAN BUSHMEN Fly from Okavango to Makgadikgadi Pans, the salt plains at the edge of the Kalahari Desert, and arrive at Camp Kalahari. A parched wasteland most of the year, seasonally the plains come alive with water and grass, drawing spectacular herds of wildebeest and zebra, as well as springboks, vultures, eagles, and hyenas. Venture out on a walking safari with Zu/’hoasi San Bushmen, learning how they use their legendary hunting and survival skills in this usually inhospitable environment. Meals BLD


RHINO WALKING SAFARI* Anyone can watch a rhino from the comfort of a safari vehicle,


but if you really want to walk on the wild side, join us for a guided safari on foot through a rhino sanctuary in Zambia, where you can encounter the magnificent horned creatures on their own turf (and appreciate how big they really are). In fact, since rhinos have been poached nearly to extinction throughout the continent, protected sanctuaries offer the best hope for saving the population, and the best remaining chance to see them in the wild. Discovering a rhino on foot in its own backyard is a thrill even rarer, and an experience you’ll never forget.


8. MEET THE MEERKATS / SALT PAN ADVENTURE Get acquainted with a family of fascinating meerkats today as they go about their business, digging for termites, frolicking, and standing at attention, forever on the lookout for predators; they have no fear of humans and – you never know – they may even climb on you for a better vantage point. Enjoy free time at camp in the afternoon before a fantastic late afternoon trip to the salt pans of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the world’s largest. Nothing says adventure like a ride in a 4-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle (ATV)* – and this afternoon, you’ll be transported in one out onto the salt pans that are located in the middle of the dry Botswana savanna. Watching the sun set in the heart of one of the most remote regions of the Kalahari Desert is one of those life-changing experiences – the silence is golden, the spectacle of the panoramic sky nothing short of inspirational. A fitting finale to the day is a traditional sundowner. Meals BLD


9. ARRIVE CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Depart Camp Kalahari today for flights first to Maun, then to the fabulous city of Cape Town, where you’ll spend the next three nights. Your chic urban resort, designed around a series of artificial islands, offers contemporary glamour with an African flair and captivating views of Table Mountain and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Spend the evening as you please. Meals B


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