DAYS 1 to 3: ABU CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA

Journey deep into Botswana to Abu Camp, whose vision is to introduce elephants that have spent much of their lives in captivity back into the African wild, and to allow scientists to study their movements and behavior. During your stay, you are invited to become a member of the Abu Herd and see the African bush and its wildlife through the eyes of the elephants. At designated places in the concession, you will get to know the personalities of each family member, from playful youngsters to precocious teenagers and doting adults. You will soon form a deep and enduring connection to each elephant – a sense of belonging which is both humbling and uplifting. Spend a night in the Abu Star Bed, the ultimate sleepout experience. The raised platform is above the elephant boma, so you can be lulled to sleep by the contented rumbling of the Abu Herd below.

Inclusions: Accommodation, intra-Africa flight, transfers, meals, select drinks, and select activities

DAYS 4 to 7: EUPHORBIA VILLAS, MASHATU GAME RESERVE, BOTSWANA

Be charmed by the vast open spaces, the biodiversity of wildlife, majestic skies, and the tranquility interspersed with birdsong and sounds of the wild. Mashatu Euphorbia, located in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve of Botswana, shares unfenced borders with neighboring South African and Zimbabwean national parks, forming part of a cross-boundary wildlife conservation area protecting the substantial biodiversity of fauna and flora in this region.  With one of the highest concentrations of elephant within a private game reserve, there is a reason they call it ‘The Land of the Giants’. View these gentle, family-oriented animals and others in a variety of ways: by safari vehicle, on foot, on horseback, cycling, or get up close and personal in the underground photographic hide.

Inclusions: Accommodation, intra-Africa flight, transfers, meals, select drinks, and select activities

DAYS 8 to 11: JABULANI SAFARI, KAPAMA GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

The essence of Jabulani Safari reaches far deeper than a luxury safari lodge – it reflects an exceptional twenty-year journey of elephant rescue and rehabilitation that began with a brave little elephant named Jabulani, who needed a home in 1997, followed by his adoptive family rescued from Zimbabwe in 2002. Share a special moment with the sociable elephant “ambassadors” as you witness their unique relationship with their caregivers and learn more about their fascinating behaviors. Visit the elephant orphanage and consider fostering one of these sweet, gentle giants.  You can also join your ranger by vehicle or on foot to collect elephant dung for research purposes or track elephants on foot.  At the day’s end observe the elephant’s signature sunset walk back to the stables to retire for the night.

Inclusions: Accommodation, intra-Africa flight, transfers, meals, select drinks, and select activities

DAYS 12: DEPART

Return home taking the sights, sounds, and stories of an enriching African journey. We hope this impactful itinerary leaves you with a renewed sense of purpose and a greater appreciation for our world.

ABU CAMP, OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA

Abu was originally opened for elephants who had been trained for film or other captive situations. Since then, some have joined the Abu Herd after having been found injured or lost, while others were born into the herd. Since Abu’s inception, nine elephants have been successfully introduced into the wild. Abu works with local NGOs and researchers to develop and advance a conservation agenda that includes not only trying to save Africa’s elephants, but also the ecosystems they rely on for survival and the various species living alongside them.

MASHATU GAME RESERVE, BOTSWANA

Visit Mashatu, who through its contribution to wildlife conservation and tourism, is the largest employer within the surrounding community, making it economically important within this region by providing a sanctuary to:

• the largest herds of elephant on privately owned land in Africa.
• a sustainable predator population that now affords guests the highest incidence of daily predator viewing in Botswana.
• a healthy population of the endangered cheetah which thrives in this reserve.

Your stay at Mashatu also contributes to Mashatu Research, Children in the Wilderness (CITW), the Tuli Conservation Trust, and ecological management and sustainability.

HERD ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE, KAPAMA GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA

With the growing number of orphans and displaced elephant calves in recent years, as a result of increased poaching of elephant mothers as well as man vs. elephant land conflict, Adine Roode, owner of Jabulani Lodge, took the step to build a dedicated elephant orphanage to provide a unique adoptive family structure for baby elephants in need. HERD (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development) cares for and rehabilitates orphaned elephants to give them a new family and a second chance at life with another herd.