Africa

Chitwa Chitwa offers game drives early morning and late afternoon in open-sided vehicles, guided by a professional who is based at the camp. As the sun goes down over the plains of Sabi Sand, you’ll stop for iconic sundowner drinks, with a fully-stocked bush bar serving wine, beer, soft drinks and the safari favourites – the gin and tonic. But Chitwa Chitwa has offers something different, something that stands apart from all other lodges in the Sabi Sand.

Chitwa Chitwa has its own safari Landcruiser which has been transformed into a pizza oven. At dusk, your safari guide will drive you to a beautiful spot in the bush, where the vehicle-come-pizza-oven will be waiting for you. Lanterns and candles will be set up around it to create the most romantic sundowner location and, with freshly-made pizzas offered with animals surrounding you, we’d say there is no better combination!

For a stay at Chitwa Chitwa as part of a South Africa itinerary, we’d recommend 3-4 nights here as a minimum, combined with some time in Cape Town and the Winelands. There are direct flights from Cape Town to the Kruger, and we can organise all of your transfers, park fees and additional logistics. While you can visit the Sabi Sand Private Reserve year round, the best time to go is between June and October when the grasses are shorter. Although this time of the year is cooler (especially the mornings and evenings), the temperature warms up in the middle of the day, and the game viewing is the most reliable.  

The ultimate South Africa safari focuses on three main destinations – Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, and Sabi Sand Private Reserve – where you will experience stunning landscapes, delicious food and wine, and an exceptional game-viewing experience. Stay in the most luxurious lodge, Chitwa Chitwa, with the chance to see the most captivating wildlife sightings including big five – elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard. 

animals change and adapt their movements and migration patterns. Antelopes like the red letchwe, stay by the floodplains as they thrive in these water-based areas. Big cats like leopard and lion have slowly adapted their hunting strategies to be more successful in deeper water. And the bird life thrives across all areas of the Delta.

The safari camps across the Okavango Delta are accustomed for the change in landscape and water level. Some camps, like Little Vumbura and Vumbura Plains are both overlooking the wetlands in the heart of the Vumbura concession, in northern Okavango Delta. This means they can offer water-based activities year round, like boat safaris and mokoros. In fact, the only way you can get to Little Vumbura is by boat. 

Other camps are seasonal, and offer activities based on the water level at that time of year. The Jao concession, located in the north-western part of the Okavango Delta, is privately owned, and has six camps including Jao Camp, Jacana Camp, Kwetsani Camp, Pelo Camp, Tubu Tree Camp, and Little Tubu. From May onwards, the floods from Angola make their way into Jao concession, so each week, the safari guides adjust their strategy. Sometimes they take a boat to a particular island to then do a game drive, other times they may drive through the smaller channels and then continue on with a boat safari. The safari activities are varied and this is one of the great things about the Okavango Delta. Other safari destinations are limited to driving only whereas the Delta really does have a wide selection of activities.

A mokoro ride (a local canoe) is one experience you must try during your stay in the Okavango Delta. A calm and slow experience through the small channels is a great way to see the smaller things, like the flora and fauna, and an array of amphibious species.  A recommended time to do a mokoro is late afternoon when the temperature is cooling down. Head out on the mokoro around 5pm, and simply drift along for an hour or two before you stop for sundowners.

A unique experience that some of the camps of Wilderness do is offer a sundowner mokoro in the middle of the channel. Your guide will take you to a private spot and there waiting will be a separate mokoro, lighten up with lanterns and candles, presenting an entirely fully-stocked bar and snacks. If you’re lucky, you may hear or see elephants in the distance, crossing the channels or eating the succulent lily-pads that the Delta is famed for.