7 Days | 6 Nights - Angola Highlands, Cuito Cuanavale, Back to Maun.
On our epic 7 day Angola expedition, you’ll explore this fascinating and often overlooked country by helicopter. One of the first trips of its kind, it can be tailor-made to suit your interests and budget. Your first few days in Angola will be in the Source Lakes region of the Angola Highlands. A place that is close to our hearts, as the lakes here supply the rivers that go on to form the Okavango Delta, Kwando and Zambezi regions. Spend time exploring the watery landscape in great company! You’ll rub shoulders with the National Geographic explorers and scientists who have spent many years in the area. Then, there’s a flight down the winding Cuanvale and Cubango rivers, to the Cubango Game Reserve for a further two nights, before ending with a quick stop in fascinating Cuito Cuanavale and battlefields region.
This package can be customised to suit all group requirements, time frame and budgets. With the option to fly by helicopter or plane, and add or remove days. We also offer a full, 12-night expedition that includes time in both Botswana and Namibia as well as Angola and charts the path of the Okavango River form the source to the sands.
From Maun in Botswana, you fly by Bell 407 helicopter to Cuito Cuanavale in Angola and then onto the Source Lakes region of the central Angolan ‘highlands’. Here you’ll be staying in expedition-styled mobile camps that are modest and simple. The beds are comfortable, the bucket showers are piping hot and food is hearty and homemade and shared around the campfire.
You’ll spend your next few days in and around the source lakes, meeting the resident National Geographic explorers and scientists, snorkelling, walking and exploring! The wildlife experience here is not about the big five, but rather about visiting incredible, untouched wilderness areas, making you one of the first few people to explore this previously undiscovered regions (and all its species), and spending time in the company of fascinating guides, explorers and naturalists. You can expect sightings of a mesmerising variety of fish, flora and fauna. The scientists are constantly uncovering new species and it’s an honour to experience these new discoveries.
You’ll fly down the Cuanavale and Cubango rivers to the Cubango Game Reserve for your last two nights. The reserve is an enormous 500,000 acres and you’ll uncover its beautiful terrain and inhabitants on foot, by vehicle and by boat, following trails of sitatungas, roan and whatever else comes your way. Whilst the battlefields on your last day are of course, about the history of the country and the bloody wars and battles that have taken place over the years.
Today, hop back in the heli for a short trip to the Angolan battlefields and Cuito Cuanavale, before flying back to Maun in the late afternoon.
This safari starts and ends in Maun in Botswana. The best time to visit Angola is during the dry season, which typically spans from May to October. During this time, the weather is cooler and more pleasant, making it ideal for exploring the country’s attractions and wildlife reserves. In terms of wildlife viewing, Angola is rich in biodiversity and offers a variety of ecosystems to explore. In the central region, the area is known for itsr savannah landscapes and unique wildlife species.
Child policy: Please enquire with reservations.
Disabled access: Sadly, this trip is not equipped for disabled access.
Wi-Fi: There is no Wi-Fi available on this trip.
Excluded: Visas; departure taxes; gratuities for guides; international flights to the starting point (Maun); fully comprehensive travel insurance; additional helicopter excursions.
Be inspired by our other suggested safari packages below and remember, all our packages are totally flexible and can be adjusted to suit you.