STANDARD SAFARI GRADE- A comfortable non-participation camping with wild camping with ensuites facilities and lodging. Marvelous mobile safaris will provide a bucket shower with warm water off the fire. Marvelous mobile safaris (also) provides mats, chairs with backrests, streachers with foam mattress fully fitted with linen, pillows, pillow cases, mess tents, Tents, Marvelous mobile safaris camp assistants erects tents and do bedding. Marvelous mobile safaris chef prepares meals in the camp. The destination manager will be around in the camp to back the whole staff from the ground to the camp assistant and ensure that they provide top notch service and ensure that guests have a healthy mood by hosting them in the camp.
Tour Features
Mid-Range Tour: | This tour includes mid-range camping and lodges. |
Can be Customized: | You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour. |
Shared Tour: | On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 10 people per vehicle. |
Solo traveller: | Solo traveller can book this tour. |
Can start any day: | If availability permits, this tour can start on any day. |
Minimum age not required: | There is no minimum age for this tour. |
Day | Accommodation | Meals |
Day 1 |
Lodge
Maun |
Meals & Drinks at own expense |
Day 2-3 |
Campsite
Makgadikgadi Pans |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 4-5 |
Campsite
Okavango Delta |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 6 |
Campsite
Moremi Game Reserve |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 7-8 |
Campsite
Khwai |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 9-10 |
Campsite
Chobe National Park |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 11-12 |
Campsite
Chobe National Park |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 13 |
Kasane |
Breakfast Included |
-
Day 1Maun
Arrive at Maun International Airport. You will be met at the Airport by a safari guide holding a sign board that reads “MARVELOUS MOBILE SAFARI”. The guide will take you to your place of accommodation where you will stay for 1 night on a bed and breakfast basis. Lunch and dinner will be served at your own expense. The safari will officially begin in Maun. You can take a swim or do a scenic flight over the OkavangoDelta (own expense).
Main Destination: Maun
Accommodation: Lodge,
Meals & Drinks: Meals & Drinks at own expense
-
Day 2-3Makgadikgadi National Park
Depart for Makgadikgadi National park. You will drive along the A3 road which interconnects Maun and Nata. Upon arrival at the entrance gate, clients will have a chance to do a game drive before they get to their full set campsite. Arrive at the camp site, freshen up and then lunch follows. After lunch you will go for a siesta. After siesta have high tea and then resume for your afternoon game drive within the park. Come back before sunset, have a shower and then dinner will be served. Time for bed will be determined by the clients. Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is one of the largest flat salt pans in the world. During the wet season (November to March), wildlife viewing is excellent, particularly when large herds of zebra and wildebeest begin their westward migration to the Boteti region. Species include gemsbok, eland and red hartebeest, as well as kudu, bushbuck, duiker, giraffe, springbok, steenbok, and even elephant, with all the accompanying predators, as well as the rare brown hyena. You will camp here for two nights.
Main Destination: Makgadikgadi Pans
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 4-5Okavango Delta
After breakfast you will be transferred to the mokoro station at Boro where you will spend two nights in the Okavango Delta area. Arrive at your camping area, freshen up and do a short nature walk, then return to the camp and have your lunch. After a siesta, enjoy tea and resume your afternoon activity. You will enjoy mokoro and nature walking safari activities and will witness an amazing safari experience. There will be much to see from water-based animals and other wild animals such as zebra, impala, elephant, kudu, giraffe, waterbuck, hippo, and crocodile. Birdwatching as well is quite remarkable and includes hornbill, secretary bird, crane, vulture, plovers, and doves. Come back to the camp before sunset and have a shower then dinner follows. Sit around the fire and experience the fresh breeze. You will begin your morning with a warm shower, have breakfast, then do a guided nature walk, then come back to the camp to have lunch, and go for a siesta. You can sit under a canopy trees where you will be camping to enjoy the cool breeze from the river. Before you resume your afternoon activity enjoy high tea and then go for a mokoro safari. Come back to the camp before sunset, have a shower and then dinner.
Main Destination: Okavango Delta
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 6Moremi Xakanaxa
Your safari will begin in the morning with a warm shower, have breakfast then you depart to Moremi Game Reserve where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival at the camping site, you will find your lunch ready before you enjoy a siesta. After siesta have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Later before sunset you will drive back to the camp, have a warm shower and then dinner will be served. After dinner you will sit around the camp fire enjoying the fresh breeze. Moremi is one of the accessible areas with amazing wildlife animals and bird species. The reserve is widely considered as the finest wildlife reserve in Africa with a diversity of habitats comprising acacia and mopane woodland with floodplains and lagoons. The wildlife highlights differ from day to day and amongst such are the leopards, lions, wild dogs, kudus, waterbucks, elephants, buffaloes and impalas. Birdlife is quite amazing in the area with birds such as secretary bird, hornbill, lapwing, vulture, African jacana, African fish eagle, hamerkop, and crested crane amongst many other species. We will camp wild for 1 night.
Main Destination: Moremi Game Reserve
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 7-8Moremi Khwai
Wake up, have breakfast then we depart to Khwai where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival at the camping site, you will find your tents ready and lunch will be served before you enjoy a siesta time. After siesta have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Later before the sunset you will drive back to the camp, have warm shower and then dinner will be served. An early morning wake up call for a shower and then tea or coffee with breakfast cereals and nibbles prepares one for the early morning game drive, leaving camp just after sunrise. The morning drive heads out for game viewing and will proceed through the beautiful scenery of this part of Khwai with a very good chance of viewing buffalo, antelopes and hippos. Come back to the camp for lunch and then have a siesta. After your siesta you will have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have a shower and dinner will be served around the camp fire. We camp here for 2 nights.
Main Destination: Khwai
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 9-10Savuti
An early morning wake up call for a shower and then tea and coffee with breakfast cereals and nibbles and we depart to Savute. It’s a long drive from Khwai to Savute but it will be an enjoyable drive as we will do a game drive on the way until we reach our campsite. We reach the campsite around lunch, have your lunch as your camp is being set up. After your siesta you will have high tea and leave your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have shower and dinner will be served. Have breakfast and depart for the early morning game drive, leaving camp just after sunrise. The morning drive heads out for game viewing and will proceed through the beautiful scenery of this part of Savuti with a very good chance of viewing buffalo, elephants and lions. Come back to the camp for lunch and then have a siesta. After your siesta you will have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have shower and dinner will be served. We will camp wild for 2 nights doing day to day activities.
Main Destination: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 11-12Chobe National Park
Your safari will begin in the morning with a warm shower, have breakfast then you depart to Chobe where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival you will be dropped off at the lodge, you will find your rooms ready and lunch (own expense) will be served before siesta time. After siesta have high we leave for your afternoon game drive. Later before the sunset you will drive back to the lodge, have a warm shower and then have dinner. You will be staying in a lodge for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis, lunch and dinner at own expense. Have a quick breakfast before departing for a morning game drive which is longer. You will also have an opportunity to observe the animals from close up. Chobe also boasts two antelopes rarely encountered elsewhere in Botswana - the puku and the Chobe bushbuck. The puku, with their shaggy orange-brown coats and V-shaped horns, can be spotted grazing the floodplains. Always be on the lookout for predators, a repetitive whistle is used to warn fellow herd members. In contrast, the Chobe bushbuck is nocturnal and rarely forms groups of more than one pair. Rarely seen, this shy antelope, with its short, spiral horns relies on a sharp bark as an alarm call when threatened. Both the puku and the bushbuck have a number of predators to contend with; from lion, hyena and leopard, to African wild dog. Go back to the lodge after a beautiful drive, have lunch and then go for a siesta. At 3:00pm you depart for a beautiful sunset boat cruise along the Chobe river. You will come very close to crocodiles and pods of hippos from the boat. We may see lions from the boat, and big herds of buffalos and elephants. We get back to the lodge after sunset and dinner will be at 8:00pm. Time for bed will be determined by the last guest.
Main Destination: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Campsite,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 13Tour Ends
Have shower, then breakfast and you will be transferred to the Kasane International Airport to continue with other travel arrangements. Shake hands at the Airport and goodbye.
Main Destination: Kasane
Includes |
|
Excludes |
|
Important to Know
- This tour is not available to solo travelers or groups larger than 14 people.
- Rates are per person and exclude the international flightfrom/to your home country.
- This tour accepts children who are 3 years and older.
Start Dates |
Solo 1 room |
2 people 1 room |
3 people 2 room |
4 people 2 room |
4+ people 3 room |
May 09 2023 to Sep 09 2024 | $9880.00 | $5040.00 | $5040.00 | $5040.00 | $4800.00 |
Getting There
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, also known as Gaborone Airport, is the main airport in Botswana. It is located 15 km from Gaborone, the capital.
For travellers, it is more common to fly into Maun Airport (MUB) and Kasana Airport (BBK). When combining a safari in Botswana with a visit to Victoria Falls, it is common to fly into Maun and depart from Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe or Livingstone Airport (LVI) in Zambia.
Most visitors to Botswana will have a stopover in South Africa to pick up a direct flight from OR Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
In most cases, your tour operator will collect you from the airport and will arrange all further transportation.
Yes, a transfer from and back to the airport is included
Yes, additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost
-
Offices In :
Botswana -
Size :
6 -
Member Of :
Member of Botswana Tourism Organization, Trip Adviser and BOGA -
Tour Types :
Mokoro excursion, Full day Game drive, Tailor-made safari, private group safari, photographic safari and boat cruise. -
Destinations :
Botswana Namibia South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe - We are a Marvelous Mobile Safari in Botswana ( Southern Africa.) We are a tour Operator based in Maun the gate way to the famous Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park etc. We provide tented camping accommodation, photographic safaris, bird watching, fishing, Scenic flights ( fixed wing & Helicopter, Mokoro/canoe excursion, tailor-made tours (private safari on request), day and overnight trips, small and big groups tours around Botswana tourism attractive destinations and beyond. All our safaris give our guests the opportunity to experience more personal safari adventure with a professional guide, chef and camp assistant. NOTE. Our services are unique and different from other mobile tour operators because we have guides speaking different languages; 1. We have Chinese language speaking guides 2. We have Germany language speaking guides 3. We have Spanish language speaking guides 4. We have English language speaking guides We believe and trust that with our 4 languages speaking guides we can cater for our clients from China, Germany, Spain, UK, Canada, Europe and many more. All our trips are managed by our Destination Manager who will host you from the day you arrive until we say farewell, as well as ensuring the smooth running of your safari tour. Please consider adding Marvelous Mobile Safari to your portfolio. BEST TIME TO VISIT BOTSWANA We at Marvelous mobile safari know that each season brings a dramatically different safari experience. We have been there for season and are here to share exactly what you can expect. The dry season from May to September is the best time to visit Botswana, when there is no rainfall and the day time temperatures are pleasant, making it an excellent time for game viewing as all animals sticks to the water wholes at the river. The summer months of December-March are classified as low season also known as green season due to the stunningly verdant landscapes at this time of the year.
Mid-Range Tour: | This tour includes mid-range camping and lodges. |
Can be Customized: | You can request minor changes to the accommodations and destinations of this tour. |
Shared Tour: | On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. Max 10 people per vehicle. |
Solo traveller: | Solo traveller can book this tour. |
Can start any day: | If availability permits, this tour can start on any day. |
Minimum age not required: | There is no minimum age for this tour. |
Day | Accommodation | Meals |
Day 1 |
Lodge,
Maun |
Meals & Drinks at own expense |
Day 2-3 |
Campsite,
Makgadikgadi Pans |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 4-5 |
Campsite,
Okavango Delta |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 6 |
Campsite,
Moremi Game Reserve |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 7-8 |
Campsite,
Khwai |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 9-10 |
Campsite,
Chobe National Park |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 11-12 |
Campsite,
Chobe National Park |
All Meals Included with Drinks |
Day 13 |
,
Kasane |
Breakfast Included |
-
Day 1Maun
Arrive at Maun International Airport. You will be met at the Airport by a safari guide holding a sign board that reads “MARVELOUS MOBILE SAFARI”. The guide will take you to your place of accommodation where you will stay for 1 night on a bed and breakfast basis. Lunch and dinner will be served at your own expense. The safari will officially begin in Maun. You can take a swim or do a scenic flight over the OkavangoDelta (own expense).
Main Destination: Maun
Accommodation: Lodge, ,
Meals & Drinks: Meals & Drinks at own expense
-
Day 2-3Makgadikgadi National Park
Depart for Makgadikgadi National park. You will drive along the A3 road which interconnects Maun and Nata. Upon arrival at the entrance gate, clients will have a chance to do a game drive before they get to their full set campsite. Arrive at the camp site, freshen up and then lunch follows. After lunch you will go for a siesta. After siesta have high tea and then resume for your afternoon game drive within the park. Come back before sunset, have a shower and then dinner will be served. Time for bed will be determined by the clients. Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is one of the largest flat salt pans in the world. During the wet season (November to March), wildlife viewing is excellent, particularly when large herds of zebra and wildebeest begin their westward migration to the Boteti region. Species include gemsbok, eland and red hartebeest, as well as kudu, bushbuck, duiker, giraffe, springbok, steenbok, and even elephant, with all the accompanying predators, as well as the rare brown hyena. You will camp here for two nights.
Main Destination: Makgadikgadi Pans
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 4-5Okavango Delta
After breakfast you will be transferred to the mokoro station at Boro where you will spend two nights in the Okavango Delta area. Arrive at your camping area, freshen up and do a short nature walk, then return to the camp and have your lunch. After a siesta, enjoy tea and resume your afternoon activity. You will enjoy mokoro and nature walking safari activities and will witness an amazing safari experience. There will be much to see from water-based animals and other wild animals such as zebra, impala, elephant, kudu, giraffe, waterbuck, hippo, and crocodile. Birdwatching as well is quite remarkable and includes hornbill, secretary bird, crane, vulture, plovers, and doves. Come back to the camp before sunset and have a shower then dinner follows. Sit around the fire and experience the fresh breeze. You will begin your morning with a warm shower, have breakfast, then do a guided nature walk, then come back to the camp to have lunch, and go for a siesta. You can sit under a canopy trees where you will be camping to enjoy the cool breeze from the river. Before you resume your afternoon activity enjoy high tea and then go for a mokoro safari. Come back to the camp before sunset, have a shower and then dinner.
Main Destination: Okavango Delta
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 6Moremi Xakanaxa
Your safari will begin in the morning with a warm shower, have breakfast then you depart to Moremi Game Reserve where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival at the camping site, you will find your lunch ready before you enjoy a siesta. After siesta have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Later before sunset you will drive back to the camp, have a warm shower and then dinner will be served. After dinner you will sit around the camp fire enjoying the fresh breeze. Moremi is one of the accessible areas with amazing wildlife animals and bird species. The reserve is widely considered as the finest wildlife reserve in Africa with a diversity of habitats comprising acacia and mopane woodland with floodplains and lagoons. The wildlife highlights differ from day to day and amongst such are the leopards, lions, wild dogs, kudus, waterbucks, elephants, buffaloes and impalas. Birdlife is quite amazing in the area with birds such as secretary bird, hornbill, lapwing, vulture, African jacana, African fish eagle, hamerkop, and crested crane amongst many other species. We will camp wild for 1 night.
Main Destination: Moremi Game Reserve
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 7-8Moremi Khwai
Wake up, have breakfast then we depart to Khwai where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival at the camping site, you will find your tents ready and lunch will be served before you enjoy a siesta time. After siesta have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Later before the sunset you will drive back to the camp, have warm shower and then dinner will be served. An early morning wake up call for a shower and then tea or coffee with breakfast cereals and nibbles prepares one for the early morning game drive, leaving camp just after sunrise. The morning drive heads out for game viewing and will proceed through the beautiful scenery of this part of Khwai with a very good chance of viewing buffalo, antelopes and hippos. Come back to the camp for lunch and then have a siesta. After your siesta you will have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have a shower and dinner will be served around the camp fire. We camp here for 2 nights.
Main Destination: Khwai
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 9-10Savuti
An early morning wake up call for a shower and then tea and coffee with breakfast cereals and nibbles and we depart to Savute. It’s a long drive from Khwai to Savute but it will be an enjoyable drive as we will do a game drive on the way until we reach our campsite. We reach the campsite around lunch, have your lunch as your camp is being set up. After your siesta you will have high tea and leave your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have shower and dinner will be served. Have breakfast and depart for the early morning game drive, leaving camp just after sunrise. The morning drive heads out for game viewing and will proceed through the beautiful scenery of this part of Savuti with a very good chance of viewing buffalo, elephants and lions. Come back to the camp for lunch and then have a siesta. After your siesta you will have high tea and resume your afternoon game drive. Come back to the camp before sunset, have shower and dinner will be served. We will camp wild for 2 nights doing day to day activities.
Main Destination: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 11-12Chobe National Park
Your safari will begin in the morning with a warm shower, have breakfast then you depart to Chobe where you will have the opportunity to see some of the game along the road. Your arrival time to the camp will be determined by what you see on the way. Upon arrival you will be dropped off at the lodge, you will find your rooms ready and lunch (own expense) will be served before siesta time. After siesta have high we leave for your afternoon game drive. Later before the sunset you will drive back to the lodge, have a warm shower and then have dinner. You will be staying in a lodge for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis, lunch and dinner at own expense. Have a quick breakfast before departing for a morning game drive which is longer. You will also have an opportunity to observe the animals from close up. Chobe also boasts two antelopes rarely encountered elsewhere in Botswana - the puku and the Chobe bushbuck. The puku, with their shaggy orange-brown coats and V-shaped horns, can be spotted grazing the floodplains. Always be on the lookout for predators, a repetitive whistle is used to warn fellow herd members. In contrast, the Chobe bushbuck is nocturnal and rarely forms groups of more than one pair. Rarely seen, this shy antelope, with its short, spiral horns relies on a sharp bark as an alarm call when threatened. Both the puku and the bushbuck have a number of predators to contend with; from lion, hyena and leopard, to African wild dog. Go back to the lodge after a beautiful drive, have lunch and then go for a siesta. At 3:00pm you depart for a beautiful sunset boat cruise along the Chobe river. You will come very close to crocodiles and pods of hippos from the boat. We may see lions from the boat, and big herds of buffalos and elephants. We get back to the lodge after sunset and dinner will be at 8:00pm. Time for bed will be determined by the last guest.
Main Destination: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Campsite, ,
Meals & Drinks: All Meals Included with Drinks
-
Day 13Tour Ends
Have shower, then breakfast and you will be transferred to the Kasane International Airport to continue with other travel arrangements. Shake hands at the Airport and goodbye.
Main Destination: Kasane
Includes & Excludes
- Park fees (for non-residents)
- All activities mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional)
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day description)
- All accommodation mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- International flights (from/to the client's home country)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips: tipping guideline of 56 per person per day for the guide and crew
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees and other personal items)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Start Dates |
Solo 1 room |
2 people 1 room |
3 people 2 room |
4 people 2 room |
4+ people 3 room |
May 09 2023 to Sep 09 2024 | $9880.00 | $5040.00 | $5040.00 | $5040.00 | $4800.00 |
Getting There
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, also known as Gaborone Airport, is the main airport in Botswana. It is located 15 km from Gaborone, the capital.
For travellers, it is more common to fly into Maun Airport (MUB) and Kasana Airport (BBK). When combining a safari in Botswana with a visit to Victoria Falls, it is common to fly into Maun and depart from Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe or Livingstone Airport (LVI) in Zambia.
Most visitors to Botswana will have a stopover in South Africa to pick up a direct flight from OR Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
In most cases, your tour operator will collect you from the airport and will arrange all further transportation.
Yes, a transfer from and back to the airport is included
Yes, additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost
Marvelous mobile safari.
-
Offices In :
Botswana -
Size :
6 -
Member Of :
Member of Botswana Tourism Organization, Trip Adviser and BOGA -
Tour Types :
Mokoro excursion, Full day Game drive, Tailor-made safari, private group safari, photographic safari and boat cruise. -
Destinations :
Botswana Namibia South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe - We are a Marvelous Mobile Safari in Botswana ( Southern Africa.) We are a tour Operator based in Maun the gate way to the famous Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park etc. We provide tented camping accommodation, photographic safaris, bird watching, fishing, Scenic flights ( fixed wing & Helicopter, Mokoro/canoe excursion, tailor-made tours (private safari on request), day and overnight trips, small and big groups tours around Botswana tourism attractive destinations and beyond. All our safaris give our guests the opportunity to experience more personal safari adventure with a professional guide, chef and camp assistant. NOTE. Our services are unique and different from other mobile tour operators because we have guides speaking different languages; 1. We have Chinese language speaking guides 2. We have Germany language speaking guides 3. We have Spanish language speaking guides 4. We have English language speaking guides We believe and trust that with our 4 languages speaking guides we can cater for our clients from China, Germany, Spain, UK, Canada, Europe and many more. All our trips are managed by our Destination Manager who will host you from the day you arrive until we say farewell, as well as ensuring the smooth running of your safari tour. Please consider adding Marvelous Mobile Safari to your portfolio. BEST TIME TO VISIT BOTSWANA We at Marvelous mobile safari know that each season brings a dramatically different safari experience. We have been there for season and are here to share exactly what you can expect. The dry season from May to September is the best time to visit Botswana, when there is no rainfall and the day time temperatures are pleasant, making it an excellent time for game viewing as all animals sticks to the water wholes at the river. The summer months of December-March are classified as low season also known as green season due to the stunningly verdant landscapes at this time of the year.