Wings: Prince Harry and girlfriend Chelsy Davyat his graduation ceremony. They will now take a holiday together
Newly qualified helicopter pilot Prince Harry has rewarded himself with a five-week holiday in the African wilderness.
The 25-year-old prince, who was awarded his Army Air Corps wings a fortnight ago and has been cherry-picked to fly the military's showpiece Apache attack helicopter, is celebrating his success by 'backpacking' through Botswana and South Africa.
And he hopes to fit in a World Cup game and a few days on the paradise island of Mauritius with girlfriend Chelsy Davy before heading back to Botswana in mid-June for the start of his first official tour with elder brother Prince William.
After the six-day tour, the prince will fly back to the UK for a series of public engagements before beginning the second phase of his helicopter training.
Harry jetted out from London last weekend, arriving in Maun, the 'tourist capital' of Botswana, on Monday before heading into the bush with a small entourage of Metropolitan Police bodyguards.
He is paying for his flights but the bill for his bodyguards will be footed by taxpayers.
Among the highlights of his visit is a camping safari with friends and several days' partying on a houseboat in the country's renowned Okavango Delta.
Harry has hired a £600-a-night, two-storey houseboat which evokes memories of the 1951 film The African Queen.
Royal vessel: harry will spend his days fishing and partying on a houseboat in Botswana. He and Chelsy previously spent a few days on the Okavango Delta in Botswana in The Kubu Queen boat
Guests can sleep under the stars or in one of three luxury bedrooms.
The prince's party will spend their days sailing up and down the river, indulging in some fishing and having their meals cooked by an on-board chef.
Harry hopes to be joined by his on-off girlfriend of five years, Miss Davy, during his travels.
Zimbabwean-born Miss Davy, 24, is travelling to South Africa for next month's World Cup and plans to join her boyfriend in Cape Town for England's match against Algeria on June 18.
She and Harry also hope to spend a few days with her family at a luxury resort in the Indian Ocean at the end of his trip.
The prince is due back in Africa on June 14 to embark on a six-day tour with William of charity projects in Botswana and Lesotho, before the brothers fly to South Africa to support England's 2018 World Cup bid team.
St James's Palace declined to comment on Harry's holiday, describing it as 'private'.
A source said: 'Prince Harry has thrown himself into his training over the last 12 months or so and astonished everyone - not least himself - at how well he has done.
'He won't have the chance to take another holiday for almost eight months, so he wanted to make the most of it.'
A friend said: 'He adores Botswana, where he is never recognised or bothered, and just likes to rough it.'
