Botswana, Africa’s premier safari destination, features the Okavango Delta, Moremi National Park, and Chobe National Park. With 40% of its land dedicated to wildlife conservation, Botswana offers abundant free-roaming animals and diverse accommodations, ranging from luxury to affordable options. The iconic Okavango Delta, formed by the Okavango River, is a must-visit for first-timers, supporting a rich variety of wildlife.
Following a Botswana safari, many venture to Zimbabwe or Zambia for the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, straddling the two countries. Close to the Botswana border, these falls are among the world’s largest. The area offers exciting activities, such as Devils Pool, white water rafting, and kayaking. For a safari-beach combo, consider flying to South Africa or connecting via Johannesburg to Mauritius or Mozambique.
We have put together some luxury safari tours and itineraries to give you some inspiration. All of our trips are tailor-made and can be customized to suit you – our aim is to curate the perfect luxury safari for you, and with our friendly and knowledgable specialists, we are confident we will.
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A safari in Botswana is like no other. The waterways of the Okavango Delta and the elephant corridors through Chobe make it a very diverse and popular safari destination. Botswana can be visited year-round, but the best time to go to the Okavango Delta is the April to September period, where you can experience the plains flooding with the waters coming all the way from Angola. In turn, these floods transform the landscape of the Okavango Delta, becoming a mecca for wildlife – from large elephant herds to tiny resident frog species. The animals thrive from the rich vegetation, and thousands of resident and migratory birds can
be seen.
There are many ways you can enjoy a safari in Botswana, from day and night game drives, walking safaris, boat safaris, and mokoro rides. These local, wooden canoes (called Mokoros) have long been a traditional way for local people to get around the waterways of the Delta. Today, it is a great way for travelers to experience the flora and fauna from a relaxing mokoro 1–2-hour mokoro ride. This is one of the most unique activities, that stands a Botswana safari apart from other destinations.
The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is a vast inland river delta known for its seasonal flooding, creating lush wildlife habitats. High water season from June to August is ideal for canoe and boating safaris, while diverse wildlife includes giraffes, leopards, lions, and rhinos.
The Okavango DeltaChobe National Park, in northern Botswana, is named after the Chobe River, a vital water source for diverse wildlife. It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise with 450+ species and renowned for its 120,000 elephants. The park also houses lion, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, and endangered African wild dogs.
Chobe National ParkMakgadikgadi Pans National Park, a vast salt pan of 2,423 square miles in northeastern Botswana, hosts rich grasslands attracting diverse wildlife. In April and May, pools offer excellent birding and game watching. From August to November, zebra and wildebeest migrate toward the Boteti River in anticipation of rain.
Makgadikgadi Pans National ParkMoremi Game Reserve in Botswana, bordering the Okavango Delta, is one of Africa’s richest ecosystems, spanning 2,423 square miles. It offers outstanding wildlife viewing, with over 400 bird species and the Big Five, including reintroduced rhinos. In the dry season (May-November), large herds of elephant, zebra, buffalo, and wildebeest seek sustenance.
Khwai Private Reserve, an extensive Okavango concession between Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve, encompasses 200,000 hectares. The Khwai River attracts diverse wildlife, with prime sightings in the south near the river, including hippos, crocodiles, wild dogs, big cats, and numerous elephants. Birdwatchers can spot species like the lilac-breasted roller, marabou, and saddle-billed storks.
May to September is typically the best time to visit Botswana, particularly the Okavango Delta. You will experience the dry season when visiting between May to September, and this is when wildlife gather around water sources, offering prime game viewing opportunities. The weather is also cooler and more comfortable for safari adventures.
For more on when to visit Botswana, please see here.
Botswana is famous for safari gems like the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and Chobe National Park amongst others. Each of these destinations offer a range of safari activities such as day and night game drives, and bush walks. Botswana also offers more unique experiences, like helicopter rides, meerkat interactions and more!
The mighty Okavango Delta is one of the most pristine wilderness areas in Africa. One of the best ways to experience it is a trip in a traditional narrow dugout canoe known as a mokoro. An expert local propels you through reed-lined channels, where from this vantage point the scale of everything is particularly grand.
In Botswana, game drives offer vastly different experiences due to the diverse terrain from lush delta grassland to deserts and forests. It hosts many reserves, parks and private concessions that provide unique experiences, from watching herd of 500 buffalo and close encounters with huge concentrations of elephant to exciting night drives for viewing nocturnal animals.
One reason people visit the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans is for the meerkats. The area is home to habituated meerkats. The meerkats are wild but became used to people when research groups studied them. Guests canspend time with the meerkats as they go about their normal life, they have no fear of people.
The answer to this is subjective but, as a guideline, I would recommend a safari between 3-6 nights is a sufficient amount of time. I would always recommend a minimum of 3 nights on safari in one lodge or camp. This gives you enough time to experience fantastic wildlife sightings, but also get to know the staff, managers and your safari guide who will ultimately become a friend. If you have traveled on a safari before, you will know what a safari is like so we would recommend longer periods of time.
Going on safari is very different to other types of holiday. Your guide will wake you up early, before sunrise, this is the best time of the day to watch the wildlife before the heat of the day. You will have a cup of coffee or tea and then head out on your morning game drive. You will be out for 3-4 hours before returning for a large breakfast. In the heat of the day we suggest a siesta or a swim in the pool. You will then go back out into the reserve around 4pm and stay out until the sunsets.
Camps in Botswana fall into two categories: Wet Camps and Dry Camps. This categorization relates to the location of the camp and if it has access to a river or delta channel. A wet camp will generally have access to water all year round and the camp activities will focus on boating and mokoro (canoe). In a dry camp there is focus on game drives and walking as there is not a permanent river in the area. Ideally, an itinerary would combine both types of camps so you can experience the range of activities available. Some camps can offer both wet and dry activities, when the river levels are high enough or the delta is in flood.
A delta is where a river ends and its waters create a wet land, the Okavango Delta is unique in that it does not end in the sea, it is an inland delta. The Okavango River flows from Angola, through Namibia to Botswana where it meets the Kalahari Desert. Here the waters of the river fan out to cover a huge area, between 6,000 and 15,000 square kilometres depending on the river levels. This is the Okavango Delta, and its waters support the wildlife in the area.
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