I’d been told countless times that Botswana is the very best place to go on safari. But I never really believed it. That is, until I went there myself.
How could anywhere beat Tanzania’s vast Serengeti or Kenya’s big cat haven, the Maasai Mara?
Yet somehow Botswana claimed the top spot as my favourite safari destination of all.
What struck me about Botswana was its remoteness and wild feel. With almost 40% of the country protected for wildlife and no fences, wildlife can really thrive.
These vast areas of protected wilderness are one of the few places left where endangered wild dogs can thrive, and it was my first time seeing them in the wild.
I also had some incredible elephant encounters with some of the 100,000 elephants who call Botswana home, that’s 25% of the entire population of African elephants in one country!
If you want to view all of Botswana‘s diverse national parks and reserves, then a 2-week or 3-week Botswana safari itinerary allows you to travel the country at a relaxed pace.
Itineraries of 7 or 10 days work well with a more regional focus and can still provide an amazing safari experience.
After my own Botswana safari, I’ve perfected this 2-week Botswana itinerary to show you all of what Botswana has to offer as well as giving you the most ‘bang for your buck’.
I’m going to give you an idea of how much it will cost, the best time to visit and how to find the best safari tour company.
As I walk you through the itinerary, I’ll share tips, tricks and how to avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made.
I’ve also spoken at length with my favourite Botswana guides as well as conducting copious amounts of additional research to ensure you receive everything you need to know to have the ultimate 2-week Botswana safari.
It’s easy to focus only on the fun stuff when planning the trip of a lifetime, but I’ll make sure your itinerary includes the practicalities too, like allowing time to navigate rough roads or building in moments to relax. These details often make all the difference.
Key Takeaways
- Trip Duration: 2 weeks (14 days)
- Budget Range: $350-$700+ per person per day
- Best Time to Visit: On paper July to October (dry season), but in reality any time other than January and February.
- Key Destinations: Makgadikgadi, Moremi, Khwai, Savuti, Chobe, Victoria Falls
- Wildlife Highlights: Big Five, elephants, wild dogs
- Average Drive Time: 1-2 hours per day
- Difficulty Level: Easy (fly-in transfers, all fitness levels)
Botswana & Zimbabwe 2-Week Safari Itinerary Map
Below is the route map for my recommended 2-Week Botswana & Zimbabwe itinerary. We’ll cover this itinerary in detail in this guide.
Embark on the Safari of Your Dreams
Save time and ensure an incredible safari experience by getting quotes from my recommended local safari companies
I’m here to make booking your perfect safari quick, easy and risk-free.
Join the rapidly growing tribe of over 1,000 travellers who’ve booked their dream safari using my insider tips and recommendations.
It takes under 60 seconds to fill out the form and in under 48 hours you will receive multiple, no-obligation proposals from my favourite local tour operators with glowing online reviews.
Get your free no-obligation safari quotes and my top safari tips and recommendations
In This Guide
- 7 Reasons to Go on Safari in Botswana
- How Do You Book a 2-Week Botswana Safari?
- Should You Choose a Private or Group Botswana Safari?
- How Much Does a 2-Week Botswana Safari Cost?
- When Is the Best Time to Visit Botswana?
- How Long Should You Spend on a Botswana Safari?
- 2-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary Overview
- Day 1: Maun
- Day 2: Maun to Makgadikgadi Pans
- Day 3: Makgadikgadi Pans
- Day 4: Makgadikgadi Pans to Moremi Game Reserve
- Days 5-6: Moremi Game Reserve
- Day 7: Moremi Game Reserve to Khwai Community Area
- Days 8-9: Khwai Community Area
- Day 10: Khwai Community Area to Savuti, Chobe National Park
- Days 11-12: Savuti, Chobe National Park
- Day 13: Savuti to Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park
- Day 14: Kasane to Victoria Falls
- Botswana Safari FAQs
- Final Thoughts – Is a 2-Week Botswana Safari Worth It?
7 Reasons to Go on Safari in Botswana
Botswana is hands-down one of my favourite places to go on safari in Africa. Even though it’s rare for me to completely switch off and feel worlds away from home, when I’m on safari in Botswana it’s just me, the wide open landscape and, of course, the wildlife.
Despite being one of the more expensive African safari destinations, the high quality wildlife experiences available in Botswana represent true value for money, in my opinion.
Below is a map I made of Botswana showing the safari highlights.
I’ll delve into the top reasons to go on safari in Botswana in more detail below. But first, here’s a quick list of the pros and cons of safaris in Botswana.
Pros of Safaris in Botswana
- Quieter parks compared to other safari destinations. You’ll often have sightings to yourself.
- Excellent guides with high levels of expertise
- Roughly 40% of Botswana is protected wilderness with no fences separating reserves.
- One of the best places to see the critically endangered African wild dog
- The careful management of visitor numbers and environmentally friendly lodges ensures minimal impact on this pristine ecosystem.
- Botswana’s elephant population is over 100,000, which is roughly 25% of the world’s population of African elephants!
- Exceptionally diverse and beautiful landscapes from the waterways of the Okavango Delta to the deserts of the Kalahari
Cons of Safaris in Botswana
- Botswana’s lodges are some of the most expensive in Africa
- Safari costs such as guide fees are higher than Kenya and Tanzania
- Because there are fewer safari vehicles in the parks, there are fewer radio calls for sightings. This makes having a great guide even more important.
- More challenging self-drive options compared with South Africa or Namibia. Botswana’s offroad routes demand serious 4×4 experience, full self-sufficiency and specialist equipment
- Big Five sightings less reliable compared to other destinations, as rhino are scarce in much of the country due to poaching. Over 11 days I saw all of the big five except for rhinos.
- Remoteness can mean limited or even no phone signal and Internet. For example, I had neither for 11 days on a luxury mobile safari.
You can watch my Botswana experience video below, or if you’re short on time, skip ahead to my 2-week Botswana itinerary.
1. Low Impact Tourism Means Quiet Parks and Unspoilt Landscapes
One of the most striking things about being on safari in Botswana is just how quiet the wildlife areas are compared to other destinations across the continent.
I remember driving through Moremi Game Reserve one morning and only encountering one other vehicle the entire time. This was in June, which isn’t even the quiet season.
The feeling of solitude in the reserves means that sightings feel really special and intimate. All we could hear at each sighting were the sounds of nature: birdsong, gentle breezes and the vocalisations of wildlife. This is a real contrast to the rumbling engines or people muttering in other vehicles you sometimes hear at busier safari spots.
Botswana has an approach to tourism that prioritises high value experiences over tourist numbers. That means fewer visitors go to the parks and lodges compared to other African destinations, but each guest tends to spend more.
This allows the parks to still generate enough money to cover their running costs, while offering exclusive experiences to their guests. It’s a smart and sustainable approach that protects the wildlife and ecosystems. The only drawback is that a visit to Botswana isn’t financially accessible for everyone.
Nonetheless, there are good justifications behind this tourism model. One of my guides told me that Botswana’s ecosystems are vulnerable to the impact of tourism and literally can’t support higher visitor numbers. For example, the Okavango Delta is particularly fragile and a larger number of vehicles would seriously damage the soil and vegetation.
The result of this model for visitors who do have the means to invest in a safari in Botswana is that you’re guaranteed a quieter and more intimate experience, without having to worry about negatively impacting Botswana’s vulnerable ecosystems.
2. One of the Best Places in the World to see African Wild Dogs
There are thought to be fewer than 2,000 wild African wild dogs left in the world, and Botswana is one of the best places to see this critically endangered predator. To see a pack of them racing through the bush is a rare and incredibly special experience, and one that is within your reach in Botswana!
African wild dogs used to range across Africa and could be found in abundance in pretty much all of the main national parks and reserves, from the Maasai Mara and Serengeti, all the way to the southernmost tip of South Africa.
Sadly, habitat loss, poaching and disease have led to the drastic reduction in their distribution. Botswana is home to one of the highest populations of these rare canids, and, alongside South Africa and Zambia, is one of the most reliable places to see them.
It was in Botswana that I had my first ever encounter with African wild dogs. We were lucky enough to find a pack made up of an alpha female together with nine tiny puppies. Seeing the female approach her den while the puppies bounded out on wobbly legs is an image that will stay etched into my memory forever.
3. The Highest Elephant Concentration in Africa
If there’s one animal that Botswana is known for, it’s elephants! Over 100,000 elephants roam across the country’s vast wilderness areas – that’s 25% of the entire population of African elephants in a single country.
The northern reaches of the country are home to the largest herds, because of the abundance of water sources in the north. This is truly an elephant paradise and you’ll struggle to have a day of game drives without at least one elephant sighting.
I’ve had some of my best elephant sightings in Botswana. Without a doubt the most memorable was when we arrived for a picnic lunch on the banks of a tributary of the Okavango Delta.
Although it was quiet when we arrived, within minutes a herd of elephants began to trickle down from the opposite bank for a drink, enjoying the water less than 330 feet (100 metres) away from us. Before we knew it, there were 11 of them casually drinking and splashing in the water while we enjoyed our picnic.
4. Home to Unique Landscapes Including the Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland delta and is a true geographical miracle. Its waters flow into Botswana all the way from the highlands of Angola, and spill out into the arid Kalahari Desert. This water provides a lifeline for so many species, and as a result the wildlife density in the region of the Delta is spectacular.
But the Okavango Delta isn’t the only jaw-dropping landscape in the country. If you travel further south, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the Kalahari Desert. In the dry season it can feel quite desolate in its dry dustiness, with the horizon wavering in a scorching haze.
But even within this seemingly inhospitable environment, you’ll find some of the most unique landscapes and ecosystems. One that really stands out is the Makgadikgadi Pans, which are among the largest salt flats in the world. In the dry season, this lunar landscape stretches for as far as the eye can see.
By contrast, in the green season the desert is completely transformed. Bright green grass speckled with vibrant yellow flowers cloaks the striking, rust-coloured sands.
5. Exceptional Predator Sightings
The Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in northern Botswana are both renowned for regularly offering visitors excellent predator sightings. There are strong populations of lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and African wild dogs across both locations.
If you’re particularly keen to see lions and leopards, you’re in for a real treat!
I’ll never forget sitting for hours observing as a huge male leopard gorged himself on a fresh warthog kill that he had dragged up into the fork of a leadwood tree. It was almost as if he was showing off, sitting in prime position to be viewed and photographed.
Our lion sightings in Botswana were also fantastic. I found Savuti, located within Chobe National Park, to be the most lion-dense region out of those that I visited – even topping the Okavango Delta.
We encountered lions every single day that we were in Savuti, including following a huge male lion as he patrolled his territory at dawn. His gruff roars split the icy morning air, his breath billowing in front of him.
Of the big cats, cheetahs are by far the rarest in Botswana. If cheetah sightings are at the top of your bucket list, then you might want to consider Kenya and Tanzania as safari destinations.
6. The Zebra Migration
The longest land mammal migration on earth is one that you’ve never heard of: Botswana’s zebra migration. This epic natural event takes place between the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta each year and sees an estimated 20,000 zebras travel over 174 miles (280 kilometres).
The migratory route takes them from the heart of the Makgadikgadi National Park, all the way north to Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, and then back again.
They spend the dry season in the Okavango Delta’s wetlands, where they make the most of the flooded waterways when water arrives from Angola around June. The zebras then journey south once the rains there have transformed Makgadikgadi National Park into a lush oasis.
You can view the zebra migration in the Okavango Delta between June and October. The green season in Makgadikgadi National Park starts in November and finishes in April.
7. Some of Africa’s Best Safari Guides
I’ve personally found that the quality of guiding in Southern Africa, including Botswana, is extremely high and generally exceeds the standards across East Africa.
In Botswana, the main reason for this is the country’s low-volume, high-value tourism industry. Because there are fewer tourists, the recruitment and education of guides can take place over longer periods of time. The limited number of guides are all educated to a very high standard.
By contrast, the volume of tourists visiting East Africa increases year on year, and the demand for guides is ever-increasing. To produce enough guides to meet the demand, standards are not always consistent. Also, there’s a huge reliance on radio networks in East Africa, which makes tracking skills like reading spoor and listening to alarm calls practically redundant.
I was grateful that the guided safaris that I’d encountered prior to my first visit to Botswana had been in East Africa, because it meant that I could really appreciate the guiding level in Botswana.
I learnt so much about Botswana’s flora, and my guide’s bird identification skills were off the charts. It’s here that the foundations of my bird knowledge were formed, and I really started to appreciate our feathered friends.
However, just because the standard of guiding in Botswana is generally good doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a good guide. Researching a tour operator is extremely important. You should always look at online reviews and pay attention to personal recommendations.
To make things easier for you, I’ve compiled a small list of hand-selected tour operators who I’ve had extremely positive experiences with and who I trust. You can receive free no-obligation quotes from them here.
Not only that but I’ll personally be here to guide you through the process, sending you some useful tips and advice, checking in to see how you’re getting on and answering any questions that you may have.
How Do You Book a 2-Week Botswana Safari?
Without a doubt, the easiest and best value-for-money way to arrange your Botswana safari is by booking through a reputable local tour operator.
This is how I prefer to book my safaris in Botswana and I’ve always been extremely happy with the outcome.
Other booking options include using an international travel agent, a fly-in hotel-provided safari, or self-driving and booking each component of your trip separately. However, a local tour operator offers convenience and value, as they will arrange your accommodation, park permits, game drives, and inter-camp transfers at lower cost than international agents.
You can get quotes from the same local tour companies I use to organise my own trips here: Safaris By Ella
Let’s look at the three ways to book a safari in Botswana, each of which has different trade-offs on cost, flexibility, and experience.
Booking Options at a Glance
| Option | Cost | Flexibility | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Tour Operator | $$ | High | Most travellers, best value |
| Self-Drive | $ | Extremely High | Experienced drivers that are comfortable with gravel roads and who are good at wildlife spotting |
| International Agent | $$$ | Medium | Those wanting international flights and safari in one package and are happy to pay 30-50% more than a local tour operator |
In Botswana, self-driving is only realistic for very experienced off-road drivers on a tight budget. The terrain is demanding, with areas like Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park especially challenging, particularly in the rainy season, and the only accommodation open to self-drivers is basic camping that you set up and take down yourself between long drives.
Most of Botswana’s camps and private concessions are reached by light aircraft and are not accessible to self-drive visitors at all.
If you’re wondering about booking through an international agent, it’s important to know that they typically subcontract to the same local companies you could book with directly, and add a 30-50% markup.
Why I Recommend a Local Tour Operator for Botswana
A local tour operator handles everything from the moment you land in Maun: accommodation across every park on your route, from the Makgadikgadi Pans through the Okavango Delta to Chobe, light-aircraft and road transfers between camps, park permits, game drives with expert guides, and up-to-date knowledge of which camps offer the best value right now.
Having experienced both self-planned and professionally managed safaris, I can tell you that drawing on the expertise of local professionals makes for a truly relaxing adventure. This is how I book all my Botswana safaris these days.
Even with a local tour operator’s small markup, the cost of booking through a local operator works out to be just about comparable with booking everything yourself. This is because local operators get preferential accommodation rates, which largely balance out their markup.
There is also the added advantage of insider connections: through their established relationships with camps and lodges, they can often secure rooms that appear sold out when you try to book yourself online.
Even if the cost of booking through a local tour operator is marginally more than what you spend when you do it all yourself, the benefits you get from spending that bit extra are immense.
You don’t need to stress about researching where to stay and booking every aspect of your safari individually. Everything is taken care of and you only have one point of contact whenever you have a question.
That said, you should do your research thoroughly when vetting local operators. Look for consistently positive reviews, especially regarding guide expertise and vehicle quality, and treat a quote that looks too cheap to be true as a warning sign.
I’d love to help you with this part of your planning: you can request quotes from the local tour operators I’ve personally been on safari with on Safaris By Ella.
What a Local Operator Gives You
- All accommodation, park permits, transport, transfers, meals and drinks included in one price.
- Preferential camp rates, often matching what you would pay booking direct, and sometimes securing camps that appear sold out online.
- Deep local expertise and tracking skills, with up-to-date intel on recent wildlife sightings.
- A guide radio network that increases your chances of wildlife sightings and provides a safety net.
- An optimised itinerary with camp choices that prioritise proximity to wildlife and minimise your travel time.
What to Watch Out For
- Not all operators are equal. The cheapest quote often means inferior camps and less experienced guides.
- Very low prices can be a red flag for hidden costs during your trip.
- Local operators generally do not book international flights, so you will need to arrange those separately.
Embark on the Safari of Your Dreams
Save time and ensure an incredible safari experience by getting quotes from my recommended local safari companies
I’m here to make booking your perfect safari quick, easy and risk-free.
Join the rapidly growing tribe of over 1,000 travellers who’ve booked their dream safari using my insider tips and recommendations.
It takes under 60 seconds to fill out the form and in under 48 hours you will receive multiple, no-obligation proposals from my favourite local tour operators with glowing online reviews.
Get your free no-obligation safari quotes and my top safari tips and recommendations
How to Book with the Best Local Safari Companies
- Comparison sites which provide multiple quotes from verified suppliers such as Safaris By Ella
Join the rapidly growing tribe of over 1,000 travellers who’ve booked their dream safari using my insider tips and recommendations.
Botswana Booking Tips
- Most camps are fly-in: Botswana’s camps and private concessions are mostly reached by light aircraft, and your local operator coordinates the fly-in schedule between camps. Confirm baggage limits, as light aircraft typically restrict you to soft bags.
- Self-drive is only for the experienced: Self-driving is viable only if you have serious off-road experience and are happy camping; for most travellers a guided safari is worth the modest extra cost.
- Budget realistically: Botswana has the highest entry-level safari prices in Africa, so set expectations early and ask your operator where your money goes furthest.
- Private vs shared vehicles: On fly-in hotel-provided safaris you will usually share a game-drive vehicle with other guests; if you want a private vehicle, tell your operator and expect a premium.
Financial Protection When Booking Direct with a Local Operator
When booking with a local operator or directly, you can take steps to give yourself similar financial protection to when you book with an international agent. Paying by credit card or debit card often gives you purchase protection (in the UK it’s called Section 75), good travel insurance covers trip interruption, and choosing a trusted local safari company that takes balance payment closer to your trip date minimises risk.
Recommended Booking Options For Your 2-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary
Safari with local tour operator
Most popular & best experience – typical prices for this itinerary start from $450 per person per day.
Visit safarisbyella.com for free quotes from trustworthy local tour companies I use to book my own trips.
Should You Choose a Private or Group Botswana Safari?
A private safari is the better choice for most travellers visiting Botswana, as it gives you full control over your schedule, your route through the parks, and how long you spend at each wildlife sighting. Private safaris are my personal favourite and I’d recommend this option for most safari-goers, if your budget allows.
Private vs Group at a Glance
| Private Safari | Group Shared Safari | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per day | From around $450 per person | From around $350 per person |
| Flexibility | Full control of schedule and route | Fixed times and pre-planned routes |
| Vehicle | Dedicated, higher-spec vehicle and a more experienced guide | Shared, and you may not get the best seat |
| Best for | Couples, families and photographers | Solo travellers on a tight budget |
On a private safari in Botswana, everything is customisable: where you go, what time you head out, which sightings to prioritise and how long to spend at each one. You also tend to be allocated more experienced guides, travel in higher-spec vehicles and have more flexibility and choice when it comes to your meals.
On a group shared safari, the times and route are fixed, so you have no say over which sightings to prioritise or when to move on. The vehicle often travels from camp to camp at the start and end of the day to collect and return all the passengers, which costs you the prime early-morning and evening hours when predators are most active.
Group shared safaris are the lowest-cost option and make Botswana more affordable for solo travellers, saving around 20% over a private safari. For a couple or family members travelling together, though, splitting the cost of a private vehicle closes the cost gap between shared and private safaris, while offering a superior experience.
My Recommendation
Go private if your budget allows. On a 2-week Botswana safari spanning the Okavango Delta, Khwai and Chobe and finishing at Victoria Falls, the flexibility to linger at an incredible sighting or reroute around bad weather is invaluable. On a group tour you’re locked into an inflexible, pre-determined schedule.
The main situation where a group shared safari works is if you’re a solo traveller on a tight budget who wants to meet other travellers. I wouldn’t recommend group safaris for larger groups, as some trucks pack a third row of seats in the middle that gives those passengers limited views.
How Much Does a 2-Week Botswana Safari Cost?
Typical prices for a private safari in Botswana start at around $450 per person per day.
Shared group safaris in Botswana start at around $350 per person per day.
These prices include your park fees, accommodation, meals on full board, all beverages (including alcoholic drinks), transport, driver guide, all activities (often including mokoro trips and boat cruises) and unlimited game drives. Prices exclude international flights, tips and gratuities.
The chart below shows typical prices for Botswana safaris, with comparisons based on the level of luxury of your accommodation.
You’ll find that prices in Botswana are higher in general than other safari destinations. This is because of Botswana’s low-impact, high-value tourism system, which limits the number of tourists in order to avoid damage to the ecosystem whilst still trying to keep income sustainable. The remoteness of the parks and reserves also adds to the costs.
For an in-depth cost breakdown, you can have a look at my up-to-date guide to Botswana safari costs.
There is a huge benefit to the elevated costs of Botswana safaris compared to other destinations, and that’s fewer visitors at wildlife sightings. Many times you will have fantastic sightings entirely to yourself!
How Do Botswana Safari Costs Compare to Other African Safaris?
Botswana budget private safaris start from $450 per person per day, making the country the most expensive safari destination on the African continent.
For example, Botswana safari costs are around 50% higher than the starting price for a private Kenya or Tanzania safari.
You can see how costs compare across popular African safari destinations below:
| Destination | Private Budget Safari Cost PP/Day |
|---|---|
| Kenya | 300 USD |
| Tanzania | 350 USD |
| South Africa | 400 USD |
| Botswana | 450 USD |
| Uganda | 450 USD |
| Rwanda | 650 USD |
Botswana Safari Costs Breakdown
The biggest portion (around 35%) of your total Botswana safari cost goes towards your safari vehicle, fuel and driver guide. When you add in park and concession fees, this takes you to around half of the total safari cost going towards game drives.
Compared to Kenya safari costs and Tanzania safari costs, a greater proportion of the total spend goes towards the vehicle and driver guide costs. One of the reasons for this is that the driver guides are higher-paid in Botswana. In addition to it being a generally wealthier country, the driver guides are usually, in my experience, very knowledgeable and well-educated.
Entrance fees to the parks and reserves in Botswana are quite a bit lower cost than Kenya and Tanzania, which helps off-set some of the other higher costs.
In my chart, the total for park and concession fees assumes a mid-range safari where you’ll be staying in a luxury mobile tented camp. This kind of accommodation requires higher overnight concession fees to be paid by the safari company compared to the cost of basic camping.
Park entry fees are low, at around $10 per person per day, plus a nominal vehicle fee of up to $5 per day for a foreign vehicle.
Overnight concession fees range from $30 to $75 per person per night for basic camping and can increase to as much as $100 per person per night for luxury camping (a mid-range safari). For luxury camping, the safari company rents a private campsite to allow for plenty of space and privacy to set up a luxury mobile tented camp.
The other half of your total safari cost is allocated as follows:
Around a third of the cost of a mobile Botswana safari goes to your accommodation and meals. This can go up to 50% or more for lodge-based luxury safaris.
The remaining 17% goes to bank fees, overheads such as office support staff and insurance. Finally, around 9% goes to the local safari company as profits for providing their services. Whilst this is a slightly higher profit margin compared to operators in Kenya and Tanzania, it’s still reasonable and much lower than international tour operators’ margins.
Also, remember that when local tour operators are financially sustainable they are less likely to cut corners on their safari offerings.
You can see the complete breakdown of cost distribution in the chart below.
Factors Affecting Botswana Safari Costs
There are a number of factors that can shape the total cost of your safari, including the type of accommodation you stay in, how you book your safari and even the size of your group.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the main factors.
Jump to more information on each factor using the links below.
How you Book Your Safari
How you book your safari arguably has the most significant impact on your safari price. You can save up to 50% of your total budget by booking with a local tour operator rather than with an international travel agent.
International agents based in the US and UK can charge anywhere from 30% to 50% more than local safari companies for what is essentially exactly the same safari experience.
In most cases, the international agents outsource to the same local operators on the ground that you would use if you opted to book with a local operator. These local operators end up delivering the actual services, while the international agents simply slap their own branding onto the local company’s vehicles.
When you book with a local safari company, not only do you save money, but you also benefit from the special accommodation rates they often have access to. Because of the volume of business they bring to the camps and lodges, they’re often able to secure prices you simply couldn’t get by yourself. This is a big advantage of booking via a local operator compared with booking accommodation yourself.
I saw this benefit myself when a guest who recently booked their safari with one of my recommended local tour operators emailed me, informing me that they simply couldn’t believe the rate that the safari company had managed to secure them at a lodge. The guest said that it was far cheaper than it would have been if they’d booked it themselves.
Below you can view a chart of typical budget safari costs based on the booking method.
My Preference: I always choose to book my safaris through local tour operators. This is exactly how I booked my own Botswana safaris and I was extremely happy. Even when I opt for fly-in safaris, I still rely on local operators, as they handle everything, including airport transfers and internal flights.
Accommodation Comfort Level
The level of accommodation that you choose will have a large impact on your overall safari cost.
For mobile tented camps with a comfortable bed and en suite bathroom (glamping), prices start from $650 per person per day.
Prices go up significantly if you upgrade from a mobile camping safari to a lodge-based safari. The entry level price for lodge-based accommodation is $1,300 per person per day, with some luxury lodges charging as much as $7,000 per person per day!
Accommodation prices also vary a lot by region. Lodges and camps within national parks and private reserves are significantly more expensive than lodges located outside the wildlife areas.
My Preference: I personally love mobile camping safaris! They provide the perfect balance of complete immersion within nature and comfort. You’re based right in the heart of wildlife areas, but there’s no compromising on creature comforts like a comfortable bed or adjoining en-suite bathroom.
As you’ll be spending most of your days out on game drives, having an extravagant room isn’t essential.
A key part of accommodation for me is the food, and I’m pleased to report that there’s zero compromising with food on a mobile safari. You have your own private chef who cooks meals exactly according to your preferences. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that the food I enjoyed on my Botswana mobile safari was some of the best I’ve ever had!
Time of Year
Botswana safari costs can vary quite a lot throughout the year.
Unlike many other safari destinations, Botswana’s park entrance fees stay the same all year round, throughout both high and low seasons. However, park fees are a nominal part of your Botswana safari cost.
The biggest difference is in lodging costs. You can save up to 40% by booking your safari in the green season rather than in the dry season. Typically, the biggest savings are to be had if you’re booking more luxurious lodges.
Mobile camping safaris fluctuate far less. However, a $100 per person per day difference between peak and low season is not to be sniffed at. Booking for the green season can save you thousands.
My Preference: In my opinion, you can’t really go wrong with any time of year besides January and February, which are the wettest.
Each time of year offers something different, whether quieter parks in the green season or higher chances of seeing wild dogs in the dry season.
What this really means is that you should plan to return, so you can visit at both times of year!
Mode of Transport Between Parks
There are two main ways to journey between parks in Botswana: by road or by air.
Usually, most people opt to travel between parks by road. This is the most budget-friendly choice, as you’ve already paid for the vehicle.
Botswana is a vast country with long distances between reserves, so these transfers can be long, bumpy and dusty. For many people, that’s all part of the adventure, and it’s a wonderful way to take in the changing landscapes.
There are situations, however, where flying is well worth considering, and in some cases entirely necessary. For example, if your flight to Maun lands in the afternoon and you’re starting your safari right away, there simply isn’t enough time to drive to Moremi or Khwai. This means that flying is the only option, unless you are happy to spend the night in Maun.
Botswana’s remote reserves are connected by a network of bush airstrips, and a light-aircraft flight can turn a long, full-day drive into a short hop. This will leave you with far more time for game drives or taking in the wilderness without the sound of an engine.
Some locations in the Okavango Delta are only accessible via light aircraft or helicopter. In these cases, flights are mandatory.
The main drawback of flying is the cost. Flying between parks costs around $300 per person per flight, and this can start to add up if you add a few flights to your itinerary.
Another drawback is the luggage limitation. Botswana’s bush planes typically allow only 33 – 44 lb (15 – 20 kg) of luggage per person (including 11 lb / 5 kg of hand luggage), and will only accept soft-sided bags.
My Preference: Given Botswana’s long distances, I think flying is worth it if your road alternative is going to take the best part of a day (6 hours or more). For shorter transfers, though, I’m very happy to travel by road and enjoy the scenery.
Group Size
The number of people travelling with you on safari can significantly influence the total cost per person. This is because the fixed costs of the vehicle and driver guide are shared between everyone in your group.
A solo traveller pays the full daily vehicle cost themselves, which is around $350 per day. For two people sharing, that drops to $175 each. For four people, that figure would halve again, and so on.
I would avoid increasing your group to more than 7 people, as this is the maximum that can fit in a typical safari Land Cruiser.
The biggest saving by far comes from going from one person to two, a difference of almost $200 per day. After that, the savings become more marginal.
Lodges also tend to add single supplement fees for solo travellers.
My Preference: I personally like a maximum of 2 or 3 people, including myself, in the back of the safari vehicle. This allows me to move around freely for sightings on both sides of the vehicle, so that I get the best angle for my photos.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Botswana?
Botswana can be visited pretty much throughout the year, with the exception of January and February. These are the wettest months, and overland travel can be very difficult.
The most common advice given to prospective travellers is to visit Botswana during the peak of the dry season, from July to October. Many travel agents favour the dry season because of the low likelihood of rain, easier wildlife spotting due to the sparse vegetation, and the annual flooding of the Okavango Delta, which makes the waterways come to life.
However, I don’t believe this is the best time to visit for everyone. This is peak season, which means that parks and reserves are at their busiest, and prices are at their highest. Some lodges have 40% higher prices during this period.
Additionally, many of the best lodges and camps sell out months in advance, making it challenging to secure a booking.
Below, I’ve ranked each month of the year for safari in Botswana either as Excellent, Good, OK, or Poor, based on typical game viewing and weather conditions.
I’ve ranked each month of the year for safari in Tanzania as Excellent, Good, OK, or Poor, based on typical game viewing and weather conditions.
For more information take a look at my ultimate guide to the best time to visit Botswana (coming soon).
My Preference: In my opinion visiting Botswana is great at any time of year apart from January and February, which are by far the wettest months.
We all have different preferences and priorities, so read on for the pros and cons of each season and choose the time that suits you best.
Jump to more information on each of the seasons using the links below.
The Dry Season (May – October)
The Dry Season (May – October)
The dry season is the most popular time to visit Botswana, as it is considered the best all-round period for wildlife viewing and weather. The dry season is ideal for travellers who have larger budgets and don’t mind the higher prices and busier camps.
At this time of year, vegetation is sparse and so it’s easier to spot wildlife. Without an abundance of water sources (with the exception of the Okavango Delta), animal movements are easier to predict. They tend to congregate around the waterholes and rivers that can withstand the dryness.
The big advantage of travelling at this time of year is that wild dog denning season overlaps with this period. This means that these elusive predators are much easier to find.
The Okavango Delta starts to flood in mid-June, transforming the landscape into a beautiful blue and green oasis. If you’d like to catch a glimpse of this spectacle, coming between mid-June and September is best.
Quick Facts
Prices: Peak season with the highest accommodation prices.
Weather: The driest period, with minimal rain and sparse vegetation. Moderate daytime temperatures (77-82°F / 25-28°C) but it can be quite cold in the early mornings (around 41°F / 5°C), especially in open safari vehicles.
Wildlife: Animal movements are relatively predictable. Animals congregate around waterholes and the Chobe riverfront. The brown, sparse landscape gives excellent visibility.
Birding: Birding is good, but not at its best. Resident species are present, with fewer migratory species than the green season.
Unique features: The Okavango flood waters arrive in mid-June, providing opportunities for boating safaris. Wild dog denning season takes place, making these elusive predators much easier to spot.
Pros of the Dry Season
- Good wildlife viewing, with animals at predictable water sources
- Excellent visibility with sparse vegetation
- Wild dog denning season (May to August)
- Comfortable daytime temperatures
- Dry conditions make roads accessible
- Okavango Delta at its most beautiful
Cons of the Dry Season
- Peak season with the highest prices
- Cold early mornings in open vehicles
- Brown, sparse landscape is less photogenic
- The busiest period for parks and lodges
The Green Season (November – April)
The green season suits visitors who are still after great wildlife sightings but prefer a quieter experience with lower prices. It’s a particularly good time of year for keen birders.
The rains, which arrive in November, transform Botswana into a lush, green wilderness. Baby animals are born and migratory bird species start to arrive.
Even though the weather turns in November, it rarely rains all day and the downpours are typically restricted to the evenings. This allows plenty of time to enjoy dry game drives. However, come January and February, the rains really pick up and can be disruptive at their heaviest.
Quick Facts
Prices: More favourable, with up to 40% off high-season lodge prices.
Weather: Expect some rain during this period, especially in January and February. Lush green landscape, warm and humid, with temperatures from 64°F to 95°F (18°C to 35°C).
Wildlife: Although wildlife viewing is generally considered more challenging due to lush vegetation, there is still so much to see! Some added benefits of this season include seeing the zebra migration in Makgadikgadi National Park, and also many baby animals. This in turn provides some great opportunities to see predators in action.
Birding: Birding is at its best at this time of year, as migratory birds arrive from November to March. Over 600 species can be seen across the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Kalahari.
Unique features: Opportunities for dramatic photography, with green backdrops and stormy skies. The zebra migration passes through Makgadikgadi, and the Kalahari desert is magnificent at this time of year.
Pros of the Green Season
- Up to 40% off high season lodge prices
- Best birding season, with 600+ species
- Lots of baby animals provide some great sightings as well as opportunities to see predators in action
- Fantastic conditions for photography, with bright green backgrounds and dramatic skies
- Fewer crowds at camps and lodges
Cons of the Green Season
- Some lodges close completely
- Roads may be closed or impassable
- Whilst mokoro trips are still possible, they are generally less accessible and on different waterways than in the dry season
- Wildlife is harder to spot in dense vegetation
- Heavy rains can interrupt safari plans, with January and February being the wettest months
How Long Should You Spend on a Botswana Safari?
Two weeks is the perfect amount of time for a Botswana safari if you want to see the country’s highlights without rushing between parks. I’d recommend spending at least 7 to 10 days in Botswana, but 2 weeks is really optimal. You never feel rushed and can really relax into each destination.
If you have more time to spare, 3 weeks will allow you to explore the whole country in depth.
What Two Weeks in Botswana Gets You
- Makgadikgadi Pans (Days 2-3): Surreal salt pans, habituated meerkats and the seasonal zebra migration
- Moremi Game Reserve (Days 4-6): Classic Okavango Delta game viewing, combining land game drives with water activities such as mokoro trips through the channels
- Khwai Community Area (Days 7-9): Prolific predators with off-road game viewing and night drives available at no extra cost
- Savuti, Chobe National Park (Days 10-12): Dramatic predator-prey action, big lion prides and large numbers of elephant
- Chobe Riverfront (Day 13): Huge elephant herds and a boat cruise on the Chobe River, before crossing to Victoria Falls
If two weeks is more than you can spare, a shorter trip focusing on the Okavango Delta and one or two other areas still gives you an excellent Botswana experience. Here are some of my itineraries for different durations:
- 5-Day Botswana Safari Itinerary: A focused taste of the Okavango Delta.
- 7-Day Botswana Safari Itinerary: A week pairing Moremi and Khwai, or Khwai and Chobe.
- 10-Day Botswana Safari Itinerary: The sweet spot, covering Moremi, Khwai and Savuti.
- 3-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary: The full country, adding the Central Kalahari and Nxai Pan.
My Preference: 10 days is my sweet spot for Botswana. It’s enough to cover the Okavango Delta, Khwai and Chobe without rushing, and it leaves time to settle into each camp rather than fast-tracking through.
2 weeks gives you a bit more time in each location and allows for unique game viewing activities like mokoro and boat cruises. If you can stretch to 3 weeks, you can add the Central Kalahari, Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan for the full country.
2-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary Overview
This 2-week Botswana safari itinerary covers my favourite corners of the country, from the salt pans of Makgadikgadi and the waterways of the Okavango Delta to Khwai, Savuti and the elephant-flanked Chobe River, and finishing at the majestic Victoria Falls.
I have designed this itinerary to maximise wildlife sightings and minimise long drives, with several nights at each stop. The idea is to spend your time watching animals rather than on the road.
Quick Facts
Total drive time (excluding game drives): Around 22 hours over 14 days, averaging around 1.5 hours per day. Longest single transfer is about 6 hours (Day 4); several legs, including Days 10 and 13, can be flown in 30 to 45 minutes.
Best times of year: On paper July to October (dry season), but in reality any time other than January and February.
2-Week Botswana Safari Map
Day-by-Day Breakdown of the Perfect 2-Week Botswana Safari
Botswana has so much to offer that two weeks will zip by, so I have crafted this itinerary to make sure you make the most of every moment!
I have also considered the distance between the parks and driving times in order to come up with the most enjoyable itinerary.
You can get quotes from the same local tour companies I use to organise my own trips here: Safaris By Ella
Click any of the days below to jump to my full notes on that day.
- Botswana
- Day 1: Maun
- Day 2: Makgadikgadi Pans
- Day 3: Makgadikgadi Pans
- Day 4: Moremi Game Reserve
- Days 5-6: Moremi Game Reserve
- Day 7: Khwai Community Area
- Days 8-9: Khwai Community Area
- Day 10: Savuti, Chobe National Park
- Days 11-12: Savuti, Chobe National Park
- Day 13: Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park
- Zimbabwe
- Day 14: Victoria Falls National Park
Day 1: Maun
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): Depends on the activities you choose
Welcome to Maun, a laid-back town located along the banks of the Thamalakane River. Maun serves as the gateway to most Botswana safaris.
With no game drives today, the afternoon is yours to settle in and ease into the relaxed rhythm of the bush before the safari begins.
Itinerary
Your international flight into Maun Airport, most likely from Johannesburg or Cape Town, typically arrives around early afternoon. From the air, you’ll get your first glimpse of Botswana’s pristine, landlocked wilderness, which stretches out from the edges of the town as far as the eye can see.
From the airport it is just a short 15-minute transfer to the town centre. Your local operator will have taken care of organising that, so all you need to do is locate your luggage and take a deep breath of the fresh bush air.
With the afternoon free, you can explore Maun at a relaxed pace. Some good options to get you into the rhythm of the place are lunch or coffee at The Duck Cafe, dinner at Marc’s Eatery, and a browse of the Nhabe Museum.
If you want to treat yourself and get a better sense of the surrounding geography, you should consider a scenic helicopter flight over the Delta.
About Maun
Maun is a sleepy town on the outer reaches of the Okavango Delta. It serves as the starting and ending point for most Botswana safari itineraries, including those to the Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Pans, Central Kalahari and Chobe.
Many of the local safari operators and airlines have their headquarters here, which is why it is regarded as the tourism capital of Botswana. Thanks to the tourism industry, Maun has grown considerably since the 1980s. However, it’s managed to retain its small-town charm, with only a handful of eateries dotted around the colourful streets.
One thing you’ll definitely find in abundance here, though, is nature, which even ventures right into the heart of the town. There are crocodiles in the Thamalakane River, so as tempting as a sunset riverbank stroll might be, you should avoid the edges of the river, especially after dusk.
Things to Do in Maun
Maun is a pleasant place to spend your first afternoon before the bush, and one night here is enough time to take in the town. Here are my favourite ways to spend a few hours.
1. Eat at Marc’s Eatery
Marc’s Eatery is my absolute favourite place to enjoy an evening meal in Maun. This restaurant serves up delicious food in a lush garden oasis just outside the town. It has an international menu that also honours local produce and cuisine, and often features artisanal ingredients from the local market.
What makes Marc’s really unforgettable, though, is the atmosphere. There is plenty of space to make yourself comfortable, with eclectic furniture, music from around the world, and a lovely, homely vibe that makes you feel instantly welcome.
There is also a deli here, which is great for picking up a picnic lunch or a sandwich, if you prefer that.
2. Hang Out at The Duck Cafe and Buy Souvenirs
The family-run Duck Cafe and Bar is the best place in Maun for a combined food and shopping fix. Just across the road from the airport, it’s a conveniently located pitstop at the start or end of your trip..
The cafe boasts delicious homemade food, excellent coffee and a quirky selection of locally made crafts and gifts.
Be sure to leave some space in your suitcase for souvenirs, because there is also a charming spot across the road from the Duck Cafe that sells beautiful hand-carved animals, as well as books on Botswana and some useful maps. Unlike market stalls you’ll find elsewhere in Africa, you aren’t expected to haggle here as they have fixed prices.
3. Visit the Nhabe Museum
The Nhabe Museum is located in a historic colonial building not far from the airport, and has a fascinating collection of treasures and artefacts on display. It’s a great idea to pop in on your first day if you want to delve into the cultural and natural history of the Okavango Delta before starting your safari.
The focus of the museum’s displays is the heritage of the Ngamiland tribes, but it also has art and basket weaving exhibitions that have been put together by local creatives.
There is a gift shop too, so you can pick up a few more local souvenirs.
4. Take a Scenic Helicopter Flight Over the Okavango Delta
A great way to get a sense of the vast extent of the wilderness you’re about to explore is to see it from the air. For a real treat, you can take a scenic helicopter flight over the Delta. As you fly over the vast floodplains with their maze of channels, woodlands and grasslands, keep an eye out for elephants, buffalo and lechwe.
A typical helicopter flight over the delta lasts around 45 minutes. However, if you have a bit more time and a larger budget, it is also possible to take a longer flight and stop over on a remote island for a glass of champagne or a lodge meal.
Many of the remote delta areas are not accessible by land, so this is your chance to see places that few other tourists will ever get to experience.
Tips for Visiting Maun
I had a fantastic time in Maun, a quiet and tranquil place where I felt very safe and very relaxed. Here are some quick tips to make sure you do, too!
- Maun is quite a spread-out town so it is not easily walkable. Most guesthouses and lodges are not within walking distance of the airport, so you’ll need to move around by car.
- Local taxis are the best way to get around, so save the number of a reliable driver. Uber does not operate here, but private taxis are relatively cheap. For example, I paid $7 for a trip from the airport to my lodge, and arranged this directly through my lodge.
- I recommend having lunch at The Duck Cafe and visiting Marc’s Eatery for dinner.
- Crime is not really a problem in Maun, but, as you would in any new city, practise basic safety precautions. Keep your valuables out of sight in public and avoid wandering around at night or in secluded areas.
- Nature is never far away here! When the Thamalakane River is flowing, it’s home to crocodiles. Don’t walk too close to the water, especially after dark.
- I would recommend arriving in Maun a day early so that you have a buffer before the start of your safari, just in case of travel delays. This will also give you a day to catch up on rest after your long-haul flight.
Where to Stay
It’s worth planning to stay somewhere comfortable for your night in Maun so that you can be well-rested when you start your safari. There are several good options and most are within sight of the picturesque Thamalakane River.
For a peaceful riverside experience, check out Maun Studios, The Waterfront, or Maun Lodge. If you would prefer to base yourself in the heart of town, Cresta Riley’s Hotel is conveniently located and is very close to the airport.
My favourite place to stay is The Waterfront. It’s only a 15 minute drive from the airport and the heart of town, and is perched on the banks of the Thamalakane River. The rooms are clean and modern, the staff are really friendly, and breakfast is included in your stay.
My Experience Visiting Maun
Maun is a sleepy town where nothing feels rushed. Compared to other African cities, traffic is fairly minimal and drivers are less erratic than I’m used to – a welcome change! You can always expect to encounter a few wandering donkeys or goats on your travels through the town.
The rather sprawling nature of the town does make it a little challenging to walk around though. I got completely lost walking down a rather empty, dusty road, hoping it would take me to a central location.
I’d recommend saving the number of a taxi driver. Given the size of the town, they will never be too far away. My taxi driver, recommended by my lodge, was not only a careful driver, but so friendly as well!
There are limited dining options in Maun, and I found myself coming back to the same places every day (The Duck for lunch and Marc’s Eatery for dinner). There were clearly other visitors doing the same thing, and it was fun to recognise some familiar faces. Luckily both restaurants are great – I was happy to return!
Day 2: Maun to Makgadikgadi Pans
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 3.5 hours
Today you leave Maun behind and head into the bush, towards the remote landscape of the Makgadikgadi Pans. These blinding-white salt flats are the remnants of an ancient super-lake fed by the Boteti River.
After your arrival at the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, you’ll have time to settle in before an afternoon game drive.
Itinerary
You will set off from Maun in the morning, ideally between 7am and 8am. This reasonably early start will get you to Makgadikgadi in time for lunch, and you’ll have the afternoon to settle in and start exploring.
It takes around 3.5 hours to drive to Makgadikgadi, but you can also get there via a short flight of 30 to 45 minutes..
If you’re travelling by road, you’ll witness the landscape changing dramatically before your eyes. Grassy bush is transformed into the vast, mineral-rich, snow-white bowl of the salt pans.
After arriving at your accommodation and settling in, you’ll head out on an afternoon game drive that will give you your first taste of this completely distinctive wilderness. If you’re lucky, black-maned Kalahari lions will compete with adorable meerkats for your attention!
About Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans
The Makgadikgadi salt pans and the smaller Nxai Pans to the north together form the largest salt pans in the world. They were formed from the enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which covered much of northern Botswana between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago. Tectonic movement caused the lake to drain into the Zambezi River, leaving behind a mineral-rich, bright white, salty ‘bowl’.
Many animals gather here to lick the salts and minerals from the ground.
But that is just half the picture: there are two completely different faces to this environment. In the dry season it’s an arid, lunar-like landscape where only the toughest creatures survive. In the rainy season the pans fill with water and become a vibrant oasis.
This region is home to some of the biggest and most ancient baobab trees in Africa, including Nxai Pan’s photogenic Baines’ Baobabs. You’ll also come across the famous baobab that explorers such as Livingstone and Selous used as a “mailbox”..
What Wildlife Can I See in Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans?
The zebra and wildebeest migrations are the highlight wildlife event at the pans. These herds arrive in large numbers in the wet season, roughly November to April, when fresh water and grazing opportunities return to the pans.
You can find unique black-maned Kalahari lions along the wooded Boteti River all year round, as well as cheetahs, brown and spotted hyenas, jackals, bat-eared foxes, gemsbok, kudu, giraffe and the occasional elephant or buffalo.
On the smaller side of things, the many meerkats that migrate around the pans are a particular highlight. These meerkat colonies are often habituated, which allows you to get really close to them.
In the wet season the pans become a birder’s paradise, and are visited by ostriches, pelicans and saddle-billed storks. As a special treat, when conditions are right, the pans are a stopover for vast flocks of flamingoes numbering close to a million.
The deeper pools of the Boteti are home to deceptively cute hippos – these clumsy-looking river dwellers are actually quite dangerous!
Tips for Your Journey to Makgadikgadi
Here are a few tips to help your morning journey from Maun to Makgadikgadi go smoothly!
- Makgadikgadi is around 3.5 hours by road from Maun, or 30 to 45 minutes by light aircraft.
- In the wet season, flying in is the better option. This is because the ground becomes very muddy and traversing it can be difficult, even by 4×4.
- Start your journey early, between 7am and 8am, so you can arrive at Makgadikgadi in time for lunch.
- Arriving by lunchtime gives you the afternoon free to start exploring the area on your first game drive.
Where to Stay in Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans
Most lodges and mobile camps are set on the western side of Makgadikgadi, near the Boteti River. Wildlife gathers here year-round, which means you have a great chance of interesting sightings.
Alternatively, many visitors stay around Nxai Pan, close to the game-viewing areas.
Stylish permanent camps such as Jack’s Camp and San Camp offer striking views over the pans. If you opt for luxury mobile camping, you’ll be able to stay right out in the wilderness – a unique way of experiencing this unique landscape and its resilient inhabitants.
Day 3: Makgadikgadi Pans
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours
Today you’ll have a full day in the vast Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the most unique landscapes in Botswana. With no transfers to think about, the whole day is yours to explore. You’ll head out in the cool of the morning and again in the late afternoon, with the hottest hours spent resting at camp.
Itinerary
Your day takes shape around two game drives timed to coincide with the hours when the animals are usually most active. The morning drive leaves camp at around 6:30am and runs for about five hours.
For me, those pre-dawn departures in the crisp morning air, watching the sky turn from black to pink to gold, were some of the most magical moments of the trip.
The first two hours after dawn are the most rewarding for sightings. All the animals tend to be more active before around 10am, when the heat sends them off to find shade, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch sight of predators finishing up their night hunts..
Out across the salt flats, keep a keen eye out for black-maned Kalahari lions along the wooded Boteti River. Just as special are the cute meerkats scurrying around under the ancient baobab trees that give the pans their otherworldly character.
After a rest at camp during the heat of the day, you’ll set out for an afternoon drive at around 3:30pm. After the sun’s fiercest rays have subsided, the cooler air of the afternoon brings respite to all creatures (humans included!) and your chances of good sightings are improved.
If you’re curious about Nxai Pan, the early afternoon gap is a good moment for an excursion north to Nxai to see the photogenic Baines’ Baobabs.
Once darkness begins to fall, you’ll return to your camp. A second night in the same pans means you can really settle into the rhythm of this part of the world.
Tips for Visiting Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans
Here are my top tips for making the most of a full day in the pans:
- Ask your guide to find the famous “mailbox” baobab, where the explorers Livingstone and Selous left letters for one another in slots carved into the trunk.
- Keep an eye on the ground at dawn and dusk and look out for the smaller, rarer creatures such as aardvark, porcupine, honey badger and bat-eared fox.
- Nights and early mornings can be bitterly cold, near freezing. If you’re on a mobile safari, take your shower at midday while it’s warm, and pack warm layers for game drives.
- With no light pollution around, the pans are one of the best places in Africa for stargazing.
Where to Stay in Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans
Tonight you’ll stay in the Makgadikgadi Pans again, at the same accommodation as the previous night. See Day 2 for the full range of accommodation options in the area.
Day 4: Makgadikgadi Pans to Moremi Game Reserve
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 6 hours
Today you leave the salt pans behind and transfer north-west into the heart of the Okavango Delta. You’ll arrive at Moremi Game Reserve in the early afternoon, for the first delta experience of your safari. After settling in, there is time for an afternoon game drive.
Map of Moremi Game Reserve
Here is a map I made showing the key features of Moremi Game Reserve.
Itinerary
This morning you’ll set out from the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans and head a few hundred miles north-west towards Moremi. This is a transfer of around 6 hours by road, but if you choose to fly in by light aircraft, your transfer time will be approximately 1 hour.
You can expect a dramatic change of scenery on your journey, as you swap the dry, dusty expanses of the pans for some of the lushest wetlands and waterways in Africa.
Moremi is the oldest reserve in the Delta and one of the most scenic corners of Botswana, a mosaic of floodplains, lagoons and woodlands, all teeming with wildlife.
The drive is wonderfully scenic and is a chance to see more of Botswana’s landscapes and wildlife along the way. If you opt to fly in, you’re also in for a treat as from the air you’ll get a completely different perspective on the Okavango’s winding, crystal-blue channels..
After arriving at your next camp and settling in, you’ll set out on an afternoon game drive. This will give you your first taste of the delta, where elephants, leopards and the rare red lechwe roam through the floodplains, as well as mopane woodland and island habitats.
About Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve is the oldest protected area in the Okavango Delta and one of Botswana’s most scenic reserves, making up around a third of the delta.
The reserve is named after Chief Moremi III of the Batawana people, who died in 1946. His widow, Queen Elizabeth Pulane Moremi, set aside a wildlife sanctuary on the Batawana lands in 1963, naming the reserve in her late husband’s honour.
The landscape here combines open grasslands, dense mopane woodland and acacia forest, all crossed by hundreds of miles of rivers, lagoons, islands and clear blue waterways..
What Wildlife Can I See in Moremi Game Reserve?
All of the Big Five are present, although rhinos can only be found on Chief’s Island, where they are protected from poachers.
- Predators are well represented, with lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and the elusive African wild dog all roaming the reserve.
- Moremi is particularly known for leopard sightings in its mopane woodland, so keep your camera ready as the light fades.
- Along the waterways you will find elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and numerous antelope species, including the rare red lechwe.
- Birdlife is exceptional, with fish eagles, kingfishers, skimmers and hundreds of other species hunting or foraging on the delta’s shores.
Tips for Your Journey to Moremi
Here are a few tips to make your journey from the pans to Moremi as smooth as possible:
- Moremi lies a few hundred miles to the north-west of the Makgadikgadi and Nxai pans. Factor a transfer of around 6 hours by road or roughly an hour by light aircraft into your planning for the day.
- Expect a complete change of scenery on this leg of your journey, from the dry, dusty expanses of the pans to some of the lushest wetlands and waterways in Africa.
- If you’re travelling by road, the journey is wonderfully scenic and offers a chance to see more of Botswana’s landscapes and wildlife along the way.
- If you fly, you get to take in the Okavango’s magnificent interlacing waterways from above, a spectacular first introduction to the delta.
Where to Stay in Moremi Game Reserve
Given how large Moremi is, staying inside the reserve makes far more sense than staying outside it. Accommodation within the reserve tends to be high-end, and Moremi is home to some of the most luxurious and expensive lodges in Africa, including camps on Chief’s Island.
For something more affordable but still comfortable, mobile camping is by far the most popular option.
Do not be put off by the term “camping”, though – with this option you sleep in large, comfortable tents with proper beds and private bathrooms, and your meals are prepared by your own private chef and served in a separate dining tent. Camp staff take care of everything on your behalf, and it’s really rather luxurious!
Days 5-6: Moremi Game Reserve
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours
You have two full days to explore Moremi Game Reserve, without the interruption of transfers. Both days are organised around two game drives daily, from the same camp inside the reserve.
Itinerary
With two full days in Moremi and no transit to eat into your time, you can really relax into a schedule of game viewing and taking in the spectacular natural environment.
Each day follows the same rhythm: an early morning drive shortly after dawn, a break back at camp during the heat of the day, and then another outing in the afternoon leading into sunset.
This stretch is where Moremi’s diversity really comes to life. Along the waterways, you’re likely to spot elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and the elusive red lechwe as they move between the channels.
For something truly memorable, consider a mokoro trip, in which you glide deep into the delta’s waterways in a traditional dugout canoe guided by a local poler. It’s one of the most thrilling ways to experience the Okavango, and a great way to round out a second day in the reserve..
Tips for Visiting Moremi Game Reserve
Here are my top tips for making the most of two full days in Moremi!
- Most lodges and camps in the reserve are unfenced, so wildlife can move freely through the area. It’s best not to walk around the site alone after dark, and camp or lodge staff will happily escort you wherever you need to go.
- Be ready for big temperature swings during the dry season. At night, it can be as cold as 5 degrees Celsius, and around 30 degrees Celsius in the heat of the day. Be sure to pack layers you can put on in the early mornings when you set out on your drive and remove as the heat of the day climbs.
- The mornings, nights and evenings are bitterly cold out on safari because the vehicle is completely open, so dress warmly for early starts. For the cold drives I would bring a scarf, gloves, a beanie hat and even a neck warmer that can be pulled up over your nose.
Where to Stay in Moremi Game Reserve
You’ll spend your remaining nights in Moremi in the same accommodation, so as not to spend too much time moving around. Let the peace and quiet of the wilderness really soak into your bones as your camp starts to feel like home.
My Experience of Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful safari destinations I’ve ever visited. Watching the red morning light filter down through the towering rain trees onto passing zebra and impala was simply breathtaking. Then, marvelling at the dozens of waterbird species wading into the delta’s channels, you begin to grasp just how varied Moremi truly is.
During my time there, we saw more elephants than I could keep count of, including during one extraordinary picnic lunch on the banks of a tributary, where eleven bull elephants waded into the water one by one and began drinking just metres from where we sat.
On another evening, driving back from sundowners with the sky burning red and the light fading fast, a flicker of movement in the mopane woodland caught my eye. I called out “leopard!” and at the exact same moment my guide did too! We watched a magnificent male leopard rise, stalk further into the trees, settle down for a rest, and finally disappear into the shadows.
You can watch a video of my experience visiting Moremi Game Reserve below.
Day 7: Moremi Game Reserve to Khwai Community Area
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 4 hours
Today you’ll be able to enjoy one final morning in Moremi before transferring east to the Khwai Community Area.
This is a private concession on the edge of the delta owned by the local San community. Its patchwork of savannah, woodland and floodplain teems with wildlife, and because it lies outside the national park, night drives and off-road driving are permitted here.
Map of Khwai Community Area
Here is a map I made showing the key features of Khwai Community Area.
Itinerary
This morning brings one last game drive in Moremi before you head onward to the Khwai Community Area, on the reserve’s outskirts. Getting there is straightforward, with the choice of a short bush flight or a ground transfer. Since Khwai borders Moremi to the north-east, the journey isn’t long, roughly 4 hours by road or 30 to 45 minutes by air.
The road transfer works as a game drive in its own right, as you pass through prime wildlife territory – keep your camera close! If you’re on a mobile camping safari you will stop for a picnic lunch at a scenic spot along the way. If you’re staying at a lodge, you’ll enjoy a hot lunch on arrival at Khwai.
In the evening, you’ll head out for a game drive within Khwai itself. Because Khwai is a private community concession rather than government land, night drives are allowed here, meaning you can stay out well past sunset in search of Botswana’s nocturnal wildlife: think genets, civets and elusive spring hares.
After a few hours taking in the bush at night, you’ll head back to camp for dinner and a rest..
About Khwai Community Area
The Khwai Community Area is a private concession under the ownership of the indigenous San people, and occupies part of the north-eastern Okavango Delta between Moremi and Chobe. The Khwai River runs through the heart of the area and teems with hippos and crocodiles. This constant water source keeps wildlife present year-round.
Spanning roughly 770 square miles (2,000 km²), the terrain here is a blend of vast savannahs, dense woodlands, floodplains and lagoons. The area is renowned for its exceptionally high concentration of wildlife, particularly predators.
Since it operates as a community-run concession rather than a national park, Khwai allows activities that aren’t permitted elsewhere in the Okavango, most notably night game drives and off-road driving.
What Wildlife Can I See in Khwai Community Area?
Khwai’s wildlife is as prolific as any of the best spots in Botswana. Prides of lions stalk the grasslands, leopards use the dense wooded areas as cover, and cheetahs hunt across the open savannahs.
- Predators are a real highlight here, with lions, leopards and cheetahs in abundance. Khwai is also one of the best places in Botswana to see the African wild dog.
- The Khwai River teems with hippos and crocodiles, and large herds of elephants and buffalo move through the area year-round thanks to the permanent supply of water.
- Birdlife is exceptional, with hundreds of species through the year including fish eagles and other raptors, kingfishers, hamerkops and saddle-billed storks.
Tips for Your Journey to Khwai
Here are a few tips for your journey from Moremi to Khwai:
- If you are staying in a lodge, moving day is straightforward: you simply pack up your belongings in the morning and either hop in your 4×4 transfer vehicle or take a quick flight to Khwai.
- If you are mobile camping, you’ll need to set off early. Pack and organise your bags the night before for a speedy departure. Your wake-up call will typically be around 5:30am, and the team likes your bags ready before breakfast so they can dismantle the tents.
- You will be out for the full day with no downtime at camp, normally from around 6:30am to 4:30pm. Come prepared with enough drinking water, sun cream, mosquito repellent and spare camera batteries.
- The transfer doubles as a game drive through prime wildlife country. Keep your camera ready throughout rather than packing it away for the journey.
Where to Stay in Khwai Community Area
There are several luxurious lodges to choose from in Khwai, and most of these overlook the Khwai River. You have near-constant game viewing right from your private deck!
A more affordable but still amply comfortable option is mobile camping. This is by far the most popular choice and involves staying in temporary camps that are entirely managed by your camp staff.
It’s nothing like “camping” in the conventional sense of the word! You have a real bed, and a separate, private bathroom, and the best part is that all your practicalities, including meals, are taken care of by camp staff.
My Experience of the Journey to Khwai
My travel day between Moremi and Khwai ended up being one of my favourite days on safari!
We had a game drive in Moremi before starting our slow drive towards Khwai, during which we saw plenty of elephants. That set the tone for the rest of the day, as elephants were a theme throughout our drive to Khwai as well.
The highlight of the day was lunchtime. We settled our picnic chairs on the banks of a river, which was quiet when we arrived. However, our guide knew this site well and, sure enough, a large group of elephants appeared.
They really put on a show for us in the river, only a few metres from where we ate our delicious wraps. We spent several hours at this spot, just relaxing after our lunch.
More and more elephants kept arriving until there were eleven bulls in the water! Things got a little hairy when they started advancing towards us, leaving the river and getting far too close. My heart was pounding in my chest!
Our guide, however, was as cool as a cucumber and managed to keep them at bay. I was impressed with how well he understood them.
We did all have to shuffle back to the car slowly at one point, when one particular bull wouldn’t back down and even mock charged us. Our guide clapped his hands and all the elephants turned and fled. What a moment!
We continued our journey, gradually meandering through Khwai until we reached our camp shortly before sunset. It was a beautiful campsite, all the tents facing a lush river channel. Everything in the camp itself was exactly as it had been in Moremi – it was as though the camp had been teleported to a new location!
You can watch a video of my experience visiting the Khwai Community Area below.
Days 8-9: Khwai Community Area
You have two full days to make the most of Khwai Community Area, a private concession on the edge of the Okavango Delta whose savannahs, woodlands and floodplains make up some of the richest wildlife country in Botswana. Khwai is one of the few places in Botswana where you can enjoy a combination of daytime game drives, after-dark night drives and a silent mokoro glide through the water channels.
Itinerary
Day 8 is a full day of game drives across Khwai’s savannahs, woodlands and floodplains. This area abounds with prides of lions, solitary leopards in the dense woodland, and robust populations of African wild dogs.
Because Khwai is a community concession rather than a national park, you can continue your game drives beyond sunset and enjoy dedicated night drives. It’s really worth doing this as you’ll witness a completely different side of the African bush. A unique cast of nocturnal animals and hunting predators fills the night with ethereal calls.
On Day 9 you head out for a morning game drive before swapping the 4×4 for a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe. You’ll spend the afternoon drifting silently along the water channels for close encounters with hippos, crocodiles and the prolific birdlife.
Tips for Visiting Khwai Community Area
Here are my top tips for making the most of your days in the Khwai Community Area!
- Khwai is the one place on this itinerary where night drives are allowed, so go out after dark every evening if you can.
- The camps and lodges here are unfenced, so expect the odd wild visitor wandering through. Hyenas and hippos are especially nosey!
- After dark it’s standard practice in unfenced camps for a member of staff to walk you between the dining tent and your room, as a precautionary measure.
- A waterway splits the concession in two, and in heavy rain the crossing can become too dangerous to use. This limits where you can explore, so check conditions if you visit in the wettest months of January and February.
Where to Stay in Khwai Community Area
You’ll spend these nights in the same accommodation as your first night in Khwai, giving you a chance to really settle in.
Mobile camping is the most popular and affordable choice, and despite the name it is nothing like roughing it. Large, comfortable tents, proper beds and private bathrooms are the order of the day, with meals cooked by your own private chef.
My Experience of Khwai Community Area
I was particularly impressed with our local guide’s deep understanding of the bush, when he managed to track two lionesses who were stalking a herd of buffalo.
We found two lionesses lying in the shade. We watched as they got up and began tracking a herd of buffalo through the woodlands, their bodies low and focused. However, they eventually lost interest and lay down again.
The lionesses then started stalking some waterbuck, which, noticing them, started snorting and advancing towards the lions, trying to intimidate them. The lionesses retreated and crossed a small tributary to an island. At this point we were with a couple of other vehicles and we all tried to follow.
The other cars went right, but our guide took us left, driving to the far edge of the island where it bordered the Khwai River. He told us to wait. Within minutes, the lionesses appeared out of the long grass, heading directly towards us..
As a result of our guide’s amazing intuition, we had the lionesses entirely to ourselves for the rest of the morning.
In the afternoon of our second day in Khwai we went on a trip in a mokoro, which is a traditional canoe-like boat used in the Okavango Delta. A poler stands at the back with a long wooden pole and pushes the mokoro through the shallow waterways. The silence of the mokoro, gliding through the water with just the gentle splash of the pole, was incredibly peaceful.
Gliding silently through the waterways, we got much closer to the wildlife than we could in the 4×4, and it really felt like we were immersed in nature. We saw some elephants wading through a deeper section of the delta, their backs and heads above the water, and it was completely captivating seeing them from this perspective. They looked even more enormous from down low!
The most impressive discovery was when our poler spotted the tiniest green frog sitting on a blade of grass that was poking out of the water. The frog was barely two centimetres long, a vivid emerald green that looked almost artificial against the pale green grass. It sat perfectly still as we drifted past..
Day 10: Khwai Community Area to Savuti, Chobe National Park
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 4 hours (or a 30 to 45 minute flight)
Today you say goodbye to the Khwai Community Area and head north-east towards Savuti, one of the wildest reaches of the famous Chobe National Park. Savuti boasts one of the densest wildlife concentrations in all of Africa and is especially well known for its predators, above all its notoriously bold lions.
Travelling by road doubles as a game drive in itself, and you’ll head out again for an evening drive once you’ve arrived.
Map of Savuti, Chobe National Park
Here is a map I made showing the key features of Savuti, Chobe National Park.
Itinerary
The day starts with a last game drive in Khwai, a chance to tick off a few more sightings and perhaps explore areas you have not yet seen. Thereafter, you head across to Savuti in Chobe National Park.
If you want to really experience the landscape, reaching Savuti by road is the best way to go: a slow drive through the reserve with sightings along the way. This is a game drive and transfer rolled into one. I saw enormous numbers of giraffes on this drive!
If you’d prefer to cut down on travel time, you can take a bush flight. It takes just half an hour to fly from Khwai to Savuti, and you get fantastic aerial views of the reserves below.
If you are on a mobile camping safari you will stop for lunch at a scenic picnic spot during the drive. If you are staying at a lodge, a hot lunch will be ready for you on arrival.
The day finishes with an evening game drive in majestic Savuti followed by a restful night back at camp.
About Savuti
Savuti is located within the greater Chobe National Park, on its western side. It has one of the densest wildlife concentrations in Botswana, and the wider Chobe National Park holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, with an estimated 15,400 elephants recorded in the 2018 aerial survey.
The area is famous for its predators, and is home to what may be the boldest lions in Africa. Some prides have even been known to hunt elephants, working together to isolate and bring down the young ones.
The landscape is shaped by the Savuti Channel, once a vast lake in ancient times, before tectonic shifts drained it away. Its water levels remain unpredictable to this day, sometimes flowing freely, sometimes running dry for years on end. The hundreds of dead trees standing along its banks bear witness to those changes.
Compared to the Chobe Riverfront, Savuti has noticeably fewer visitors, making for a far more private safari experience.
What Wildlife Can I See in Savuti?
- Four of the Big Five are present (there are no rhinos), alongside large populations of virtually all of Africa’s wildlife. Savuti comes alive when the migratory zebra and wildebeest herds arrive to graze on the savannahs.
- Savuti is particularly famous for predator sightings, and you have good chances of seeing lions, leopards and African wild dogs. Cheetahs are rarer but can sometimes be seen here.
- Among the plains game you will find buffalos, giraffes, roan antelopes, puku and tsessebe, the fastest antelope in Africa.
- Savuti is rich in birdlife too, with over 450 species recorded, from fish eagles and ground hornbills to the vast quelea flocks that storm across the skies in April.
Tips for Your Journey to Savuti
- If you are on a mobile safari, pack your bags the night before you leave. The crews prefer to load them onto the vehicles early in the morning before they start dismantling the tents.
- The day is long, often starting between 6:30am and 7am and lasting until 5pm or later, because the morning game drive comes first and the transfer follows it, with sightings along the way. On a mobile safari the camp is packed up behind you, so there is no heading back for lunch. I did not reach camp until 6:30pm, a full 12 hours out, so be prepared with pillows, headphones, snacks and plenty of water.
- Ask your guide to show you the so-called ‘Dead Tree Forest’ just east of Khwai, a vast expanse of dead thorn trees in the middle of an otherwise healthy landscape. It is not known exactly what caused the trees to die, but hypotheses range from elephant damage to standing in water to fire.
Where to Stay in Savuti
Savuti is significantly quieter than the Chobe Riverfront, which makes for a more private safari experience. There are several luxury lodges located within the Savuti region for travellers who prefer to stay in a permanent camp.
A more affordable yet still very comfortable option is mobile camping. This is by far the most popular choice, and involves staying in temporary camps arranged entirely by your camp staff. This is unlike any camping experience I’ve ever had before, as absolutely every practicality is taken care of by travelling camp staff. You feel very close to nature, without compromising on comfort.
My Experience of the Journey to Savuti
My journey to Savuti started with a final game drive in Khwai to see the Dead Tree Forest. The expanse of dead trees seems to go on forever, but within this desolate landscape is a lot of life.
We saw two cheetah brothers racing after a herd of zebras, dust being kicked up and forming a huge cloud which seemed to engulf everything and throw the cheetahs off their hunt. After their unsuccessful attempt, they trotted into some dense bushes and were impossible to find again.
The road to Chobe wasn’t far away and before long we were officially within the national park. We had a quick tea and biscuit stop beside the Khwai River with some curious zebras and waterbucks close by, watching us with curiosity. Then we were off again, our next stop for lunch on the edge of the Mababe Depression.
We saw so many giraffes on our drive to Savuti, including several young ones who were lying down. I’d never seen a giraffe lying down before!
The landscape in Savuti is different to anything we had seen so far in Botswana. So far everything had been very flat and there were numerous waterways.
Here the landscape was bone dry and for a while the only animals that we encountered were steenboks, small antelope who don’t drink any water as they get all their hydration entirely from their diet. For the first time we saw rocky hillocks of volcanic origin dotting the landscape, and I couldn’t help but marvel at their beauty.
Although it had been a long day of travel, we weren’t ready to head to camp just yet, and so we enjoyed an afternoon game drive.
Our guide took us to the den site of my absolute bucket-list animal – African wild dogs. I was overwhelmed with emotion as we saw the dogs. There were a handful of them sleeping. Then suddenly they got up and started greeting each other, squeaking excitedly as eight tiny puppies emerged from the den. It was a beautiful way to end our day on the road.
We wanted to stay with the dogs as long as possible and so didn’t make it back to camp until just before 6:30pm. I showered in the last rays of light and was pleased that Savuti seemed to be quite a bit warmer than Khwai and Moremi.
You can watch a video of my time in Savuti below.
Days 11-12: Savuti, Chobe National Park
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 0 hours
You have two full days to explore Savuti, with game drives morning and evening. Located on the western side of Chobe National Park, Savuti has one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa and is famous for its predators, above all its formidable lions.
Itinerary
Both days follow the same basic bush routine: an early morning game drive of roughly three hours starting at 6:30am, a return to camp during the heat of the day, then a second drive from 3:30pm running into the early evening.
Having two full days here gives your guide the chance to explore further into Savuti’s remote reaches, where migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest draw in lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.
This is, above all, predator territory, and two days here give you a good chance of finding the famous prides as well as the resident wild dog pack. Between sightings, the scenery itself becomes the attraction. The enigmatic Savuti Channel has hundreds of dead trees along its banks, which attest to the often extreme and unpredictable fluctuations in water levels.
Tips for Visiting Savuti
Here are my top tips for making the most of your two days in Savuti!
- It gets cold at night, so pack warm clothing for the evenings. This matters even more if you are mobile camping. Many camps provide blankets and hot water bottles, but warm sleepwear keeps you extra cosy. The mornings can be quite chilly too.
- Most camps and lodges in Savuti are unfenced, so don’t go wandering around alone after dark. If you need to leave your tent, or when you are returning to your tent after dinner, a member of the team will escort you.
- The wider Chobe area is in a malaria zone, so antimalarial medication is a good idea. Talk to your healthcare provider before the trip about which type suits you, and wear insect repellent to deter the mosquitoes.
- If you are interested in photography or nocturnal wildlife, bring a trail camera to see which creatures visit your campsite after dark. I saw evidence of a hyena, an African civet and a pair of curious honey badgers this way. Be sure to strap it to a tree out of reach, though, as hyenas love to chew.
Where to Stay in Savuti
You stay in Savuti again for both of these nights, so see Day 10 for the full range of accommodation options across the area, from the handful of luxury lodges to the more affordable mobile camps.
My Experience of Savuti
The hard-to-beat Serengeti was my favourite safari destination for several years, until I set foot in Savuti. Now I can confidently say that Savuti is my favourite safari destination in the world!
To start with, Savuti was where I had my first ever African wild dog sighting. We arrived at an active den on my first evening in Savuti and witnessed the dogs playing and greeting one another. The alpha female’s new pups even made an appearance, and we saw them drinking milk and wandering around on their clumsy legs.
We could hear the Northern Pride of lions roaring every night from our tents, and would find them each morning just a short distance away from camp.
One morning we encountered a lioness from the Northern Pride as she drank from the waterhole and then went to feed on an elephant carcass. We found the rest of the pride later that morning with yet another elephant carcass.
Another morning we found one of the pride males, Waziba, patrolling his territory. His thick dark mane framed a broad, powerful face and his muscles rippled beneath his golden coat as he walked.
He was marking his territory, spraying on bushes and trees, and making low contact calls to the rest of the pride. The deep rumbling sound carried through the still morning air.
Day 13: Savuti to Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 4 hours (or a 30 to 45 minute flight)
Today you bid farewell to Savuti and head north-east towards the Chobe Riverfront, the most accessible part of Chobe National Park, situated where the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers converge near the town of Kasane. The afternoon brings a total shift in pace, trading the 4×4 for a boat and a sunset cruise along a river renowned for its elephants.
Map of Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park
Here is a map I made showing the key features of Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park.
Itinerary
The day begins with an early breakfast before you leave Savuti and head north-east to Kasane, on the Chobe Riverfront. If you travel by road the journey doubles as one long game drive through superb Chobe country. The drive will take you approximately 4 hours, or you can take a short 30- to 45-minute bush flight.
After lunch at a restaurant in Kasane you swap the 4×4 for a boat and take a spectacular sunset cruise along the famed Chobe Riverfront, the highlight of the day. After days of dusty tracks, drifting along the river and watching wildlife from the open-sided boat is a welcome change of pace.
You’ll pass places not accessible by road and will see an abundance of game quenching their thirst on the shoreline. Don’t be surprised if you see elephants splashing about in the shallows or crossing the river to graze on the different islands.
You then overnight in Kasane, or catch an evening flight home if your safari ends here.
About Chobe Riverfront
The Chobe Riverfront sits right where the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers meet, making it the most easily reached section of Chobe National Park. The riverfront is lined with numerous hotels and lodges and is usually busy with cruise boats and visitors.
Kasane, the town where the boat cruises depart from, lies in Botswana’s far north-eastern corner, bordering Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and serves as the gateway to Victoria Falls.
Boat safaris put you right in front of extraordinary animal encounters and offer excellent vantage points for photography. Beyond the cruises, though, there’s plenty here to fill a few days. You can try your hand at fishing for tiger fish, explore the historic Baobab Tree Prison, or unwind with a dip at the Kasane Hot Springs.
What Wildlife Can I See at Chobe Riverfront?
- Game viewing here is mostly from the water and it is superb. Seated on open-sided boats, you pass abundant wildlife drinking and bathing along the shoreline.
- The riverfront holds one of the densest dry-season elephant concentrations anywhere, alongside herds of hippos wallowing and crocodiles basking on the banks.
- Birdlife is excellent too. Expect a range of waterbirds including cormorants, egrets and numerous species of heron, plus birds of prey such as the African fish eagle.
Tips for Visiting Chobe Riverfront
Here are my top tips for visiting the Chobe Riverfront!
- Pack a pair of binoculars. Birdwatching here is phenomenal throughout the day, with species like bee-eaters, storks, oxpeckers and hornbills frequently spotted. Your guide will let you use their binoculars, but it is best to have your own so you do not need to share.
- Boat cruises tend to last around 3 hours, so you will be out on the water for some time. The boats usually have a canopy, but take sunscreen, a sun hat or cap, and water too.
- Many operators provide drinks on board, but check before you head out and take some water with you if needed. You might want to carry a few snacks too.
- Do not hang your arms out of the boat, as there are crocodiles in the water.
Optional Activities
- Try your hand at catching tiger fish in the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers.
- Visit the historic Baobab Tree Prison near Kasane.
- Unwind with a dip at the Kasane Hot Springs, a relaxed local spot a short distance from town.
- Cross the border to Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Kasane is the gateway to the falls, and the Zimbabwean border is only a short drive away.
Where to Stay at Chobe Riverfront
If you stay over in Kasane there is no shortage of lodges and guest houses. The River View Lodge is a 4-star hotel on the riverbanks with superb views from its garden sundeck and pool, where the sunsets across the river are breathtaking.
My Experience of Chobe Riverfront
I found an afternoon river boat cruise was the perfect way to end my Botswana safari. Taking to the water is so relaxing and the water was extremely calm, making for a smooth ride. I saw so many animals from the comfort of the boat, including some male buffalos who were accompanied by water birds such as herons and cormorants.
I also saw some of the largest crocodiles I’ve ever seen! Our boat driver was very keen to give us close views, and I held my breath as he took us right alongside a massive Nile crocodile basking on the bank.
It was barely a metre from me, its prehistoric jaws slightly parted, rows of teeth clearly visible. I could see the rough texture of its armoured skin and the cold, unblinking eye watching us.
The best sighting of our entire Chobe River boat cruise was watching a herd of elephants crossing the river. The matriarch led the way, walking into the river without hesitation. One by one, the rest of the herd followed.
The water came up to their shoulders as they crossed, their trunks held high above the surface like snorkels. Some of the younger elephants were almost completely submerged, only their trunks and the tops of their heads visible. They pushed through the current, their powerful legs churning the brown water.
They emerged on a grassy island in the middle of the river, water streaming off their massive bodies. The adults immediately began grazing while the younger ones shook themselves dry, sending sprays of water everywhere.
Our boat driver told us the elephants cross to these islands regularly to access fresh grazing. The islands are lush and green, fed by the nutrient-rich water of the Chobe, and offer excellent food that the elephants cannot find on the more heavily grazed banks.
Watching this crossing from water level was incredible. Being at the same height as the elephants, rather than looking up from a vehicle, gave me a completely different perspective on their size and power. The boat rocked gently as we drifted alongside them.
You can watch a video of my time at Victoria Falls and the Chobe Riverfront below.
Day 14: Kasane to Victoria Falls
Drive Time (Excluding Game Drives): 1 hour including border crossing
Today is the grand finale of your safari. You cross the border from Kasane in Botswana into Zimbabwe to stand before Victoria Falls.
Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “the smoke that thunders”, Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. After taking in the falls you either overnight nearby or catch an evening flight home.
Itinerary
After breakfast at your lodge in Kasane, you’ll drive over to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The journey takes around an hour, depending on how long the border crossing takes, so it’s worth setting off early to beat the queues that tend to build up as the day goes on.
The border itself is only a ten-minute drive from Kasane, and once you’re through, it’s an easy fifty-minute drive on to the falls.
You’ll need a visa on arrival in Zimbabwe, which you pay for at the border. If you’d also like to view the falls from the Zambian side, mention this at the border so you’re able to re-enter Zimbabwe afterwards. It’s best to have cash on hand, as the card machine doesn’t always work.
Much of the drive from the border passes through scenic mopane woodland, and you may well spot animals along the way.
About Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders”. This magnificent natural formation straddles the Zambezi River on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
The scale is hard to grasp until you are there. Just after the peak rains, around 500 million cubic metres of water per hour plunge 354 feet (108 metres) over a span of 1.06 miles (1.7 kilometres). The spray and roar can be seen and heard from up to 25 miles (40 kilometres) away.
Tips for Your Journey to Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls was the perfect way to round off my Botswana adventure, and the border crossing was one of the simplest I have done. Here are my top tips for the border crossing and the falls themselves:
- You buy a single-entry Zimbabwe visa on arrival at the border. For UK citizens this was $55 per person, single entry, paid in cash.
- Stamping out of Botswana took under ten minutes, but the Zimbabwe side took over thirty minutes behind a larger queue, so arrive early.
- If you want to see the falls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia, ask for the Kaza Univisa, which costs $50 and allows multiple entries between the two countries.
- The $50 entrance fee to Victoria Falls National Park grants access to 16 viewing points on the Zimbabwe side, each more spectacular than the last.
- Bring a waterproof poncho or coat and ideally a towel, because you will get drenched; from point 13 onwards a poncho is essentially mandatory.
- Keep your camera and phone in a waterproof bag, as the spray near Danger Point is like standing under a shower.
Optional Activities
- Follow the viewpoints and trails to famous spots like Devil’s Cataract, Rainbow Falls, Horseshoe Falls and the Victoria Falls Bridge; allow at least three hours to do them justice.
- On the Zambian side, the Knife Edge Bridge offers a dramatic view across one of the deepest sections of the gorge.
- Take a scenic helicopter flight over the falls for an aerial view of the full curtain and the gorges below.
- When water levels are low, you can swim at the very edge in Devil’s Pool on the Zambia side, typically open between mid-August and mid-January.
- For the truly adventurous, bungee jumping is also available.
Where to Stay at Victoria Falls
You can stay over at one of the many lodges around the falls in Victoria Falls town on the Zimbabwe side. Alternatively, stay in Livingstone on the Zambian side. Both Victoria Falls town and Livingstone town have international airports.
My Experience of the Journey to Victoria Falls
I couldn’t visit Kasane in Botswana and not visit Victoria Falls! And so I gleefully added it to the end of my three week trip to Botswana and booked a couple of nights in Livingstone, Zambia afterwards.
My tour operator informed me that we’d be visiting the falls from the Zimbabwe side, which would mean purchasing a visa on arrival at the Botswana-Zimbabwe border.
I was a little apprehensive about the border crossing as I tend to always purchase visas in advance. I found, though, that there was nothing to worry about, as it was one of the simplest African border crossings that I’ve had. Stamping out of Botswana was super easy and then getting a visa in Zimbabwe was also straightforward.
The queue on the Zimbabwe side was a little longer than I’d have liked, as I arrived just after a vehicle transporting 20 guests, but it was still over in less than an hour.
The only complication was that I had to pay cash for my visa. Although they accept card payments in theory, the card machine often doesn’t work.
The drive between the border and Victoria Falls is extremely straightforward and I stared out the window admiring the natural wilderness that sped by, including a family of elephants.
We then drove through the town of Victoria Falls which looked extremely charming. Had I not booked to spend the night in Livingstone, I would have loved to spend more time here.
I booked the excursion through a tour operator to get the transfer to the falls, but didn’t have a guide with me on the tour. Honestly, it really isn’t necessary to have a guide for this element of your trip, as there are notice boards everywhere with information about the falls.
The walk between the various viewing points on the Zimbabwean side takes around 3 hours if you stop at every viewpoint and really soak it all up. And that’s exactly what I did!
Each viewpoint is more magnificent than the previous one and, honestly, words can’t describe the experience of seeing Victoria Falls for the first time. It’s something you just have to experience for yourself!
My biggest regret was not putting my poncho on sooner. At around viewpoint 13 things start to get wet and by the time you’ve reached viewpoint 14, you’ll be soaking unless you’ve put a poncho on. I felt like I was underneath a shower!
If you have a DSLR camera with you, make sure you buy a waterproof bag for it as the spray is excessive!
After viewing the falls from every viewpoint on the Zimbabwean side, I then crossed the border into Zambia. I opted not to see the falls from this side as I was pretty tired. It’s another 3-hour walk if you want to see the falls from this side and a $20 entrance fee.
You can watch a video of my experience below.
Botswana Safari FAQs
Click on any of the frequently asked questions below to show the answer.
When is the best time to visit Botswana for safari?
The dry season from July to October is the best time for general wildlife viewing, when animals congregate around the rivers and remaining water sources, and the sparse vegetation makes them easy to spot.
The green season from December to April brings the best birding, baby animals and dramatic photography with lodge prices up to 40% lower than in the peak dry season. May is a value sweet spot with good conditions and prices around 20% below peak.
How much does a Botswana safari cost?
A private Botswana safari starts from around $450 per person per day, while group camping safaris start at around $350 per person per day. Botswana runs a high-value, low-impact tourism model, so it is more expensive than Kenya (from about $300 per day) or Tanzania (from about $350 per day), but you get quieter parks and far fewer vehicles at sightings.
Booking through a local tour operator rather than an international agent is almost always the best value.
Do I need vaccinations or anti-malaria tablets for Botswana?
Hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid are recommended for Botswana, and, depending on your activities, hepatitis B and rabies may also be suggested. Anti-malarial tablets are recommended and cost around $2 per day, taken for several days before your trip and for a period afterwards.
If you are arriving from a country with a yellow fever transmission risk, proof of yellow fever vaccination is required. Consult a healthcare provider at least two months before travel, as some vaccination courses take several weeks.
Do I need a visa to visit Botswana?
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and much of Europe do not need a visa to enter Botswana and can stay for up to 90 days.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date and have a minimum of three blank pages. If you are travelling with children under 17, you will need a certified copy of their birth certificate. Other nationalities can check requirements on the Botswana eVisa website.
What wildlife can you see in Botswana?
Botswana is home to all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) along with cheetah, hippo, giraffe, zebra and a huge variety of antelope. It has the world’s largest elephant population, at over 100,000, and is one of the best places on the continent to see the critically endangered African wild dog. The Okavango Delta, Chobe and Kalahari together support over 600 bird species.
On our last morning in Khwai we found a large herd of elephants drinking from the river, including an adorable baby splashing in the shallows, and just downstream a hippo with a tiny calf. Moments later we followed impala alarm calls to two cheetah brothers hunting zebra. That range of sightings in a single morning is what makes Botswana so special to me.
What is a mobile camping safari in Botswana like?
Mobile camping is one of the classic ways to experience Botswana, with a dedicated team setting up camp at private sites inside the national parks and moving it between locations as you travel. On luxury mobile camps you do not have to help with setup or cooking, but budget options are more hands-on.
I went on a luxury mobile camping safari through Moremi, Khwai and Savuti and it was unlike any camping I had done before. The tents were large and spacious with proper double beds, bedside tables and en-suite bathrooms, complete with a basin, a long-drop toilet with a proper seat and a bucket shower. A dedicated team handled everything, so all we had to do was enjoy the safari.
What makes Botswana different from other safari destinations?
Botswana follows a high-value, low-impact tourism model that strictly limits visitor numbers, so the parks are far quieter than the busier reserves of East Africa. Almost 40% of the country is protected wilderness with no fences between reserves, letting wildlife roam freely, and the guiding is among the best in Africa.
Botswana provides one of the wildest, most tranquil and remote safaris I’ve ever been on. What sets it apart is the incredible sense of wilderness and the lack of crowds.
Whereas you can get dozens of cars at a sighting in East Africa, the most vehicles I ever saw at a sighting in Botswana was four, and that was unusual. Most of the time it was just us, even when we found an entire lion pride feasting on an elephant carcass.
How do you get around Botswana on safari?
Most Botswana safaris combine light-aircraft transfers between camps with 4×4 game drives once you arrive. Many of the remote concessions are only reachable by air. Some itineraries use road transfers for parks that are closer together.
Your tour operator coordinates the fly-in schedule, and because the aircraft are small, you will usually be limited to soft bags with a weight allowance.
Recommended Booking Options For Your 2-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary
Private Safari
Most popular & best experience – typical prices for this itinerary start from $450 per person per day.
Visit safarisbyella.com for free quotes from trustworthy local tour companies I use to book my own trips.
Final Thoughts – Is a 2-Week Botswana Safari Worth It?
Yes, a Botswana safari is absolutely worth going on!
Two weeks gives you enough time to do justice to this remarkable safari destination, from Maun and the enchanting Makgadikgadi Pans, through Moremi, Khwai and Savuti, finishing along the Chobe Riverfront, before crossing over into Zimbabwe for a final flourish at Victoria Falls.
You’ll have enough nights at each stop to settle in and enjoy the rhythm of the bush, giving the wildlife time to come to you rather than rushing past it. That’s how you experience Botswana’s real magic: parks so quiet you might be the only vehicle at a sighting, the largest elephant population in the world, and some of the best odds anywhere of spotting endangered wild dogs.
For me, nowhere captured Botswana’s sense of solitude better than one dawn in Savuti, when we followed the sound of roaring through the dark and found Waziba, one of the famous Renegade lion brothers, patrolling alone as the sun came up. We were the only vehicle there, and it made the whole encounter feel incredibly intimate, almost as if we’d been granted a private audience with royalty.
That’s the moment that stays with you, and it’s exactly the kind of experience that sets Botswana apart from busier, more crowded destinations.
Yes, Botswana comes at a higher price than other safari destinations, but what you’re paying for is that rare sense of wilderness and the absence of crowds, and this itinerary is built to deliver exactly that. I have no doubt you’ll love your trip to Botswana as much as I have, and I’m here for any of your questions as you get your planning underway.
Read More Botswana Guides
For an overview of planning your safari, you can read my Ultimate Botswana Safari Guide.
Botswana Itineraries
Recomended itineraries and how to book them.
5-Day Botswana Safari Itineraries & Costs
7-Day Botswana Safari Itineraries & Costs
10-Day Botswana Safari Itinerary & Costs
3-Week Botswana Safari Itinerary & Costs
Costs & Planning
How to get the most bang for your buck and the best time of year to visit depending on what you want to do and see.
Botswana Safari Cost – Everything You Need to Know!
National Parks & Reserves
Complete guides to the best and most famous safari reserves, including the wildlife you’ll see, entrance costs and best time to visit.
Coming soon.
How to Book Your Safari
Save time and ensure an incredible safari experience by getting quotes from my recommended local safari companies.
Join the rapidly growing tribe of over 1,000 travellers who’ve booked their dream safari using my insider tips and recommendations.