Explore the legendary, wildlife-packed wetlands of the Okavango Delta on the back of an elephant, horse, 4×4 vehicle or on foot, or take to the water on boating and canoe trips to discover remote lagoons and sleepy backwaters – it’s the ultimate Botswana travel experience.
Largely protected by the Moremi Game Reserve, the Okavango Swamps are a naturalist’s delight with truckloads of big game, endless scenery and excellent birding. Accommodation ranges from classic Botswana bush camps to some of Africa’s most exclusive luxury lodges.
Explore the Chobe River
From May to October the banks of the Chobe River, located in the north of the Chobe National Park, reverberate to the sound of thousands of elephants seeking respite from the heat of the dry season, providing what is perhaps the most dramatic Botswana travel experience.
Take a boat cruise and drift along the sparkling river sipping a lazy afternoon drink while hippos and crocodiles make way for the thirsty, bustling herds.
The bird watching is excellent and you can even throw a fishing line over the side to catch your supper. Superb accommodation is available right on the river’s edge.
Visit the Secret Linyanti Region
Hidden away in a remote corner of Botswana and sandwiched between the wetlands of the Okavango Delta and the dry woodlands of the Chobe National Park is a wilderness renowned for its wildlife and stunning scenery: the Linyanti and Kwando Private Concessions.
It’s big game country with an enticing mix of habitats – predators are plentiful and the bird watching, particularly for raptors, is excellent.
Experience serious luxury at some of Botswana’s finest lodges like Kings Pool Camp, Kwando Lagoon and Kwando Lebala Camps and Selinda Camp: fly in and explore this magical area by 4×4, boat and even on foot.
Track Predators at Savuti
A Botswana travel experience doesn’t come much wilder than Savuti, an area slap-bang in the depths of the Chobe National Park and bursting at the seams with wildlife.
Top of the food chain are the area’s lions, notorious for their habit of preying on elephants, but huge packs of spotted hyenas constantly push for the right to wear the crown.
A summer zebra migration and dense concentrations of other game species make Savuti – also called Savute – a very special Botswana travel destination. Camp out in the wilds on a mobile safari or book yourself into one of Savuti’s luxury lodges such as Savute Safari Lodge or Savute Elephant Camp.
Uncover the Kalahari
Drop any preconceptions that you may have about the Kalahari: the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Nxai Pan National Park are not only beautiful mosaics of salt pans, savannah and woodland, but they also boast some of the best wildlife viewing in Botswana with the added bonus that you’re likely to be the only one there.
Enormous, remote parks with luxurious, exclusive accommodation (try Jack’s Camp, San Camp or Deception Valley Lodge) make for an unforgettable Botswana travel experience. Try the Kalahari in summer when the rains turn the desert green and the wildlife goes off the Richter Scale – it’s a Botswana travel experience like no other.