Botswana

Why

Botswana, one of Africa's premier safari destinations, offers a phenomenal blend of pristine wilderness, abundant wildlife and cultural experiences. Whether you are well-travelled or planning your first African adventure, Botswana's unique landscapes and conservation-led tourism make it an outstanding choice.

Wildlife Viewing

Botswana is particularly famous for its large elephant herds. You can also expect to see lions, leopards, buffalo, zebras and many other species in their natural habitat.

Moremi Game Reserve

Situated in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve is widely regarded as one of Africa's most beautiful and game-rich areas. It offers a mix of wetlands, floodplains and forests which support a vast array of wildlife and outstanding predator sightings.

Conservation and Responsible Tourism

Botswana is a global leader in conservation, with a strong focus on sustainable tourism. The country follows a low-impact, high-value tourism model, which limits the number of visitors to its parks and reserves, preserving the wilderness for future generations.

Cultural Richness

The San people, one of the world's oldest cultures, maintain a connection to the land. Visitors may take the opportunity to learn about traditional survival skills, cultural practices and ancestral knowledge. Engaging with locals and their culture makes for an insightful safari adventure.

Exclusive and Luxurious Lodging

Botswana’s lodges and camps are known for exclusivity, personalised service and exceptional guiding. From elegant tented camps in the Okavango Delta to remote Kalahari retreats, visitors can expect outstanding comfort in pristine wilderness settings.

Adventure Activities

Botswana offers a variety of activities going beyond the traditional game drives, including guided walking safaris, boat safaris, and seasonal hot-air ballooning experiences over the Okavango Delta. The diverse landscapes allow for unique adventures, from tracking rhinos on foot to quad biking across the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Accessibility and Safety

Botswana is known for its political stability and is widely regarded as one of Africa's safest safari destinations. Regular flights connect major hubs like Johannesburg to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, and Kasane, near Chobe National Park.

When

Dry Season (May to October)

The dry season is ideal for wildlife viewing, particularly in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. Animals gather around permanent water sources, making them easier to spot. Temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F). This is the peak travel season, so higher prices and busier lodges and campsites are to be expected.

Wet Season (November to April)

The wet season brings lush landscapes and excellent birdwatching as migratory species arrive. With fewer visitors during this time, more personalised experiences and lower prices can be expected. Temperatures can rise significantly, sometimes exceeding 35°C (95°F), and there are occasional thunderstorms with the rain falling in short, intense bursts.

Shoulder Months (April and November)

These months can be a good compromise, offering a balance between fewer tourists, moderate weather, and good wildlife viewing opportunities.

Where

Chobe National Park

This is a key highlight of any Botswana safari experience. Named after the Chobe River, which forms part of the park's northern boundary, the area is best explored on a river safari.

Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland river delta. Seasonal flooding transforms its plains into a rich wildlife habitat. Visitors explore by mokoro and game drive, encountering hippos, elephants, crocodiles, lions, leopards, giraffes and rhinos.

Linyanti, Selinda & Kwando

Northern Botswana offers exceptional privacy with very few lodges and vast private concessions. Visitors can expect large elephant populations along with major predator activity.

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is a vast semi-arid savanna extending for 900,000 square kilometres (350,000 square miles), covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and South Africa. Activities include game drives, guided walks and cultural experiences.

Tsodilo Hills

The Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hold deep cultural significance for the San people, who have lived there for thousands of years. The site consists of four large rock formations. The largest rock is referred to as the 'male', the smaller as the 'female', and the smallest as the 'child'. Thousands of rock paintings can be found by following different trails leading to over 350 locations.

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

Makgadikgadi is part of one of the largest salt pan systems in the world. Among the many things to do in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park are game drives, birdwatching, bush walk and cultural visits to local communities.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a vast wildlife preserve in the Kalahari Desert region of Botswana and South Africa, bordering Namibia to the west. It’s characterised by red dunes and dry rivers. Wildlife includes migrating herds of wildebeest and springbok, plus predators like raptors and black-maned Kalahari lions. Various lodges and wilderness camps offer game-viewing drives and guided walks with park rangers.

Tuli Block

Known as “the Land of the Giants”, the 12,000-hectare Tuli Block features a landscape of enormous trees on the banks of the Limpopo River, beautiful riverine forests and excellent leopard sightings.