BOTSWANA

Where scenic beauty meets exhilarating wildlife

HIGHLIGHTS

FAMOUS FOR

Chobe: The undisputed elephant kingdom of Africa

Okavango Delta: The world’s largest and most pristine inland wetland

Makgadikgadi: Let curious meerkats use you as their lookout post!

WHEN TO VISIT

Dry Season⊕: July to October

Green Season⊕: November to April

Shoulder Season⊕: April to May

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

We’ve put together all the information you need to prepare for your trip to Botswana

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WHY VISIT BOTSWANA

Botswana has built an enviable reputation as a destination that offers not only fantastic wildlife sightings and beautiful landscapes but also excellent service, incredible guiding and some of the most gorgeous lodges in Africa. In fact, Maun is the only town in the world that is pretty much 100% dedicated to safari. It’s your likely entry point to a world of glistening oxbow lakes, baobabs rising from an almost lunar environment and red lechwe splashing through water.

But Botswana doesn’t rest on its laurels. Lodges and camps are constantly finding new ways to delight guests with activities found nowhere else. You can head out at dawn to interact with habituated meerkats, spend the afternoon exploring on quad bikes and then pass the night in one of the country’s incredible skybeds.

This is a wonderful way to understand the rhythms of nocturnal animals and appreciate the sunrise. You’ll sleep out on a special open platform protected by a frothy mosquito net and lit by lanterns – the ultimate romantic honeymoon suite.

The main attraction of Botswana is undoubtedly the Okavango Delta. The world’s biggest inland delta ebbs and flows based on the summer rains over the Angolan highlands so it’s crucial to get your timing right: birders wanting to tick off some of the more than 600 recorded species will want to come in summer; adventurers wanting to explore by mokoro should come in winter. Don’t worry – we’re here to help.

MEET JOANNE OUR BOTSWANA EXPERT

I lived in Botswana’s safari capital – Maun – for seven years where I worked as everything from a camp manager to a travel agent. Being in the epicentre allowed me experience innumerable lodges first-hand and understand how the Okavango’s fluctuating levels affect your safari.

EXPLORE BOTSWANA

ITINERARIES TO INSPIRE YOU

Here are our favourite Botswana Itineraries to inspire you. All of our itineraries can be tailored to meet your specific requirements.

OUR FAVOURITE BOTSWANA DESTINATIONS

OKAVANGO DELTA

From the classic game viewing of Moremi to the permanent deep-water channels of the Panhandle, the Delta offers so much. You can try your hand at catch-and-release fishing, spot a rare Pel’s fishing owl or head out with your poler on a mokoro or dugout canoe.

Accommodation ranges from simpler tented camps to lodges that are top-to-toe designer. Botswana takes conservation very seriously so all are built to high eco standards and vehicle numbers are limited at sightings, especially of predators. The combination of outstanding natural beauty and abundant wildlife make the Okavango a non-negotiable inclusion on your itinerary.

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

Sit back, sip your G&T and watch elephant families cross the Chobe River as the sun sets over another great day in Botswana. Yes, you’re having the classic Chobe experience. During the dry season, the floodplains burst with lifegiving water and attract thousands of elephant, buffalo and zebra. This creates a wildlife experience second to none as elephants, hippos and fish eagles complete the picture.

Chobe is a natural point on a Botswana safari, especially if you want to also see the Victoria Falls. Because it can get busy over high season, we’ve figured out the best places to stay for an unforgettable experience.

LINYANTI AND SAVUTI

The Linyanti River and Savute Marsh are technically part of the greater Chobe National Park but offer a completely different experience to houseboats and sunset cruises of the Chobe River. The Savute Channel is highly ephemeral and can disappear for years before reappearing, regardless of rainfall. The Savute Marsh is seasonal, with deep water drying to classic savannah. The area is most famous for highly endangered packs of wild (or painted) dogs and the awe-inspiring Savute Pride of lions. Because they often had to hunt in water, the members were especially powerful and known to regularly bring down elephant – not easy even for the strongest lions!

KALAHARI

Known as CKGR – for Central Kalahari Game Reserve – this is a semi-desert wonderland that is a hidden gem on a Botswana safari, ideal for returning visitors who want to explore further afield. Venture out looking for desert-adapted lions and other specialists like oryx, rare brown hyena and bat-eared foxes. You’ll be humbled to see how creatures, large and small, can survive and thrive in this landscape.

At night, look up. Above you will be the Milky Way as it was meant to be seen and as generations before us experienced it… a never-ending twinkling of stars against a black velvet sky.

OPTIONS TO EXTEND YOUR BOTSWANA ITINERARY

Here are a few of our favourite options to add to your Botswana itinerary. These extensions are here for inspiration. We know that time is a precious commodity and we can tailor them to meet your requirements.

WHY BOOK WITH BIGGESTLEAF TRAVEL

  • We are passionate about what we sell

  • The most competitive and flexible rates

  • We offer personalised and customised experiences

  • We offer comprehensive travel insurance for your trip, built into your itinerary

  • Our consultants specialise in different safari-experiences

  • We have over 10 years’ experience in the travel industry

  • Our quick response and turnaround times

  • Our travel insurance benefit is built to cover the nuances of African travel

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EXPERIENCE BOTSWANA

Want more detailed information or advice about visiting Botswana?
Speak to one of our friendly consultants today