Okavango Delta Photo: Wilderness Mombo Camp
On Chief's Island, often described as one of the finest game-viewing areas in Africa. Nine spacious tents on raised walkways.
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botswana
Botswana chose low-volume, high-value tourism decades ago, and it shows. Camps are small, concessions are private and it’s common to spend a morning with a pride of lions and not see another vehicle.
The Okavango Delta is the heart of it: a vast inland delta where you explore by mokoro, boat, on foot and by vehicle. We pair it with the elephant country of Chobe and Linyanti, or the salt pans of the Kalahari for something completely different.
Light aircraft link the camps, so days are spent on safari rather than on the road. It’s our first suggestion for anyone who wants wilderness with real comfort.
where to go
Channels, lagoons and islands teeming with game. Explore by mokoro in the wet months and on foot or by vehicle all year.
The eastern edge of the Delta, where dry land meets water and big cats are often seen.
Private concessions known for huge elephant herds, wild dogs and very few vehicles.
Elephants and buffalo gather along the river in the dry season. Best seen from a boat at sunset.
Endless salt flats, habituated meerkats and the zebra migration in the green season.
Open desert and grassland, black-maned lions and skies full of stars.
when to go
Botswana works all year, but each season offers something different.
May to October
The Delta floods just as the land dries out, drawing wildlife to the water. The best game viewing, with cool mornings in June and July and hot days by October.
November to April
Rain brings lush landscapes, newborn animals and superb birdlife. Lower rates and the zebra migration on the Makgadikgadi Pans.
April to May, and November
Fewer people, good value and changing scenery. A clever time to go if you're flexible.
where to stay
Okavango Delta Photo: Wilderness On Chief's Island, often described as one of the finest game-viewing areas in Africa. Nine spacious tents on raised walkways.
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Okavango Delta Photo: Great Plains Famous for its lions and buffalo. Elegant tents on a tree-shaded island with a small plunge pool each.
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Okavango Delta Photo: Wilderness Water and land activities from the same camp, with views across open floodplains.
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Selinda Photo: Great Plains Four tents overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon in a private reserve. Elephants, wild dogs and complete peace.
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Makgadikgadi Pans Photo: Natural Selection A classic 1940s-style camp on the edge of the salt pans, with meerkats, Zu/'hoasi guides and walks across the flats.
Ask us about this hotelLooking for something different? We know many more hotels and villas in Botswana, and we'll happily suggest the right one for you.
experiences
Glide through reed channels in a traditional dugout canoe, poled by a local guide.
See the Delta's patterns from above, with elephants crossing the floodplains below.
Track game on foot with an armed guide and learn to read the smaller signs of the bush.
Watch elephants swim and drink along the river from a small photographic boat.
Sit quietly while a habituated family uses you as a lookout post.
Sleep out on the salt pans or on a star bed deck, far from any light.
June to October for classic game viewing and the Delta in flood. November to April is quieter and greener, with lower rates and newborn animals.
Usually two or three, spending three or four nights in each. That gives you a mix of water and land-based safari without too much travelling.
Yes, with some planning. Many camps welcome children over six or twelve, and some offer private vehicles for families. We’ll suggest the right ones.
The north of Botswana is a malaria area. Please speak to your GP or a travel clinic well ahead of your trip, and check the TravelHealthPro website for the latest advice.
Yes, usually 20kg per person in soft bags, including hand luggage. We’ll send you a packing list.
pair it with
The Maasai Mara, Laikipia's private conservancies and the Indian Ocean coast. Classic safari country.
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Lake Malawi's clear water and islands, easily paired with a safari in neighbouring Zambia.
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Barefoot islands in the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos, and the perfect end to a safari.
Exploreget in touch
Tell us when you'd like to travel and what you'd love to see, and we'll suggest the camps that suit you.
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Travel advice: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has up-to-date advice on health and safety across the globe, as well as local laws, and passport and visa information. Please check travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel regularly for updates ahead of travel, as the advice can change.
