Botswana Safari Holidays

Tailor made and small group Botswana safaris

We are African Safari specialists - Contact us on 01728 748209, use the Live Chat on the website or complete the enquiry form now.

Okavango Delta safari camps and lodges

Birdwatching and Wildlife Tours to Botswana

Botswana safaris are a fabulous adventure. Travel by canoe or light aircraft deep into the heart of the Okavango Delta and you won't see another soul (apart from other guests in camp!) for the duration of your stay.  Botswana has the fourth lowest population density in the world, so there are plenty of areas with no human habitation at all.  Huge skies and never ending vistas over the pans make you feel as though you are in another world. The Okavango Delta is a huge eco-system which covers a vast area of Botswana, including the Kalahari region. 

Botswana is the perfect choice for a luxury honeymoon safari

With endless vistas of pristine wilderness, safari camps in Botswana offer endless romantic experiences!  Sleep under the stars - many camps offer 'star beds' and bubble baths under the African skies .... 

This is a perfect location for an African honeymoon too and Botswana combines well with Victoria Falls for some relaxation at the end of your safari. 

We are African safari experts and offer bespoke holidays and honeymoons to Botswana. 

Luxury Botswana Safari Camps and Lodges

Botswana safaris are available year round, but the Okavango flood levels affect which activities can be enjoyed in different parts of the Delta and the surrounding game reserves, such as Moremi.  We know the best time to visit Botswana, depending on the style of safari you are looking for.  

Mokoro canoes offer a peaceful way to glide through the watery wonderland of the Okavango Delta.  You can also enjoy walking safaris in the dry season and motor boat and fishing safaris in other parts of Botswana.  Dining under the stars is a highlight of any Botswana Safari. 

Luxury Safaris to Botswana 

Safaris in Botswana do come with a high price tag, there are no direct flights (mostly you fly via South Africa) and the running costs for safari operators deep in the wilderness are high.  But most of the luxury camps and lodges are fairly small and pride themselves on top guiding and fabulous up close wildlife sightings. 

Best time to experience wilderness safaris in Botswana

The Okavango Delta actually covers a massive area of Botswana, it's not just the watery bit!  The seasons here are also different to the rest of Africa as they are dictated by the flow of the flood waters, not actual rain falling at the time.   So although the main rains fall from December to February, the peak floods do not rise until about July.  The water gathers up in Angola and steadily pushes down stream through the Caprivi Strip into the 'pan handle' and on into the 'fingers' of the Delta waters ..... eventually it trickles it's way to Maun (the safari 'capital' and main airport) and on down to the pans.  In ancient times the pans used to regularly flood into massive super lakes. 

Safaris to the Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Pans

The pans do still have water in them in wet season and are a haven for migrating birdlife. They completely try out into a lunar landscape in the heart of the dry season and this is one of the most atmospheric places in the world to watch the African night sky...

Safaris to the Kalahari desert offer you the chance to get up close with Meerkats.  It's a great destination to see Cheetah, Brown Hyena and Gemsbok plus the lions of the Kalahari.  Explore the lunar landscapes of the cracked up salt pans, where you often see fossils buried deep into the pans ... signs of another time period completely.  Spend the night out on the pans in the dry season, sleep on a bed roll looking up at the stars in the sky and listen to the hyena and lion call in the distance ....

As well as game viewing by jeep in Botswana, you can experience bush walks, fishing, night drives, boating and canoe trips in Botswana.  Ask us for advice on the best combination of camps to suit your choice of activities and the time of year.  Ask us about Green Season Safaris in Botswana, when luxury camps are more affordable. 

Botswana's dry season runs from April through to October with October being scorching hot.  The flood waters are highest in the Delta July - August making this peak season for two reasons!  When the waters are high, the surrounding land is still very dry, so it makes for fabulous game viewing as the animals congregate towards the water as the dry season progresses.

Horse riding safaris are also available in southern Botswana with there being several really good operators in the Okavango Delta and some around the edge of the Kalahari Desert. 

Visit the Tuli Block in Botswana - twin with a safari to South Africa.

If you are a seasoned Africa traveller and want to do something different in Botswana, try the Tuli Block, bordering South Africa, where there are great game reserves such as Mashatu.  There are luxury lodges and a range of activities including horse riding, cycling and conservation projects with predator and elephant tracking.

African Wild Dogs in Botswana

If you are keen to see African Wild Dogs, Botswana is a strong hold especially around Moremi Game Reserve and the Okvango Delta. Denning usually taking place around June time, the only time when they stay in one location long enough for  the guides to find them!  So visit Botswana in July for the best chance of seeing the packs denning with their puppies.

Chobe National Park and Savuti Game Reserve

Chobe National Park and the surrounding Savuti area to the north of the Okavango Delta is bordered by the Chobe river network to the north.  From Chobe you can cross the borders into Zimbabwe and Zambia giving easy access to Victoria Falls. B

Boat cruises on the Chobe River are fantastic for birding and in the dry seasons herds of elephants hundreds strong spend much of their time in the river too. 

The Caprivi Strip and Pan Handle safaris

There are houseboats and fishing camps for those wanting to spend longer on the river systems in Northern Botswana, around the Caprivi Strip and the Kwando and Linyanti rivers which lead down to the Selinda Reserve and onto the Okavango Central.  Cross the river to Impalila Island which is actually in Namibia and stay in a safari lodge with amazing views back over to Botswana. 

The Selinda spillway flooded in recent years for the first time in decades and this resurgence of waters between the Linyanti and the Okavango has opened up the way for canoe safaris in Botswana. Usually about three nights long, these are mobile safaris where your canoes carry your camp and food with you, the connection with wilderness is the main aim here, though you will also see plenty of wildlife along the way.

San Bushmen of the Kalahari - Botswana Cultural Holidays

The ethnic tribes people of Botswana are the San Bushmen and there are only a few camps and lodges which offer you the chance to interact with them in an authentic way.  Spend time with these endearing people and learn how they track food and survive in their harsh desert environment. 

Mobile safaris in Botswana

Mobile camping safaris are a great way to have an authentic traditional experience of a safari in Botswana. We do have access to many mobile safari operators, so if you are looking for a budget, affordable camping safari, please let us know.  These safaris will be on set departure dates with a small group and you will be expected to assist in camping chores.  There are also mobile safaris which are still basic in terms of the accommodation but fully catered so you can sit back and relax! 

Luxury mobile safaris in Botswana

The ultimate in an authentic wilderness safari experience in Botswana is a luxury mobile!  Tailor made for you, whether it's for a couple, a family or a multi generation safari experience.  You will have ultra comfortable beds in large tents with en-suite bathroom facilities.  

We work with a huge range of luxury safari operators in Botswana, such as Ker & Downey, Wilderness Safaris, African Bush Camps, Kwando and Abercrombie and Kent, to name a few.  As we are independent agents and UK based, we will create a bespoke holiday for you to include all flights, transfers, accommodation and your safari, plus any extra nights you would like in other destinations.  

Family and Multi Generation Safaris in Botswana

Family Safaris can include special children's activities such as fishing, archery and learning tracking skills, Ker & Downey have an incredible 'young explorers' programme and we can arrange exclusive safaris for your family of all ages in Botswana with them. Take a look at our Young Explorers page here. 

No.1 Ladies Detective Agency tours in Gabarone

You can also self drive in Botswana, though we don't really recommend it as it's very easy to get lost, particularly in the Kalahari! Southern Botswana is the home of the  'No.1 Ladies Detective Agency' and those of you who, (like Jules!), follow all the books avidly, will delight in seeing for yourself Mma Ramotswe's beloved country - there are even tours around Gabarone to visit the places mentioned in the books!

Tailor made African Safari Holidays to Botswana

Botswana has something for everyone, so give us a call to discuss your requirements and we can tailor the perfect African safari to Botswana for you!