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5 reasons to go on safari to Botswana

Landlocked Botswana may not get as much press as South Africa or Tanzania in the tourism world but it should definitely be on your bucket list if you love African wilderness, wildlife and epic landscapes. From the waterways of the Okavango Delta to the cracked salt pan of Makgadikgadi, Botswana is full of the kind of natural wonders that will knock your socks off.

Here are our 5 reasons to go on safari to Botswana:

1. Chobe National Park

Home to the largest concentration of elephants in the world (around 50 000 of them) and one of the largest concentrations of wildlife of the entire African continent, Chobe is a fantastic safari destination. Botswana’s first national park, Chobe is also its most biologically diverse, with animals like lions, leopards, wild dogs, Roan and Sable antelopes, zebras, hyenas red lechwe, cheetahs and 450 species of birds spread across four different areas – grass woodland, two marsh areas and the Chobe Riverfront, which has the most game.

Chobe-botswana

2. Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s greatest wilderness areas – a vast 18 000 square kilometres of waterways and small islands which makes up the planet’s biggest inland delta. Here you’ll find awe-inspiring landscapes – forests, floodplains, water channels and lagoons – and abundant game, including a huge elephant population, leopard, lion, cheetah, giraffe, wild dog, buffalo and over 400 bird species, including the iconic African fish eagle. There are four ways to experience the Okavango Delta: by game drives, by mokoro (traditional dug out canoe), by foot and by plane or helicopter. Whichever way you end up exploring this amazing wilderness, there is no way you will be disappointed.

3. Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The second largest wildlife reserve in the world is so vast and untouched that you’ll feel like you couldn’t be further away from civilization. If you’ve ever wanted to get away from it all, this is where you should come. Visit just after the summer rains and you’ll see huge herds of springbok and gemsbok and other wildlife such as wildebeest and giraffe but apart from the game the landscapes are phenomenal – vast grasslands peppered with the occasional sand dune, pan or river valley under enormous Botswana skies. The reserve was closed for 30 years and it remains underdeveloped in comparison to Botswana’s other more famous parks, so if you want wildlife sightings without any other cars, this is the place!

  • Tour Length 14 days
    Group Size Min 4 Max 16
    Starts & Ends Starts: Windhoek Ends: Victoria Falls
    Countries Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana
    Overview This Namibia and Botswana Adventure Tour takes you from the capital city of Namibia through to the majestic Victoria Falls. This is an accommodated tour so you will stay in 3-4 star lodges. We do plenty of game drives in National Parks and there are fantastic optional activities such as dolphin cruises, scenic flights and boat rides. If you are looking for a complete safari with the luxury of great accommodation, this will be the tour for you.

    Price from

    R74,590

    + Local Payment 2000

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    Botswana Namibia Tour – Fully Serviced (3-4 star Comfort)

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  • Tour Length 13 days
    Group Size Max 12
    Starts & Ends Starts: Maun Ends: Livingstone
    Countries Botswana, Zambia
    Overview This is a limited participation camping tour with hot shower facilities (5 nights) by means of a bucket shower with hot water off the fire, in true African style. We do also experience wild camping with basic facilities (7 nights) which is the perfect way to enjoy Botswana. The tour provides all equipment such as sleeping mats (5cm thick) and chairs with backrests. Tents are large, spacious (2.2 x 2.2 x 1.8 metre with built-in insect nets) and easy to erect. It is a limited participation tour which involves putting up your tent (very easy) and packing luggage into the truck. The tour leaders prepare all meals but we ask for help in washing up (on rotation). The tour involves some long travel days on bumpy roads which means early mornings , ideal for an adventurous traveller. On your safari you will stay in designated camping sites within national parks, private reserves, private campsites and towns. Facilities are good with hot showers, electricity (for charging cameras), clothes washing facilities with generally bars and restaurants.

    Price from

    R40,235

    + Local Payment USD 300

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    13 Day Botswana Adventure Safari (Small Group)

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4. Makgadikgadi Pans

Covering 16 000 square kilometres, the Makgadikgadi Pan in the northern Kalahari Desert is the largest salt flat in the world. Being here feels like you’ve arrived on a different planet. In the dry season, the pans are bone-dry and blindingly white – a giant lunar landscape dotted with the occasional baobab – that is extraordinarily beautiful. One of the highlights of the pan is Kubu Island, an island of granite rocks and old baobabs. Considered to be a sacred site by the local people, a mystical atmosphere pervades the island. Camping overnight here under a blanket of stars is a true bucket list experience!

5. Tsodilo Hills

This UNESCO World Heritage site has one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, earning it the nickname the “Louvre of the Desert”. The Tsodilo Hills are made up of massive rock formations rising out of the sand dunes of the Kalahari Desert. In caves and on the walls of the rock are over 4500 paintings – some of which date back thousands of years.

Inspired to travel to Botswana? Check out our most popular Botswana budget overlanding safaris and packages:

  • Tour Length 12 days
    Group Size Max 20
    Starts & Ends Starts: Swakopmund Ends: Victoria Falls
    Countries Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
    Overview Pressed for time? Think of this short and sweet tour as your safari adventure trailer. On the road from Namibia to Botswana you’ll have a front row seat to all of Southern Africa’s bucket list experiences. From capturing a snapshot of the elusive big five in Etosha to hearing ancient stories told by Southern Africa’s first people - this is an authentic African adventure and you’re at the heart of it.    

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    Namibia and Botswana Safari – 12 Day

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  • Tour Length 8 days
    Group Size Max 20
    Starts & Ends Starts: Johannesburg Ends: Victoria Falls
    Countries South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana
    Overview Short and sweet - this bite-sized adventure is where your love for Africa begins. Botswana is one of Africa’s most extraordinary places. It’s the bone-chilling sound of lions roaring in the distance, the tranquility of gliding through the Okavango’s palm-fringed waterways, and the simple pleasure of camping under the stars in Africa's greatest wilderness. Throw in an evening with the San, bungee jumping Victoria Falls, and wildlife game drives through Chobe National Park and you’ve got days of non-stop adventure.

    Price from

    R27,950

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    Botswana Waterways (North) Camping Tour (8 Days)

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About Sarah Duff

Documentary filmmaker/ travel writer/ photographer - www.sarahduff.com
Article by: Sarah Duff
on May 12, 2016
Filed under  Africa Blog 
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