Pinch yourself; this is the African overland tour you’ve been dreaming about. We’ve put together an action-packed itinerary that hits all the highlights, from camping out in the unfenced wilds, tracking elephants across the Chobe, and hitching a ride in a mokoro to explore the Okavango Delta. Top it off white water rafting, an aircraft flip over the thundering Vic Falls, or bungee jumping to complete your experience of a lifetime.
Technically a camping tour, it's a combination of camping and accommodation (6 nights in beds and 9 nights in tents) so you will need to bring your own sleeping bag.
While you are in the National Parks of Botswana (Moremi and Savuti National Park) you will be in an 7 seater open safari vehicle, the rest of the time you will use the truck which sits high up making it easier for game viewing.
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.
16 days, three countries, one epic journey. This off track overland tour is the perfect answer to Africa’s coveted call of the wild. Brush up on your game watching with morning and afternoon game drives in search of the Big Five in the world-renowned Kruger National Park, before you continue your journey through Zimbabwe and Botswana. The road is long but you’ll have plenty of time to stretch you legs with white-water rafting, guided tour of the Zimbabwe Ruins, and loads more.
This is your chance to relish every slice of Africa’s last great wilderness. Kick up dust on the sandveld of the Kalahari, glide along the Okavango Delta in a traditional mokoro, and count elephants big and small in Chobe National Park as you safari on land and water. End in Victoria Falls and find yourself hooked on the magic of Southern Africa.
This is your chance to explore one of Africa’s last great wildernesses. Do this 1247 km trip and you’ll see the best of South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia in 14 adventure-charged days. Kick up dust on the sandveld of the Kalahari, get a hippos eye-view of the Okavango while gliding through the channels in a traditional mokoro, and camp out in true African style amid fence free migration routes.
When it comes to diversity, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe are incredible - and the best way to take it in is on this adrenaline packed overland tour. We’ve handpicked the most breathtaking Southern African experiences and wrapped them into 26 days of pure, blood-pumping adventure. From canoeing on the Orange River, to climbing giant sand dunes, and capturing the big five (with your camera, of course) in the world famous Kruger National Park. This is how you travel Africa.
When it comes to great safari destinations, this Southern Africa tour is packing heat: Kruger, Chobe, Matobo, the Okavango Delta, and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. While exploring these wildlife havens, you’ll be up close and personal with such a huge number of elephants, lions, leopards, hyenas, rhinos, buffaloes, and a myriad other species that you'll fill your camera memory card in a matter of days. This is the Africa you've seen in all those incredible travel photos, but in the flesh (or fur).
This thrilling Cape Town to Victoria Falls Tour is one of Africa's most exciting overland routes. Adventure through the wilderness of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Go where few have gone before as you explore the remote regions of the mighty Fish River Canyon, the beautiful Etosha National Park and the impressive Okavango Delta. Discover ancient rock art and gaze over wildlife basking in the sunlight before finally facing the most breathtaking, Victoria Falls!
This tour isn’t just a sample of Africa; it’s the entire buffet spread. From Big Five game drives in Etosha National Park, and floating through the Okavango in a "mokoro" canoe - we’ve got it all laid out for you. Top it off with the privilege of gazing up at the continent’s star-studded sky and now you’re really travelling Africa.
From open-top safaris in the Masai Mara, to camping in the Serengeti, and gorilla trekking in Uganda, this is a wildlife odyssey like no other. Throw in a paradise island, dramatic canyons, and intimate village tours, and you’ve found yourself in a storybook expedition that will change your life. Fifty-five days, nine countries, seven national parks, one continent. This is how you travel Africa.
Pinch yourself; this is the African overland tour you’ve been dreaming about. We’ve put together an action-packed itinerary that hits all the highlights, tracking elephants across the Chobe, and hitching a ride in a mokoro to exploring the Okavango Delta. Top it off white water rafting, an aircraft flip over the thundering Vic Falls, or bungee jumping to complete your experience of a lifetime.
The tour requires participation from all group members. This entails assisting with the food preparation, washing of dishes and keeping the truck clean. Please keep in mind that flexibility and an open mind is needed on the trip. Your guide is registered with the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa (FGASA). This tour also provides great value as all highlights are included in the price so no hidden surprises.
Beginning in Cape Town, sometimes known as "The Mother City," near the southernmost tip of Africa, this journey is the master of tours, offering breathtaking scenery and well-known landmarks. As we move up the west coast, we pass through some of the largest sand dunes on the earth, into Namibia's expansive panoramas, and up to the OkavangoDelta, which is a true wilderness. We proceed to the remote Makgadikgadi salt pans and then head north through Kasane to the magnificent VictoriaFalls.
As we descend, we stop in Hwange, home to sizable herds of elephants, then follow the rhino in Matobo. The voyage comes to a close in Johannesburg, the Gold City, when you finally pass back into Botswana.
We go a considerable distance on some isolated and unpaved roads, but the natural wonders we come across more than make up for any hardship for those who genuinely desire adventure.
Experience southern Africa's diverse wonders on this picture-perfect adventure which takes you from the glittering beauty of Cape Town to the vibrant city of Johannesburg. But, it’s the moment’s in-between that shine brightest here - from Etosha National Park to the Okavango Delta, and Chobe National Park. Once you've soaked in the region's wildlife, it’s onward to Zimbabwe where the thundering roar of Victoria Falls heightens the rush of experiencing Africa so up close.
Botswana is a landlocked country that is mainly flat and dry, dotted with acacia trees and an array of enormous salt pans. This is a wilderness of Savannah’s, deserts and wetlands. Although the Kalahari Desert encompasses nearly 85% of Botswana, the shifting sand dunes that you’d traditionally expect in a desert are only found in the far southwest.
The great salty deserts of the Makgadikgadi Pans in the lower elevations of the northeast are endlessly white. In Botswana you are spoilt for choice of landscape and wildlife, with once in a lifetime sights and sounds of wild Africa.
Tranquil Mokoro trips which are traditional dug-out canoes that meander through the Delta by polers
Spectacular sunsets on safaris or cruises
Birdwatching on the Chobe River
Sitting around a campfire under the African night sky
Wild dog and lion tracking by foot in Moremi
Unfenced National Parks with thousands of animals roaming freely
Botswana’s cultural and heritage sites
Walking safaris with experienced and friendly tour guides
Unique elephant safari treks
Hot air ballooning over the Kalahari Desert
Helicopter flights giving you a bird’s eye view of the landscape and of course the amazing herds in search of the wilderness for food and shelter
Why go to Botswana on Safari?
Botswana’s capital is Gaborone, with Maun and Kasane the gateways to the wildlife. While Botswana is known for its diversity of remote and unexplored national parks and wildlife areas it is also characterized by the lush green riverbanks and canals of the Okavango Delta.
Easily access Chobe National Park from Kasane and explore over 11 700 square kilometers of flora and fauna it has to offer. The Park is home to the ‘Big 5’ and is sought out by travelers for a Chobe River Sunset Cruise which offers extraordinary game viewing opportunities.
Another well-known National Park is the Moremi National Park which was voted in 2008 as the ‘Best Game Reserve in Africa’ by the African Travel and Tourism Organisation. This area is in the central and eastern regions of the Okavango Delta, including the Moremi Tongue and chief’s island. Thereby boasting one of the most varied ecosystems of the African continent.
Botswana is home to the largest inland delta in the world! While the Okavango Delta leads into the barren sand areas of the Kalahari Desert, it is fed by the Okavango River. Cruise through the calm waterways of the Delta on a local dug out canoe (also know as a mokoro) while looking out for array of wildlife. You will see the African bush elephant, African buffalo, hippopotamus, blue wildebeest, giraffe, nile crocodile, lion, cheetah, leopard, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros and so much more.
Covering 11,000 sq km (4300 sq mi), Chobe National Park has the biggest variety of wildlife compared to anywhere else in Botswana. A good place to start exploring would be the northern tip, in a town called Kasane. With up to 500 herds of elephants closely followed by lions, cheetahs, hippos, hyena, crocodile, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, otter, zebra, antelope, jackals and many bird species.
No landscape on earth is like this. While this was once an enormous lake, the Makgadikgadi Pans are now three immense salt pans (the largest on earth). During the sizzling heat of late winter days, these stark pans take on a disorienting and ethereal austerity. All sense of space and direction is completely destroyed by heat mirages as imaginary lakes shimmer and then disappear.
During annual rains, the hollows in the pans form temporary lakes. As a result the water turns fringing grasses green and herd animals along with birds in large flocks arrive for the party.
The Okavango Delta is one of the world’s last untamed wildernesses. Starting at the Angolan highlands, this watery mass of 16,000km² elaborate channels and islands is the therefore the world’s largest inland delta. It lies in Botswana’s northwest and flows in the opposite direction each year. The middle of the delta, which consists of 20% of the greater delta area, is protected by the Moremi Wildlife Reserve.
Local farmers used to call the Okavango Delta a ‘useless swamp’ and wanted it drained so they could use it as farmland. Fortunately, the delta was recognised for its significance in conservation. Today this mysterious, placid and beautiful area is also a sanctuary for a huge elephant population. Along with these you will see lion, antelope, cheetah, giraffe, wild dog, leopard, crocodile, hippo, buffalo and a large number of bird species. With over 80 species of fish, naturally the African Fish Eagle finds this area to be paradise.
Bear in mind that the Okavango Delta is incredibly big thereby spotting wildlife is a little more challenging than your average game park. While patience is rewarded for the traveler who wants to experience Africa for all it has to offer and not just the Big Five. Grab the opportunity to take a walking safari and explore the Delta with an experienced guide.
Usually described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. Moremi National Park is a mixture of lagoons, floodplains and mopane woodland along with acacia forests. It’s incredible diversity of plant and animal life has made Moremi rather famous.
While one of the best safari destinations in Africa, Botswana is rich with a variety of habitats that allow for wealth of wildlife to roam its massive un-fenced parks and reserves. These conservation parks make up a whopping third of the country’s land. Rhino have recently been re-introduced in the Okavango Delta after they were poached out, which means Botswana now offers the Big Five.
Chobe National Park has the largest concentration of game in the country, as well as the continent’s biggest population of elephants. It is estimated that there are around 50 000 of them. In the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve is known as the ‘predator capital of Africa’. Ideal for spotting lion and leopard. While this reserve is also the best place in the country to see rhino. Roan, sable and tsessebe are unusual antelopes found in Moremi along with rare red lechwe and elusive sitatunga all of which are rewarding sightings.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park don’t have abundant wildlife, yet they do offer the majestic black-maned Kalahari lions and cheetah. Along with these you will see desert-adapted species such as gemsbok and springbok as well as smaller animals such as bat-eared foxes, jackals, mongoose and meerkats, ensuring this area is well worth the stop.
10 Reasons to travel on Botswana Tours
Okavango Delta
For many travellers to Botswana, the Okavango Delta is the number one reason they visit the landlocked African country. As the world’s largest inland delta it is a massive wilderness area of waterways, islands, floodplains and lagoons that support a huge and varied wildlife population. The best way to experience the Delta is on a mokoro or traditional canoe, gliding through waterways and channels while you catch sightings of game and birds. Take it up a notch on a helicopter flight to really appreciate the vast and beautiful landscape by air.
Chobe National Park
After the Okavango, Chobe is Botswana’s most sought after safari destination. Boasting one of the largest concentrations of wildlife on the African continent. Therefore Chobe National Park is Botswana’s most biologically diverse park, with four different ecological areas. These are grassy woodland, two marsh areas and the Chobe Riverfront. A highlight of Chobe is the duality of both land-based and river-based wildlife spotting from either a small boat or a luxury house boat on the river.
The only official protected area of the Okavango Delta, Moremi is home to the most diverse animal population in Botswana. Most importantly the Big Five, after black and white rhino were re-introduced here a few years ago. Moremi is known as the ‘predator capital of Africa’ with populations of lion, cheetah, leopard and wild dog. It also offers affordable camping in beautiful locations for adventurous travelers.
Tsodilo Hills
Known as the ‘Louvre of the desert’, Tsodilo Hills has rock formations set among the sand dunes of the Kalahari. It has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock art compared to anywhere else in Africa. As a result it is a spiritually sacred place with over 4500 paintings that date back thousands of years covering caves and rock walls.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve can’t be beat for isolation and wide open space. While the largest and most remote reserve in southern Africa, it’s also one of Botswana’s least developed. Described as off-the-beaten track, here you can adventure in a wilderness of sand dunes, mopane and acacia forests with vast open grasslands and salt pans.
Tuli Block
In far eastern Botswana, the Tuli Block is a narrow finger of land wedged between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Made up of 800 000 hectares of conservancy land made up of mainly privately owned wildlife reserves. Therefore Tuli Block is spectacular and quite different to most other wilderness areas in Botswana. Scenery includes rocky outcrops, riverine forests and plains dotted with baobabs. Spot the Big Five and discover San rock paintings along with the remnants of ancient pottery in Lepokole Hills.
In the Kalahari Basin, the Makgadikgadi Pans cover an area the size of Portugal. As a result it the largest salt pan in the world. For most of the year, the area is dry and arid with the cracked pans looking like the surface of the moon. However in contrast the rainy season brings some flooding and attracts animals such as zebra, wildebeest, red hartebeest and gemsbok.
One of the highlights of Makgadikgadi Pans is Kubu Island which is a crescent-shaped island of granite rocks and old baobabs surrounded by the blinding whiteness of Sowa Pan. Considered to be a sacred site by the local people, the island still has the remains of stone age tools and arrowheads.
Zebra Migration
You may have heard of the wildebeest migration in Tanzania and Kenya, but there’s another amazing mammal migration that takes place in Botswana. Every year, 25 000 zebras migrate south from the Okavango Delta to the Makgadikgadi grasslands. Probably just as exciting is the trail of predators including lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah resulting in spectacular game viewing.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
This massive park stretches across the border and into South Africa. It is one of Botswana’s least visited wilderness areas. You need to have a 4×4 to tackle the sandy roads and as a result it is necessary to bring your own water and be entirely self-sufficient while staying in un-fenced bush camps. If you’re up for the adventure, the park comes with many rewards. Beautiful dune landscapes and sightings of the Kalahari animals such as black-maned lions, leopard, cheetah, hyena, bat-eared foxes and meerkats.
What is High value – low impact tourism?
Botswana has a policy of low impact tourism which limits the number of people who can stay in conservation areas. Therefore the cost of a safari in Botswana is relatively high. This is especially true when compared with neighbouring South Africa. However low impact tourism has a huge benefit in helping conservation of wilderness areas by reducing visitor numbers. As a result the advantage to travelers results in less vehicles and usually uncrowded wildlife sightings.
When is the best time to go on a Botswana Safari Tour?
The months of May to October are typically the dry season or Winter season as Botswana mostly gets it’s rainfall within Summer. During the months of May to August you will experience a very dry climate with low humidity. Cool temperatures of about 10°C in the mornings warming to 28°C in the afternoon. The advantage to visiting this time of year is the animals congregate around the waterholes which is perfect for game viewing. September and October is when the heat sets in and hot temperatures of about 35°C are common.
The rainy season of Summer in Botswana is around November to April. Initially in November and December you will have cooler temperatures as clouds fill the atmosphere and bring on late afternoon showers. December mornings are mild at 20°C with hot temperatures of 34°C in the afternoons. This is a good time of the year for comfortable game safaris without the morning chill.
Towards January and February it becomes necessary to bring out your waterproof jackets and trousers for torrential downpours that can continue for days. While it is not cold, humidity is high at 50-80%. The less rain is evident as you approach March and April and therefore the temperature cools again. This continues through to April with pleasant, clear weather and temperatures of 30°C in the day.
How to get to Botswana
You will find that there are only a few direct flights to Botswana outside of Southern Africa. Although getting to Botswana usually entails an overnight stop over at OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg, South Africa). However there are flights from Cape Town, Harare and Nairobi direct to Botswana.
Botswana’s main airport is Sir Seretse Khama International Airport which is approximately 11km north of Gaborone (Botswana’s capital). However, this airport is unfortunately far from the popular northern parks so the most common route to take is flying into Maun Airport. From Maun either take a light aircraft to your destination or some tours offer a transfer which will collect you from the airport and travel by road to your destination (weather permitting).
Facts on Botswana
Full name: Republic of Botswana
Population: Approximately 1.36 million people
Capital city: Gabarone
Area: 602,957 sq km; 232,802 sq miles
Population: 31,639,000
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2 ()
Languages: Setswana (official); English (official)
Religion: Christian (71.6%), Badimo (6%), other (1.4%), unspecified (0.4%), none (20.6%)
Electricity: 240V; 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details: British-style plug: 2 flat blades & 1 flat grounding blade South African/Indian-style plug: 2 circular metal pins above large circular grounding pin
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