Helicopter safari, Botswana Safari, Helicopter Horizon

Botswana Safari

Botswana – it’s far more than bushmen and big cats. Take in everything this African country offers with a bespoke itinerary that includes horseback and hot air balloon excursions.

Botswana safaris are undoubtedly the ultimate luxury safari experience in Africa. Botswana holds about 25 per cent of Africa’s elephants and is one of the only countries where you can still find vast herds.

Many of Botswana’s lodges have raised themselves to a level of sophistication that is the envy of hotels around the world, whilst maintaining a sense of adventure and remoteness. Botswana’s unique combination of wilderness landscapes and its variety of game make a Botswana safari a holiday that you will not forget.

Photography from helicopter, Botswana Safari, Helicopter Horizon
Botswana
Heron fishing, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Orange sunrise layers clouds above misty delta grasslands, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana

What to expect on your Botswana safari holiday

You need time to enjoy your Botswana safari. Do not rush the experience. Botswana is a big country and getting around is largely done by scheduled light aircraft. As flights are frequent and easy, combining two or three areas of the country on one safari holiday is not only possible but highly recommended by our Botswana safari experts.

Male Leopard, Botswana
Botswana
Lions, Selinda, Botswana
Selinda, Botswana
Antelopes in dusky light, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Lion, Selinda Reserve, Botswana
Lion, Selinda Reserve, Botswana

Where to go on your Botswana safari

The most famous areas for wildlife are in the north – the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve, Linyanti, Selinda and Chobe National Park. These areas are home to masses of big game, as well as some of Africa’s finest safari camps.

The south is largely desert and thus a fabulous contrast to the watery north. See the San Bushmen of the Central Kalahari and experience the vast emptiness of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the remains of one of the world’s largest super lakes. Here the desert isn’t always dry – when the rains arrive the area bursts into life and see the second largest zebra and wildebeest migration in the world. Ask our Botswana safari experts for more details as to when is the best time to experience this migration.

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Explore Botswana

  • Makgadikgadi Pans
  • Chobe National Park
  • Kalahari Desert
  • Okavango Delta
  • Selinda Reserve
  • Linyanti Reserve
  • Tuli Block

Experiences

Botswana offers incredible experiences that will help us to create a bespoke and memorable journey for you.

Helicopter safari, Botswana Safari, Helicopter Horizon
Botswana

Delta by Air

Fly low over the Okavango Delta in a helicopter. With the doors removed, this is perfect for photographing this maze of channels and lagoons from above.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Stalking Leopard, Mashatu Game Reserve, Tuli National Park, Botswana
Botswana

Photograph Wildlife Up Close

Renowned for its excellent hides and expert guides, photographic opportunities are endless at Mashatu Tented Camp.

Suggested Camp

TUli Block, Botswana
Botswana

Fly Camp in the Wilderness

Spend a night at a temporary fly camp, sleeping in the heart of the bush and completely disconnected from modern life.

Suggested camp

Mountain biking, Mashatu, Tuli Block, Botswana
Botswana

Get Out and Explore

Head out on an adventure safari, exploring on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback.

Suggested camp

Flock of red billed queleas flying, landing and drinking, Tuli Block, Botswana
Botswana

Birding in the Tuli Block

Spend some time spotting some of the 350 bird species that can be found in this birdlife-rich region.

Suggested camp

boy with meerkats, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Botswana

Watch the local Meerkats

Spend time watching the antics of a habituated group of meerkats at Jack’s Camp.

Suggested camp

Bushmen, Makgadikgadi, Botswana
Botswana

Join the San Bushmen

Walk, hunt and gather with the San Bushmen of the Kalahari. Learn how they have adapted to life in this harsh desert environment.

Suggested camp

Flamingos, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Botswana

Birdwatching in Makgadikgadi

Discover the excellent birding, with flocks of flamingos in their thousands.

Oryx, Tau Pan, Kalahari, Botswana
Botswana

Spot Desert Species

Head out on game drives to spot some of the desert-specific species that survive in the Kalahari. These include meerkats, oryxes and brown hyenas.

Quadbiking,Makgadikgadi, Botswana
Botswana

Quad biking on the Pans

Race across the endless pans on quad bikes, heading deep into this wilderness. At night, sleep on a bedroll, beneath a sky filled with stars.

Suggested camp

Helicopter landing, Heli safari, Botswana Safari, Helicopter Horizon
Botswana
Traditional Mokoro, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Mokoro, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Herd of Elephants, Selinda, Botswana
Selinda Reserve, Botswana
Blacked Maned Lion, Kalahari, Botswana
Hippopotamus in Okavango Delta Moremi National Park, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Horse Riding Activity, Motswiri Camp, Selinda Reserve, Botswana
Botswana

What to do in Botswana

  • Spend a few days in the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta with a myriad of waterways, channels and islands and home to an abundance of game.
  • Take a luxury mobile safari in the Moremi, moving with the animals.
  • Quad bike across the flat empty expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pans camping out under the stars – a very different type of safari holiday.
  • A safari by boat is a great way to see the huge elephant herds of Chobe National Park.
  • Spend time watching the antics of a habituated group of meerkats at Jack’s Camp.
  • Walk with the San bushmen and learn how they have adapted to life in the harsh desert environment.
  • See the black-maned lions of the Kalahari and search for the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl.

Where to stay

Some of the wonderful places to stay that we frequently recommended.

North Island Okavango £££££

  • Botswana
  • Tented Camps

Located on a private island upstream of the Okavango Delta, North Island Okavango embodies the essence of an iconic delta safari experience.

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Duba Plains £££££

  • Botswana
  • Safari and Wildlife Lodge

A remote and intimate tented camp, Duba Plains Camp is situated in the very northern reaches of the Okavango Delta in the 30,000-hectare Kwedi Concession. Set on a tree-covered island, Duba Plains has beautiful views over the delta flood plains.

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Camp Okavango £££££

  • Botswana
  • Safari and Wildlife Lodge

Situated just outside the northern boundary of Moremi Game Reserve at the heart of the permanent Okavango Delta on remote Nxaragha Island, is Camp Okavango. An African safari lodge, Camp Okavango assures a year-round unparalleled water wilderness experience.

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Savuti Camp £££££

  • Botswana
  • Safari and Wildlife Lodge

Savuti Camp is situated in the Linyanti Concession along the dry Savute Channel in northern Botswana. There are seven walk-in tents, raised off the ground, a thatched dining area and bar; a plunge pool – a large viewing area with a fire pit overlooks the waterhole.

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Savute Safari Lodge £££££

  • Botswana
  • Safari and Wildlife Lodge

Set beneath ancient camelthorn trees on the banks of the Savute Channel, this beautiful camp sits at the heart of the spectacular Savute area. Spread amongst this verdant landscape, it looks out towards lush grasslands that fill with zebras twice a year – as the migration enters the area.  

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Abu Camp £££££

  • Botswana
  • Safari and Wildlife Lodge

Abu Camp is an exclusive elephant safari experience located in the private 180,000-hectare concession. The camp consists of six imaginatively designed spacious en-suite tents, each on raised platforms blending in with the surroundings.

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Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

Illona Cross

Born in a small South African town, I have always followed my passion for nature and discovery. After studying Nature Conservation in Pretoria, I was one of the first women to complete a very tough cadetship in the Natal Parks Board. It was here where I cut my teeth in African wildlife management.

Talk with our experts
  • 1 800 571 2985

Rachael Tallents

Adventure, discovery and my curiosity for people and the natural world is what drives my love of travelling.  I am grateful for my parents’ desire to explore, and from an early age my eyes were open to diverse landscapes, cultures, and underwater worlds.

For the last 16 years, I have worked for a leading luxury tour operator designing incredible journeys for discerning clients and travelled to some magical places. I am excited to have joined Steppes Travel, and to be working for a company with such strong ethical and sustainable values.

Talk with our experts
  • 1 800 571 2985

Chris Johnston

Chris is the Conde Nast Traveller chosen Specialist for Africa.

25 years ago, my first trip to Africa took on a life of its own. I planned for three months, I stayed for two years. Whilst there, I was mistaken for a priest, attacked by sharks and arrested. Yet the countless, clattering journeys opened my eyes to the beauty of the landscapes and the grace of the people. My recent trips are undoubtedly more comfortable, but the welcome is as warm as ever and the best experiences are still those I never see coming.

Talk with our experts
  • 1 800 571 2985

Frequently asked questions about Botswana

Is Botswana suitable for families with young children?

Will I be able to see the Big Five on safari in Botswana?

A lot of camps make reference to a mokoro - what is it?

When is the Okavango Delta in full flood?

What should I take on safari?

What can I expect to see in the Okavango Delta?

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Client Reviews

Botswana
I cannot fault the efficiency, consideration and imagination of Steppes travel
Botswana
It was clear that Steppes had good in-depth knowledge of the countries visited and any queries we had were quickly answered
Destination: Botswana
Travel Expert: Illona
We have just arrived back from our fabulous holiday in Botswana. Thank you so much for your original planning and organisation. It was a tremendous experience and everything worked like clockwork. The camps at Khwai and Linyanti were really lovely and we saw some amazing wildlife.

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