The wildlife of Botswana: a safari experience

Maun International Airport - Moremi Game Reserve

Day 1: Touchdown in Botswana

Welcome to Botswana! Upon touching down at Maun International Airport, you'll be transferred to the first stop on your safari tour: Moremi Game Reserve.

Situated in the east of the Okavango Delta, this reserve ranks as one of the most beautiful in Africa. It covers more than 4,871 sq km of pristine wilderness, and this varied terrain includes savannah, winding waterways, and dense forest. The diverse ecosystem supports an incredibly wide spectrum of wildlife, ranging from large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, to the rare sitatunga and lechwe antelope, lion, cheetah and packs of wild dog in the open grasslands.

You'll spend a first night at Camp Moremi, which has a well-deserved legacy in the Botswana tourism industry for delivering the classic African safari experience (alternatively, bed down at Camp Xakanaxa, for an authentic stay on the banks of the Khwai River).

Moremi Game Reserve

Day 2: Wildlife-watching in Moremi

Good morning, Moremi! An exciting date with wildlife is on the cards today.

In the morning and late afternoon, you'll set out on game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, for excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities - you'll enjoy frequent sightings of lions, leopards and cheetahs, as well as wild dogs. Alternatively, you could choose to explore the Xakanaxa Lagoon and surrounding Okavango channels on a boating safari.

You'll start the day with an early light breakfast and coffee before your first game drive. Then, return to camp for a lovely cooked brunch at around 10.30am. Kick back for a few hours' rest, refuel with a light bite for afternoon tea, then head back out to explore more.

Moremi Game Reserve

Day 3: Deep-dive into the magic of Moremi

Today, you'll again make your choice of twice daily activities, with options for game drives and boat cruises. By now you'll be getting used to the early morning wake-ups, followed by a light breakfast and fresh coffee before your morning activity.

Moremi Game Reserve has many various and unique areas to explore by jeep, from the Dead Tree Island to the meandering routes around Third Bridge. Game-viewing by vehicle is simply excellent here!

Moremi Game Reserve - Okavango Delta

Day 4: Journey to the Okavango Delta

After an inter-camp charter flight, you'll reach the next portion of your itinerary: the Okavango Delta!

Situated in the northwestern corner of Botswana, the Okavango Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is the largest inland delta in the world. The magnificent Okavango River sprawls out over the dry sands of the Kalahari Desert, forming this flourishing waterlogged oasis of countless meandering waterways and crystal-clear lagoons studded with water lilies. Here you'll also encounter fertile floodplains and reeded islands inhabited with abundant wildlife.

While here, you'll stay either at Camp Okavango on the remote Nxaragha Island, or at the peaceful Xugana Island Lodge. Take some time to explore your camp grounds and choose from a selection of twice-daily activities, which include boat cruises, mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions or guided bush walks.

Okavango Delta

Day 5: The many wonders of the Okavango Delta

Whatever it is you choose to do today, you'll have so much to explore in the heart of the Okavango Delta, which stretches over an impressive 15,000 sq km.

A number of wonderful activities are available to try and enjoy, including game viewings, fishing, birdwatching, and authentic excursions through this wetland paradise in a traditional dugout canoe. Commonly-spotted animals include lions, leopards, giraffes, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and countless species of bird - so have your binoculars or camera at the ready, and keep your eyes peeled!

Okavango Delta

Day 6: Slow your pace in the Okavango Delta

It's time for another day of adventures in the Okavango Delta! Choose from a selection of twice-daily activities - if you wish, slow your pace and watch the resident wildlife from a different vantage point, by taking a mokoro excursion. This is a peaceful and relaxing way to explore the waterways of the Okavango Delta; your guide might even teach you how to make a lily pad hat or a waterlily necklace! Alternatively, learn how to identify and interpret animal tracks on a guided bush walk, another great way of slowing down a little and noticing the smaller things whilst out on safari.

Okavango Delta - Savuti

Day 7: Journey to the Savuti

Today, board a charter flight for your next stop: the Savuti (or Savute), in the heart of Botswana’s beautiful Chobe National Park. This dynamic wilderness is a sweeping expanse of savannah brooded over by several rocky outcrops, which guard a relic marsh and the dry channel that was once its lifeline. The Savute goes through wet and dry cycles, with wild dogs hunting in the dry river channel where crocodiles once swam only 20 years ago. Visitors to this spectacular area can spot abundant wildlife, including a variety of birds, elephants, antelope, lion prides, black-backed jackal, bat-eared foxes, tsessebe, kudu, hyenas, cheetahs, herds of Cape buffalo, and thousands of migrating zebra and wildebeest.

You'll spend your nights here in the private, relaxing and stunning surroundings of the Savute Safari Lodge, which features a swimming pool and shaded viewing deck.

Savuti

Day 8: Game drives across open grasslands

On your second day in the Savuti, twice daily game drives will help you seek out more wonderful wildlife. Set out to explore in an open 4x4 safari jeep; many trips will incorporate a visit to the Savuti Marsh, giving you a chance to see the historic presence of the Savute Channel against a backdrop of teeming wildlife. The Savuti Marsh offers good opportunities for spotting cheetahs, thanks to the open grasslands where they like to hunt, expanding for miles on end.

Savuti

Day 9: Your final night in the Savuti

It's your final full day of safari exploring in Botswana! Enjoy another round of twice-daily game drives, as well as the chance to clamber up one of the smaller rocky outcrops to marvel at ancient rock paintings. Botswana is a very flat country, so climbing one of the few hills can offer vast, expansive views of the landscape.

Spend a final night in camp, reminiscing about all the sightings you have had whilst sat around a campfire. Gaze at the sun setting on the horizon and observe the waterhole in front of camp, to see any last-minute visitors coming for a well-deserved drink of water.

Savuti - Maun International Airport

Day 10: Goodbye, Botswana

After an early morning game drive, meander to the Savuti Airstrip to meet your bush plane and fly back to Maun International Airport. There, you'll end your trip as you connect to your onward flight back home. Alternatively, you can choose to fly to Kasane and spend a few more nights in this magical part of the world, exploring the mighty Victoria Falls.