What Sets Botswana Apart
Botswana has carved out a unique niche in the safari world through its deliberate "high-value, low-volume" approach. While Kenya and Tanzania can feel crowded during peak seasons, Botswana limits visitor numbers to preserve the wilderness experience. This means you'll often have sightings to yourself, with no parade of vehicles jostling for position around a leopard kill.
The country's commitment runs deep - 50% of its landmass (roughly the size of France) is protected as wildlife areas, housing only 2 million people. This creates space for natural wildlife movements that you simply don't find elsewhere. Chobe National Park alone hosts around 70,000 elephants, and Botswana holds 30% of the world's wild dog population.
Popular Trips to Botswana
The tours below showcase just some of what is possible. Use these itineraries as starting points, or to draw inspiration. Then get in touch, and let our expert team help craft the perfect itinerary for you.
Botswana's Best Safari Regions
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta stands out as Africa's most extraordinary wetland system. This UNESCO World Heritage site covers roughly 22,000 square kilometers and creates a stunning oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert. What makes it truly special is how seasonal floodwaters from Angola arrive during Botswana's dry season (June-July), transforming the landscape into a network of crystal-clear channels, islands, and lagoons.
The magic here lies in the mokoro journeys – gliding silently through papyrus-lined waterways in traditional dugout canoes. You'll spot red lechwe bounding through shallow waters, elephants crossing channels, and an incredible diversity of birdlife. The combination of permanent water areas and seasonal floodplains creates distinct habitats that support everything from hippos and crocodiles to tiny painted reed frogs.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park hosts one of Africa's largest elephant populations, with estimates ranging from 70,000 to 120,000 individuals. The Chobe River becomes the stage for one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles, especially during the dry season when massive elephant herds gather along the riverbanks.
Boat safaris here offer front-row seats to elephants swimming across the river, sometimes with tiny calves clinging to their mothers. The park's diverse landscapes – from lush floodplains near the river to the remote Savute region – each tell different wildlife stories. Savute is particularly famous for its lion prides and the unpredictable Savute Channel, which flows and dries according to its own mysterious schedule.
Linyanti Reserve
The Linyanti region represents Botswana's wildest face. This remote area, characterized by spreading floodplains and ancient river systems, holds some of Africa's highest concentrations of endangered African wild dogs. The exclusivity of private concessions here means you might encounter leopards, wild dogs, and massive buffalo herds with virtually no other vehicles in sight.
Night drives and walking safaris – activities restricted in national parks – become possible here, opening up entirely different dimensions of the African bush experience.
Kalahari Desert
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the world's second-largest game reserve at 52,000 square kilometers, showcases a landscape that transforms dramatically with the seasons. During the dry months, it appears as endless golden grasslands punctuated by isolated trees. But when the summer rains arrive (November-April), this seemingly barren landscape explodes into lush grazing grounds that attract vast herds of antelope and their predators.
The nearby Makgadikgadi Pans offer perhaps the most surreal landscape in Africa – blindingly white salt flats that stretch to the horizon, remnants of an ancient super-lake. During the wet season, these pans witness spectacular zebra migrations, while the dry season allows for otherworldly quad biking experiences across the salt surfaces.
Wildlife in Botswana
Botswana delivers four of Africa's Big Five. You'll find lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo in incredible numbers, though rhinos remain elusive due to their critically endangered status. The country is home to Africa's largest elephant population – around 130,000 individuals – and during dry season, Chobe's riverfront becomes an elephant highway where herds numbering in the hundreds gather to drink and bathe.
The Okavango Delta supports roughly 1,000 lions, while the Linyanti region has become legendary for leopard sightings thanks to its high densities. What sets Botswana apart is its role as a stronghold for African wild dogs, often hosting 30% of the world's remaining population of these endangered pack hunters.
Safaris in Botswana FAQs
-
What makes Botswana different from other safari destinations in Africa?
Botswana follows a "high-value, low-volume" tourism model that limits visitor numbers and focuses on exclusive experiences. Private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives, and walking safaris that aren't permitted in many other African parks.
-
When is the best time to visit Botswana for safari?
The dry season from May–October offers the best game viewing with wildlife concentrated around water sources. June–July provides peak Okavango Delta flooding for water activities, while the wet season (November–April) offers fewer crowds and excellent birding.
-
How does the cost of a Botswana safari compare to other destinations?
Botswana safaris are generally more expensive due to their exclusivity model, ranging from $800–1,000 per night for 4-star comfort to $1,500–2,500+ for luxury during high season.
-
What unique wildlife experiences can I expect in Botswana?
Botswana hosts Africa's largest elephant population (around 70,000 in Chobe) and exceptional concentrations of big cats including endangered wild dogs. The Okavango Delta offers unique water-based viewing via mokoro canoes with sightings of sitatunga antelope and over 400 bird species.
-
How do I get around Botswana during a safari?
Most safaris begin with flights into Maun or Kasane, connecting from Johannesburg. Internal travel between remote lodges is via light aircraft that offer aerial views and maximize game drive time rather than long road transfers.
-
What type of accommodation should I expect in Botswana?
Luxury ranges from permanent lodges to intimate tented camps like Mombo, Jao, and Vumbura Plains in private concessions. Most camps host fewer than 20 guests and offer exclusive access with personalized service, including unique options like Star Beds in Makgadikgadi Pans.
-
How long should I plan for a Botswana safari?
An ideal safari combines at least two distinct regions over 7–10 days minimum to experience diverse landscapes from the Okavango Delta to Chobe. For combining with Victoria Falls, plan 10 days in Botswana plus 2–3 days at the falls for a comprehensive two-week itinerary.
-
How does Botswana compare to Kenya or Tanzania for first-time safari visitors?
Botswana offers a more exclusive, less crowded experience with smaller camps and private concessions, while Kenya and Tanzania provide classic safari experiences with larger parks and higher wildlife densities. Botswana suits travelers seeking intimate luxury and unique water-based activities in the Okavango Delta.
-
What are the advantages of private concessions versus national parks in Botswana?
Private concessions offer greater flexibility with off-road driving, night drives, walking safaris, and lower visitor density compared to national parks. National parks have stricter rules and publicly accessible roads but often feature higher wildlife concentrations and lower costs.
Popular Trips to Botswana
The tours below showcase just some of what is possible. Use these itineraries as starting points, or to draw inspiration. Then get in touch, and let our expert team help craft the perfect itinerary for you.
3 reasons to book with Brilliant
1. Highest-rated safari company on Trustpilot
So you can book with confidence knowing you're in safe hands.
2. A fully bespoke service and expert impartial advice
Planning a trip to Africa is complicated. Brilliant makes it easy. Our team have spent decades in the region so we can help you find the right trip - and we don't charge a fee.
3. Exclusive access at the best rates
We have exclusive access to the best value-for-money camps and lodges at rates you won't get anywhere else.
Melissa and team ready for safari
Travel with Brilliant Africa
Every year, we help hundreds of travellers explore East Africa.
Our team can help you find the trip to match your dreams, budget, and appetite for adventure.
Ready to plan your African adventure?
Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.