Botswana
When perusing a map of Africa, the countries alone can be confusing. But even when you’ve chosen your country, how on earth do you know which part of it to visit? Most visitors to Botswana travel there because it’s the pinnacle of safari experiences. In fact, those sitting around campfires elsewhere in Africa often speak of their dream to visit. It’s widely revered as the most exclusive safari destination with the greatest biomass of animals in the whole of Africa. If Botswana is the destination for you, you’ll need a handle on which parts you’d like to visit.
Fortunately for our intrepid travellers, we’ve done the hard work for you. Our lodges sit in the best areas for wildlife and overall experience.
Botswana sits centrally towards the foot of Africa and covers a fair portion of it. The country dedicates an impressive 38% of its land to national parks, reserves and wildlife areas. That’s where the safari story starts. The wildlife action Botswana is famous for happens in areas so remote that only bush planes reach them. Even then, zebra and giraffe often need clearing from the runway first. The gateway to this wild wonderland is the safari town of Maun. It’s a dusty little outpost that feels satisfyingly far from normal life.
The Makgadikgadi
From Maun most guests head first to the Makgadikgadi. This desert area is only semi-arid. For a feature within the Kalahari, it has more to offer its inhabitants than you might imagine. The Makgadikgadi was once a superlake that cloaked much of Southern Africa and is now a network of salt pans. Here you can find species you won’t see in the wetter areas. Look out for springbok, oryx, brown hyena and the monumentally charismatic meerkat.
The area is vast, which only bolsters its otherworldly appeal. With so few lodges here, you feel like the only souls in a land where time stands still. We operate just four in the private reserve adjacent to the Makgadikgadi National Park. The most opulent of these are the perennially Instagrammable Jack’s Camp and Jack’s Private Camp. They sit a little distance from the romantic minimalism of San Camp. For families after laid-back adventure meanwhile, there’s Camp Kalahari which exudes relaxed safari style. On the fringes of the national park is Meno a Kwena, which sits on a clifftop above the Boteti River.
Incorporating the Makgadikgadi into your stay adds engagement with the Zu/’hoansi bushmen and women. It also adds desert landscapes and unusual creatures that are harder to find elsewhere. Once you’ve soaked up the desert, it’s time for the jewel in Botswana’s crown – the Okavango Delta.
The Okavango Delta
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is Botswana’s premier wildlife viewing destination. It’s also one of the world’s best safari destinations, with good reason. There are few signs of humanity out here, only nature carrying on just as it would had humans never existed. The iconic wetland is home to an impressive diversity of wildlife. Guests routinely see up to 50 species on a single game drive. Private concessions allow for uncrowded, unforgettable game viewing with some of the best birdwatching on the planet.
The Okavango is the world’s largest inland delta, sprawling up to 22,000 square kilometres. Water from the Angolan highlands floods the area during the dry winter months. This allows water activities such as boat and mokoro rides. The ecosystem comprises permanent swamps, seasonal floodplains and and wooded islands. Together they provide habitats for elephant, lion, leopard, African wild dog, zebra and many more.
Our lodges cover a range of areas through the delta, allowing you to combine the different regions.
Northwest Okavango
The northwest Okavango covers the NG12 and NG23A concessions. Here you’ll find find Duke’s Camp, Duke’s East, North Island Okavango, Expeditions Camp and Mbamba. Up at the top of the Delta, there tends to be water for most of the year. The camps have accessto the Okavango’s biggest and deepest waters. The flood hits this area first. Guests have the broadest choice of water activities here, such as boating, mokoros and fishing. With the highest concentration of lions in the Okavango, there should be plenty to see from these channels. But it’s not just lions. The diversity of landscapes produces epic encounters with elephants, leopards, buffalo and more than 400 bird species.
Duke’s Camp and Duke’s East bring the widely loved Uncharted Africa aesthetic to the area. Both lodges offer luxury beneath canvas. Expeditions Camp is a fellow member of the Uncharted Africa family. It strips back the luxury to the original safari experience, in semi-permanent Meru-style tents. Finally, North Island Okavango sits on a private island, designed around comfort, luxury, and of course, the wildlife around it.
Khwai Private Reserve
Over to the east sits Khwai Private Reserve (KPR), home to Tuludi, Sable Alley, Little Sable, Skybeds and Elephant Pan. This land wins on diversity. To the north of the reserve, forests host rarer species such as sable and roan antelope. As waterholes dry up, they head down to the river. The reserve also places great value on its partnerships with local communities. Guests can visit nearby Khwai village and talk about contemporary African life and culture. Out of the vehicle’ activities include a three-day walking safari and underground hides. You can also join rangers on their patrols.
Tuludi offers the most refined safari setting here, followed by bright and beautiful Sable Alley. On a smaller scale, with just eight rooms, is the intimate and chic Little Sable. The camp takes its inspiration from the region’s sable antelope. Elephant Pan meanwhile is a more rustic offering. Elephants come to quench their thirst right in front of the camp. Guests at any KPR camp can also head out to the three-storey Skybeds platforms. Spend a night beneath the stars, beside.
Moremi
South of KPR, in the southeastern area of Moremi Game Reserve is Tawana. There’s a certain magic here. You’ll see Botswana’s biggest names – lion, elephant, giraffe and zebra. But the supporting cast of harder-to-find species is equally impressive. This is an excellent area for cheetah. Guests regularly see true obscurities here too, such as aardwolf and pangolin, both of which are regularly seen here. The area is one of Botswana’s strongholds for endangered African wild dogs. Moremi is one of Africa’s premier safari destinations with year round wildlife activity. Tawana is an expansive and environmentally considerate camp that immerses you in one of the greatest wilderness areas on earth.
Xudum
Over to the west is the Xudum concession where you’ll find Mokolwane and the upcoming Mokolwane Plains. Xudum is well known as the filming location for Big Cat 24/7 and Living with Leopards. Its dense riverine forest supports numerous leopards. What people often overlook are the wide, open plains, which spill over with herds of zebra and wildebeest. Such herds inevitably draw predators into the area. There’s currently a mega-pride of more than 50 lions here. There are just two camps in the 200,000 hectare reserve, offering absolute exclusivity in this remote wilderness. Mokolwane is a special little camp that’s big on adventure, stillness and solitude. Mokolwane Plains meanwhile will open in July 2027, bringing a stylish and contemporary under-canvas camp to this intimate wilderness.
When people call Botswana the ultimate safari destination, it’s not only about the poster species. It’s also the wilderness, the remoteness and the weird and wonderful connoisseur species that call this haven home.