There are safaris that show you Africa. And then there are journeys that help you understand it. Our Botswana Conservation Itinerary has been created for travellers who appreciate the thrill of a game drive, but want to go beyond wildlife viewing – to see how conservation works in practice, and how travel, when done thoughtfully, can actively restore and enhance the places visited.
This is an eight day safari shaped by conservation and communities, and over those carefully curated days, you’ll move from the wider, salt-coloured edges of the Makgadikgadi into the breathing waterways of the Okavango Delta, staying in three of our camps and gaining insight into six conservation and community initiatives we actively support.
Guided by Murray McCallum, our community and conservation expert guide who is also Natural Selection’s group CSR manager, you’ll meet the people behind conservation – the rangers, researchers, community leaders, farmers and educators who help implement conservation on the ground, day after day. You’ll share stories with local communities whose own lives are inseparable from wildlife, navigating daily realities through patience and persistence – stories shared over tea, under trees and beside ancient elephant paths.
Your conservation journey begins at Meno a Kwena, perched high above the Boteti River on the edge of the Makgadikgadi National Park. From camp, you watch elephants move freely below, a powerful reminder of why coexistence matters.
Here, you’ll spend time with Elephant for Africa, learning how human-wildlife conflict is being addressed through practical, community-led solutions. Conversations with local farmers reveal the realities of living alongside elephants, and how coexistence becomes possible when knowledge, trust and long-term support align.
Your safari continues into the Okavango Delta and Khwai Private Reserve, where conservation operates across research, protection and community partnership. At Little Sable, you’ll learn about long-term wild dog and predator research, anti-poaching efforts, and the essential role local communities play in protecting this landscape. Time spent in Khwai Village offers insight into Natural Selection led initiatives focused on education and sustainable livelihoods.
In the northern Okavango, conservation focuses on managing coexistence between communities and wildlife across shared landscapes. At Duke’s Camp and Duke’s East, you will encounter initiatives designed to reduce human-wildlife risks and improve daily lives. Through a Life with Elephants Tour, you’ll gain insight into the community’s traditional way of life and what it means to live in close proximity to elephants, including a visit to the elephant express Programme, which safely transports children and healthcare providers through elephant corridors.
You’ll also learn how CLAWS, a communal herding programme, protects livestock, restores grazing land and significantly reduces retaliatory lion killings. Together, these projects respond to complex challenges shaped by the people who live here.
“This journey gives guests a deeper understanding of how, and why, their visit truly matters to conservation and the communities who live alongside wildlife,” explains Murray McCallum. “Seeing the bigger picture, and your place within it, is what turns travel into long-term impact.”
There is something truly grounding about seeing conservation at work, not as a concept, but as a series of daily, deliberate actions. You’ll stay in comfort in our camps, with canvas suites, open decks and crackling fires, and unforgettable wildlife encounters, while gaining a clear understanding of how conservation functions on the ground in one of Africa’s most extraordinary landscapes. This is responsible tourism in action. And being part of it makes a meaningful difference.