The Okavango Delta
The Okavango is an inland delta that never reaches the sea, and the flood arrives in the dry season rather than the wet one.
Botswana.
Conservation. Exclusivity. Rivers. Wildlife. Sustainability.
Southern Africa · 4 of 6
Experience the very pinnacle of safari excellence in Botswana — a destination celebrated for its unrivalled blend of land and water‑based wildlife encounters.
Here, in some of the world’s most exclusive and remote wilderness areas, travellers are immersed in pristine ecosystems where nature unfolds in its purest form. From the serene waterways of the Okavango Delta to the vast, wildlife‑rich plains beyond, Botswana offers intimate, uncrowded safari experiences defined by exceptional guiding, luxury accommodations, and extraordinary proximity to Africa’s iconic species.
This is safari reimagined — refined, authentic, and truly unforgettable.
Best time to travel
Jun – Oct (peak Jul – Sep)
Peak safari coincides with the Okavango flood and the dry season, when wildlife concentrates on the water. Green season is lush, much quieter, and considerably better value. An indicative pattern rather than a forecast; conditions vary year to year.
Start planning
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The guide
Botswana in full
Botswana made a deliberate choice decades ago to sell low-volume, high-value tourism, and the country still runs that way. Camps are small, concessions are private and large, and vehicle numbers at a sighting are low — which is the reason Botswana costs what it does and why people who can afford it keep going back.
Its defining feature is water in a desert. The Okavango floods in the dry season, arriving from Angolan rain months earlier, and turns the northern Kalahari into a maze of channels and islands at exactly the time the surrounding country is at its driest.
Chobe and the Linyanti
Chobe holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, concentrated along its river frontage in the dry months.
The Kalahari and the salt pans
The Central Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi pans are the country's dry, spare, wide-horizon counterpoint to the Delta.
Gateways
- MUB — MaunThe gateway to the Okavango Delta and where almost every light-aircraft transfer into camp begins.
- BBK — KasaneThe gateway to Chobe and the crossing point for Victoria Falls.
- GBE — Gaborone — Sir Seretse Khama InternationalThe capital's airport; rarely used on a safari itinerary, which runs through Maun and Kasane.
Getting around
- Light aircraft, almost entirely. Camps sit on private airstrips and transfers are scheduled hops from Maun or Kasane, with a strict soft-bag luggage limit.
- Self-drive exists and is serious. Botswana is one of the great self-drive countries for experienced, well-equipped travellers, but it is genuinely remote and not a casual undertaking.
- Chobe and Victoria Falls are close enough to combine easily, with the Zimbabwean or Zambian side of the Falls an hour or so from Kasane.
In pictures
Botswana
Photo Maria Baltazzi / Unsplash
Photo Maria Baltazzi / Unsplash
Photo Ajeet Panesar / Unsplash
Planning Botswana
Botswana — the questions we are asked
When is the best time to visit Botswana?
Jun – Oct (peak Jul – Sep). Peak safari coincides with the Okavango flood and the dry season, when wildlife concentrates on the water. Green season is lush, much quieter, and considerably better value.
Which Famous Africa journeys include Botswana?
Famous Africa plans Botswana as a tailor-made itinerary rather than a fixed departure, on its own or combined with neighbouring countries. Nothing is sold as a set package, so the routing, lodges and length are decided with the traveller.
What is Botswana known for?
Experience the very pinnacle of safari excellence in Botswana — a destination celebrated for its unrivalled blend of land and water‑based wildlife encounters. Conservation, Exclusivity, Rivers, Wildlife, Sustainability.