Ultimate Botswana Self-drive Safari

Arrive in Maun, which has regular flights from Jo'burg, Victoria Falls, Cape Town and Windhoek, and transfer by light aircraft to the Okavango Delta Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is a network of waterways and flood plains in Botswana
More... for two nights.

This part of your tour is not self-drive because the Okavango Delta is almost impenetrable by road. Spend two nights in the world's largest inland delta enjoying game drives, motor boat safaris and mokoro safaris in the channels and lagoons.

Game viewing is exceptional in this pristine wilderness with an abundance on water-loving animals like elephant, buffalo, crocodiles, hippos, waterbuck, lechwe and reedbuck. Lions, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas and jackals are naturally attracted to the rich pickings of this fertile expanse and the birdlife is phenomenal.

Accommodation: Oddballs or Moremi Crossing Lodge

From the Delta, fly back to Maun and collect your camping-ready off-road safari vehicle and head into Maun to buy your food and supplies for your self-drive camping tour of Botswana. From Maun you will then drive about 20 minutes to Thamalakane River Lodge where you can enjoy an afternoon's rest beside the beautiful river.

Thamalakane Lodge is a comfortable lodge away from the hubbub of Maun on the banks of the Thamalakane River. The stone and thatch chalets have en suite bathrooms, private splash pools and a great view of the river with its chirruping birdlife and hippos grunting beneath the lilies.

Accommodation: Thamalakane River Lodge

Drive about two hours, most of it on good paved roads, to the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Makgadikgadi Pans is an amazing place that rewards the intrepid traveller willing to head off the beaten tourist track
More... of the Kalahari where vast saline pans, much like Etosha in Namibia, simmer into the horizon and the low-lying bush of acacia trees and tall brown grass stretch as far as you can see.

Wildlife is plentiful here and congregates around the few water sources available making game viewing and birdwatching surprisingly good for such a dry-looking place. And the tranquillity will hit you like a heatwave: just birds chirruping and the gentle breeze wafting through the trees. Not a single sound of human interference let alone any visible evidence.

Spend two days camping in the Kalahari, the cool, clear evenings produce spectacular night skies and the warm clear days make for great game viewing.

Accommodation: Nxai Pans campsite, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Drive back to Maun from Makgadikgadi Pans for a re-supply if necessary then it's into Moremi Game Reserve two hours' drive from Maun. This is about as far in as you can get by standard vehicle in the Okavango Delta Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is a network of waterways and flood plains in Botswana
More... so you can be sure you're quite remote in this unspoilt water wilderness - the largest inland delta in the world.

Set up camp and enjoy the raw Botswana bush, alive with the sounds and invigorating scents of untouched Africa. In the Moremi Game Reserve you can go on endless self-drive safaris through the area, stopping at picturesque lagoons for as long as you like just watching nature's parade of animals, birds and plants.

Spend two nights each at two different campsites in the Moremi Game Reserve. Wildlife in this park is abundant and wildly diverse with elephants, lions, leopards, hyena and wild dog adding to the array of plains game including buffalo, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, zebra, impala and the delightful red lechwe. Birdlife is also spectacular with savannah, woodland and waterbirds in great number and variety.

Accommodation: Third Bridge or Xakanaxa; North Gate Campsite

Leaving the lush paradise behind, you drive north through Chobe National Park Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
More... towards Savute, where the wildlife gets bigger and predators more ferocious. Savute is famous for its exceptional game viewing experiences and fascinating interactions between feuding species jostling for dominion.

Spend two days on game drives through this parched land, visiting waterholes that attract a good variety of wildlife and birdlife. Evenings by the campfire in Africa are the stuff of everlasting memories, especially with the hoot of an owl or the yip of hyena in the distance.

Accommodation: Savute campsite

Continue northwards through the Chobe National Park Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
More... to the Chobe River, where the wildlife comes to you.

The drive to Chobe River will take most of the day through the game park. It's one long game drive, stopping for a picnic en route would be a good idea, and if you set off early enough the game viewing will be good.

Once at Chobe River, you'll camp on the river's edge, adjacent to a comfortable safari lodge if you feel your camping cooking repertoire running thin. The lodge offers guided game drives into the park in the morning and late afternoon and guided river safaris on specially adapted river boats. A gentle sundowner cruise is also a must. Or you might fancy your luck again on a self-drive safari through the park which has a good network of well-tended gravel roads.

The great diversity and abundance of wildlife in Chobe is eclipsed by the staggering number of elephants. With Africa's highest concentration and largest population, Chobe is the elephant capital of the continent. In addition to elephants, huge herds of buffalo munch their way across the plains and down the river and a host of antelope, plains game and predators vie for your attention. The birdlife, like the delta, is a cross-section of savannah, woodland and riparian species with never a dull moment the result.

Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge campsite (or if you're feeling flush you can book a room at the lodge)

You can either fly out from Kasane Airport, a few minutes' drive from Chobe Safari Lodge or transfer - about 70km - to Victoria Falls Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls - also called Mosi-oa-Tunya which means the smoke that thunders
More... for a couple of days sightseeing, adventure and yet more magnificent game viewing safaris.

Talk to your Travel Expert about adding on Victoria Falls or tailoring any part of this wonderful self-drive safari to suit your exact requirements.