Best of Botswana

Our Best of Botswana Safari takes combines four of northern Botswana’s best safari areas and combines them into a quality and cost-effective 12-day Botswana safari. The types of accommodation used here are considered ‘comfortable to luxury’. We can of course tweak this to use other more exclusive camps.

The areas included are the Makgadikgadi Pans - an expansive set of salt pans, so vast you can lose the sight of land. It is a wilderness that has its signature wildlife & experience. The Okavango Delta is a wetland dotted with paradisiacal islands and teeming with wildlife. The Savute forms an important part of the Chobe National Park and the greater northern Botswana wildlife areas. Known for exceptional predator interaction and of course its ubiquitous elephants. Lastly, the Chobe River itself is an experience never to be forgotten and best enjoyed from the deck of a luxury houseboat.

 

The Itinerary at a Glance

Days 01-03: Depart Johannesburg for Maun (Botswana) and onto Leroo La Tau in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

Days 04-06: Depart Leroo La Tau for Xugana Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta.

Days 07-09: Travel from Camp Okavango to Savute Safari Lodge in the Savuti region of Botswana. 

Days 10-12: From Savuti it’s onto the Chobe National Park, where you board the Chobe Princess Houseboat.

Day 13: Transfer to Kasane Airport, to board your flight back to Johannesburg.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey begins in the wide-open spaces of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, where the flat, salt-pan landscape is perfect for capturing views of the endless horizon.  The park is also home to an abundance of fossil dunes and wildlife, including the Makgadikgadi meerkat, pink flamingo, and several predator species, such as cheetah and lion.

From here to the alluvial paradise of the Okavango Delta. The Delta is one of Africa’s largest wetland resources and the world’s largest inland delta that floods and swells annually, as water from the neighboring Angolan Highlands enters Botswana between June to October. This natural phenomenon attracts a wide range of bird and animal life that flock to the water-rich region, creating a unique and memorable safari experience.

From the Delta, we continue to the iconic Savuti Region, home to the episodic Savuti Channel a water source that supports an array of wildlife, including vast herds of elephants and large pride of lions.

The magic continues as you move to the Chobe River in northern Botswana, where you embark on a luxurious Chobe Houseboat Safari operating from the Namibian bank. Home to big crocodiles, many hippos, and a critical water source for all wildlife.

Day 01 - Johannesburg to Le Roo la Tau

This morning you board your flight in Johannesburg for Maun, Botswana. Here you will be met and transferred by light aircraft to near the Makgadikgadi Pans. On landing at the airstrip, you will be met and transferred to the Leroo La Tau where you spend the first 03 nights of your Best of Botswana safari on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 02 - 03 - On Safari at Leroo La Tau

Days spent at Leroo La Tau on guided activities, including guided game drives in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park focusing on the exceptional wildlife sightings along the Boteti River. The national park has a mix of grassland, scrubland, and thousands of square kilometers of saltpan. The habitat is hostile in its extremes but it features an abundance of interesting wildlife and vast space that is an integral part of a true Botswana safari.

Day 04 - Leroo La Tau to Xugana Island Lodge

This morning after an activity and breakfast you will be transferred by light aircraft into the Okavango Delta. You will land at Xugana Island Lodge arriving in time for lunch and the afternoon safari activity. Here you spend 03 nights on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 05 - 06 -  On Safari at Xugana Island Lodge

The Okavango Delta swells each year in what is known as the flood. The flood waters have their origin in the Angolan Highlands and only make it to the Okavango around June each year and lasts until about October. This coincides with the region’s dry winter months and the result is an abundance of wildlife that occurs in and around the delta.

Day 07 - Xugana Island Lodge to Savute Safari Lodge

After your morning safari and breakfast at Xugana Island Lodge, you will board a light aircraft for your transfer to the Savuti area. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Savute Safari Lodge in time for lunch and the afternoon game drive. Here you will spend 03 nights on a fully inclusive basis.

Day 07 & 08 - On Safari at Savute Safari Lodge

Time spent at Savute Safari Lodge enjoying the morning and afternoon game drive safaris. Game drives are conducted in the early morning and late afternoon. The Savuti area is renowned for some excellent elephant sightings as well as lion and other predators.

The Savuti has its own unique pulse of life, that is governed by a force of nature that we have no way of predicting. The famous Savuti Channel can be a deep clear flowing channel of water supporting a host of birdlife, hippos and crocodiles for years at a time. Then without warning, dry up to a dry river bed that can remain as such for years again. The constant however to this beautiful wilderness is its rich wildlife, large zebra migration and the rocky hills (koppies) known as the Gubatsa Hills that have gazed over this piece of Africa for millions of years.

Day 09 - Savuti Safari Lodge to Kasane for the Chobe River

After the morning safari and breakfast, you will be transferred by light aircraft to the Kasane from where you will be transferred by road to the boat launch where you clear customs into Namibia and then cruise across to board the Chobe Princess Houseboat. Here you will spend the last 03 nights of your Best of Botswana safari on a fully inclusive basis. The Chobe Princess has been refurbished to create a fresh new look capturing the beauty of the Chobe River and translating that into all the furnishings aboard the boat. Each room has beautiful views over the river, there is a splash pool and the top deck has been converted into a viewing platform with unspoilt views of the surrounding landscapes.

Day 11 & 12 - On Safari aboard the Chobe Princess Houseboat

Moving regularly between our moorings on the Chobe River, evoking a sense of exploration, the Chobe Princess exposes its passengers to the rich and diverse wildlife of the area. The Chobe is world famous for its vast elephant herds, which can be experienced up close in complete safety as they congregate at the river, or swim across to the Caprivi floodplains. It is not unusual to awaken to a herd of buffalo, in their hundreds, grazing peacefully next to the boat.

Day 13 -  Chobe Princess to Johannesburg (via Kasane)

This morning you will be transferred to the Kasane Airport where you board your flight back to Johannesburg, so ending your 12-night Best of Botswana safari.

Safari Cost

* The costs below are split out into the Botswana section (in USD) and the Namibia section & flights (in ZAR). The exchange rate between the ZAR : USD can be seen here

Jan, Feb & Dec 2024
$5,131 per person sharing
R40,354 per person sharing

Mar 2024
$5,131 per person sharing
R47,690 per person sharing

Apr - May & Nov 2024
$6,731 per person sharing
R47,690 per person sharing

Jun - Oct 2024
$8,408 per person sharing
R47,690 per person sharing

Jan & Feb 2025
$6,000 per person sharing
R36,250 per person sharing

Mar 2025
$6,000 per person sharing
R43,770 per person sharing

Apr - May & Nov 2025
$7,840 per person sharing
R44,610 per person sharing

Jun - Oct 2025
$9,880 per person sharing
R44,610 per person sharing

Dec 2025
$7,840 per person sharing
R38,250 per person sharing

Safari Price Includes:
12 nights accommodation on a fully inclusive basis
Twice daily guided safari activities at the camps, lodges & houseboats specified, which could include boating, game drives, game walks & mokoro excursions
Park & concession fees where necessary

All light aircraft transfers as per itinerary
All road & airport transfers as per itinerary
The services of professional guides & camp staff
All meals, refreshments local spirits & wine (Excluding premium brands)
All Scheduled charter flights as per itinerary

Flights:
JNB - Maun one way excl taxes
Kasane - JNB one way excl taxes

Safari Prices Excludes
Premium branded drinks
Personal items & gratuities
Visas if required
Airport taxes
Laundry Service on Chobe Princess Houseboat
Travel Insurance