Tailor Made Luxury Botswana Wildlife Private Escorted Safari Tours

Why choose Botswana, for your African safari holiday?

* Botswana is a land locked country, with three impressive and massive wildlife attractions. Botswana Safari tour operators offer superb private safari packages in excellent safari lodges. Botswana Safaris in general offer some of the best value for money in Africa.

*Botswana is the best governed, safest and least corrupt country in Africa whose people enjoy a high standard of living. This in turn means that your Botswana wildlife safari will be great value. In addition, you have the peace of mind that your tourist dollar is going to the right people.

* Botswana’s scenery is like no other. Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari desert are a bucket list draw. The best way to see them is on a Botswana private safari. We are experts in organising tailor made safari tours in Botswana.

*Botswana is so surprisingly easy to reach. An overnight flight from Europe with a fast connection in Johannesburg will have you in camp on your Botswana luxury tour by lunchtime the next day.

*The best way to experience a Botswana wildlife safari is to take an exclusive Botswana guided tour. We have access to the finest Botswana guides, and luxury lodges from the exclusive safari to the mid range value safari.

* The Okavango Delta is one of the world’s very few inland river deltas. Through its seasonal flooding patterns, the Okavango Delta has created a series of unique ecosystems. In stark contrast to this is the Kalahari desert, which is famous for its orange dunes and rolling landscapes.

*For the discerning traveller, we have a series of Botswana luxury tours, which take 12 -15 days. You will be flown around Botswana in light aircraft from some of the most exclusive Botswana safari lodges and have a private safari vehicle in each location. Your Botswana luxury safari will take in the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and the Kalahari desert. At every stage you will have a Botswana private safari guide, who knows the local area like the back of his hand.

* Tailor made Botswana luxury safari or a mid-Range African Safari holiday: the choice is yours.

A Tailor made Botswana luxury safari, staying at premium lodges and with a private safari guide in the Okavango Delta, the Nata Sanctuary, the Mkgadikgadi Pans and Chobe National Park would start at £5600 per person. This would be flying with Moremi Air and staying at exclusive &Beyond lodges. This trip can be extended with Victoria Falls and Capetown.

*A mid-range Botswana safari holiday staying in Kubu Lodge, Cresta Spray View in Victoria Falls and flying down to Capetown would start from only £2623.00 pp including regional flights. This is the best value out of all the value for money Botswana safari tours.

Why Choose a Tailor Made Botswana Safari Tour?

Botswana boasts some impressive National Parks in the northern half of the country. Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta are bucket list safari holidays. All of Botswana’s wildlife safaris are within striking distance of either Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe or Maun Regional Airport in Botswana. Both are easily accessed from Johannesburg. African Safari tours in Botswana are now the easiest to reach in Southern Africa. Botswana is the without doubt the most convenient safari travel hub.

We cannot stress this enough: there are very countries that can offer tailor made luxury African safari tours alongside budget African Botswana safaris . To put it simply: you can spend £350 a night on your safari, or £2500 a night. You get what you pay for, but unlike some other countries the mid range safari holiday option in Botswana is still of the highest quality.

The two most popular tailor made safari tours in Botswana that we find ourselves arranging in the country are the 12 day Southern Africa Explorer, and the Botswana Private Luxury Safari Tour.

The Southern Explorer: This best value Botswana safari tour starts in Johannesburg, where you board the flight to Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. Over the next twelve days you will visit Victoria Falls, take a cruise on the Zambezi River and go on safari in the Zambezi National Park before being driven into Chobe National Park in nearby Botswana. There you will spend four nights of your Botswana safari tour in the excellent Kubu Lodge before transferring back to Victoria Falls for the Airlink flight to Cape Town. Here you will be met by your transfer driver who takes you to the centrally located Rouge On Rose Boutique Hotel (Bo Kaap quarter) and you’ll enjoy four stunning nights in Africa’s ‘mother city to finish off your Botswana safari holiday’.

*Mid-season rates start at £2623.00 pp including regional flights.

The Botswana Private Luxury Safari Tour starts in Johannesburg and sees you flying into Maun Regional Airport in Botswana itself. Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta. After a brief 20 minute flight you will start your private Okavango Delta safari experience with 3 nights in Moremi Crossing Bush Camp. You will then fly on to Nata Lodge to see the vast salt pans, grassy plains and millions of migratory birds of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. You’ll spend two nights here before hopping over to the Chobe River region further north in Botswana which is very popular with Botswana safaris. You spend the next three nights in the Chobe Safari Lodge right on the banks of the Chobe River and end your Botswana Private Luxury Safari Tour either in Kasane (continue to Namibia) or Victoria Falls to depart Africa.

*Mid-season rates start at £3352.00 pp including local flights.

Botswana Guided Tours Additions- in and around Botswana

All of our Botswana safari tours are tailor-made. This means that you can choose to add or remove sections, such as adding nights under the desert skies of the Kalahari desert, searching for the elusive African Painted Wild Dog, or driving deep into the Makgadikgadi pans in search of migratory birds. You could choose to personalise your Botswana safari tour by spending time in Chobe National Park under Canvas. We offer both luxury camps and budget camping safaris. There is something special about exploring the backwaters of the Okavango Delta with a mokoro escorted boat safari tour. Many safari goers choose to add a scenic flight to their Botswana safari packages. These range from a short 20 minute flight over the Okavango Delta, to a longer 45 minute flight over the Kalahari Desert and the Makgadikgadi pans. Or keep it simple: walking is the way Africans move. It is good to see Africa from ground level, and walk with our dedicated with our Botswana safari guides. There are dawn nature walks, African village walks and a simple stroll around your nearest town and the vibrant local markets. A Botswana private safari is about so much more than animals; it takes in the full circle of life. Our Botswana safaris and tours revolve around an understanding of the people, culture and history.

Include Namibia in your Escorted Botswana Safari Tour Adventure

If you have time after your safari holidays in Botswana, you could add a week in neighbouring Namibia. We offer tailor made Namibia safaris, from 4 -21 days. Sossusvlei and the Namib desert are in marked contrast to the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, and the addition of Namibia to your escorted tours Botswana offers a unique perspective to your African safari.

Visit Victoria Falls During your Botswana Luxury Safari

Many luxury Botswana tours end in Chobe National Park. This is so close to Zimbabwe, that adding a luxury Victoria Falls tour is a welcome compliment to your Botswana Luxury Safari. Victoria Falls are the largest waterfalls in the world, with an average 550 cubic metres of water flowing over the edge before dropping 150 metres into the Zambezi river. The Victoria Falls Hotel is one of many premium properties to stay and explore these falls. A three night Victoria Falls luxury extension gives a historic angle to your luxury African safari adventure.

How do I get around Botswana on my Botswana Wildlife Safari ?

Your starting point of your Botswana safari would either be Victoria Falls International Airport or Maun Regional Airport. Your Botswana safari guide will be there to meet you outside ‘Arrivals’, no matter which country you land in.

If you are going to Chobe National Park from Victoria Falls, you will be driven straight to your Chobe Safari Lodge. At the end of your safari, you will be driven back to Victoria Falls town or airport for your flight to Cape Town, or you begin your Victoria Falls tour.

If you arrive in Maun by air for your Botswana private safari in the Okavango Delta, you will be met by your guide and escorted to the Maun domestic terminal from where you will take a short 25 minute flight into the Okavango Delta. You will be met at the bush airstrip by your safari guide and driven by boat or land cruiser to Moremi Crossing Camp. LINK TO: https://underonebotswanasky.com/botswana-lodges/moremi-crossing

From then on, the expert staff and guides in your camp will take care of your every need and all activities. At the end of your stay in the Okavango Delta, you will be taken back to the bush airstrip to embark on the next section of your Botswana safari adventure. Depending upon your safari tour itinerary you will fly to Nata or Chobe and eventually to Maun. Adding Victoria Falls, Namibia or a Zimbabwe safari extension is easy: please simply ask.

Getting to Botswana – Starting your Botswana Safari Holidays

Getting to Botswana has never been easier. Botswana may be off the beaten track, but Victoria Falls International Airport in Zimbabwe and Maun Regional Airport are both connected to Johannesburg on a twice-daily basis. Johannesburg is Africa’s best connected airport with direct flights from Europe, the United States and Asia. Quality airlines such as KLM (www.klm.com), British Airways (www.ba.com) and Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) all serve Johannesburg daily. The Middle Eastern super carriers such as Qatar (www.flyqatar.com) and Emirates (www.emirates.com) also land every day.

But by far and away the easiest connection is British Airways (www.ba.com) who operate a flight to Botswana and Zimbabwe from Johannesburg and Cape Town. As ATOL license holders, we are happy to organise your international flights for your tailor made safari tour Botswana. We are experts in finding a flight connection that works for you. Whether it be from a remote airport in the United States to Africa, tying up a connection from Australia to a bush strip, or a simple Europe to Victoria Falls return flight: we have access to very competitive business class and premium fares. We can also find you the best value economy class fares, on premium airlines.

Your Private Botswana Luxury Wildlife Safari Tour Itinerary

The Botswana Private Safari Itinerary- the best of our escorted tours Botswana

Day 1 - Arrival at Maun, you start your Botswana Private Safari

This morning you board your small, regional flight from Johannesburg to Maun, the gate way to the Okavango Delta. Land in the small airport, collect your bags, and meet your Botswana Private Safari guide. He will assist you to board the next small aircraft that will take you into the Okavango Delta itself. This flight is about 20 to 30 minutes and an experience in itself – you fly over the outer edges of the Okavango Delta and will give you an idea of just how big this place is. You land at the tiny private airstrip near Moremi Crossing Camp. Your Botswana private safari guide will meet you here with your game drive vehicle, and a short drive to the camp itself will have you see your first animals.

Check in, relax, meet the staff and other guides, and enjoy lunch in the shade of the camp. In the afternoon your Botswana safari starts in earnest, as you head out on your guided game drive. This may be in a rugged Landrover or on a safari boat. You will be up close to the animal life of the Okavango Delta.

Accommodation, meals game drives at Moremi Crossing camp

Day 2 - A full day in the hands of your private safari guide Botswana

Depending on the season and the flood levels, you will be driven around in open game drive vehicles or on small boats so as to not disturb the animals. Some of the papyrus islands are safe to go on on foot, some areas are only reachable by car. Your Botswana safari guide will escort you at all times. You will be surrounded by animals, as they move around and near the water. During this segment of your Botswana safari tour, you will see elephants, giraffe, zebras, hippo, thousands of migratory birds and the smaller species like jackals, genuk, various antelopes and buck and the funny meerkats and their antics. If you are incredibly lucky you may even see the apex predators of the delta close to your car.

The unique landscapes of the Okavango Delta have made the animals here behave and adapt in ways you won’t see anywhere else in Africa, which makes this Botswana wildlife safari a priceless experience. Lions swimming to reach an island and their prey, cheetah climbing smaller trees and antelopes that have developed sensory skills that withstand water are just some of the wonders of the channels and islands of the Delta.

You have the choice to go out on your guided safari morning and evening, returning for lunch or if conditions allow, you may stay out the whole day and have a luxury picnic on an island. Your Botswana luxury safari experience here at Moremi Crossing in the Okavango Delta is exactly as you wish it to be. Meals are served in the camp, but snacks, hot and cold drinks or sundowner drinks service are often carried in cars and boats.

Accommodation, meals, and game activities are all arranged and guided by the expert Botswana Safari guides at Moremi Crossing Camp.

Day 3 - A second full day inside the Okavango Delta, making the most of your luxury Botswana Safari tour.

The rangers will discuss with you what you would most like to see, and the day is yours to enjoy. Accommodation, meals, and game activities are all arranged and guided by the Moremi Crossing Camp.

Day 4 - Today you will leave the Okavango Delta by air and connect to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.

First, the short flight returns you into Maun where you climb aboard a small aircraft to the next area of natural beauty. The Makgadkgadi Salt Pans are famous for their dry, arid and stark beauty. The wonder of this place is that with the seasonal flooding of the Okavango Delta nearby, the grassy plains offer feeding and breeding grounds for millions of migratory bird species. Ask us for the right time to visit this location on your escorted Botswana safari tour and spend 2 nights at the Nata Lodge in the Nata Sanctuary to watch the feathered visitors flock here in their thousands at sunset.

Stay close to nature and in total comfort at the Nata Lodge, with all meals and activities guided and arranged by the Nata Rangers and bird experts.

Day 5 – A day to take in the arid beauty of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

The soft hued colours of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans offer a delicate palette for your early morning scenic drive. A very different landscape to enjoy on your Botswana guided tour. The crusty top layer of salt on the Pans is so hard that a vehicle can drive over it in certain areas. A visit here has to be done early dawn, as that is the only time the colours come out, the sparse animal life is visible and the glare of the heat is not too strong. This place is of an eerie, otherworldy beauty and in stark contrast to the warm and vibrant colors and African wildlife of the Okavango Delta.

In the afternoon, when the sun looses some strength, you can opt to go out for a birdwatching trip while escorted by your Botswana safari guide, or meet the neighbours in Nata village on a cultural tour in the company of your private safari guide. Accommodation, meals and all activities are arranged by the Nata Lodge.

Day 6 - travelling from Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to Chobe River National Park.

You are assisted to depart Nata Lodge and fly back again to Maun, the regional hub. Then it’s onwards on the nest leg of your luxury Botswana tour to Kasane Airport. Kasane is located in the northern part of Botswana. After landing, you will meet your safari guide and drive to your Chobe Safari Lodge where you reach early in the afternoon. The Chobe Safari Lodge is set right on the banks of the Chobe River and her landscape is entirely different again: with tall mopane trees, densely covered riverbanks and stunning sunsets over the river and Namibia in the background.

This afternoon, you will still head out into the Chobe National Park for your first escorted game drive here in this part of Botswana, and catch sight on the large elephant herds of Chobe National Park coming to the river to drink. They are joined by buffalo and hippo. The banks of the Chobe River are always packed with wildlife and even prides of lion can be spotted jostling for a drink.

Your safari guide will make sure you are back before dark. Return for sunset drinks and a dinner by the fire in the Chobe Safari Lodge, where you stay in comfortable and stylish rooms, set in nature and surrounded by the sounds of the river night time chorus. All activities are arranged and guided by the Lodges’ rangers.

Day 7 – boat tour into Chobe River National Park.

Head out onto the channels of Chobe River with your Botswana private safari guide and see what the dawn brings you. Coffee, tea and early morning biscuits will come along, and once the sun has come to its zenith you return to your riverside lodge for a rest in luxury and the heat of the day to subside.

In the afternoon you have the choice of either visiting the park by boat again, or in your private safari vehicle. The start of your sunset can still be in the park, but when darkness falls, you will be back in the Lodge for dinner and accommodation.

Accommodation meals and activities are all at the Chobe Safari lodge.

Day 8 – Your last day in the bush on your Botswana tailor made safari

More time to explore the African bush and enjoy the largest herds of elephants in Africa, or see if you can find some of the more elusive residents of the park: leopard, cheetah and wild dog. Go out for the full day or come back to enjoy the luscious settings of the lodge itself. Dip in the pool or relax in the spa between your bush time with your Botswana safari guides.

Accommodation, meals and activities are all at the Chobe Safari lodge.

Day 9 – departure day of your Luxury Botswana Safari Tour.

Say goodbye to the river scenery with a last breakfast by the river. A short road transfer will take you back to Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe. You can now either spend a few days here with the next addition of your luxury Botswana safari tour and enjoy the sights on Victoria Falls. Or head back to Johannesburg and onwards to Europe.

-Alternatively, you fly from Victoria Falls to Cape Town for a few days in the Mother City and enjoy her art, history and Table Mountain views.

-Carry on to another part of Africa and fly from Kasane or Victoira Falls to Windhoek in Namibia, and spend a week in the soft orange desert of the Namib and see the tallest dunes of the world.

The Southern Explorer Itinerary – one of our best value Botswana Safari Tours

Day 1 – Arrive in Victoria Falls to meet the worlds’ largest waterfall.

Fly from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and start the first part of your African safari tour here in Zimbabwe. Your Botswana safari guide will meet you at the Victoria Falls Airport and you are transferred to your hotel. Explore the town, and spend sunset on the Zambezi River for your first African Sunset. Accommodation is in your Victoria Falls hotel, double ensuite with breakfasts included.

Day 2 – time to get wet and soak up the sight of the Victoria Falls.

Today you have a first escorted game drive inside the Zambezi National Park located along the river banks. The afternoon is free to visit the actual Victoria Falls itself and get wet from the spray. Stay again in Cresta Spray View Hotel with breakfast included.

Day 3 – the historic landmarks of Victoria Falls.

Time to roam at leisure and explore the history of Dr Livingstone and the famous bridge connecting north and south of Africa. Cross this iconic bridge over the Victoria Falls, perhaps check out the Zambia side as well on a guided private game drive this afternoon, and have tea in the historic Victoria Falls Hotel with a view of the bridge. Visit the market for a taste of Zimbabwe’s fabulous arts and crafts. Get ready for tomorrows’ start of your African safari tour in Botswana. Stay at Cresta Spray View Hotel with breakfast included.

Day 4 – Starting your Botswana guided tour in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Your Botswana safari guide will pick you up in the early morning from your hotel in Victoria Falls. The transfer drive to the Chobe National Park is only 2 to 3 hours and has you enter the comfortable Kubu Lodge before lunch. Check in, have a rest and in the afternoon you head out for your first game drive of your Botswana wildlife safari to the enormous Chobe National Park. All the animals will head for the river to drink, so you will be able to enjoy elephants, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodiles all from very close up. At the onset of the sunset, you head back to your Botswana safari lodges for an enjoyable evening with a fire, drinks, a good meal and wholesome rest in your own private chalet near the river. It’s all part of your Botswana safari experience. Stay at Kubu Lodge in double ensuite rooms, with all meals and activities included.

Day 5 – Explore Chobe National Park with guided game drives on your Botswana safari holiday.

A whole day to search for animals. Go out early morning and late afternoon into the park in open game drive vehicles and always guided by your Botswana safari guide. Botswana’s game rangers are superb and will find you the best sights and prettiest landscapes to enjoy. The landscape of Chobe is diverse and the riverine areas, river banks, hill sides and grassy plains will all offer you different animals, action and views during this highly exciting segment of the Botswana guided tour. Between your game experiences you return to Kubu Lodge for a welcome lunch, cool drinks and accommodation at the end of the day. Accommodation at Kubu Lodge.

Day 6 – Watch the animals from the water on your Botswana wildlife safari.

More time with the animals, and today you have the chance to go on a small boat to get even closer to the animals in the water which is the true essence of a Botswana wildlife safari– crocodiles on sandbanks, hippos cooling off in the mud, small water birds and animals coming to drink: they all look different when you are gliding by silently. Enjoy the start of dusk inside the park and return to your camp for another relaxing evening and dinner on your Botswana safari. Accommodation at Kubu Lodge.

Day 7 – Boat ride or Game drive? Choose your most preferred view of the animals during your Botswana safari tour.

Both in the morning and in the afternoon, you can choose whatever way you like to see the animals the most. If you are inspired by floating through the channels of the Chobe River and seeing the animals from that angle – you can do so. If the savannah, trees and land predators have your preference, then climb into your game drive vehicle once more to roam the bush and join your Botswana safari guide once more to find your favourite animals. Return to Kubu Lodge for a last evening to round off your Botswana safari holiday and get ready for the transfer early the next morning. Accommodation at Kubu Lodge.

Day 8 – from African Bush to the Mother City: connecting your Botswana safari tour to Cape Town in South Africa.

After an early breakfast on the banks of the Chobe River you say goodbye to this safari holiday in Botswana. You are once more taken to Victoria Falls Airport. Here, you board the regional flight to South Africa and you will land in Cape Town late afternoon. The view of Table Mountain is the first thing you will see coming out of the Airport. The driver of the hotel will collect you and drive you to Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel in the BoKaap part of the city. It has a number of small, nice eating places in walking distance and is an easy taxiride to the Waterfront for your first walk along the ocean.

Overnight in a double contemporary room, ensuite at the Rouge on Rose Boutique hotel.

Day 9 – Cape Town vibes.

After a week in the bush during your Botswana safari tour, it is time to soak up some urban history and culture. Enjoy a healthy breakfast at the hotel, and today you have a choice to contemplate recent history on Robben Island, go up Table Mountain, visit some of the museums and historic sites of the city or go and relax around the Waterfront area – full of small art shops, good food and fresh fusion cuisine from all over Africa. The day is yours to design, and the hotel can assist with all transport if needed. Accommodation is at the Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel.

Day 10 – Exploring the end of the continent with a day-long tailor made guided tour: the cutting edge of your African safari holiday.

Enjoy an early breakfast and fresh coffee and meet your guide for the day. Our man in Cape Town, Paul Harris, will take you on a mixed day tour to go and visit the Cape Point peninsula and a lovely hike along the windy trails. Finally stand at the edge of the African continent and see how this is the same continent as the bush you were immersed in during your Botswana safari holiday. Head back towards Cape Town for a scenic drive to see the Penguins at Boulder Beach. If you are a hiker, Paul will take you on some trails and search for the endemic fynbos-flora, famous for its popular ‘rooibos’- tea. Or allow Paul to show you more of the countries’ social-economic history with a guided walk of Cape Towns urban icons and the more recent turbulent changes the country has passed – learn about the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Finish the day at one of the small fishing villages for a fresh dinner with the catch of the day on your plate, and return to Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel for a well deserved rest.

Day 11 – your own day to spend.

Today we leave you time to pack up, hunt for souvenirs or if you did not have the chance yet during your African safari holiday: be brave and hike up Table Mountain or see why the wines of South Africa are so famous. Breakfast is included and the day is all yours. Your accommodation is again in the Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel.

Day 12 – ending your African safari holiday.

Breakfast is served and if your flight is later in the day you can safely store your bags and change into your travel gear later on. A transfer back to Cape Town International Airport is included.

The African & Oriental Travel Company | Tailor Made Safaris and Dive Adventures