Best Botswana Game Parks Safari

A fantastic getaway for you and your family to several of the best Botswana Game Parks.

This budget Botswana Safari starts and finishes in Livingstone at the Adventure Capital of Victoria Falls (Zambian side of Vic Falls).

On this small group Botswana Camping Safari we travel in 4x4 Landcruisers and mokoro canoes in the Okavango Delta. You spend several nights in private wildlife concessions in Botswana, where you will camp under the starry African Sky in "bush style" camps set up by the safari team. Our in-depth explorations and remote safari camps ensure that you enjoy a truly wild African Experience!

Highlights on the Best Botswana Game Parks Safari include the open Makgadigadi Pans, the untamed Okavango Delta and beautiful Moremi Reserve, as well as game-rich Savuti and Chobe National Park.

The combination of stunning scenery, real adventure and abundant wildlife make this a once in a lifetime family safari experience!

Day 1 - Livingstone to Kasane (Zambia to Botswana)

This Best Botswana Game Parks Safari departs from Livingstone on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls at 8:00am. From Livingstone we make our way towards the Botswana border, where we complete border formalities and take a ferry across the Zambezi River.

Once in Botswana we head for the pleasant town of Kasane, situated just outside Chobe National Park near Chobe River in northern Botswana. At our Kasane campsite we set up the tents that will be our mobile homes for the next few nights in Botswana.

In the afternoon we explore Chobe Park on a scenic sunset boat cruise keeping our eyes out for the numerous birds and wildlife drawn to the river. From the river elephant, hippo and various antelope species can be spotted, as well as the distinctive African Fish Eagle and Pied Kingfisher.

We enjoy our first spectacular African sunset on this relaxing Chobe River cruise.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp with permanent ablutions.

Day 2 - Makgadikgadi Pans / Nata (Botswana)

In the morning we wake up to the sounds of resident Hippos at our campsite! The day starts with breakfast at camp, before we drive southwards to the expansive Makgadikgadi Pans (weather allowing).

Reaching the flat salt pans we take in the vast open landscapes of semi-arid Mopane woodland. The remote Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the world's largest salt pans, was once covered by an enormous inland lake and today remains an unspoiled wilderness area.

At Makgadikgadi Pans we get to experience the peace and solitude of this barren and rare place dominated by white plains fringed with vegetation.  

Witness the uninhabited Makgadikgadi Salt Pans stretched out flat under endless deep blue African skies. The inaccessible and dangerous nature of these harsh pans adds to their powerful allure.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp with bush ablutions.

Day 3 - Maun (Botswana)

On day three of this Botswana Camping Safari we leave the open bush travelling to Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

In the lively town of Maun there are many shops, local markets and internet cafes, along with other modern facilities, to keep us entertained.

We arrive at our safari campsite in time for lunch, leaving the rest of the day free to explore Maun and prepare for our trip into the untamed Okavango Delta the following day. 

In the afternoon you can take an optional scenic flight over the Okavango Delta, or tour the guided crocodile farm nearby.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp with permanent ablutions.

Day 4 - Okavango Delta (Botswana)

Today we have an early breakfast at camp before driving from the desert into the watery Delta Region in a 4x4 safari vehicle.

Driving into the delta we make our way to a mokoro station where traditional dugout canoes called mokoros await us. At the mokoro station we are met by our local guides who will be poling us through the winding delta channels today.

The Okavango Delta is a massive water system that forms the world's largest inland Delta. The source of this delta lies in the Angola highlands from where it flows south through Namibia as the Kavango River finally reaching Botswana and emptying into the Kalahari Desert.

The pristine waterways and secluded islands of the renowned Okavango Delta are home to an incredible array of birdlife and wild animals, many of which are unique to Southern Africa. Exploring the unspoiled Okavango waterways by mokoro allows us to move quietly through the untamed bush, getting up close to its inhabitants while we experience the traditional form of transport used by locals in the delta. Our local guides pause their gliding mekoros, to point out the details of wild Africa's bush.

You can take a short bush walk, to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of the African Bush. Along the water's edge we look out for the tracks left by overnight visitors and identify some of the numerous wild animals, birds and insects living in the delta.

We stop for lunch under the shade of a tree and take a refreshing dip in the delta during the hot afternoon hours. Your guides can teach you how to pole their Mokoro’s, but this isn't as easy as it looks, so be prepared to get wet! Or try picking up some traditional bush skills from your guides, such as making rope from baobab trees, or carving the seeds of palm nuts into a necklace!

Your guides pole you back through the secluded channels to the drop off point, where you say goodbye to your delta guides and transfer back to the safari camp for the night.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp with permanent ablutions.

Day 5  – Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana)

From Maun our African journey passes through traditional villages en route to the South Gate of Moremi Game Reserve, one of Africa's top wildlife parks.  

Moremi covers 4870km² on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta consisting of diverse habitats, including seasonal pans, mopane and acacia forests, grassy plains and permanent swamps and rivers that attract an abundance of wild animals and birds. Moremi Reserve offers superb game viewing and is considered one of Africa's most beautiful wilderness areas.

We take a game drive on the way to our private campsite situated within the reserve arriving in time for lunch. In the afternoon we have a short safety briefing and relax or take a quick nap at camp, before embarking on a game viewing drive in Moremi. The game reserve is home to Africa's Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino) as well as hippo, giraffe, wild dog, cheetah and various antelope species such as eland, impala, kudu and roan antelopes.

In Moremi Game Reserve we experience one of the most unforgettable wildlife safaris in Africa, from the stunning scenery to the abundance of wild animals and birds!

Back at camp there is time to warm up with a bush shower before tucking into our evening meal. We spend the evening around the campfire under starry skies, sharing stories from our exciting day of game viewing in Moremi. At the end of the day we retire to our comfortable tents falling asleep to the sounds of the wild African bush around us. 

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Camp in Moremi with bush ablutions.

Days 6 & 7 - Moremi Game Reserve & Savuti in Chobe National Park 

Over the next two days in Botswana we follow a similar routine to day 5 in Moremi Reserve on this African Camping Safari.

On these safari days we usually rise with the sun and have some refreshing tea and coffee with a light breakfast around the campfire. After our early morning snack we board our safari vehicle and take an early morning game drive, a great chance to catch many animals at their most active time of day. 

We return from the wilderness after our morning of game viewing in time for lunch at our bush camp. Lunch is followed by a little siesta or some time to unwind with a book and the sounds of nature.

Later in the afternoon, when the day cools down a bit, we have tea and head back out into the wilderness in our safari vehicle. Just like early mornings, late afternoons are an excellent time for spotting wildlife as most animals become more active when the heat eases up.

Another perk of late afternoon game drives is the opportunity to admire spectacular African sunsets in the bush. Our game drives take us through the wilderness of Botswana, stopping at water holes to watch the animals that gather to quench their thirst.

We move to a new camp in Chobe helping the safari team to break up the camp in Moremi and move to our next bush site. The trip to our next safari campsite generally forms an extension of the daily game drive with a picnic lunch stop along the way.  

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camps in Moremi and Savuti - bush ablutions.

Days 8 – Chobe National Park (Botswana)

We continue through the scenic Savuti area of Chobe National Park making our way from the southern section to the more remote inner part of the game park.

The Savuti Marsh region is known for its annual zebra migration and excellent predator sightings, including high concentrations of lions as well as wild dog, leopard, cheetah and hyena. In Savuti the landscape is dotted with dead trees that drowned when the Savuti Channel flooded. After many years of standing dry the Savuti Channel started flowing again recently resulting in healthy grasslands and savannahs that attract an abundance of game and birdlife.

Chobe Park boasts one of the highest concentrations of game in Africa and particularly famous for its huge herds of elephants. Game-rich Chobe is the most diverse game park in Botswana as well as being Botswana's first national park. 

Today's journey ends in Kasane, arriving in time for lunch. After lunch you are free to enjoy a rejuvenating hot shower and relax beside the swimming pool at camp.  

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Accommodation: Tented Camp in Kasane with permanent ablutions.

Days 9 – Chobe to Livingstone (Botswana to Zambia)

On day 9 of our Botswana Safari we venture back into Chobe Park, one of Botswana's premier game parks, on an early morning game drive. We explore the riverine area of Chobe in search of roaming wildlife.

In the late morning we head back to camp for brunch, before taking the Kazangula Ferry back to Livingstone in Zambia. In the late afternoon there is time for you to relax and appreciate the scenic banks of the Zambezi River.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Accommodation: Tented Camp in Livingstone with permanent ablutions.

Days 10 – Safari Ends in Livingstone (Zambia)

After breakfast we exchange addresses and say goodbye to our fellow travellers, bringing our unforgettable Botswana Game Parks Safari to an end.

Meals: Breakfast

Note:

We recommend that you spend a few extra days in Livingstone, before or after this affordable Botswana Safari, to visit the impressive Victoria Falls and participate in some of the many exciting activities available at Victoria Falls in Zambia. Optional activities include elephant back safaris, bungee jumping, white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River and helicopter flights over Vic Falls.

This itinerary is a guide only and may vary from day to day depending on road & weather conditions, political situations and Guide and/or Management decisions. All prices are subject to change without prior notice. Due to Tourism Laws in some of the countries, there may be a safari truck and crew change during the trip. This itinerary also runs in reverse order.

For assistance with pre and post tour accommodation in Livingstone contact African Budget Safaris.