11 Day Botswana Camping Safari - Chobe, Moremi & Okavango…

Botswana Camping Safari Overview

• 1 night at a comfortable lodge in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and an optional visit to Victoria Falls waterfall
• 3 nights camping in Chobe National Park
• 3 nights camping in Moremi Game Reserve
• 3 nights camping in the Okavango Delta, with mokoro trips and an optional scenic flight over the Okavango Delta

Day 1: Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

This 11-day Botswana Camping Safari begins in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Pre-safari arrangements including transfers from the airport to your lodge in Victoria Falls can be arranged at extra cost should you require assistance.

You have free time in the afternoon to visit the impressive Victoria Falls waterfall, the world's largest curtain of falling water. Don’t miss your chance to go see why this impressive waterfall has earned the moniker ‘the smoke that thunders’. Or, you can relax at your lodge, explore Victoria Falls town, go curio shopping or enjoy one of the many optional activities available at Victoria Falls.

• Meals: None

Day 2: Victoria Falls to Northern Chobe National Park - Botswana

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your Victoria Falls lodge this morning, savouring the tranquil start of your day. The reception at your lodge will inform you of when your driver will collect you. This morning our Botswana Safari adventure begins as we cross from Zimbabwe into Botswana.

Upon arrival at the border, your guide meets you and drives you to the nearby Chobe National Park, renowned for its varied and beautiful scenery.

Chobe National Park hosts some of the highest densities of wildlife in Africa and is Botswana's most diverse game park. This top African park is best known for its huge herds of migratory elephants and diverse habitats. Its diverse ecosystem incorporates grassy savannas, marshy wetlands, open floodplains, dense woods and more providing a variety of habitats for wildlife, birds and flora.

Our first two nights on safari in Botswana are spent camping in the northern region of Chobe Park. We will camp in true African bush style in exclusive campsites. These designated safari camps are equipped with rustic bush facilities and ablutions, offering a real African bush camping experience. Before reaching our campsite inside Chobe National Park, we will stop and shop for beverages.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Travel from Victoria Falls to Chobe National Park: 100km (3 hours) plus border crossing

Day 3: Northern Chobe National Park - Botswana

Today our Botswana Camping Safari explores northern Chobe. We traverse the surrounding grasslands along the Chobe River and lush floodplains on game drives looking out for abundant wildlife like hippos, elephants, buffalo herds and rich birdlife including fish eagles. Tonight we camp at our rustic campsite again, falling asleep to the sounds of the African bush.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Activity included: Chobe Game Drives

Day 4: Southern Chobe National Park, Savute - Botswana

Wake up to the sounds of the birds, ready to continue our Botswana Safari adventure into southern Chobe National Park, where we head for the Savute region.

Today, we journey through Botswana's majestic landscapes as we venture out of northern Chobe, into the arid yet ever-changing terrain of Chobe National Park's Savute Channel region.

The Savute Marsh is known for its dynamic ecosystems, which can undergo significant changes over time, It is famous for its changing ecosystems—the transition of the Savute Channel from a flowing river to a dry riverbed can dramatically alter the landscape, providing a dynamic backdrop for our Botswana Safari adventure. This diversity ensures that water sources like waterholes and marshes intermittently teem with a wide variety of wildlife, guaranteeing that each game drive brings a fresh and thrilling wildlife-watching adventure. During our 5 to 6-hour drive to Savute, there will be abundant opportunities to witness magnificent animals, including large tusked bull elephants. Tonight we camp under the stars in private designated areas with bush ablutions.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Travel from Chobe River to Savute: 170km (5 to 6 hours), transfer and game drive.
• Activity: Chobe Game Drives

Days 5 to 7: Moremi Game Reserve - Botswana

Rising with the dawn and fueled by an early breakfast, we leave Chobe National Park and begin our 7 to 8-hour journey toward the esteemed Moremi Game Reserve. Moremi is a must-see highlight within Botswana's rich tapestry of landscapes, boasting both arid zones and swamps.

The Moremi Game Reserve covers the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and protects around a third of the Okavango Delta ecosystem. This is about 5,000 km2 or 1,930 square miles.

Our travel time includes an exciting game drive, making for a most enjoyable trip to our next Botswana safari destination. We spend the next 3 days of this Botswana Camping Safari discovering the diverse array of wildlife and bird species that have earned Moremi its fame. We explore the reserve on thrilling game drives at sunrise and sunset, all while immersing ourselves in the natural serenity and beauty of the area.

Moremi Game Reserve is home to elephants, especially numerous during the dry season, as well as buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals. A wide variety of antelope species, including the rare red lechwe, are also found in Moremi, along with healthy populations of endangered African Wild Dogs.

Our three-night stay in Moremi is split between two distinct campsites within the reserve. Both are secluded campsites with rustic bush facilities and ablutions.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Travel from Savuti to Moremi: 120km (7 to 8 hours), transfer and game drive
• Activities included: Moremi Game Drives

Days 8 to 10: Okavango Delta - Botswana

This morning our Botswana Safari takes us on a 5-hour journey that includes a game drive to the captivating Okavango Delta. Upon reaching the outskirts of the Delta at the Gomoti River, we meet up with ‘polers’ from the local community. These local guides will transfer us in dug-out canoes, called mokoros, to our camp deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The local polers expertly steer the traditional canoes through the reeds with long poles as we silently glide through the river channels and expansive floodplains, immersing ourselves in the breathtaking vistas of this unparalleled landscape.

The peaceful mokoro ride leads us further into the core of the Okavango Delta for our three-day camping adventure. In the delta we will embark on mokoro trips and guided nature walks across the islands and floodplains, experiencing the wilderness up close. We will spend two nights camping wild under the stars on a secluded island, followed by a night camping next to a tranquil lagoon, in campsites with bush ablutions.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta is a wilderness destination like no other with a biologically diverse ecosystem that protects and supports a rich variety of flora, wildlife and birds unique to Southern Africa. Situated in a basin surrounded by the Kalahari Desert, every year rains from Angola’s highlands, flow through Namibia and into Botswana. Here the waters flood into the desert, creating the marvel that is the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world.

We have truly saved the best for last on our two final Botswana safari days, as the Okavango Delta is considered one of the world’s natural wonders with a still pristine yet fragile and dynamic ecosystem, rich in wildlife like elephants, hippos, and buffaloes, as well as endangered species like cheetahs, lions, white rhinos, black rhinos and African wild dogs. It also hosts a large variety of birdlife, flora and fauna. The wildlife synchronizes its cycles with the annual seasonal flood of this unique ecosystem, making for a spectacular interaction between the wildlife and water.

This nature lover’s paradise is best explored on foot or by the traditional mode of water transport, a mokoro. The quietness and slowness of the mokoro make for an unforgettable relaxing and tranquil river safari experience taking in the breathtaking scenery, discovering channels and lagoons and spotting wildlife you wouldn’t normally see from a safari vehicle or on foot.

As our Botswana Safari draws to an end on our final afternoon, seize the unique chance of an optional scenic flight over the Delta. Soar above the Delta waterways in a helicopter, with the doors removed for unobstructed aerial views—further details and rates will be provided by your guide or agent. It is important to note that this optional flight must be arranged during your safari and is payable in USD cash only. The scenic flight offers a panoramic perspective of the Okavango Delta, with the possibility of spotting elephants, giraffes, or hippos, completing your picture of this unique environment.

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Travel from Moremi to the Okavango Delta: 90km (5 hours), transfer and game drive
• Activities included: Game Drives, Mokoro Safaris, Guided Walks
• Optional activities: Okavango Delta Helicopter Flight

Okavango Delta Safari Note:

Your main luggage will be left in the trailer during the Okavango Delta camping trip. Please pack essentials in a smaller bag (small backpack or hand luggage) for the two-night Delta island trip. Mokoro transfers to our island camp are unable to accommodate large bags, but rest assured, your belongings will be securely stored in our vehicle in a secure location.

Day 11: Okavango Delta to Maun - Botswana

Our incredible 11-day Botswana Camping Safari ends today when you are dropped off at Maun Airport at about noon. The transfer from the Okavango Delta to Maun Airport will take about 1.5 to 2 hours. Should you wish to spend some time in Maun, Botswana, after your safari, we can arrange post-tour accommodation at an additional cost.

• Meals included: Breakfast

Botswana Safari Note:

We recommend spending an extra day or two at Victoria Falls before this Botswana Safari to participate in some of the amazing adventure activities available. Pre-tour and post-tour accommodation, extra activities, and transfers to Victoria Falls airport or lodges, or Maun in Botswana, can be arranged at an additional cost.

For assistance with pre-safari and post-safari accommodation, optional activities, and travel arrangements contact African Budget Safaris.

Botswana Safari Transport

The vehicles used on this Botswana Safari are custom-built game-viewing vehicles, designed for safari trips in the African bush. Each safari vehicle carries up to 12 passengers, ensuring excellent visibility on game drives, as well as great movability in the wilderness. Throughout the camping safari, we use a specially designed trailer unit containing a mobile kitchen and space for all of the camping equipment and luggage.

Botswana Safari Accommodation

On this semi-participation Botswana Safari, we camp at bush sites in 2.1m x 2.1m x 1.75m bow tents that are easy to set up (clients help to erect the tents). All windows and doors of the tents are fitted with mosquito netting. Each person will get a 5cm high-density foam camping mattress to sleep on.

The bush ablutions consist of high-slung bucket showers and bush toilets with canvas screens for privacy. Round (200V/2pin) power units are available in the vehicles to recharge cameras. In Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, we stay in en-suite rooms at a comfortable lodge.