When safari specialists sing their praises for a destination, we can’t help but listen. And our Africa aficionados have a compliment or two for Botswana. They put it up there as ‘one of the best safari destinations in Africa’ and the place to be for an ‘exclusive, unspoiled wildlife adventure’. So, where do you begin? With so many savannahs, wetlands and wildlife-rich reserves to explore, we’ve whittled it down to the four best safaris in Botswana. From floating in a mokoro to flying high in a helicopter, read on for some irresistible inspiration.
- Meerkat encounters in the Makgadikgadi Pans
- Mokoro ride in the Okavango Delta
- Game drive in Chobe National Park
- Helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta
Meerkat encounters in the Makgadikgadi Pans
Credited as the cutest creatures in Africa, meerkats captivate with their pin-straight poses and intricate social structures. Watch them burrow, hunt and crunch scorpions during a walking safari in the Makgadikgadi Pans – one of the best safaris in Botswana for spotting our slender-tailed friends. If you’re lucky (or brave) enough, you can crouch among the colony and let them clamber over your head and shoulders, just don’t make any sudden movements. Along with being cute, these guys are renowned for their skittish nature.
Mokoro ride in the Okavango Delta
Never heard of a mokoro? Let us clue you in. Found perched atop the Okavango Delta, mokoros are traditional dug-out canoes originally made from wood. Today, however, they’re made from fibreglass to preserve local trees (and for added comfort). Hop inside to experience one of the best safaris in Botswana – think silently floating through a labyrinth of waterways, powered by a skilled guide pushing a ngashi pole. You may not spot big game – they’re saved for the drives – but keep your eyes peeled for tiny reed frogs, darting dragonflies and a colourful collection of birds.
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Image by Aminata Konte.
Game drive in Chobe National Park
Botswana is home to the bucket list Big Five – lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and rare rhinos – and there’s no better way to see them than on a 4x4 game drive. Adventure through Chobe National Park to be within arm's length of some of the park’s 120,000 elephants or to spot big cats’ reflective eyes at night. For the squeamish safari-goers out there, here’s a heads-up: our safari specialist witnessed a pride of lions take on a giraffe and we can only imagine what followed. ‘Although it was brutal, it was Africa, and this is the circle of life’.
Image by James Back.
Helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta
Leave land behind and take to the skies for the most thrilling of our best safaris in Botswana – an open-door helicopter flight. As the sun goes down over the Okavango Delta, soar up and over panoramas dotted with hippos lazing in lagoons, elephants ambling along grasslands and a web of crystal-clear channels. Although the rides only last about 30 minutes, the memories of the exhilarating views will last a lifetime.
Image by James Back.
Header Image by James Back | Written by Evie Buller.
