Luxury Safaris in Botswana

Botswana is one of Africa’s most luxurious safari destinations. This landlocked country in Southern Africa is known for its low-impact tourism model, which balances high-end experiences with pristine wilderness. Here’s what you can expect from a luxury safari in Botswana and where to go.

What to Expect from Luxury Safaris in Botswana

The most luxurious safaris in Botswana take place on exclusive reserves where visitor numbers are limited to preserve the natural environment and provide an intimate experience. Specialist safari guides double up as expert wildlife trackers, conservation experts, and pro photographers. Besides daytime game drives, there are opportunities for helicopter safaris, horseback riding, mokoro safaris, and twilight excursions.

After a thrilling day exploring the environment and encountering animals, travelers can unwind in a luxury wildlife lodge.

Okavango Delta

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a vast inland delta where seasonal floods create a lush oasis teeming with wildlife. This is a popular place for Mokoro safaris – boat trips in traditional fishing canoes – as well as game drives and walking safaris.

Big game, predators, rare species, and over 400 species of diverse birdlife reside in the Okavango Delta. Pangolins and aardvarks are occasionally spotted at night. The Moremi Game Reserve is a particularly wildlife-rich section of the Okavango Delta with some of the best viewing opportunities on the continent.

In terms of where to stay near the Okavango Delta, Vumbura Plains is a premium lodge comprising seven spacious suites each with a private plunge pool. The resort offers high-quality service and food in an environment favored by lions, leopards, elephants, and more.

Mombo Camp is another of Botswana’s most luxurious lodges near the Okavango Delta, revered for its high concentration of big cats.

Linyanti, Selinda, and Kwando Reserves

The Linyanti, Selinda, and Kwando Reserves are three remote safari destinations near the Okavango Delta. They receive fewer tourists and exceptional wildlife sightings all year around. Thousands of elephants migrate to the Linyanti Reserve during the dry season (May through October) whereas huge numbers of buffalo herds transit through the Selinda Reserve.

Travelers can stay at King’s Pool Camp, an elegant refuge overlooking a hippo-filled lagoon also popular with elephants.

Makgadikgadi Pans

The Makgadikgadi Pans are located in southeastern Botswana. This surreal expanse of salt pans, grasslands, and palm-fringed islands creates the world’s largest salt flat system. It is particularly well-known for its meerkat encounters, flamingo sightings, and zebra migration during the wet season (December through April).

Quad biking on the salt flats and bushwalking with the San People are two of the main activities in the Makgadikgadi Pans. It’s also one of the best places in Africa for stargazing.

Stay at Jack’s Camp where 1940s-style yurts are outfitted in rich textiles and come with a private plunge pool.

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is a semi-arid sandy savanna of golden grasslands, red dunes, and fossil riverbeds that cover much of Botswana as well as Namibia and South Africa. Kalahari black-maned lions reside there while the open plains make it one of the best places to witness cheetahs hunting.

Tau Pan Camp provides stunning views over the remote dunes and harnesses an eco-friendly design. It’s named “Tau” after those iconic lions.