Botswana Travel Guide

Unspoilt, rough untarred roads, friendly people

Bateti Tented Safari Lodge was beautiful but swimming pool was not available as was being renovated, and would have been useful in this hot month. Extremely good staff and good service.

Chance to see amazing animals in a natural environment.

We loved our game drives and saw so many amazing animal interactions. We got so close up to lions feeding and saw cubs, wild dogs, and a lot of other beautiful animals. We did not enjoy walking safari’s or boat rides. The people we met in Botswana were very kind and thoughtful. We were served great food and all lodgings were very nice.

Easygoing with a range of options for safari

I enjoyed my trip to Botswana and regret that I only had three days in country. The Okavango Delta is among the most unique ecosystems on Earth and spans a vast area. As such, one can only cover a short amount of ground in a standard-length trip, so making the right choice for lodging and tour operator is crucial. I enjoyed my dugout canoe tour immensely, but imagine I’d have seen more wildlife had I chosen a lodge further into the Delta (accessible via bush plane). Botswana is an expensive country, but one that is well worth the cost. That’s said it’s worth noting that the “low end” of the budget requires several hundred dollars per day.

Wonderful experience....even for watching birds

One wild part in MOREMI and SAVUTI...we move "upmarket"day by day.....more and more animals, birds.
The apotheosis with the appearance of the Chobe river and its multitude of animals.
But in this place, what seemed extraordinary to us has become too common (the guides , for instance, know where are the lions , their territory...) and there is no more surprise...strange feeling!!

GREAT EXPERIENCE

Our tour operator was TOUR RADAR but very lucky to be directly in touch with an agent of MZANSI EXPERIENCE very very helpful for all special questions.
5-Day Okavango Delta Moremi Reserve Experience that was a great experience
In September this year was very dry and hot. Lucky that we did fly over Okavango to see the remaining of water and the traces of the real flow.
A real sportive vacation. Waking up early driving a lot.
The experience with the Mokoro was nice as long we were paddling but terrible for the walk in the desert in full sun at midday seeing only skeletons for tourists. Nonsense
Boteti lodge superb choice of a tented camp
What we will not forget of our Botswana trip is the staff, the people who were so kind so helpful and so concerned to show the best of their living.

Nature and people in harmony

I lived in Botswana 1975-78. The development hasbeen amazing in the capital, and regardingvthe roads . The wildlife is very interesting and impressive. We saw all the «big five» , several lions, lots of buffaloes and elephants, rhinos in the sanctuary and lots of hippos. For us it was specialbto meet some people I have metnbefore. Lodging and food and security no problem. Botswana is highly recommended. But this time it was a bit too hot, and too dry, but still with quite many green bushes and trees

Breathtaking Okavango, like a painting!

The aerial view of Okavango Delta was unexpectedly breathtaking. The patterns made by the islands, waterways, vegetations were like a constantly changing large canvas of painting by nature. It was a sheer joy watching giraffes, herds of elephants and buffaloes wading in the water.

I had 2 nights of bush camping, coming and going by the local canoes called mokoros. During the bush walks, we had to keep a safe distance from animals, so we could not get as close to them as in a vehicle. A pangolin visited our camp site at night.

We didn't feel very safe in a camp site in Maun. We were told to keep all our belongings in the truck, just had only the necessities in our tents. We were told that tents were slashed and stuff stolen in the middle of the night previously.

The river safari was a special experience, to watch herds of elephants, crocodiles, hippos and buffaloes by the river bank from the water. The land safari was less impressive though.

A land of rich grassland, varied wildlife and clear water but dusty houses.

I spent 5 days staying in the Okavango swamps and two days in Chobe. The Okavango swamps are more about relaxation, birds and river animals such as hippos and crocodiles. What land animals are about are hidden by the thick hedge of reeds that line the Okavango delta. We were entertained by a day's excursion into the swamps by being punted around in the local mekoros (dugout) and then led through the bush by a knowledgeable guide who taught us about the health or nutritional properties of the vegetation as well as visiting the giant Baobab tree. Afterwards we took a long refreshing dip in the clear waters of the Kavango.
From the lush vegetation of the Okavango, we drove south east into drier scrubland and were disappointed at seeing our next campsite in Chobe, a barren dustbowl with the basic of amenities. But we were rewarded later that day by a spectacular safari on riverboats as we got really close up to wildebeest, large herds of elephants, cape buffalo and a myriad of birds, all while sipping gin and tonics.

We saw a huge variety of wildlife while camping in well kept campgrounds.

Outside of the Delta Botswana is a dry country of flat, bush-covered semi-arid terrain. We didn't travel the southern parts of the country that are pure desert, but I expect that the scenery there is equally stark. This kind of country has real beauty but can easily get monotonous because there is little variety.

Fantastic wildlife, great landscapes but a bit too crowdy.