11-Day Classic Okavango Safari

Early Kingfisher Safari

5.0/5 – 39 Reviews

$6,050 pp (USD)

2 travelers on Start date

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Mr Samuel Mopalo has been working in the tourism

Early Kingfisher Safari

5.0/5
(39 Reviews)

Office In:: Botswana
Size:: 1-5 employees (Founded in 2017)
Member Of:: BOGA & Botswana Tourism
Tour Types:: Custom budget tours that can start every day
Destinations:: BW

Mr Samuel Mopalo has been working in the tourism

Situated in Maun, Botswana, Our company takes pride in understanding the tourism clientele and taste of varous persona. performing iteneraries to fully meet customers expectation is our pride, ensuring that Botswana is well represted in the tourism industry is our priority. Our staff are well trained and had previous experiences that are second to none. Come to Botswana, experince this LOVE and let Botswana be incredible

Reviews39

Diane –

Reviewed: Jun 15, 2025

Fantastic Guide and Company

5/5

Our 14-day safari, camping 4 places in Moremi and Chobe, was spectacular. Sam’s tracking expertise and knowledge of the complex network of back roads gave us many opportunities to enjoy lions, cheetahs and other wildlife all by ourselves. We felt so fortunate.. He knew every bird by song/call, the location of stars and planets , local ecology, the social history of the several lion prides we visited and much more.. The staff was equally expert at making the camps our homes. Food was fantastic, bed comfortable and campfires greeted us each morning and evening. I’m already plotting our next trip with Early Kingfisher..

Linda Beckwith –

Reviewed: Jun 6, 2025

A wonderfully memorable experience!

5/5

I just completed an 11 day safari with three friends led by Samuel Mopalo, owner of Early Kingfisher Safaris. We were in the Chobi River area, and the Okavango Delta, and stayed in three different camps. The large tents with bush bathrooms attached were roomy, and the beds comfortable. They even have electric lighting. Leave your dirty clothes, and they come back laundered and folded every day.
The number and variety of animals was unbelievable. Sam is a first class tracker, always finding the animals, and positioning us in the best spot for photo shots. Sam has incredible knowledge of all the animals, birds, and flora of the area. One day he noticed some tracks and said the elephants are headed to the watering hole. We raced there just in time for rush hour, with over 100 elephants coming to the hole! We saw 53 hippos one day, 17 giraffes together, a group of 18 wildebeests, so many beautiful lions, leopards, and on and on. People who have been on several safaris said they never saw what we saw. We saw at least 50 elephants, giraffes, and zebras every day.
Sam has a great crew. PK the chef cooks gourmet meals over an open fire in cast iron pots, with freshly baked bread 3 times a day. Khomo was always there to help, as well as Lesh and Khem. They catered to our every need. BZ greeted us with warm water and wash cloths twice a day after the game runs, attended to us at meals, and had our favorite cocktail ready around the campfire before dinner.
It is hard to explain how wonderful this safari was. You have to experience it to understand, and I encourage you to do so. It changed my life.

R O –

Reviewed: Jun 2, 2025

AMAZING!

5/5

We saw so many animals and birds. We saw prides of lions, the marsh pride, the north pride, the xini pride. We saw leopards, rush hour at the watering hole with over 100 elephants. We sat quietly at another watering hole to see giraffes adjust to get those long necks down to drink. There were hippos, zebras, impalas, red lechwe, wildebeests, kudus, water bucks, buffalo, ostriches. This was the most amazing trip I have been on. Sam is so knowledgeable and has a great eye for great photo ops.
The crew kept us very comfortable and well fed.
Early Kingfisher Safaris is the place for an amazing safari experience!!!

Rita –

Reviewed: Jun 2, 2025

Phenomenal

5/5

If you are considering a safari, I highly recommend Early Kingfisher Safaris!! Sam is so knowledgeable about the animals and their behaviors, is an expert tracker, and has a great eye for great picture opportunities. His crew is top notch. The accommodations and food were beyond my expectations! It was a trip of a lifetime!! I would gladly add more exclamation points.
When I was on the plane, looking at my pictures, a fellow passenger commented on the quantity and quality of the animal pictures and videos I had. She had been on a few safaris and said she was disappointed in the lack of what she saw. She is definitely booking with Early Kingfisher for next trip.
Ke a leboga, rra Sam!

Theresa Parker –

Reviewed: May 21, 2025

A truly life-changing experience!

5/5

...is there a 6 star out of 5 rating? :)

We were introduced to Early Kingfisher Safaris via our photography guide, who organized a private family trip for us in April 2025. From the very first introduction to Sam and co-guide Paul at the airport in Kasane (Botswana), we knew we were in the best of hands. Every detail we could have anticipated – and so many others we never would have thought of – were taken care of at an incredibly high level.
The Toyota Land Cruisers used for the daily game drives were incredibly comfortable, easy to get into, with plenty of space for people and gear. They were fitted with flaps and other weather/dust protection that Sam designed himself and that we only needed once on a very dusty road. Blankets were provided for chilly mornings, but rarely used.

Game drives: Sam is an exceptionally well-known resource throughout the Chobe/Khwai/Savuti/Maun areas and an incredible tracker – as is Paul, our co-guide. Their years of study/certification and experience are readily evident. They were generous in showing us tracks, identifying differentiators between lions, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs…and showing the difference between the front and hind feet of elephants. Through their efforts and expertise, we experienced a “6 leopards before lunch” extravaganza of sightings!! They willingly stopped so we could photograph all kinds of wildlife (lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, impala (and so many other kinds of antelope, huge numbers of birds)) and were generous in their knowledge, identifying random birds, plants, and other items based on our questions. We tasted baobab fruit, wild cucumber and watermelon, and marula fruit – which only deepened our appreciation for Botswana. Early Kingfisher Safaris is an apt description, with morning game drives beginning at ~6:00 AM and afternoon drives at ~4:00 PM; the times are perfectly attuned for fantastic light (for photographers) and peak activity time for most of the animals and birds. We were on the trail before most, and well before groups from the various lodges – at times, we felt we had the entire area to ourselves, which was magical. You’ll look forward to the early start times! And – morning tea at “Sam’s Café” (tea, biscuits, rusks) as a break during the early game drive is an experience not to be missed!!

Camp life: What an epic experience! From being welcomed into camp with song, which brought tears to my eyes, to the incredible kindness of everyone in camp, the experience was one delight after another. The tents were spacious, so wonderfully comfortable, and filled with unexpected touches. Towels were folded into surprise designs each day, we had our own ‘bathroom’ at the back of the tent with a hanging shower, wash basins, and our individual vault privy. Laundry disappeared during the day only to return in the late afternoon, washed and folded and smelling of sunshine (we didn’t anticipate this!). We were woken each morning with warm wash water and greeted each evening with warm water for a shower after our game drives. Bara and BZ, the camp butlers, greeted us upon each return from a game drive with a damp washcloth to clean our face and hands, and were wonderfully gracious during our meals. BZ’s napkin designs each evening were a source of joy and something we all looked forward to…an impala, a cobra – so creative!

Speaking of the meals – wow! Chef PK is a magician in the kitchen, and spoiled us terribly. Her bread was amazing and is greatly missed now that we’ve returned home. Each meal was truly exceptional. And, who would have expected pre-dinner drinks (wine, G&T) around a fragrant fire, recapping the day. The farewell songs and dance at the end of our time in camp was wonderful and somewhat bittersweet knowing we were saying goodbye to our time in Botswana.

If you have the good fortune to experience Botswana with Sam and his team at Early Kingfisher Safaris, you will have a wonderfully life-changing experience and you’ll count yourself incredibly lucky.