In a space of 10 days, there is time enough to relax and unwind and explore the best bits of Botswana. You’ll want to truly settle in and become familiar with the chorus of bird calls, the slow and indulgent pace of life. Dipping your toes in for a few days gives you that tantalising introduction to Botswana’s beautiful embrace, but taking the time to see a couple of different areas and experience true safari luxury is what will leave a lasting impression.
This 10-day itinerary incorporates the truly mesmerising parts of the country. Not the places that are accessible within a day’s boat ride or drive from Maun. Not the places that are surrounded by a number of other camps and lodges. Rather, this itinerary takes guests to more exclusive regions of the country and seeks accommodation in masterfully constructed safari retreats. These are the best bits of Botswana, explored over nine nights, ten days.
From Maun to the Delta
The first three nights are spent in the western territories of the Okavango Delta, in a remote private concession. This region has seasonal access to water, so mokoro and boating activities are an exciting way to explore. The Kwetsani Camp has access to Hunda Island, where game drive routes offer fantastic opportunities to encounter the land-based residents of this wonderland.
The camp itself embodies a remote treehouse-style African island retreat. Just five luxury suites are nestled between fig, palm, and mangosteen trees, overlooking a vast floodplain, which is visited by an array of the Delta’s wild animals. Surrounded by water and in a blissfully secluded region, Kwetsani Camp speaks to those who want to escape in a natural wonderland without losing out on comforting luxuries.
You’ll be enamoured by the birdlife, and the blue-green vision of the camps surroundings. Hippo, elephant, buffalo, lechwe, leopard, baboon, and lion are among the resident animals in the area. A combination of game drives on the nearby Hunda Island, mokoro cruises through the channels, boat rides, guided walking excursions, and nearby access to scenic helicopter flights and cultural activities makes Kwetsani a place of diverse experiences. A generous offering in the Okavango Delta.
Flying to Khwai
From one of Botswana’s most enamoured destinations to another, you’ll fly from the western corner of the Okavango Delta to the community-run Khwai Concession in the east. This alluring place in the wetland system bordering Moremi Game Reserve offers exclusive game drive routes with river frontage and teeming game, while sustaining an ethical, community-focused safari experience. The concession is located on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta and is known for an abundance and diversity of wildlife, thriving off the vibrant ecosystem.
Khwai Tented Camp is what we’ve selected for this leg of the journey, and it fits perfectly to the nature of this destination. It is a low-impact operation with eco-conscious approach to luxury. No part of it is a permanent structure, but every element has been thought of in detail and with comfort in mind. It overlooks the Khwai lagoon – a hotspot for resident wildlife – and each of the canvas tented suites are elevated on timber decking, offering a lightweight and impermanent feel.
While game drives (day and night) are there to create epic close encounters with big game, gentle activities are something special here. Picture mokoro excursions and guided walks through the bush as experiential activities that truly capture the essence of life in the Delta.
Lose yourself in Linyanti
Linyanti is not one of Botswana’s most travelled places, which is exactly why we love it. It is rather remote and not easily accessed so is often bypassed by self-drivers and those on a shorter itinerary. However, it is not to be missed!
Located in the private Chobe Enclave concession on Botswana’s northern border, Linyanti Bush Camp occupies a premier spot on the Linyanti Marsh. Acting as the northern edge of Chobe, it meets Namibia at the Zambezi Region – a wetland paradise teeming with birdlife, hippos, elephants, and those elusive rosetted cats, the leopards.
It goes without saying that this is a true water-orientated safari location, given the swamps and lagoons that stretch out across the border, but game drives through the private concession offer glimpses into the wild lives of animals that flock here during the dry season. The permanent presence of water here attracts antelope and thirsty herbivores from further south, and in their wake, predators follow. This really is one of the best bits of Botswana.
Why Botswana?
Botswana leads the Southern African safari circuit. It’s got excellent safari infrastructure, it has sublime protected wilderness areas and unique eco systems, incredible wildlife diversity, and a healthy conservation ethic that supports the local people and animals. Just over the border from South Africa’s Kruger National Park and a stone’s throw from Victoria Falls, it is situated in a sweet spot for incorporation into a broader travel itinerary. Yet, it is a destination all of its own.
Our long, personal history with Botswana has culminated in knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of not only the tourism value of the country, but of guests’ experience of a Botswana safari. We know what first timers are after and what will suit them best, and we know where multi-time travellers need to go to explore a little deeper.
Browse our selection of different Botswana safari itineraries, ranging from quick three-night getaways, to extended twelve-night stays, all designed by our team of holiday experts!
