Top 5 Safari Destinations in Botswana

Get the rundown on the best destinations

Heather
Heather
Travel Writer
Published on
19 Feb 2018
Updated on
25 Apr 2025
Botswana Makgadikgadi Pans San Camp Family Of Meerkats

When it comes to African safari destinations, Botswana is a little bit special. As well as ticking all the boxes for abundant wildlife and of course the Big Five, it’s the variety of landscapes that makes the country stand out.

From river delta to arid desert and everything in between, Botswana is a relatively untouched wilderness where adventurous travellers can enjoy safaris with the feeling of exclusivity.

So if you are planning a Botswana safari holiday, here are our top destinations to visit.


Okavango Delta

Most first-time visitors to Botswana make a bee-line for the Okavango Delta. And rightly so.

Labelled by many as one of the most beautiful places in Africa, the emerald delta covers 15,000 km² during the high-water months, transforming the landscape into labyrinthine channels, lagoons of lilies and islands of lush greenery.

It’s a haven for wildlife and all the usual suspects can be found here, including elephants, buffalo and giraffe, closely followed of course by lions, hyenas and even rare wild dogs. It’s also the perfect place to spot the semi-aquatic red lechwe antelope and if you’re into birds, you won’t be disappointed.

Whilst game drives and bush walks are possible here, the main event is safari by water. There’s nothing quite like gliding serenely through the reeds in search of crocodiles and kingfishers whilst relaxing in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) under the expert steerage of a local guide.

For more information, read our complete guide to safaris in the Okavango Delta.

Selinda Adventure Spillway
Selinda Spillway

Chobe National Park

Chobe is the place to go for your elephant fix, especially if you’re visiting during the dry season when they congregate down by the river in their thousands.

The park is understandably the most popular game reserve in Botswana, and is accessible by car which makes it a little less expensive than some of the other more remote reserves. Always a bonus.

Chobe is the second largest park in Botswana, with landscapes ranging from floodplains and marshland, to savannah and woodland. One of Chobe’s specialities is sunset game viewing on a river cruise. An excellent vantage point from which to watch the animals as they come down to drink in the fading light and always popular on a Botswana honeymoon.

When it comes to wildlife Chobe pretty much has it all. As well as its enormous elephant and buffalo populations, the area is teeming with life from all along the food chain, including giraffe, kudu, tsessebe, lions, cheetah and if you’re lucky, leopards. Wild dogs can sometimes be seen here too.

Chobe Safari Lodge Botswana River Safari
Chobe River safari

Moremi Wildlife Reserve

If you’re searching for untouched wilderness, then you could do worse than visit the Moremi Wildlife Reserve in the north-east of Botswana. The reserve has an incredible variety of ecosystems, from lagoons and floodplains to grasslands and even acacia forests.

Known as one of Africa’s more diverse wildlife areas, Moremi is a network of waterways full of lily pads, hippos and a spectacular range of colourful birdlife – there are over 500 species. Herbivore herds are common too, and elephants often come down to the water to drink.

Perhaps even more exciting are the black and white rhino that roam the area, as well as the excellent predator sightings that come with such abundant prey.

Moremi is a fenced reserve which means game viewing is spectacular throughout the year. Bush walks, game drives and canoe safaris are the order of the day here, and it’s the perfect place to tick off the all-important Big Five sightings.

The Kalahari

The semi-arid Kalahari Desert is a remote terracotta wilderness with sprawling plains extending nearly a million km² across southern Africa. It’s one of the world’s least inhabited areas (most people here are San Bushmen) so it’s a great place to go if you like getting away from it all.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve experiences some of the most dramatic landscape transformations ever seen in the world, all thanks to the rains. Temporary lakes form in the desert, followed by marsh before the land becomes dry once again. With the water come the animals, the most notable being the legendary black-maned lions who like to check out the enormous herds of impala, zebra and oryx. Cheetahs sometimes join in the fun too.

Bushmen Grasslands Bushman Lodge
Kalahari Bushmen

Makgadikgadi Pans

For something a bit different, head over to the otherworldly landscapes of the Makgadikgadi Pans where salt glistens in the sun as far as the eye can see. Millions of years ago a lake the size of Switzerland covered this area of the Kalahari, and today the salt pans are the largest in the world.

There’s still a real sense of ancient history all around, with ancient baobab trees, prehistoric beaches, an abundance of fossils as well as Stone Age ruins. The prevalence of vultures just adds to the mysterious vibe.

Wildlife here is nomadic and very hardy, a necessity when coping with such a harsh environment. Makgadikgadi is the place to see rare desert animals such as the aardvark and aardwolf, as well as brown hyenas and meerkats. Visiting the meerkats is always particularly popular on a Botswana family safari. Hippo sightings are also good here as they wallow in the few remaining pools waiting out the dry season.

The real spectacles however are the pink swathes of flamingos who arrive with the rains, along with a symphony of frogs that fills the night air. As always the wet season heralds the appearance of herds of plains animals, making it a spectacular and unusual location to witness part of the great migration.

If you're after more inspiration, why not learn more about our favourite picks for family safari holidays or check out our 26 best safari holiday ideas.

Jacks Camp Horse Riding
Horse riding in Makgadikgadi

Wondering when to visit? Take a look at this guide on the best time to visit Botswana.

Looking for some more inspiration? Take a look at our best safari holidays ideas, our favourite family safaris, our big five safari guide or our top African safari honeymoon suggestions.

If you'd like to plan a holiday to Botswana, then give our friendly team a call on 01768 603 715 or enquire here.

Speak To Our Botswana Experts Today

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Shirley Newman

What can I say….my son and myself had the most wonderful time in Kenya thanks to the first-class itinerary that Ben and Louise put together for us. We spoke with Ben many times to ensure he ‘got it right’. This was our 2nd visit to Kenya, and it certainly lived up to our expectations and memories. We stayed in four locations, firstly at the wonderful El Karama Lodge, Laikipia Wildlife Conservancy, where we even had a visit from Ruth from Far and Wild! Then, for a return visit, to Saruni Samburu, which is absolutely stunning and still one of our favourite places in the world. Next came Basecamp Mara Camp, where we saw our first Cheetah, the only animal we didn’t see on our first visit. After that, onto the wonderful Leopards Hill in the Naiboisho Conservancy, what a way to spend the last four days of this trip. Here we finally spent many hours with a beautiful leopard. Throughout our time in Kenya, we saw many lions, giraffes, elephants, ostriches, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards, to name just a few. Nothing was too much trouble for all the staff; we cannot have been looked after any better. Since our return again Ben phoned to see how it went in addition to emails. I would highly recommend Far and Wild; they are so knowledgeable and have personally visited the lodges and areas. We are already planning another visit, and we cannot wait.

16 Aug 2025
Elizabeth Spells

I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Tanzania, booked with Far & Wild. Everything went so smoothly from the first time I spoke with them. The planning was great, the itinerary was perfect for us, and the lodges were amazing. We spent 10 nights with an amazing guide, travelling through Northern Tanzania and even got to see the migration, which was a lifetime ambition of mine. This wasn't our first safari, so we were nervous as to how it would compare, but it was spot on. We're particularly grateful that she suggested a private 'bush lunch' in the Ngorongoro Crater as the public picnic spot was very busy! I will certainly be using them again to book our next trip....we're thinking of a relaxing beach stay next time to get over the excitement of safari!

17 Sept 2025
Orla Rhodes

Just back from another amazing F&W organised trip to Namibia with the family (8 adults). Having been there before, Alistair tailored our trip to include our favourite locations and added a new one for us, Okonjima Plains camp, which we loved.The quality of accommodation and guiding, activities, food and drinks was exceptional throughout. Although not inexpensive I felt it was good value for the level of luxury we had. Kwessi Dunes, Shipwreck lodge, Ongava, Okonjima with pit stops Windhoek (city tour recommended ), Swakopmund (Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay tour) and Grootberg lodge (best sundowner drive )

31 Jul 2024
Arnhild Schia

We had a wonderful trip to São Tomé and Príncipe - a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea with paradise (almost empty) beaches and jungle forest. It was all well organised by Far and Wild and we stayed at Omali lodge at Sao Tome, then on Roca Sundy, and Sunday Praia at Principe - a great combination of different types of resorts/hotels. Omali is close to Sao Tome town with its colonial buildings, markets, hustle and bustle. Roca Sunday gives an old plantation experience and Sundy Praia a luxury beach experience. Very friendly (from time to time a bit slow) service, great fresh food, specifically if you like fish/seafood, vegetables and fruits (almost all sourced locally). Nice temperature between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius, nice swimming conditions. We really recommend this for those who want to experience a pristine destination with few other tourists and friendly and welcoming people. The islands also feel (and I believe are) very safe. At Principe, there are no dangerous animals, snakes or whatever, and it was great to be able to hike in the jungle without being very conscious of where to put your hands and feet. Go before everyone else does!

3 Jul 2024
Henri Papenfus

Back home again, basking in the joys of a superb safari. Every aspect you arranged for us, including linking up with Mack Air and Wild Horizons locally to transport us. The choice of camps, Camp Hwange in Zimbabwe and Muchenenje Safari Lodge in Botswana, was spot on and exactly what we had hoped for - ideally situated, comfortable, in good surroundings, and with excellent wildlife on the doorstep and throughout the wider country. The service staff in each looked after us very well, catering was excellent, and the game guides were professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The weather was, as usual for that part of the world, also good at the time of our visit. Blue skies and stunning sunsets. Warm but not too hot during the day, although quite cold at sunrise when viewing game. The viewing started. You made us happy, and we recommend you to similar safari enthusiasts with confidence.

28 Jun 2024
AC

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5 Jun 2024
Tiny

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5 Jun 2024
Stodge

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5 Jun 2024
Fiona C

It was a dreamy holiday on the Kenyan Coast - Far and Wild, their efficiency and professionalism allowed us to relax and be the happiest family alive !! We cannot fault them, their care and understanding of what we wanted from a holiday ensured we had the most memorable trip. We will be booking with them again for sure!

5 Jun 2024