Botswana travel advice
Getting around tips
Award-winning travel writer Emma Gregg shares her Botswana travel advice:
“Botswana is a great place to ditch the Land Rover in favour of a vehicle-free wildlife-watching experience. Guided bushwalks, horse riding and boat trips offer a refreshingly different perspective to conventional game drives. The experience can be exciting, serene or both, depending on what you encounter.
“Botswana is a great place to ditch the Land Rover in favour of a vehicle-free wildlife-watching experience. Guided bushwalks, horse riding and boat trips offer a refreshingly different perspective to conventional game drives. The experience can be exciting, serene or both, depending on what you encounter.
Don’t be disappointed if you book a trip in a mokoro – the Okavango Delta’s answer to the Oxbridge punt – and your craft turns out to be made of fibreglass instead of the more traditional hollowed out sausage tree wood. Tourism has created an unprecedented demand for mokoros, and as wooden ones only last five years, mature sausage trees are now rare. Fibreglass provides a viable alternative.”
Our Botswana Holidays
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
£1535
14 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Victoria Falls
An unforgettable wildlife and scenery experience
From
US $3853
11 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Chobe river cruise
An exclusive combination of land & water based adventures
From
US $6125
10 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana safari holiday
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
From
£2895
21 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and wild camping
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe.
From
£1490
13 days
ex flights
Windhoek to Victoria Falls self drive tour
A self-drive adventure through Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
£4250
15 days
ex flights
Botswana fly-in safari holiday
Experience Botswana on a 6 night fly-in Safari adventure
From
£2850
7 days
ex flights
Botswana lodge safari
Botswana affordable lodge safari Okavango, Moremi, Chobe
From
£2260 to £2640
13 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana game tracker accommodated safari
Adventure lodge safari through Kruger, Zimbabwe and Botswana
From
£2135
16 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
£2125 to £2480
21 days
ex flights
Botswana luxury family safari
Family adventures through Botswana, plus Victoria Falls
From
£21000
12 days
ex flights
Botswana highlights and Victoria falls
Great value safari adventure covering Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
US $4180
11 days
ex flights
Botswana luxury safari with Victoria Falls
An amazing off-road and river safari in beautiful Botswana
From
£3445
9 days
ex flights
Southern Africa budget holiday
Discover the iconic wildlife and nature of South East Africa
From
£846 to £1075
10 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group holiday
Explore the best of Southern Africa's wildlife and nature.
From
£1577 to £1810
22 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Mozambique beach break
An outstanding safari, Victoria Falls and deserted beaches
From
£6890
14 days
ex flights
Kalahari desert expedition safari, Botswana
Central Kalahari Game Reserve & Kgalagadi National Park
From
£2565
14 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls holiday in Southern Africa
A spectacular and diverse African journey
From
£3199 to £3549
22 days
inc UK flights
Luxury Botswana safari & Victoria Falls
Luxurious lodges & spectacular wildlife viewing
From
£9850
12 days
ex flights
Camping safari in Southern Africa
Camping safari highlights of Zimbabwe, Botswana & Kruger
From
£1535 to £1850
16 days
ex flights
Botswana safari holiday
A semi participation and mobile safari in Botswana
From
£2465
15 days
ex flights
Southern Africa luxury wildlife & beach holiday
Pristine beaches and rich wildlife on this Southern African tour
From
£9510
15 days
inc UK flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana self drive holiday
Victoria Falls and incredible wildlife on self drive tour
From
US $4380
16 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls small group lodge tour
Classic route lodge safari to Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
£2990 to £3140
21 days
ex flights
Best of Botswana and Zimbabwe
Visit two of southern Africa’s most amazing countries
From
US $7650
14 days
ex flights
Botswana and Zimbabwe Ivory Route lodge tour
Classic Journey adventure safari Botswana, Zimbabwe Namibia
From
£3580
15 days
ex flights
Botswana mobile tent safari
An exciting mobile safari experience in Botswana
From
£2835 to £3365
7 days
ex flights
Botswana safari holiday on a shoestring
Affordable safari and camping experience through Botswana
From
£1195
7 days
ex flights
Season tips
Richard Madden, author of the Telegraph’s Bush Telegraph column, shares his advice for travelling in Botswana off-season:
"Consider picking up a bargain and travelling outside the peak (dry/winter) season between May and Sept/Oct. If you travel during the wet season, the bush is actually greener, lusher and more beautiful and the summer storms can be an intoxicating experience leaving the bush feeling fresh and revitalised. While the wildlife is more dispersed and not so focused around the waterholes, you will still often see huge herds of antelope and all the large predators."
The key is to stand back a little bit – you'll get natural wildlife behaviour and better photographs
– Dereck Joubert, National Geographic Explorer-Residence
Photography advice
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are
internationally renowned filmmakers, conservationists and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence. Here is their advice for taking better photographs in Botswana:
"The problem is that when people arrive with short lenses, they push to get closer to the animals. But with digital cameras today, you don’t have to be as close as you think. You can always crop later on. The key is really to get natural behaviour by standing back a little bit and letting these things pan out. If you push too hard you will destroy the animals’ natural behaviour and your opportunities as a photographer."
The benefits of a bush camp safari
Dirk Reiche from our supplier Sunway Safaris, which specialises in bush camp safaris in Southern Africa: “I was a guide for 14 years on both accommodated and camping trips and on a camping safari the group dynamic is much stronger than on an accommodated tour. You are literally in each others’ faces the whole time in a confined camping area with no option to go back to your room and watch TV. So you need to be more friendly but groups do gel better I find, because you are with each other 24/7. The other main benefit is the immersion. When you’re wild camping in Botswana, for instance, there are no facilities and nobody else around – you’re in nature.”Luxury travel in Botswana
Simon Mills, from our supplier Native Escapes, is an expert in travel to Africa and has packing tips and advice on what to expect from a luxury holiday in Botswana:“Botswana’s wilderness is second to none, in my opinion, and the wildlife viewing is exclusive by the very fact that the government there has restricted the number of bed spaces, which restricts the number of visitors, therefore creating a privileged safari experience. Compared to Tanzania or indeed South Africa you are unlikely to see another vehicle whilst out on a game drive (especially in the Delta, Linyanti, Savute and the Pans). Botswana is a fly in destination; the roads (and I use the term loosely) are virtually nonexistent sand tracks, with no rescue service, signs or comfort. A journey that might take 25 minutes by light aircraft will take six to eight hours on a bumpy sand track road. This, of course, all comes at a price; it is a high end safari destination, and the costs correspond.”
Travelling in the green season
Bruce Taylor, founder of our supplier Sunway Safaris, describes his best time to go to the Okavango Delta: "I enjoy the green season, from December to April, because there's no dust. The beauty of the rains in Botswana is that they’re generally late afternoon thunderstorms that come rolling through then pass on, so you can still have gloriously sunny days. The rain cools things down a bit, there are a lot of young animals around and all the migratory birds are in the Okavango at this time – and they’re spectacular."Responsible tourism insights
Simon Rowland from Wildfoot Travel:“Travel goes hand in hand with responsible travel in Botswana, regardless of the quality of the accommodation. The government have been very wise and sensitive when it comes to sustainable tourism in the bush. There are stringent rules and regulations and a huge encouragement to be eco friendly and sustainable with the use of solar and other natural energies. All of the safari lodges by law have to be small and low impact, only allowing in most cases between six and 10 rooms. Whether the lodges are located within national parks or private reserves, laws are keen surrounding sustainable tourism which should act as a guide and marker for other African countries, but alas in some cases it does not. All grades of lodges encourage the use of local community whether this be bushman guides or lodge staff. I’m a huge fan of Botswana and one of the main reasons is because they are ahead of the curve when it comes to animal protection. No hunting is allowed and the government banned elephant rides in 2016! Wonderful.”
Health & safety in Botswana
HEALTH
SAFETY
Our top Botswana Holiday
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
£1535
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Botswana or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Botswana advice from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Botswana travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Botswana travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
Do it! Especially if you enjoy wild camping - not the kind with running water and generators but camping in places with few amenities.
“It gets dark early, you always seem to be packing up in the dark and finding things in the tent is a bit of a challenge. Make sure you take really good torches/lights for your tent, with spare batteries. Water is limited when wild camping so you cannot have a shower every day. Ladies, you cannot get out of your tent at night for the loo when wild camping!” - Linda Sykes
“Get a Visa credit/debit card: had problems with MasterCard in Botswana.” - Johann Trojer
“You can't expect the wildlife to come that close, so if you want a close-up picture make sure you have a big zoom. Although we had a 10x optical zoom camera, one of our group had an 18x optical zoom. The benefit was certainly apparent when taking close up shots of the birdlife.” - Barry Woodfin
“Get a Visa credit/debit card: had problems with MasterCard in Botswana.” - Johann Trojer
“You can't expect the wildlife to come that close, so if you want a close-up picture make sure you have a big zoom. Although we had a 10x optical zoom camera, one of our group had an 18x optical zoom. The benefit was certainly apparent when taking close up shots of the birdlife.” - Barry Woodfin
We took 30 tennis balls and four frisbees to give to the children that we met. Better for them than sweets and much more fun than pencils.
– Janet Hammond
“Pack your things in plastic bags or liners to protect them from sand and rain!” - Tania Zwicky
“Take warm clothes: it was absolutely freezing some nights. I'm not sure what the freezing point of washing up liquid is, but that's how cold it was.” - Julia Ward
“Take a cushion or neck cushion for sleeping in the truck.” - Janet Aston
“We went to Nata and the salt lakes expecting to see vast numbers of birds but there were none! This was because it is the dry season and therefore there was no water to lure the birds – we were all disappointed in this, although the salt lake was very tranquil. If we had known this we would have spent more time elsewhere and scrapped the visit to Nata.” - John/Cathy Baldock
“Take warm clothes: it was absolutely freezing some nights. I'm not sure what the freezing point of washing up liquid is, but that's how cold it was.” - Julia Ward
“Take a cushion or neck cushion for sleeping in the truck.” - Janet Aston
“We went to Nata and the salt lakes expecting to see vast numbers of birds but there were none! This was because it is the dry season and therefore there was no water to lure the birds – we were all disappointed in this, although the salt lake was very tranquil. If we had known this we would have spent more time elsewhere and scrapped the visit to Nata.” - John/Cathy Baldock
More about Botswana
Best time to visit Botswana is during the green season from November through to March, especially if you're planning to visit Botswana for the national parks of Moremi and Chobe.
If you’re looking to travel to southern Africa then our Botswana travel guide, packed full of information, is the perfect place to start your journey.
Our Botswana interactive map page reveals the country's highlights, with details of three classic itineraries, too, to help you make the most of your time.
There are of course myriad things to do in Botswana, from a mokoro canoe ride in the Delta to bush walks and an authentic San experience in the Kalahari.
Carrying water and silt from the Angolan highlands, Botswana’s Okavango Delta floods life into the Kalahari Desert and supports wildlife on an epic scale.
Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve offers what is arguably some of the finest game viewing in southern Africa, in one of the continent’s richest and most diverse ecosystems.
Discover the diverse and fascinating wildlife roaming through one of Africa’s last great wildernesses on a Botswana safari.
The chance to see a vast array of Botswana wildlife hunting, feeding and raising young in some of Africa’s most unspoilt, pristine environments is what draws people to this desert nation.
You know your children and if you think that travelling in Botswana with kids will work for you and your family then don’t hold back, go for it.
Botswana is an exclusive destination with exclusive accommodation – often small, always perfectly formed and frequently at the forefront of responsible tourism.
Learn about Botswana's responsible tourism issues, from hunting bans to the San people, is an important part of travelling right in Botswana and finding out what you can do to help.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: 2630ben] [Mokoro: Martijn.Munneke]
[Zebras: Geran de Klerk]
[Wildlife photography: Dereck and Beverley Joubert]
[Elephant in the rain: Jack Wickes]
[Walking through marsh: Emma Gregg]
[Camp: Sunway]
[Kids: Rebecca Kahn]
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