Botswana Safaris Planned by Africa-Based Experts
Every Botswana safari begins with understanding what matters most to you
We don't sell destinations. We guide people towards the right safari.
Botswana is one of Africa's last great wilderness destinations, where wildlife still dictates the rhythm of every safari. By protecting vast natural landscapes and carefully managing visitor numbers, the country offers an experience defined by space, remarkable wildlife and exceptional guiding.
From the waterways of the Okavango Delta and the woodlands of Moremi to the elephant-rich Chobe River and the remote Central Kalahari, every region tells a different story. Knowing where to go, when to travel and how to combine these landscapes is what transforms a good safari into an unforgettable one.
With more than twenty years of guiding across Africa, Martin Meyer Safaris creates tailor-made Botswana safaris built around your interests, travel style and the seasons. Whether your journey is privately guided, led by Botswana's outstanding resident guides or combines both, every itinerary begins with honest advice and thoughtful planning.
botswana - a land of water and wildlife
Why Choose Botswana for Your African Safari?
There are places in Africa where the wildlife is extraordinary, and then there are places where the entire experience feels different. Botswana belongs firmly in the second category.
This is a country where wilderness still comes first. Large areas remain untouched, wildlife moves freely across vast landscapes and many safari regions carefully manage visitor numbers to preserve the character of the bush. It creates an experience that feels quieter, less hurried and remarkably immersive.
What makes Botswana particularly rewarding is its variety. Within a single journey you can explore the permanent waterways of the Okavango Delta by mokoro, follow fresh predator tracks through the woodlands of Moremi, watch elephants gather along the Chobe River or spend an afternoon scanning the open plains of Savute for lions, wild dogs and cheetahs. Each region has its own personality, and no two days on safari feel quite the same.
Botswana is also one of those destinations where good planning makes a remarkable difference. Spending an extra night in the right place, travelling at the right time of year or combining two complementary regions can completely change the quality of a safari. It is one of the reasons we never begin by recommending camps. We begin by understanding what you want to experience, then build the journey around that.
The guiding is another part of what makes Botswana so special. The resident guides working throughout the country's private concessions are among the finest in Africa, bringing years of local knowledge to every game drive and boat safari. For some itineraries, that expertise is exactly what is needed. For others, particularly multi-region journeys or specialist photographic safaris, a private safari guide can add continuity and a broader understanding of the country. The right approach depends entirely on the journey, not on a predetermined formula.
For many guests, however, the thing they remember most isn't a particular animal or even a specific sighting.
It's the feeling of Botswana itself.
The stillness of drifting through papyrus-lined channels at sunrise. The anticipation of following fresh tracks before anyone else has driven the road. The silence that settles over the bush after sunset. These are the moments that stay with people long after the photographs have been put away.
Martin's insight
"One of the things I enjoy most about Botswana is that it never feels rushed. Guests often arrive with a checklist of animals they'd like to see, but by the time they leave they're talking about the landscapes, the guides, the silence and the feeling of being completely immersed in the bush. That's when I know Botswana has done what it does best."
Ready to Discover Botswana?
Whether you're still researching or already planning your journey, we'll help you understand which regions, season and style of safari will suit you best.
Where Should I Go on Safari in Botswana?
One of the biggest decisions you'll make when planning a Botswana safari isn't choosing a lodge. It's choosing where to spend your time.
Every region offers something different. Understanding what makes each one special is the first step towards planning the right Botswana safari.
Each region offers something completely different. The waterways of the Okavango Delta, the diverse habitats of Moremi, the predator-rich plains of Savute, the elephant-filled banks of the Chobe River and the immense open spaces of the Central Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Pans all reward travellers in different ways.
The best itinerary isn't built around visiting every famous destination. It's built around combining the regions that best match your interests, the time of year you're travelling and the type of safari you want to experience.
Below are the areas we recommend most often, and why each one deserves its place in a well-planned Botswana journey.
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The Okavango Delta
If Botswana has an icon, it's the Okavango Delta. Every year, floodwaters travel more than a thousand kilometres from the Angolan Highlands before spreading across the Kalahari Desert, creating one of the world's largest inland deltas. Instead of flowing to the sea, the water slowly fans out across islands, reed beds and winding channels, bringing life to an otherwise arid landscape.
The Delta offers a safari unlike anywhere else in Africa. One morning might begin drifting silently through narrow waterways in a traditional mokoro, watching red lechwe bound through the shallows while malachite kingfishers dart overhead. By afternoon, you'll be tracking lions or leopards on one of the Delta's larger islands. That combination of land and water creates an incredible diversity of wildlife and experiences within a relatively small area.
The camps themselves vary enormously, from intimate seasonal camps tucked away on private islands to luxurious lodges overlooking permanent lagoons. Choosing the right one depends entirely on what you hope to experience.
Martin's Insight
People often ask me how long they should spend in the Delta. My answer is usually the same: longer than you first planned. The Okavango has a way of slowing you down, and it's often only after a couple of days that you begin to appreciate everything happening around you.
Moremi Game Reserve
If the Okavango Delta is Botswana's heart, Moremi is where all of its different worlds come together. Sitting on the eastern edge of the Delta, it combines permanent water, seasonal floodplains, mopane woodland, open grasslands and riverine forest into one remarkably diverse reserve.
That variety is exactly what makes Moremi so rewarding. It supports an extraordinary concentration of wildlife throughout the year, and no two game drives ever feel quite the same. One day you may be watching elephants feeding in the floodplains, while the next is spent following a leopard through woodland or observing African wild dogs preparing for a hunt.
For many guests, Moremi delivers the classic safari experience they have imagined for years. The game viewing is consistently excellent, the scenery changes constantly and the guiding is among the best you'll find anywhere in Africa. It also combines beautifully with almost every other safari region in Botswana, making it one of the easiest places to include in a tailor-made itinerary.
Martin's Insight
If someone tells me they're visiting Botswana for the first time and wants to experience the country at its very best, Moremi almost always finds its way into the conversation. It offers such a wonderful balance of scenery, wildlife and variety that it's difficult to leave it out.
Chobe National Park
Most people know Chobe for its elephants, and rightly so. During the dry season, thousands gather along the Chobe River to drink, feed and socialise, creating one of Africa's great wildlife spectacles. Watching entire breeding herds cross the river while young calves splash determinedly behind their mothers is something few people ever forget.
The river is what makes Chobe different. While traditional game drives remain excellent, exploring by boat offers an entirely new perspective. Wildlife comes to the water throughout the day, allowing remarkably close encounters with elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippos and an extraordinary variety of birdlife. As the afternoon light softens, the river becomes one of the most beautiful places in Botswana to watch the day come to an end.
Although Chobe is famous for elephants, it's far more than an elephant destination. Lions, leopards, hyenas and even African wild dogs are all found here, while the changing seasons continually influence where wildlife is concentrated.
Martin's Insight
If you're travelling to Chobe, don't think of the boat safari as an optional extra. It's one of the highlights of the entire experience and often gives guests a completely different appreciation of the wildlife that depends on the river.
Savute
Savute has earned an almost legendary reputation among safari guides, and much of that reputation comes from its unpredictability. At the centre of the region lies the Savute Channel, a watercourse that has mysteriously flowed and dried up throughout history, transforming the landscape each time it changes. Even today, nobody can say with certainty when it will flow again.
That unpredictability extends to the wildlife. Savute is renowned for dramatic predator interactions, particularly involving lions, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. The open landscapes make it easier to follow behaviour over longer periods, rewarding those prepared to spend time with a sighting rather than rushing to the next one.
The scenery here feels noticeably different from the lush waterways of the Delta. Wide open plains, scattered camelthorn trees and distant rocky outcrops create a landscape that feels wild, untamed and beautifully uncomplicated.
Martin's Insight
Savute isn't a place to chase numbers. Some of the finest days I've ever spent here involved seeing relatively few animals but watching fascinating behaviour unfold over several hours. That's what makes this region so addictive.
The Makgadikgadi Pans
The Makgadikgadi Pans surprise almost everyone who visits. After the wildlife-rich regions of northern Botswana, the sheer scale of the landscape feels almost surreal. Endless salt pans stretch to the horizon, interrupted only by the occasional palm island or distant baobab tree, creating one of the most striking landscapes anywhere in Africa.
Yet the pans are anything but empty. With the arrival of the summer rains, fresh grass attracts one of Africa's largest zebra migrations, while flamingos gather on the shallow seasonal lakes and the surrounding grasslands burst into life. During the dry months, the stark beauty of the landscape tells a completely different story, one defined by silence, space and remarkable night skies.
The Makgadikgadi is also one of the few places where a safari becomes about more than wildlife. Walking with habituated meerkats, meeting local communities or simply standing in complete silence on an ancient salt pan offers a perspective that is difficult to find elsewhere.
Martin's Insight
The Makgadikgadi reminds people that Africa isn't only about game drives. Sometimes the most memorable part of a safari is simply standing in a place so vast that it completely changes your sense of scale.
Explore our Favourite Botswana Safaris
9 Night Classic Delta Package
Explore the vast Okavango Delta at your own pace, as you traverse 3 different regions over 9 nights.
Starting from US$ 7,604.00 per person sharing
8 Night Classic Botswana Package
From the large Chobe River to the sprawling Okavango Delta - experience Luxury and adventure like never before.
Starting from US$ 9,311.00 per person sharing
5 Night Romantic Botswana Getaway
The perfect romantic getaway to reconnect and recharge. Tick off Chobe and the Okavango Delta from your bucket list.
Starting from US$ 4,001.00 per person sharing
timing matters - almost as much as location
When Is the Best Time to Visit Botswana?
There isn't a single best time to visit Botswana. Every season offers something different, and understanding those differences is one of the most important parts of planning your safari.
Many people automatically assume the dry season is the only worthwhile time to visit. While it certainly offers exceptional wildlife viewing, Botswana is a destination that changes character throughout the year. The movement of water, the arrival of seasonal rains and the changing behaviour of wildlife all create completely different experiences from one season to the next.
Rather than choosing a date first, we recommend deciding what you would most like to experience. Once that's clear, selecting the right season becomes much easier.
Botswana's Dry Season
(May to October)
For many travellers, the dry season offers the classic Botswana safari. As natural water sources disappear, wildlife gathers around permanent rivers, floodplains and waterholes, making animal sightings more frequent and often easier to follow.
This is also when the Okavango Delta reaches its annual flood, transforming the landscape into a maze of crystal-clear channels and islands. Mokoro excursions, boating activities and exceptional game viewing combine to create the Botswana many people have seen in documentaries and photographs.
The cooler mornings and mild evenings also make this an especially comfortable time to travel.
Botswana's Green Season
(November to April)
The arrival of the first rains transforms Botswana almost overnight. Dry grasslands become vibrant green, seasonal pans fill with water and many animals give birth, bringing an entirely different energy to the bush.
For photographers, this is one of the most rewarding times to visit. Dramatic skies, lush landscapes and beautiful natural light create images that look completely different from those captured during the dry season.
Bird enthusiasts are equally well rewarded, with migratory species arriving from Europe and Asia to breed across Botswana.
The Green Season also coincides with one of southern Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles as thousands of zebra migrate across the Makgadikgadi ecosystem following the fresh grazing.
When Does the Okavango Delta Flood?
One of Botswana's great natural wonders is that the Delta floods during the dry season.
Rain falling hundreds of kilometres away in Angola slowly makes its way south, eventually reaching Botswana between June and August. As the floodwaters spread across the Delta, they create one of the world's most remarkable wetland ecosystems and shape the wildlife movements that make the region so special.
It's one of nature's great paradoxes, and one of the reasons the Okavango Delta is unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Martin's insight
"One of the things I enjoy most about Botswana is that it never feels rushed. Guests often arrive with a checklist of animals they'd like to see, but by the time they leave they're talking about the landscapes, the guides, the silence and the feeling of being completely immersed in the bush. That's when I know Botswana has done what it does best."
Which Season in Botswana is Best for Wildlife Photography ?
There isn't a single answer because every wildlife photographer is trying to capture something different.
If your goal is dramatic predator encounters, elephants gathering around shrinking waterholes, dusty backlit scenes and crisp golden light, the dry season is difficult to beat. Wildlife is generally more concentrated, vegetation is less dense and animals are often easier to locate and photograph. For photographers hoping to capture classic African safari images, this is the season many dream about.
The Green Season tells a very different story. Summer rains transform the landscape into rich shades of green, thunderstorms build across the horizon and fresh water creates beautiful reflections throughout the bush. It's also the season of new life, with many antelope giving birth and migratory birds arriving in spectacular breeding plumage. The softer light, dramatic skies and vibrant colours allow photographers to create images that feel completely different from those taken during the dry months.
For us, photography has never been about simply collecting species. Some of our favourite images have been made during a summer storm, a quiet moment between a mother and her newborn, or the soft light after an afternoon shower. The "best" season isn't necessarily the one with the most sightings. It's the one that matches the kind of stories you want your photographs to tell.
Neither season is better.
They're simply different, and understanding those differences is often the key to coming home with photographs you'll treasure for years to come.
Choosing Between a Private Safari Guide and a Lodge Guide in Botswana
The quality of a safari is often judged by the wildlife you see. In reality, it is just as heavily influenced by the person guiding you through it. The right guide can transform an ordinary game drive into an unforgettable learning experience, helping you understand not only what you are looking at, but why it matters.
Botswana is fortunate to have some of Africa's finest professional guides, and understanding how different guiding styles work is one of the most important decisions you'll make when planning your safari.
The choice isn't about deciding whether one guide is better than another. It's about understanding what each guide brings to your safari and choosing the approach that best suits the journey you want to experience.
Many travellers are surprised to learn that a privately guided safari doesn't replace the expertise of Botswana's resident lodge guides. In most cases, it complements it. When planned well, the two work together, allowing you to benefit from both continuity throughout your journey and the remarkable local knowledge that comes from guiding the same wilderness every day.
What Is the Difference Between a Private Safari Guide and a Lodge Guide?
Every safari in Botswana is guided.
The real difference lies in who guides you, how long they remain part of your journey and the role they play in shaping your experience.
A resident lodge guide is based at a single camp or concession. Their knowledge is deeply rooted in that particular landscape. They know where the resident lion pride has denned, which elephants regularly visit a certain waterhole and how changing weather or flood levels are likely to influence wildlife movements over the coming days. That familiarity is built through countless hours spent in the same ecosystem, season after season.
A private specialist guide approaches the safari from a different perspective. Rather than focusing on one reserve, they accompany you throughout your journey, linking destinations together and adapting every day around your interests. They remember the conversations you had in the Okavango Delta and continue them in Savute. They understand how your confidence behind a camera has grown since the first game drive or how your curiosity has shifted from simply finding animals to understanding their behaviour.
Neither role replaces the other. They simply operate at different levels, and together they create an experience that is remarkably difficult to replicate.
The Best Safari Combines Both a Private Specialist Guide and A Lodge Guide
Knowledge is one of the few things that becomes more valuable when it is shared.
Some of the most rewarding conversations in the bush happen long after the game drive has ended. Guides compare notes over dinner, discuss changes in animal behaviour, debate why a leopard has shifted her territory or speculate about where the wild dogs might hunt the following morning. Good guides never stop learning, and many of those lessons come from one another.
That same philosophy shapes the way we plan privately guided safaris.
Your resident lodge guide brings an intimate understanding of the reserve they call home. Your private specialist guide brings continuity, context and a broader understanding of Africa gained from years of working across different ecosystems, countries and seasons.
Together, they create a richer learning experience than either could provide on their own.
One explains the landscape in front of you.
The other helps you understand how it fits into the bigger story of your journey.
When Does a Private Safari Guide Add the Greatest Value?
Not every safari needs a private guide.
If you're spending three or four nights at a single lodge, joining scheduled game drives and enjoying everything that one reserve has to offer, Botswana's resident lodge guides will often provide an exceptional experience. Their knowledge of the local wildlife is one of the country's greatest strengths.
The picture changes when the journey becomes more complex.
Travelling through several regions, combining Botswana with neighbouring countries, celebrating a special occasion, pursuing wildlife photography or simply wanting the flexibility to explore at your own pace are all situations where a private specialist guide can make a meaningful difference.
The value isn't measured by the number of animals you see.
It's measured by the continuity of the experience, the freedom to adapt each day as conditions change and the confidence of travelling with someone who already understands your interests before the next game drive even begins.
Private Safari Guide vs Lodge Guide: Understanding the Differences
| Experience | Private Specialist Guide | Resident Lodge Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | Stays with you throughout the safari, building on each day's experiences. | Usually guides you only while staying at their lodge. |
| Knowledge | Broad understanding gained from guiding across multiple countries and ecosystems. | Exceptional knowledge of one reserve, its wildlife and its seasonal changes. |
| Safari Vehicle | Private vehicle dedicated to your party, allowing complete flexibility. | Shared vehicle unless a private game drive is arranged. |
| Flexibility | The pace, timings and focus are shaped around your interests. | Operates within the lodge's daily schedule and other guests' interests. |
| Photography | Consistent support throughout the journey, adapting as your confidence grows. | Often highly skilled at positioning for sightings within their reserve. |
| Learning Experience | Builds a deeper understanding of Africa by connecting each destination. | Provides remarkable insight into the ecology and behaviour of one particular wilderness. |
| Ideal For | Multi-destination safaris, photographers, families, first-time visitors wanting continuity and guests seeking a highly personalised experience. | Single-lodge stays, shorter safaris and travellers happy to explore within a structured lodge programme. |
The finest safaris are rarely defined by choosing one guiding style over another. They are defined by choosing the right guiding style for the journey. That is why many of our privately guided safaris still make full use of Botswana's outstanding resident guides. We have enormous respect for the people who dedicate their lives to understanding these landscapes, and our guests benefit enormously from that knowledge.
Adding a private specialist guide doesn't replace that experience.
It enhances it.
You gain the continuity of travelling with someone who understands your interests from the first day to the last, while still learning from the people who know each reserve better than anyone else.
For us, that has always represented the very best of safari.
Martin's insight
People sometimes assume that travelling with a private guide means you won't interact with the lodge guides. In reality, it's often the opposite.
Some of my favourite moments on safari have been standing beside a lodge guide after dinner, discussing why a leopard moved her cubs, how the floods are changing this year's game viewing or where the wild dogs are likely to hunt tomorrow morning.
Those conversations never stop, no matter how many years you've spent guiding.
The best guides are always learning from one another, and our guests benefit from that shared knowledge. That's one of the reasons I enjoy privately guiding safaris so much. It gives me the opportunity to combine years of experience across Africa with the remarkable local expertise of the people who know each reserve best.
Ready to Plan the Right Style of Safari?
Whether a privately guided safari is the right choice for you, or whether you'd be better served by exceptional resident lodge guides, depends entirely on your journey, your interests and your expectations.
That's exactly what we help our guests decide every day.
If you'd like honest advice on the best guiding style for your Botswana safari, we'd be delighted to talk it through with you. Our goal isn't to sell you one approach over another. It's to recommend the one that will give you the richest and most rewarding experience.
The Questions We Get Asked Regularly
Is Botswana worth it for a first safari?
Absolutely, provided it matches the kind of safari you're looking for.
Botswana isn't designed around volume tourism. It rewards travellers who appreciate quieter wilderness, smaller numbers of vehicles and exceptional guiding. If seeing large numbers of wildlife in wide open landscapes is your priority, Kenya or Tanzania may be a better introduction. If you're looking for a more intimate safari where the experience is as important as the sightings, Botswana is one of the finest places in Africa to begin.
Why are Botswana safaris more expensive than other African safaris?
Botswana has deliberately chosen a low-volume, high-value tourism model, and that decision shapes almost every aspect of the safari experience.
Many camps are located in remote private concessions that can only be reached by light aircraft. Guest numbers are intentionally kept low, while conservation fees, logistics and operating costs are considerably higher than in many other destinations. Although Botswana is often more expensive than neighbouring countries, many travellers feel the sense of exclusivity, space and wilderness more than justifies the investment.
Is Botswana better than Kenya or Tanzania?
Not necessarily.
Each destination offers something different, and comparing them is a little like comparing mountains with oceans. They are both extraordinary, but for different reasons.
Kenya and Tanzania are known for their sweeping plains, dramatic predator interactions and the Great Migration. Botswana offers a slower, more immersive experience shaped by waterways, private concessions and remarkably low visitor numbers. The right destination depends less on which country is "best" and more on how you want your safari to feel.
Is a private safari guide worth it in Botswana?
For some journeys, absolutely.
If you're travelling between several regions, celebrating a special occasion, pursuing photography or simply wanting complete flexibility, a private specialist guide can transform the experience. You still benefit from Botswana's exceptional resident lodge guides, but you also gain continuity, a private safari vehicle and someone who understands your interests from the first day until the last.
If you're spending a few nights at one exceptional lodge, the resident guides may provide everything you need. Our role is to recommend the guiding style that best suits your journey rather than assuming one approach is always better.
How many days do you really need in Botswana?
Most first-time visitors should allow at least seven to ten days.
Botswana is not a destination that rewards rushing. The landscapes are vast, travel between regions often involves light aircraft and every ecosystem offers something different. Spending enough time in fewer places almost always creates a richer safari than trying to visit every famous reserve in one trip.
Which part of Botswana has the best wildlife?
There isn't a single answer because each region excels in different ways.
The Okavango Delta is renowned for its extraordinary diversity and water-based experiences. Moremi combines woodland, floodplains and excellent predator viewing. Savute has earned a reputation for dramatic lion and hyena interactions, while Chobe is famous for its elephant population. The Central Kalahari offers a completely different safari, with vast open spaces and wildlife adapted to one of Africa's harshest environments.
Choosing the right combination of regions is often more important than trying to identify the single "best" one.
Will I have a private safari vehicle in Botswana?
That depends on how your safari is planned.
Most lodges operate shared game drives unless a private vehicle has been arranged. When travelling on a privately guided safari, a dedicated vehicle is usually included, giving you complete flexibility over the pace of each game drive, how long you spend at sightings and the subjects you choose to focus on.
For photographers, families and guests who value privacy, that flexibility can make a significant difference to the overall experience.
What is the best month to visit Botswana?
Rather than focusing on the best month, it's often more helpful to think about the best season for the experience you're hoping to have.
The dry winter months generally offer excellent wildlife viewing as animals gather around permanent water sources. The green season transforms the landscape, brings exceptional birdlife and often provides beautiful photographic conditions with fewer visitors. There is no wrong time to visit Botswana, only seasons that suit different travellers.
Can you combine Botswana with other African countries?
In many cases, that's exactly what we recommend.
Botswana combines beautifully with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia, allowing you to experience very different landscapes and styles of safari within a single journey. A well-planned itinerary creates variety without feeling rushed and often becomes one of the most rewarding ways to explore southern Africa.
Should I choose one luxury lodge or several different camps?
In most cases, variety adds more to a safari than staying in one exceptional lodge throughout.
Each region of Botswana has its own personality, wildlife and landscapes. Moving between carefully selected camps allows you to experience those differences while keeping travel time sensible. The goal isn't to visit as many places as possible, but to spend enough time in each one to understand what makes it unique.
Does a more expensive safari mean better wildlife sightings?
No.
Wild animals don't know what you've paid for your safari.
Higher prices generally reflect more remote locations, lower guest numbers, exceptional guiding, higher levels of comfort and greater exclusivity rather than guaranteeing better sightings. Some of the most memorable wildlife encounters happen entirely by chance, whether you're staying in a modest tented camp or one of Botswana's finest lodges.
Why do so many experienced safari travellers return to Botswana?
Because Botswana reveals more of itself each time you visit.
The first safari is often about seeing elephants, lions and leopards. The second becomes about behaviour, changing seasons, birds, smaller creatures and understanding how the entire ecosystem works together. Botswana rewards curiosity, patience and a willingness to slow down, which is why it remains one of the favourite destinations of experienced safari travellers.
Still have a question?
We are happy to answer any questions you may have!
We do offer a complimentary 1 hour safari consultation call - no obligations just sound advice
From the Okavango to Chobe, We've Got You Covered
Let's Build Your Botswana Safari Together
Every Botswana safari begins with a conversation. Whether you're deciding between the Okavango Delta, Chobe or Savute, or simply wondering when to travel, we'll help you choose the right regions, the right camps and the right style of safari for you.
- Honest advice from people who know Botswana intimately
- Exceptional camps chosen for experience, not commission
- Privately guided and tailor-made safari specialists
- Seamless planning from your first enquiry to your flight home
Fill in the convenient enquiry form and an agent will respond to you within one business day
