Botswana

Africa’s Last Eden: A Land of Contrast from Desert to Delta

Botswana: Wild, wide open, and stunningly beautiful! From the lush floodplains of the Okavango Delta to the vast, moonlike salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Pans, there is no place with greater contrast in ecosystems. Botswana does safari differently: the priority is the protection of the wildlife with fewer lodges with a minimal human footprint, and a deep respect for the land. You may go an entire day without seeing another vehicle, but never without seeing something unforgettable: elephants by the hundreds, lions wading through shallow water, meerkats on morning patrol, and ancient San Bushman traditions still alive today. While the privacy afforded by huge private concessions accommodating only a handful of visitors comes at a price, the experience of sharing half a million pristine acres with just a few like-minded travelers is priceless. Botswana represents the ultimate safari experience, an investment in the soul and the best way to contribute to conserving Earth’s Last Eden.

Map of Botswana Highlights

1. Savuti

2. Chobe National Park

3. Okavango Delta

4. Tuli Block

5. Makgadikgadi Pan

6. Central Kalahari

  • 1. Savuti

    Tucked within Botswana’s wild and untamed Chobe National Park, Savuti is a place where nature writes its own dramatic script. Picture vast open plains teeming with elephants, lions, and elusive leopards, all set against the haunting beauty of ancient baobab trees and the mysterious Savuti Channel, which flows and dries up unpredictably. This is not just a safari—it’s a front-row seat to raw, unscripted wilderness. Whether you're tracking predators on a game drive or listening to the calls of nocturnal wildlife under a starlit sky, Savuti offers an unforgettable immersion into Africa’s wild heart.

  • 2. Chobe National Park

    Chobe is elephant country, no question about it! Home to 30% of the world’s elephants, in the dry season, it’s not unusual to see herds in the hundreds gathering at the riverbanks. You can watch from a boat as they play and drink along the riverbank or head out on a game drive for a closer look. It’s a front-row seat to some of the best wildlife action in Africa.

  • 3. Okavango Delta

    The Okavango is pure magic. This is where lions hunt in water, elephants wade through reeds, and you drift silently through narrow channels in a mokoro. It’s quiet, remote, and packed with wildlife. Once you’ve been here, other safaris feel a little more tame.

  • 4. Tuli Block

    Tuli is rugged, remote, and perfect for travelers who want to stay active. Think mountain biking through elephant country, scrambling over ancient rock formations in search of rock art, and photographing herds from a hide just steps from the action. It’s a mix of wildlife, archaeology, and adventure and still relatively under the radar… But this extraordinary region won’t be a secret for long.

  • 5. Makgadikgadi National Park

    From Botswana to the moon! The Makgadikgadi Pan is a place is full of surprises. The world's largest salt pans stretch to the horizon, and in the rainy season zebra herds pour in by the thousands, Southern Africa’s last great migration. Year round, you’ll find some of Africa’s most extraordinary creatures: meerkat, aardvark, pangolin, and brown hyena. Kalahari lions roar at night under one of the clearest skies on earth.

  • 6. Central Kalahari

    If you’re after solitude, the Kalahari delivers. You’ll go for hours without another soul in sight, but the wildlife is there...black-maned Kalahari lions, oryx, bat eared fox, cheetah. It’s a place of space, silence, and raw beauty, where the guiding often feels more like a conversation than a lecture.

A Few of Our Favorite Experiences

  • Star Gaze

    The night skis in the Kalahari are dazzling. No light pollution, just the massive, glorious constellations moving above you. Count the shooting start and identify the Southern Cross in the sea of stars stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.

  • Meet the Meerkats

    Join a group of meerkats as they rise with the sun, stand guard, and head off to forage. Perhaps the most charming members of the animal kingdom, there is no one who doesn’t fall in love with them.

  • Learn Ancient Traditions

    Spend time walking with San Bushman, the oldest culture on earth. Walk with them for a morning to learn about their ancient bush ways, gathering bush foods, making traps, and finding water.

  • Cruise the Chobe River

    Float along the border of Botswana and Namibia as herds of buffalo and elephant come to drink. It’s one of the best ways to see wildlife.

  • Witness the Herds

    Catch the zebra migration at Makgadikgadi or watch hundreds of elephants crossing the Chobe River. Either way, you’re seeing one of Africa’s great wildlife spectacles, without the crowds.

  • “This is one of the most extraordinary trips I've been on. All the transfers were seamless, and all locations and accommodations were fantastic. I knew from speaking with others that Africa would be an amazing place to visit - it was even more than this. It hit all the right spots for me: opportunities to see and learn about new places, the people, wildlife, history, and geography from high quality guides, to see and "meet" wildlife that I've only ever seen in zoos (& books, photographs & movies), and opportunities to photograph the wildlife and extraordinary vistas. Our guides & spotters in each location were knowledgeable and very helpful. The information provided before departure was significantly more detailed than what I've received from other travel companies. The quality of the people/companies that Explore engaged to lead/guide us was definitely very high, and very much appreciated. Having high quality guides that listen and learn to understand what we wanted from the trip was important. My expectations were exceeded! You've now set a high standard that I hope to see in other places!”

    Elane Z.

  • “The trip exceeded our expectations. We liked the closeness to the animals, the experts’ explanations, the uniqueness of the camps, and of course those African landscapes and sunsets! ... The first afternoon in Botswana we drove for hours seeing everything from elephants to lions, to zebras and hyenas and even a leopard cub! Over the next few days, we went on a walking safari with a thrilling elephant encounter, tracked a pack of wild dogs, watched more than forty elephants with babies crossing a river and saw a young leopard hunting in a tree! Don’t miss the mokoro ride. It was mostly bird sightings but so relaxing and different from the drive that we enjoyed it a lot.”

    Flaminia R.

  • “The location of the rooms was incredible! Viewing the beautiful sunsets and sunrises in Savuti right in front of our tents overlooking the waterhole was incredible. As many as 15-20 elephants congregated at a time, with herds moving in and out all day long. Fantastic!”

    Harry H.

  • “Oh my gosh…my trip exceeded my expectations on so many levels. EXPLORE listened to what I wanted out of my first safari — elephants, elephants, elephants – and put together an amazing itinerary. The staff answered all of my “first timer” questions with patience and detail. The travel guide I received was complete in every way and left nothing to surprise nor chance. I couldn’t have been happier with my experience with EXPLORE.”

    Melinda B.

  • “Everything was so well planned out for us. We felt so well taken care of at every destination and each step along the way. Everything was perfectly planned, and all our concerns vanished from the time we set foot on African soil and were met by our first Explore representative.”

    Jill L.

  • “There was no part of this trip that did not exceed my expectations. All our guides were amazing, they all had such great knowledge of the ecosystem and culture and were really great at putting everything into a broader environmental context. Absolutely wonderful time. Thanks so much to all involved in making this happen.”

    Elijah C.

  • “The trip exceeded our expectations. Prior to leaving, we had a sense of what the safari would be like, what the camps were like and what wildlife and environments we were likely to see; the reality was that the safari was excellent, the accommodations were incredible especially considering the remoteness, and the wildlife was far more varied and plentiful than we expected. EXPLORE was great to work with. The team answered questions promptly and thoroughly. We had let them know that this was an anniversary trip for Lisa and me. At all camps, we were treated to a special event. At Khwai, we came back from dinner to find cake and champagne in our room; at Gomoti, we had a private dinner on our last night at the pool and had champagne in our tent; and at CK we had a private dinner on our tent porch and champagne in the room. These were not at all expected and were much appreciated!”

    David B.

Where We Stay

  • Selinda, Great Plains Conservation, Okavango Delta

  • DumaTau, Wilderness, Linyanti

  • Savute Safari Lodge, Desert & Delta, Savute

  • Euphorbia, Mashatu

  • Jack's Camp, Natural Selection, Makgadikigadi Pans

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Kenya