Top places to see in Botswana for the safari lover

Okavango Delta:

Botswana is home to some of Africa’s most iconic and pristine wilderness areas that can be found in the world. The Okavango Delta, is the likely the most famous and sought after area for a safari in Botswana. The ever changing environment provides a whole different experience when seen throughout the year, enchanting seasoned safari goers to return year after year, in their search for more magic moments. It's vastness encompasses many different private concessional areas, as well as the majority of the Moremi Game Reserve. ​Easily accessible from Maun or Kasane, many travelers opt for a fly-in safari as so much of the best areas in the Okavango are hard to reach by vehicle or boat due to the everchanging floodplains and flora. That said, there are many mobile camping safari options that venture deep to the edges of the delta, exploring the Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai concession of the Okavango system. These areas are perfect for more budget experiences and great predator sightings.

​​

Moremi Game Reserve:

The Moremi Game Reserve is located in the eastern part of the Okavango Delta, right along the southwestern border of Chobe National Park. Covering nearly a third of the Delta, Moremi is known for its incredible mix of habitats, from forests and grasslands to winding waterways, all supporting a remarkable variety of wildlife.

You’ll often see large herds of impala and tsessebe throughout the reserve, and during the dry season, buffalo, wildebeest, elephants, and zebras migrate in from the Kalahari, searching for food and water from the Okavango flood. The unique environment here has allowed a wide range of animals, birds, insects, plants, fish, and reptiles to adapt and thrive, making it a true wilderness sanctuary with fantastic game viewing throughout the year.

​​

Khwai Concession:

Nestled between the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta and the border of Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai Concession is renowned for its remarkable concentration of wildlife and breathtaking environments. This area is a tapestry of leadwood and fig forests, open grasslands, winding channels, and broad floodplains. At its heart flows the Khwai River. Because of its location, Khwai acts as a natural corridor for wildlife moving between the Delta and Moremi. This means travelers are treated to some of Botswana’s best game viewing, with opportunities to spot elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, wild dogs, and much more.

​​​

Chobe National Park:

Situated in northern Botswana along the border with Namibia, Chobe National Park is the country’s second largest protected area and is world-renowned for its exceptional wildlife viewing throughout the year. The Chobe Riverfront marks the park’s northern edge, offering a landscape of fertile plains, dense forests, and the iconic Chobe River. This river is a magnet for wildlife, drawing vast numbers of elephants, buffalo, and a wide variety of other animals to its banks. The park is renowned for its large elephant herds - the largest surviving concestration anywhere on earth. There's just something special about cruising down the Chobe River by boat as the sun sets and a herd of elephants cross the river infront of you. 

Makgadikgadi Pans:

The Makgadikgadi Pans, located in the middle of north-eastern Botswana, are among the world’s largest salt flats—a vast, shimmering expanse that stretches over 16,000 square kilometers. Once the site of an enormous ancient lake that dried up thousands of years ago, the pans today are mostly dry, especially during the winter months, but transform dramatically with the arrival of seasonal rains. Best known for their stark beauty and dramatic seasonal changes. During the dry season, the pans are a blinding white desert, home to hardy species like oryx and kudu. When the rains arrive, the pans become a lush, green oasis, attracting tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest, making for the second-largest migration of its kind in Africa.

​​​

Central Kalahari Game Reserve:

At the heart of Botswana stretches the Central Kalahari Game Reserve—a vast, untamed wilderness where the horizon seems endless and silence reigns. This is the true soul of the Kalahari, a place where golden grasslands ripple in the wind and ancient riverbeds snake through the landscape, telling stories of a time when water once flowed here.

​

The reserve was set aside not just for its remarkable wildlife, but also to honor the San people, whose deep connection to this land stretches back thousands of years. Their tracks and traditions are woven into the fabric of the Kalahari, a testament to their enduring knowledge and respect for nature.

Though the Kalahari may appear unforgiving, it bursts to life with the arrival of summer rains. Grasslands turn green, and shallow pans fill with water, drawing herds of springbok, oryx, and wildebeest. The air fills with the calls of birds, and the nights are alive with the distant roar of predators and the rustle of nocturnal creatures.

​

Places like Deception Valley, with its shimmering mirages, and the sweeping fossil riverbeds, offer some of Africa’s most enchanting and secretive wildlife encounters. Here, you may travel for hours without seeing another soul with nothing but the desert surrounding you.