Why Botswana For Your Safari!

Leopard from my time in Khwai Private Reserve.

There’s something about Botswana that just takes hold of your soul. 

Maybe it’s the quiet glide of a mokoro (canoe) through golden reeds of the Okavango Delta channels. Or the sudden thrill as lions emerge from the brush. Or maybe it’s that feeling you get when you’re sipping coffee at sunrise with nothing (absolutely nothing!!) in sight but floodplains bathed in morning light. 

Whatever it is... Botswana is calling. And I’ve been answering! So many of my guests are choosing this incredible country for their Safari – and I couldn’t be more thrilled. 

Let me tell you why. 

The magic of the Okavango Delta 

The Okavango Delta is one of those places you truly have to experience to believe. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this inland delta breathes life into everything around it – seasonal floodwaters transform dry plains into lush wetlands, creating one of Africa's most dynamic wildlife habitats. 

Here’s where the magic lies: depending on where you stay within the Delta, your experience shifts dramatically based on whether you're in a “wet” camp or a “dry” camp. 

• In wet camps (camps surrounded by permanent water), water-based activities take center stage, such as mokoro rides (Botswana’s version of a canoe). These traditional dugout canoes drift silently through narrow water channels guided by expert polers – it’s peaceful, intimate, and wildly beautiful. You won’t hear an engine here… just birdsong and splashes as red lechwe leap across shallows. 

• Dry camps bring classic game drives across open savannahs teeming with wildlife, from elegant giraffes to stealthy leopards perched in leadwood trees. And if you’re lucky? African wild dogs might make an appearance, too. 

Best part? Many camps offer both types of experiences… so you don’t have to choose! 

On my evening game drive from Machaba Camp.

Wildlife encounters that stay with you 

Botswana delivers some serious ‘wow’ moments when it comes to wildlife. We’re talking dreamy leopards and lions, a highly likely wild dog sightings plus rare species like the sitatunga antelope (you’ll only find them here), Pel’s fishing owl (a birder’s dream!), and even pangolins if you’re extremely lucky. 

And then there are elephants – the herds here feel endless sometimes. Especially around Chobe or Khwai, where they gather by the hundreds during dry season.  

Captured him from resting, getting ready to hunt [above], to hunt, to eating the whole impala. Video if you care to see.

I was watching these wild dogs play while a leopard couple was close by. Pure magic.

These are a few of my favorite camps.

My clients have had so many special moments at these properties – they each offer something special while staying true to what makes Botswana stand out: untamed beauty + thoughtful hospitality + meaningful community impact. 

Machaba Safaris.

We like:
- Gomoti Camp, set along the Gomoti River in Khwai Conservancy.
- Machaba Camp, by Khwai River, overlooking Moremi Game Reserve.
- Kiri Camp, overlooking Kiri River in the delta.
All of them feels like stepping straight into nature with style!

The tents overlook waterways where elephants often wander by while you’re enjoying breakfast or lounging poolside (yes please!). It’s 100% solar-powered, too. A huge win for sustainability lovers like me. 

• Great mix of land AND seasonal water activities.

• Private concession = fewer vehicles = better sightings 

• Rustic-chic design that’s all about blending with nature 

Natural Selection Camps.

We like:
- Sable Alley and Tuludi Camps, set in floodplains of Khwai Private Reserve
- North Island in the northern Okavango Delta, its’own private paradise  tucked away among islands and lagoons

Every tent is surrounded by ancient trees with views over shimmering channels. You’ll fall asleep to frogs chirping and wake up with hippos grunting nearby! 

• Best done three ways: land safaris + boat rides

• Phenomenal birdlife 

• Conservation-focused through local youth development programs 

Pro tip? If budget allows, treat yourself to a helicopter ride over the Delta from a few of their camps – it completely changes how you see this wild mosaic below. 

African Bush Camp’s Khwai Leadwood  

This one’s perfect for families or anyone who wants front-row access to everything Moremi has to offer without being inside park boundaries (translation: more flexible activities!). It sits right along the Khwai River where animals gather constantly – you won’t even need binoculars half the time. 

• Mokoro rides guided by locals = cultural connection + serenity 

• Gorgeous rooms & warm service 

• Ngwana Club keeps younger guests engaged while adults unwind 

And yes, the outdoor bath under starlight at their honeymoon suite? Unreal! 

Mokoro riding!

So, when should you go? 

You literally can’t go wrong. Dry season runs from May–October, which is peak game viewing time as animals congregate around permanent water sources like rivers and lagoons. But don’t rule out green season either! November–March brings lush landscapes, dramatic skies… and lower rates.  

I always help my guests match their travel dates with exactly what they’re hoping for, whether that’s predator action, birding bliss, or simply soaking up scenery few will ever see firsthand. 

If you’ve been dreaming about an African Safari that's immersive yet intimate… raw yet refined… adventurous yet deeply personal, I would love nothing more than to craft your dream journey through wild Botswana together.  

Let me show you why travelers keep coming back again…and again…and again… 

Ready when you are!

Botswana. You are amazing!

Dumela. Hello in Setswana.
I have so many Safari stories to share with you from my Safaris in Botswana and South Africa; two amazing Safari destinations and each so unique. I am so excited to have explored these country so I can now tell you first hand why you too should go on Safari here.

My first stop was Botswana and I have fallen in love with this country so here goes with my ….

Top 5 reasons to visit Botswana on Safari!

1 - Okavango Delta and the surround marshes.
If you love wildlife, you know you have the Okavango Delta on your must-visit Safari area in Africa. Well, I am so fortunately to say I have been and it did not dissappoint. The Okavango Delta floods usually from June onwards to October when the water arrives from the rains in Angola. In February, it was still dry and hot [the permanent channels and river had water but they will fill out to the brim once the water arrives] but wildlife viewing was spectacular in the many different areas of the Okavango Delta and it’s surrounding. I saw 3 packs of wild-dogs, huge elephant herds with lots of babies, beautiful lion prides with lots of little playful cubs, leopards, birds and so much more.

Wild dogs so close to the vehicle from Kwando Splash.

By the beautiful channel near Machaba Camp in Khwai concession.

A stunning morning with these cuties from Kwando Lebala.

2 - Exploring the waterways.
There are many options of enjoying water activities because of the permanent water channels and rivers. I had a sunset and sunrise water activity almost every day from the different lodges I visited. Sunset cruise was on a big boat with a roof [you can see me sitting up here when it was my time slot] which was lovely.

Then, mokoro. All Botswana Safaris photographs you see show you a mokoro, which is a canoe boat that was used as a mode of transportation. Well, I did a few of these and the verdict - worth it. It is calming yet checks your fear meter [hippos close by], and each guide has their stories of how their parents taught them to ride, using the mokoro to get from the village to town, usually Maun - the gateway town in Botswana, or how they went fishing on the mokoro. Some riders still use mokoros in their villages. In some lodges, the mokoro rider is different from your Safari guide - fun way to get to know more Setswanans.

The mokoro in the Safari land is made of fibreglass so no tree has to be cut but in the old days, it was carved out of large tree trucks.

Sunset cruise from Kwando Splash in private Kwando concession.

Ailin and I with our fantastic Kwando guide Joseiya on a mokoro in Kwando concession.

3 - Off-roading.
I had the luxury of going off-road. This gives you the advantage of getting so close to the wildlife almost always. The main reason this is doable is because the areas in and around the Okavango Delta that I went to are private concessions and have only a few lodges there which means fewer vehicles in that area. The landscape does not take as much beating unlike some place like the Serengeti [a National Park] where there are so many vehicles and if every vehicle went off-roading, it would be awful. This leads me to my next reason …

Mitre, my fantastic guide from Gomoti Plains scanning.

We were so close - we saw the male lion eating a whole impala - nature!

4 - Fewer vehicles.
Because again these areas are private and only a few number of lodges, you have the advantage of controlling the number of vehicles you can have in the area and the guides are part of the the company hence same standard of guiding.

If you are enjoying a sighting, another 3-4 vehicles will be with you but really, no more than that. You also have the unspoken rule of sharing [they said around 3-4 vehicle per sighting] so if you have been with the sighting for say 10-15 minutues, you offer the courtesy to the other vehicle to come and enjoy the sighting while you leave and look for your next adventure which is always around the corner.

Baby leopard and mama seen early in the morning from Machaba Camps with my amazing guide Moreri.

Black backed jackel showing lots of loving from Kwando Lebala. Love Kwando Lebala.

A yellow-billed hornbill - spotted from Kwando Lebala.

5 - Water-animals.
With a lot more water channels and rivers, you have aquatic antelopes like the red lechwes. Such beautiful animals splashing back and forth. I spotted a not so commonly seen situnga on my sunset boat ride from Kwando Splash camp. My guide Joseiya and Kwando rep Ailin were so excited - I had to come back and Google situnga to realize I did spot something rare. Birds like lesser jacana was also seen but it flew away before I could capture it.

The beautiful Red Lechwe jumping the Linyanti Swamps from Kwando Lebala.

The rarely spotted sitatunga - a water antelope from my sunset boat cruise from Kwando Splash.

So would I say go on a Botswana Safari, a loud Yes!
Amazing people, great Safari lodges, and spectacular wildlife in a country who have done a fantastic job of conservation. With 45% of the land set aside to wildlife and low human population, Botswana, you have something really special to offer.

And I can help you.
Let’s chat about Your Safari to Botswana!

Okavango Delta + Sabi Sands

“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.”
- Sir Richard Burton

2019, I am taking the ‘Africa’ in Journey To Africa seriously and exploring other parts of Africa besides keeping with mostly Tanzania. I will always love my home country of Tanzania but I am ready to explore other parts of Africa so I know what I am talking about when I am planning Your Safari. So here goes! I can’t wait to share more countries in Africa with you.

First stop, Okavango Delta in Botswana. I am tickled to be heading to this unique eco-system.
Some of the questions I get is what is the difference between Serengeti or Okavango Delta, which area to explore first, or the best when it is from my past guests who want to go and need my help with planning their Safari. Serengeti is my jam but I am ready to find out why Okavango Delta is such a draw. Fingers crossed, I get to ride in the mokoro if the waters are high.

Then, South Africa.
South Africa has other attractions outside of wildlife which gives you a wide range of adventures to enjoy. There is Cape Town, the winelands with Franschoek being high on the list, hiking up Table Mountain and then of course Safari. I am heading to two private reserves near famous Kruger National Park; Mala Mala and Sabi Sand Game Reserve. The wildlife here is supposed to be fabulous - I am game!

Here’s to my adventures in 2019.
What will be yours? Let’s chat.