Plan My Safari
A luxury Botswana safari is about as exclusive as Africa gets. Botswana built its reputation on low-volume, high-value tourism, so its camps are intimate and its wilderness feels like yours alone — much of it explored by mokoro (dugout canoe) and on foot.
The Okavango Delta floods the Kalahari each year to create a labyrinth of channels and islands teeming with elephant, lion and wild dog, while Chobe holds the largest elephant population on earth.
Highlights of Botswana
Okavango Delta
A UNESCO World Heritage wetland explored by mokoro, boat and 4x4.
Explore Okavango Delta →Chobe National Park
Vast elephant herds and superb riverfront game viewing.
Explore Chobe National Park →Moremi Game Reserve
One of Africa’s richest reserves for big cats and wild dog.
Explore Moremi Game Reserve →Kalahari & Makgadikgadi
Desert-adapted wildlife, meerkats and the vast salt pans.
Explore Kalahari & Makgadikgadi →Recommended lodges & camps in Botswana
Where you stay shapes your whole safari. These are properties we know personally and return to again and again — chosen for their location, their guiding and the way they make you feel. Tell us which appeal and we'll build your journey around them.
These are a few of our favorites — we work with many more across every price point. Have a specific lodge in mind? Tell us in your enquiry and we'll secure it.
Know before you go
The practical details we handle for you — flights, entry, health and money — summarized here so nothing surprises you. Requirements can change, so we confirm everything when you book.
Getting there from the USA
Fly to Maun or Kasane via Johannesburg — nonstops to Joburg from Atlanta and Newark take about 15–16 hours, then a two-hour connection. Most guests overnight in Joburg or Cape Town on the way in.
Visas & entry
US passport holders enter Botswana visa-free for up to 90 days. Your passport needs six months' validity and a couple of blank pages.
Health
The Okavango and Chobe are malaria areas — most doctors recommend prophylaxis. No yellow fever certificate is needed unless you arrive from an endemic country.
Money & tipping
The pula is the currency, but lodges quote and accept US dollars and cards. Tipping is entirely at your discretion — most guests set aside about $20–25 per person per day for guides and camp staff.
What to do in Botswana
The experiences that define a Botswana safari — and that we build every route around.
Glide the Delta by mokoro
A poler stands at the stern and pushes you through lily channels in a dugout canoe — frogs ticking, elephants feeding on the islands. The quietest game viewing in Africa.
Okavango Delta
Jun–Oct, water levels peak
Chobe by boat at golden hour
Hundreds of elephants swim between islands as the sun drops. A private photographic boat puts you at water level, closer than any vehicle can get.
Chobe riverfront
Dry season, May–Oct
Meerkats and lost lakebeds in the Kalahari
Habituated meerkat colonies at dawn, black-maned lions by day, and quad rides across the Makgadikgadi salt pans under desert stars.
Makgadikgadi & Central Kalahari
Year-round; green season for zebra
Track wild dogs in the Linyanti
The private Linyanti and Selinda concessions hold some of Africa’s densest wild dog populations — with off-road driving and night drives no national park allows.
Linyanti & Selinda
Jun–Oct, denning season
Best time to visit
Dry season and peak Delta flood — the best game viewing.
Green season — newborn wildlife, birding and lower rates.
In the rainy months many of these same camps drop their rates by 20–40% — emerald landscapes, newborn wildlife, superb birding and far fewer vehicles. Peak season isn't the only great season: tell us your budget and we'll show you what the green season buys.
Planning & cost
Fully tailor-made — priced privately to your camps, season and travel style. No fixed packages.
Fly into Maun (MUB) or Kasane (BBK); light-aircraft transfers reach the camps. Since April 2025, US citizens need a Namibia visa — apply online in advance or on arrival in Windhoek (about N$1,600 / US$85).
Every journey is private, all-inclusive and tailor-made — your own guide and vehicle, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout.
Everything else,
answered before you ask
The practical details that apply to every safari we plan — so this page is the only one you need.
Money & tipping
US dollars are accepted at virtually every camp, and cards work at lodges and city hotels. Your trip is all-inclusive, so cash is mainly for tips: plan on roughly $10–20 per guest per day for your guide and $10–15 for camp staff, handed over at the end of each stay. We send exact guidance with your final documents.
Health & safety
See a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure for routine shots and malaria advice (most safari regions require prophylaxis; parts of South Africa are malaria-free). Camps are remote but professionally run, with radio contact and evacuation cover — we require travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation.
Staying connected
Nearly all lodges have Wi-Fi in the main areas (often in-tent too), and an eSIM from your US carrier covers the cities. Expect to be offline on game drives — most guests come to see that as the point. Family back home can always reach you through us, day or night.
What to pack
Soft duffel bags only (light aircraft cap luggage around 33 lb / 15 kg), neutral-colored layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons, and binoculars. Laundry is included at almost every camp, so pack for 4–5 days no matter the trip length.
Full packing list →Continue exploring
Victoria Falls
The greatest curtain of falling water on earth — a natural wonder.
Explore → ExperienceOkavango Delta
An Okavango Delta safari explores Africa’s great water wilderness by mokoro and 4x4.
Explore → Southern AfricaSouth Africa
A South Africa safari pairs Big Five private reserves with Cape Town and the Winelands.
Explore →Botswana FAQs
Let's design your Botswana journey.
Tell us how you like to travel and our experts will craft your private, tailor-made itinerary — no obligation.
Enquire now