We travelled as a family of 6 from the UK for a big birthday celebratory trip, meeting up with 2 cousins in Botswana as part of our holiday. From day 1 Rory was incredibly helpful, listening carefully to everything we wanted to do, and creating a completely unique itinerary for us. There were various logistics involved which all worked incredibly smoothly - transfers between airports and hotels and camps were seamless, and the places we stayed were just amazing - honestly the stuff of dreams - we felt we were on a film set sometimes! The Okavango Delta was full of animals and we saw so many of them at very close quarters. We camped in the park, listening to hippos and lions at night. We drove across lots of different terrains, and had sundowner drinks with elephants close by. Everyone we were hosted by was extremely kind, welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Rory was always on hand and we felt completely looked after - he had such excellent recommendations and his contacts and knowledge made our experience truly magical. I would not hesitate to recommend the African Wild to anyone wanting to visit Botswana.
Discover Botswana Safari
Private safari to Okavango, Kwando, Kalahari and Chobe
This is the itinerary we recommend for anyone who wants to see Botswana properly. Nine days, four distinct wilderness areas - the Okavango Delta, the Kwando River, the Central Kalahari, and Chobe - connected by private charter flights and led throughout by a single expert guide.
The African Wild are our partner for Botswana safaris: a locally owned, locally operated company run by Rory Sheldon, who was born and raised here and has spent his career working in conservation in the Delta. That local knowledge matters in practice - in the quality of guides, the lodge relationships, and the ability to build an itinerary that reflects how the country actually works rather than how it looks on a map.
Every trip is private and fully customisable. The itinerary below is a starting point; days, lodges and duration can all be adjusted. Get in touch to start planning.
Good to know
- Locally based with on-the-ground support
- Top lodges and bush camps
- Best prices guaranteed
- 24/7 attentive support
Destinations
BotswanaTour Type
Custom itinerary, Private guided tourDuration
9 days
Price
$5,300 pp
We travelled as a family of 6 from the UK for a big birthday celebratory trip, meeting up with 2 cousins in Botswana as part of our holiday. From day 1 Rory was incredibly helpful, listening carefully to everything we…
Detailed itinerary
What you'll see and do
This is a customisable trip
Use the following itinerary for inspiration. Remember: all days, hotels and activities can be altered to suit your requirements. A The African Wild travel specialist will be happy to advise.
Day 1
Arrive in Botswana
Okavango Delta
You're met at Maun International Airport and transferred straight to a private charter flight. After a 20-minute flight you land at Pom Pom Camp, a luxury tented lodge in the heart of the Okavango Delta, within the private Matsebe concession. The camp sits on a permanent lagoon - hippos are a fixture, and elephants move through regularly. Your afternoon begins with a camp orientation and a sundowner on the viewing deck, followed by a private dinner prepared by the camp chef.
Featured Accommodation
Day 2
Canoe trip in the flood plains
Okavango Delta
The day starts with a bush breakfast followed by a game drive with your private guide - an experienced tracker who'll brief you the previous evening. After the drive, you move onto a mokoro: a traditional dugout canoe, guided by an expert poler. This is one of the best ways to experience the Delta's flood plains at close range, and your guide will stop for a floating lunch along the route. There may be time for a second game drive in the evening.
Featured Accommodation
Day 3
Fly to the Kwando River
Kwando River
Following breakfast and a morning game drive, you board another private charter - a 20-minute flight north to Kwando. This is significantly wilder and more remote than the Delta: sparse woodland, ancient floodplains, and a landscape that sees far fewer visitors. Lagoon Camp is a high-end lodge built on the banks of the Kwando River, known for exceptional predator sightings. Wild dog packs den close to the camp regularly. Giant herds of elephant and buffalo migrate through. From this point on your programme is flexible - game drives, mokoro, boat safaris, fishing, or time in camp - led by your guide or dictated by what's active in the area.
Featured Accommodation
Day 4
Free time to explore
Kwando River
A free day in camp. Your private guide is on hand for a sunrise game drive if you want one, or you can spend the day on the water by mokoro or motorised boat. The lodge food is a genuine highlight - full board, with meals prepared by the camp kitchen team. This day is designed to give you time to absorb the location rather than move through it.
Featured Accommodation
Day 5
Fly to Kalahari
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Another private charter, this time into a completely different landscape. Tau Pan sits in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, overlooking an open pan. The name means lion in Setswana - the pan is frequented by a pride of black-maned Kalahari lions, and sightings are common. The ecosystem here is unlike anything in the Delta or Kwando: arid, open, and with its own distinct wildlife. After lunch you'll head out on an evening game drive.
Featured Accommodation
Day 6
Visit the local San community
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
A San community lives close to the lodge, and this morning you'll spend time with a traditional San leader. The walk covers the basics of San bush knowledge - tracking, plant use, navigation - and gives some insight into a way of life that has existed in the Kalahari for thousands of years. The San are regarded as among the finest trackers in the world, able to read minimal ground signs with remarkable precision. It's one of the more distinctive experiences on this itinerary, and not something most safari programmes include. The afternoon is free for another game drive.
Featured Accommodation
Day 7
Transfer to the Chobe River
Kasane
You fly back to Maun and connect onto a scheduled flight to Kasane, arriving at Chobe Safari Lodge - a recently built property on the banks of the Chobe River, at the point where Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia meet. The afternoon is a private river cruise: the Chobe is home to one of the largest hippo concentrations on the continent, and game viewing from the water is excellent. Dinner at the lodge on return.
Featured Accommodation
Day 8
Explore Chobe
Kasane
A flexible final full day. Game drives into Chobe National Park and river cruises are the main options, and the park is well known for large elephant herds alongside its hippo population. For those who want to extend the trip, Victoria Falls is 100km away and can be arranged as a day excursion - worth flagging when you enquire if this is of interest.
Featured Accommodation
Day 9
Departure day
Kasane
Breakfast at the lodge, then transfer to Kasane airport for your onward flight.
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Okavango Delta
World-renowned as a mecca for wildlife, this year-round watery paradise is sustained by rainfall in the Angolan highlands which arrives in the form of an annual flood just as natural rain-filled pans are beginning to dry out... -
Okavango Delta
World-renowned as a mecca for wildlife, this year-round watery paradise is sustained by rainfall in the Angolan highlands which arrives in the form of an annual flood just as natural rain-filled pans are beginning to dry out... -
Kwando River
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Kwando River
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Central Kalahari Game Reserve
At some 52,000 square kilometres, making this Africa’s second largest reserve, Central Kalahari feels as wild and unfathomably remote as it was 50 years ago... -
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
At some 52,000 square kilometres, making this Africa’s second largest reserve, Central Kalahari feels as wild and unfathomably remote as it was 50 years ago... -
Kasane
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Kasane
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Kasane
Rory
The African Wild · Africa
Usually responds within 4 hoursWhat's included
What you get for your money
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Accommodation |
All nights in some of the finest safari camps and lodges in Africa. All accommodations are carefully selected and can be customised to suit your preferences and budget. |
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Expert guiding |
All activities mentioned in the itinerary, accompanied by an expert tracker-guide. |
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All meals |
Full board with three meals per day, freshly prepared by your camp's excellent chef. All drinks (alcohol and non-alcoholic except for premium brands). |
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Local transport |
All hotel/airport transfers and ground connections in private vehicle. |
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Internal flights |
Internal fights on charter bush planes. |
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Local support |
We'll greet you at the airport and be by your side every step of the way, making room for spontaneity as you go, with 24 hour support. |
Where to stay
Some of our sample accommodation
A collection of hand selected safari lodges and camps.
Classic
Chobe Safari Lodge
This lodge is situated in Kasane on the banks of the Chobe River and shares a border with Chobe National Park. Right on the doorstep is the meeting of four African countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The lodge therefore offers an excellent getaway location to Chobe, Victoria Falls or Caprivi.
The close proximity to Victoria Falls International Airport, Livingstone International Airport and Kasane International Airport makes it easily accessible, with daily road transfers or charter flights connecting all these airports with the lodge. The lodge has been recently renovated; matching a magical lodge experience to the spectacular game viewing.
We are a member of HATAB which allows us to offer the best lodges in Botswana at the best prices.
Classic
Chobe Safari Lodge
This lodge is situated in Kasane on the banks of the Chobe River and shares a border with Chobe National Park...
Classic
Tau Pan
Tau Pan belongs to the Kwando Safaris portfolio and it is one of the prominent camps located within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This is a truly special camp with an incredible location on a ridge overlooking an iconic pan. The lodge is fabled in Botswana for the black maned lions that prowl across her stretches, and viewing these lions from the lodge is a breath taking experience. Tau actually means Lion in Setswana.
The camp includes open communal areas with bar, lounge, and restaurant as well as a fireplace close to the watering hole which is amazing for game viewing.
Activities offered at the lopdge are game drives, day trips to the well-known Deception Valley, Sunday, Piper and Passage Pans, star gazing, bush brunches on the Pan, and nature walks with Bushman trackers.
Classic
Tau Pan
Tau Pan belongs to the Kwando Safaris portfolio and it is one of the prominent camps located within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve...
Deluxe
Lagoon Camp
Beyond luxury, Lagoon Camp offers an authentic and unforgettable experience to its guests. It represents the beauty of Botswana and is undoubtedly one of the best lodges to be found anywhere in Africa.
The camp has eight luxurious tented rooms with private decks and lavish bathrooms that include both indoor and outdoor bathing facilities. The rooms are elegantly designed, fresh, and provide more luxuries than one might expect from a camp in the Delta.
The main thatched areas of the camp include a bar and a lounge, dining area, a curio shop and second-level library overlooking the river. The camp also has a plunge pool and outdoor deck.
This camp is a highly recommendable lodge option for romantic couples looking to escape and spend some quality time together.
Deluxe
Lagoon Camp
Beyond luxury, Lagoon Camp offers an authentic and unforgettable experience to its guests...
Deluxe
Pom Pom Camp
Pom Pom camp is one of the best known and most idyllic camps in the Okavango. This camp has been setting precedents in Botswana for over 20 years. It is acclaimed for a very good reason. The lodge, which belongs to the Kwando Safaris portfolio, is luxurious, and the service is impeccable. The camp is situated on an island, to the west of the Moremi Game reserve at the head waters of the Xudum river.
The camp has 9 luxurious raised tents that are positioned comfortably in the shade of palms. Each tent has en-suite facilities and private viewing decks looking out over the surrounding areas.
The camp offers game drives within the heart of the Delta, and this ensures that guests see a lot more wildlife. The mokoro polers in the area are also well known, and viewing game from a traditional dugout canoe while staying at this lodge is a highly recommendable experience.
Deluxe
Pom Pom Camp
Pom Pom camp is one of the best known and most idyllic camps in the Okavango...
How to book
This trip, booked according to the itinerary above, would cost from $5,300 per person. Final pricing can vary depending on seasonality and accommodation availability. Get in touch for a detailed quote and up-to-date availability.
Price guarantee
We have a price guarantee and will meet or beat any prices on the market. Being a 100% Botswana owned, registered, and operated company, and being based within the county, allows us to offer clients the best possible prices for all tours, safaris, and lodges.
We have established relationships with all the lodges, not only in Botswana, but beyond her borders as well, and these relationships mean that we’re able to offer out guests superior prices and we’re also able to work with the lodges to ensure that all of your needs are individually met.
While we strive to offer the best prices for each of our services, we also only work with registered lodges and operators who work within the law and ensure that your safety comes before anything else. As a proud member of HATAB and this means that we’re able to offer the best rates possible for the best lodges in Botswana. And this is what is most important to us – giving you the best value for your money, while ensuring your safety and comfort at the same time.
With our price guarantee that we offer the most competitive prices in the market for the most unforgettable tours in Botswana.
Reviews
What people are saying about The African Wild
Susannah
24/08/2025
Max and Maria Cecilia
04/06/2023
We had an absolutely wonderful time in Botswana. Especially in the Okavango Delta. Many thanks to The African Wild and Rory Sheldon who organized our trip!
Anny Yousef
19/07/2023
What can I say?! Everything was amazing- from start to finish. Rory did a fantastic job in tailoring the perfect safari for me and my girlfriends. Everything went so smoothly. We had the best time; saw all the animals we wanted and came home with incredible memories! Could not have asked for better. Thank you for an epic trip!
Michael Sander
29/08/2023
We had the most amazing time on our safari organized by The African Wild. Rory was attentive to every email and request. And helped us along the way with so many details that we did not even know we needed. The trip was smooth from the pickup in Maun, to the flights, and the beautiful lodges. We could not have had a better experience. Thank you!
Luis and Carolina Gomez
06/08/2024
What an extraordinary experience !! The guides and the trackers have an extraordinary connection with the land and the animals. They are so knowledgeable as well. The accommodations were superb, the camps very ample and comfortable with not too many people. Great food and drinks as well. The staff from all camps were very nice and caring. Wonderful life experience. Will share with all our friends hoping we can get somebody else to enjoy the experience. Many thanks!
Pat and Terry McCue
05/06/2024
Having been to Africa on safari 4 times previously and not seen them, we were on a quest to find African wild dogs. I contacted The African Wild after doing an internet search on the dogs and their webpage came up. Rory set us up with a trip into 2 camps in the Kwando Concession in Botswana. We saw the wild dogs on our very first game drive!
Our trip was set-up excellently with all our accommodations and transfers going as planned. The accommodation and food at each lodge was amazing. We could not have asked for better. The staff at both lodges were very kind and friendly and really made us feel welcome. Our game drives were loaded with highlights. The guides and trackers at the Kwando camps are absolutely excellent. They are knowledgeable and dedicated to making the game drives memorable.
We can’t thank Rory and The African Wild enough for planning a truly fabulous safari for us. We loved every minute!
Ellen
11/08/2025
Fantastic service and facilities. Everything went extremely smoothly. Great communication. Amazing guide and support staff. An absolute dream to come true!
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The African Wild customer reviews
Pat
Having been to Africa on safari 4 times previously and not seen them, we were on a quest to find African wild dogs. I contacted The African Wild after doing an internet search on the dogs and their webpage came up. Rory set us up with a trip into 2 camps in the Kwando Concession in Botswana. We saw the wild dogs on our very first game drive!
Our trip was set-up excellently with all our accommodations and transfers going as planned. The accommodation and food at each lodge was amazing. We could not have asked for better. The staff at both lodges were very kind and friendly and really made us feel welcome. Our game drives were loaded with highlights. The guides and trackers at the Kwando camps are absolutely excellent. They are knowledgeable and dedicated to making the game drives memorable.
We can’t thank Rory and The African Wild enough for planning a truly fabulous safari for us. We loved every minute!
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