Botswana Highlights: wild camping, wildlife, and the Delta mokoro trip!

Off to Nxai Pan, about a 3-hour drive from Maun. A special place with super-remote and unfenced campsites where there's a very good chance you'll have some visitors tonight! Drive across the pan to the waterholes and spot elephants, cheetahs, and the migrating herds of zebras (usually) from late December to early April, though this is entirely dependent on the summer rains in Botswana that affect the migration cycle. Enjoy an unforgettable night in the bush, all alone in the world, somewhere in Africa.

You drive on to Makgadikgadi National Park. Here, you'll feel completely alone in the world, surrounded by miles of nothing but open plains and wildlife. With a bit of luck, you'll spot cheetahs, foxes, or hyenas. A sunset from a remote campsite is unforgettable, just like the world-famous salt pans. Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Park form an expansive area full of baobab trees. Be sure to visit the nearby Nata Bird Sanctuary to see flamingos and pelicans. And don't forget to meet the famous Timon, one of the meerkats who are accustomed to human company!

Kasane is located near Africa's '4 corners', where Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia meet. Because Kasane is right by the Chobe River, there are plenty of opportunities (for example, from the lodge) to spot wildlife enjoying the refreshing river. Elephants (lots and lots of elephants), buffaloes, and hippos love to cool off and hydrate here. Kasane is the perfect base for going on safari in Chobe National Park and visiting the Victoria Falls.

The Victoria Falls are the widest waterfalls in Africa, with a water curtain more than 1,700 metres wide and 100 metres high, and around 500 million litres of water cascading over the rocks every minute. Explorer David Livingstone wrote about the falls: "Such lovely sights must have been viewed with admiration by angels during their flights." Victoria Falls, as a city, is compact enough to walk around, making it an ideal base for travellers looking to explore the seventh wonder of the world! Walk along all the viewpoints of the falls and feel the misty spray from all directions. Make sure to protect your camera, as you’ll definitely get wet from the powerful falls!

Welcome to Chobe National Park, where adventure awaits along challenging routes that take you deeper into the wilderness. Prepare for encounters with Africa's diverse wildlife, from elephants to rare wild dogs. The park, bordering the Okavango Delta, is home to large herds of elephants along the Chobe Riverfront and offers floodplains that attract birds and migrating zebras. Lions, antelopes, and hippos inhabit the forests and lagoons around Linyanti Marsh. Explore the untouched nature and dirt trails, and be ready for wildlife encounters as you navigate through water, holes, and mud. Chobe National Park offers an unforgettable safari experience in the heart of Africa.

Moremi Game Reserve, one of the best game areas in Botswana, thanks to the Okavango Delta reaching the interior here. The park offers a diverse landscape with streams, lakes, mopane forests, lagoons, and acacia woodlands. Elephants are abundant here; you sometimes have to manoeuvre around them! The water also attracts a wealth of birdlife. Lions, hyenas, wild dogs, and even leopards can be spotted here. With wildlife freely roaming around the campsites, you'll truly feel at one with nature. This is adventurous, off-the-beaten-track, and unforgettable – an experience that showcases the wilderness of Botswana at its best.

Explore the magical Okavango Delta, one of the most visited destinations in Southern Africa, but not easily accessible due to the numerous rivers, lakes, and marshes. The constantly changing water levels make accessibility challenging, so a boat trip or flight is essential for a spectacular experience. The Mokoro trip offers the ultimate Botswana experience, floating through the delta in search of wildlife, with stops for lunch, game walks, and refreshing swims. Enjoy sunsets that reflect in the still waters and overnight on an island in the heart of the bush for a true off-the-beaten-track adventure under the starry sky.

Back in Maun. Time to give yourself some rest and reevaluate all that you have been able to see in the last few days!

Your trip has sadly come to an end! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful Botswana.