Botswana Tours and Trips

If you like African wildlife and don't mind the camping, a bit of dust and a bumpy road, this could be the trip for you. Bibi (our tour leader / driver / guide / game tracker / spotter / fountain of wildlife information) was amazingly good. His tracking skills are legendary - on one occasion he even tracked a rental vehicle down that had a puncture in the midst of a game reserve! The driver was clearly unaware and had wrecked the tyre by driving with it. We saw most of the "Big 5" multiple times including 4 different leopards and a pack of wild dogs with playful pups. Lots of other wildlife & birds too. We also saw 5 fresh kills with the predators still close by. Close viewing contact with the wildlife is likely. Be prepared for 2,500km of mainly ungraded dirt and gravel tracks! The accommodation alternates between 'glamping' and camping. This allows you to periodically get properly refreshed. The camp team conjured up fantastic meals in the middle of nowhere. The house boat experience was a bit of let down. The house boat cruise was about 2km along a 50-100m wide river. However we did do a boat trip in narrower channels from it. For me, Moremi was more delta-ish than the house boat area. The (optional) boat trip in Chobe was fantastic. Victoria Falls was a great start & end to the trip. Have lunch at the Victoria Safari Lodge for the feeding of vultures (1pm) rather than the Lookout Restaurant Cafe. Tips - A ski / face mask is advisable for the long transfer days to keep dust & wind out of the eyes. Wrap around sunglasses as a minimum. The vehicle is open sided and is capable of 80+kmph on tarred roads! - A sports bra would make travelling more comfortable for those well endowed. The dirt roads can be rather bouncy. - Apart from the tip kitty, guide tip and Chobe boat trip (do it!), we scarcely spent any cash. Rest was on 'plastic'. - Take a "Pocket Naturalist Guide - South Africa Wildlife" to help ID wildlife and birds.

The Explore Botswana Wildlife trip was totally amazing. So well planned with a gradual 'break in' to wild camping and a lovely lodge experience afterwards before the houseboat trip and ending back at the luxurious Batonka Lodge for two nights. Our Tour Guide, Joe was simply fantastic. Due to his extensive knowledge of the tracks/terrain and his understanding of animal behaviours we were able to see so many wild animals close up. Furthermore, Joe always had a flask of hot water and biscuits for a break during our game drives. In addition, at each location where we stayed the local 'crews' were brilliant. So helpful and happy. The food was delicious. For me, 'wild camping' was tough - I missed running water and a flashing toilet. This said, the wild camping ensured we saw a variety of animals in their natural surroundings at close range. I also found the 5.30am starts a challenge but again, the early mornings ensured we saw as many animals as possible. Plus we witnessed some fantastic sunrises and sunsets. We also had 'free time' most afternoons. The three young men who looked after the camp and made all our meals were great, as was the food, all made on an open fire. I highly recommend this trip. What a wonderful holiday where many happy memories were made and new friendships formed.

Exceeded all our expectations. Tour leader (Joe) was excellent: locating animals, knowledge of all animals (birds to elephants) with great driving on sandy roads and network of other guides. We saw elephants, Giraffe, hyenas cheetahs, painted dogs, rhino and many, many more. Scenes of a pride of lions tucking in to breakfast, hyenas trying to steal a pack of painted dogs kill and a herd of elephants passing tentatively in front of the jeep made the trip really memorable. Wild camping in the middle of the reserve with animals passing through was fantastic. Best to take USD in cash (we took $1,500 which was fine to include tips). Good itinerary but think houseboat would have been better in Chobe. Camp food was good. Expect early (leave at 6.30am) game drives to have the best chance to see the wildlife.

A fantastic trip which far exceeded my expectations from the first to last day. We saw more than we could have ever hoped for thanks to our experienced guide. We saw lions, leopards cheetah, hippo, wild dogs, hyena, elephants, giraffes. The list is endless, there was so much to see and experience.. The guide and support staff were excellent. I have so many memories, all happy.

I have been on a lot of Explore trips. This was an excellent one for those keen to explore Africa and its wildlife. The guide was excellent and seemed to know exactly where to go to find the best sights of lions, cheetahs, leopards etc. it also included the chance to see and experience both the Okavango Delta and the Victoria Falls, both of which are awesome. Best to be aware however that most of the tour is seated in the back of the Safari truck. There is very little walking and this can lead to some frustration and a need to stretch one’s feet at times. Also the accommodation varies from an excellent lodge, to some very basic tent nights with bucket showers and dug out toilets!

This was a fascinating trip with a carefully planned itinerary and a very knowledgeable guide. The Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park provided marvellous wildlife viewing and we saw, amongst others, leopard, lions, elephants, painted dogs, zebra, crocs, hippos, many types of antelope and a big range of birds. The accommodation was excellent in variety, character and quality. We were always skillfully looked after by our guide Phenyo. His skill in finding and tracking wildlife was really impressive.