Wildlife Highlights & Victoria Falls – Best Botswana self-drive safari

Touch down in Maun, the safari capital of Botswana, where your best Botswana self-drive safari adventure begins. After collecting your 4×4 rental, take the short drive to Boteti Tented Safari Lodge, situated on the banks of the Boteti River, a tributary originating in the core of the Okavango Delta.

Depending on your time of arrival, set out on a tranquil mokoro excursion and drift along the Boteti River as the sun begins to set — an idyllic way to take in the sights and sounds of the wilderness. (The mokoro excursion is depending on the water levels. If water levels are low, you will join a cultural village tour instead.) Back at the lodge, dinner is served under the stars.

After breakfast, hit the road eastwards toward Gweta, a small village surrounded by some of Botswana’s most impressive baobab trees. Your lodge, Planet Baobab, is full of character and a great base for exploring this remarkable landscape.

The afternoon is yours to relax or join an optional activity, such as a guided walk among the baobabs. These giant trees, some thousands of years old, stand like natural monuments in the salt pan sands.

Rise early for a guided excursion to the Ntwetwe Pan, where you’ll visit a habituated meerkat colony. Watching these charismatic little creatures sun themselves and stand guard against predators is a rare and delightful wildlife encounter.

From here, continue your self-drive northwards to Kasane, where the mighty Chobe River forms the lifeblood of the national park. Settle into your riverside lodge and unwind after the drive; enjoy the view over the water and the easy-going pace of Kasane. You will spend the next two nights at the Chobe River Lodge.

An early start is highly recommended — head into Chobe National Park in your own rental vehicle for a morning game drive, when predators are still active and herds gather along the riverfront. The park is renowned for its vast elephant population, but buffalo, lion, leopard and a wide variety of antelope can also be encountered.

You may choose to return to the lodge around midday to rest before joining an optional afternoon river cruise, gliding past elephants in the shallows, hippos wallowing and countless birds along the banks. Alternatively, spend the entire day exploring the park at your own pace, with every turn in the track offering the possibility of another unforgettable sighting.

You will spend a second night at Chobe River Lodge.

After breakfast, a transfer will take you across the border into Zimbabwe, where you’ll check in at Insika Lodge in Victoria Falls. Over the next two days you’ll have time to explore one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders. Walk the rainforest trail along the lip of the falls, stopping at viewpoints to witness the thunder, spray and rainbows of Mosi-oa-Tunya — “the Smoke that Thunders”.

Beyond the falls, Victoria Falls offers a wealth of optional experiences, such as sunset cruises on the Zambezi, scenic helicopter flights, local markets and craft shops or a high tea at the historic Victoria Falls Hotel.

Evenings can be spent relaxing at the lodge or sampling Victoria Falls’ vibrant restaurant scene.

After breakfast, cross the border back into Botswana and return to Kasane, where your rental car awaits. From here, continue your journey into the Chobe Forest Reserve. Your destination is Thobolo’s Bush Camp, a rustic getaway set in a remote and peaceful location.

The lodge overlooks the Barangwe Pan, a vital water source that regularly attracts herds of buffalo along with a variety of plains game. From the veranda, you can simply sit back and watch the wildlife drift in and out — a relaxed and effortless way to connect with the bush. As night falls, enjoy a hearty dinner before spending more time at the floodlit waterhole, then retreat to your chalet for a restful night.

Continue with the best Botswana self-drive safari into the legendary Savuti region of Chobe National Park, an area famous for its large prides of lion and dramatic wildlife encounters. The landscape here is rugged and raw, marked by marshes, rocky outcrops, and open savannah. This is Botswana at its most untamed, where a guided game drive in the afternoon can bring unexpected and thrilling sightings. Tonight, you’ll sleep at Camp Savuti, surrounded by the calls of the wild and the star-studded African sky.

Begin the day with a guided morning game drive in Savuti, followed by breakfast back at camp. Then it’s time to journey south toward the Khwai Community Concession on the edge of the Okavango Delta. This area is a gem of Botswana, offering rich wildlife and a chance to experience community-managed conservation in action.

The Khwai River attracts elephants, hippos, and predators in abundance, making for outstanding wildlife viewing. Your base is MmaTsebe Tented Camp, a small and intimate camp where you can relax after an adventurous day on the road.

Today is dedicated to game drives in Moremi Game Reserve and/or adjacent wilderness areas with a guide from your lodge. This mosaic of floodplains, lagoons, forests and savannah is one of Botswana’s richest wildlife areas. Picnic lunch is served in the reserve, keeping you close to the action throughout the day. With luck, you may spot wild dogs on the hunt, elephants crossing the waterways, or big cats resting in the shade. After an exciting day in the bush, you return to MmaTsebe Tented Camp for another delicious dinner and overnight in the comfortable safari tents.

After breakfast, drive back to Maun, completing your circuit of the best Botswana self-drive safari through some of Botswana’s most iconic wilderness areas. Return your rental vehicle at the airport and prepare for your onward journey, carrying home unforgettable memories of elephants by the river, star-filled wilderness skies, and the thundering spray of Victoria Falls.