Arrival

Before your trip can begin, you’ll spend several hours on a plane. So make sure to allow an extra travel day to get to Botswana.

If you booked your flights through Botswana Nomads, you’ll leave at 9:25 p.m. the evening before your road trip and arrive in Maun at 12:35 p.m. the next day, on day 1 of your trip.

If you arrange your own flights, you can choose when to arrive. Arriving later will only give you less time to explore Maun or relax, and won’t affect the rest of the trip.

From your plane window, you can already see the impressive Okavango Delta below. After landing, collect your luggage and explore Botswana’s tourist capital, Maun.

Next, head to your first accommodation, Crocodile Camp in Maun. Check-in is available from 2 p.m.

If you booked your flight through Botswana Nomads, the shuttle to the hotel is included. Our driver will be waiting for you in the airport arrivals hall.

If you booked your own flights, you can take a taxi to the hotel. The ride costs around €15 to €20 and can be arranged locally.

In the afternoon, you’ll have time to relax by the pool or freshen up before exploring Maun. Visit the Maun Wildlife Educational Park or settle in at one of the restaurants along the Thamalakane River. 

This morning, you have the option to take a small plane flight over the Okavango Delta. From the air, you'll spot plenty of wildlife and the tracks they leave behind.

After that, you'll pick up the jeep. You'll receive a detailed briefing on how to use the 4×4, and then your road trip really begins. You'll drive towards the Makgadikgadi Pans, where you'll spend the night on the banks of the Boteti River. The roads are paved and in good condition.

The Boteti River is the Okavango Delta's main outflow. During the dry season, it's the only water for miles around, and every animal knows it. Thousands of zebras and wildebeest make their way from the salt pans to the riverbanks, creating Africa's second-largest zebra migration. Elephants, hippos, crocodiles and lions are drawn here too.

At the campsite, you can watch from a viewing deck perched on the steep riverbanks. Take in the sunset and enjoy the beautiful views from the deck.

Today you’ll use the 4×4 function for the first time and drive through Makgadikgadi Pans National Park towards your next destination: Nata. Tonight, you’ll stay on the other side of the national park.

This is where you’ll find Nata Bird Sanctuary, a vast area of dried-up salt pans that once formed a giant inland lake. When there’s water, the sanctuary transforms into a birdwatcher’s paradise. Thousands of flamingos gather here to feed in the shallow water, casting a pink glow across the landscape.

You’ll drive along dusty roads through the white, crunching salt landscape stretching endlessly into the distance. The contrast between the bright white salt pans and the blue sky is striking. Alongside flamingos, you may also spot pelicans, cranes and dozens of other bird species that come here to feed and breed. We definitely recommend booking a birdwatching excursion here.

Not joining the excursion? Then enjoy the campsite facilities, such as the swimming pool or the restaurant. You can also spot several bird species and galagos around the lodge. For extra comfort, you can upgrade to a chalet.

Today is a rest day at Elephant Sands. It’s just an hour’s drive to this special place, where the elephants are in charge. Right in front of the lodge, there’s a  waterhole  where you can spot elephants coming to drink. More than 95,000 elephants live in this area, including both resident and migratory animals, so you’ll often get to see these impressive animals up close.

The 16,000-hectare reserve is unfenced, allowing all the animals to roam freely. If you’re lucky, you may also spot buffalo, lions, giraffes, wild dogs, hyenas, steenbok, leopards, kudus and much more.

Enjoy views of the animals from the pool, the lounge or the restaurant. 

Today you'll be heading towards Kasane, a small town that's a popular spot for tourists. Kasane is located by the Chobe River, home to various wildlife species. A sunset cruise on this river is definitely a must-do during your visit to Botswana! This is included in the trip.

You’ll sail in a small boat along the Chobe River as the sun slowly sets. From the water, you'll spot elephants coming to the shore to drink, hippos peeking out of the water, and crocodiles lounging on the banks. The golden light of the setting sun paints the river orange as you glide past the animals.

The campsite for the next two nights is in a special location, close to a waterhole where many animals come to drink. Elephants in particular love to gather at the waterhole, and you can watch this spectacle from the restaurant at the campsite. There's also a swimming pool where you can relax.

Today you have the chance to visit the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You’ll be over the border in just 20 minutes. You’ll drive right through the Zambezi National Park towards the town of Victoria Falls.

The Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. A massive volume of water plunges down 108 meters over a width of nearly 1.7 kilometers, creating a constant mist of spray that can be seen for miles. The water falls from Zambia and lands in Zimbabwe.

You’ll walk through the Victoria Falls National Park along various that offer different perspectives of the waterfall. Some spots get you so close that the mist completely soaks you. You can feel the power of the water vibrating through the ground as you walk along the paths at the edge of the gorge. The is deafening and incredible to hear.

During the excursion, you’ll visit the falls and a restaurant located on a stunning gorge near the park.

Prefer to stay in Botswana? Then you have time today to explore Kasane again, relax by the pool, or spot wildlife at the watering hole on the campsite.

This morning, you can book a safari through Chobe National Park. During the dry season, from May to October, more than 120,000 elephants are estimated to gather in and around the park. You may even spot huge herds of hundreds of elephants at once.

After that, you’ll drive through the park along the Chobe River Front to Muchenje. The roads have generally been good so far, but now you’re really heading into the wilderness, swapping the asphalt for dirt roads. Along the way, you’ll see large baobab trees and, hopefully, all kinds of wildlife.

Tonight’s campsite is next to a huge meadow with views of Namibia. The meadow is mainly home to cattle, but you can also spot plenty of birds in the area. After today’s safari adventure, enjoy a drink by the pool. The campsite has a small shop and a petrol station.

Over the next few days, you’ll drive through the wilderness on unpaved roads and sleep right next to wildlife at the campsites. Make sure to fill up the car completely today, and top up your extra jerry can too. There are no petrol stations at the places where you’ll be staying after this.

Today, you’ll cross Chobe National Park. You’ll drive via Savuti to the Mababe Gate, staying just outside it in the village of Mababe. The campsite and lodge are right on the river, with views across the vast Mababe Depression.

The surrounding area is an important natural migration corridor for wildlife moving between the Okavango Delta and Chobe.  From the pool and the restaurant, you’ll have a panoramic view of the floodplain, where animals such as zebra’s, wildebeest, impalas, elephants and hyenas regularly pass by.

Before arriving here, you’ll have the chance to do a few more loops around Savuti on a self-drive safari. A group of lions and many elephants live near the area, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a leopard. 

Today you drive towards Khwai, a special place in the Okavango Delta. The campsite is located beside a small river and one of the delta's channels, where you'll sleep alongside elephants and hippos. From your rooftop tent, you can see hippos resting in the water. Don't worry, as long as you're well prepared, the animals will keep their distance.

At the end of the day, a mokoro excursion is included. A guide takes you through the delta in a traditional boat. Along the way, you'll spot all kinds of wildlife and learn more about this unique environment.

The campsite has a swimming pool and a restaurant with a beautiful view over the river.

Today you drive back to Maun, where the trip began. You can get there via the Moremi Game Reserve. Moremi covers around 5,000 square kilometres of the Okavango Delta. It has a unique history: it was the first game reserve in Africa to be established by local residents. Concerned about poaching and overgrazing, the Batawana tribe declared the area a protected reserve in 1963.

Once you arrive in Maun, return the car by 4:00 pm at the latest. A transfer will take you back to Crocodile Camp. There, you can relax by the pool or take another cruise along the Thamalakane River.

Did you book your flights through Botswana Nomads? In that case, a transfer will take you back to the airport today for your flight. If not, you can easily arrange a taxi through the Crocodile Camp reception.

We hope you look back on a fantastic trip through Botswana and wish you a pleasant flight!