Botswana Tours in May 2027

We had an amazing time on this trip and it far exceeded my expectations. We saw lions, giraffes, elephants, jackals, zebras, ostriches, impala and countless other animals and birds. Our guide, KK, was excellent, patient and with a wonderful sense of humour. We marveled at his ability to spot animals and his ability to get close to them without scaring them. The camping support teams were excellent at cooking and setting up the camps. If you are considering this trip t is important to understand before going what the trip is like. We travelled in April which is at the end of the wet season and hence were impacted by rain on many days. In fact, because of flooding our itinerary was changed to include 3 nights at Kwalape Lodge because the camp planned for the first two nights was under water and we had to go to Nxai Pan instead of Moremi (which was too wet). You will spend many hours in a vehicle bouncing around on roads that run from excellent to terrible. The bush roads can be very bad whether it rains or not. The tarred roads often have potholes, and you will have to slow down for animals on the road both domestic and wild. Sometimes my body felt like it was still vibrating even after I was out of the vehicle. The camping experience is a step up from ordinary camping since the crew sets up your tents with bedding and cots. The food provided while camping was excellent - I still think about an apple cake the cook baked for our afternoon snack. For the evening meal they always provided a starter (usually soup), a main course with vegetables and a dessert. That being said, it is camping and if it rains you may have to use the outdoor toilet (ensuite to your tent) in the rain since there is no tarp over the toilet. The lodges we stayed in were great. In particular, we liked Batonka Lodge in Victoria Falls. It had a lovely outdoor covered patio with lot so comfortable seating. The meals at Batonka Lodge were also very good. Kwalape Lodge was ok - much better than camping - but it felt dark due to the thick bush it was surrounded by. Thamos Telele was very luxurious, but I did find the "captive" animals a bit disconcerting after having seen so many animals in the wild. The houseboat cabins were quite cramped, but we spent our time on the boat upstairs in the lounge/dining area looking out at the view. I really felt relaxed on the houseboat. In summary, I recommend this trip very highly for people who have a good sense of humor and can appreciate seeing the beautiful Botswana landscape and amazing animals while perhaps putting up with some physical discomfort.

We had an amazing time with our guide Joe Kandjou. What knowledge and intuition he displayed, finding ourselves in prime positions for viewing wildlife. Joe had to drive on challenging roads, slippery mud in the parks after the heavy rains Botswana had had and we all felt very safe. The food we had everywhere was exceptional and the camping lads were just outstanding. Sitting in our mess tent, listening to lions roaring in the distance, hyenas whooping in the night, birds singing at the crack of dawn was just astounding.

showed us so much and was very passionate about South Africa. I loved the safaris and Kruger was my favorite our guide was very professional and knowledgeable. also had a great eye for spotting animals. Loved Victoria Falls it was fun to explore and really enjoyed the white water rafting.

This was a trip of a life time in so many ways. It was a retirement present and a chance to prove we could still do it. It was a chance to see so many animals and different environments and to see a wonderful country determined to benefit from It's wildlife while protecting this precious resource. We were guided on the adventure by N'gand who was so knowledgeable and happy to share his love of the wild and his country. Melo, the cook, fed us amazing meals, whether in a layby on route or on an open fire in the bush, we were stuffed with fresh bread and tasty food. Timon and Derek just quietly work on our creature comforts putting up and striking tents, digging the "bushy bushy" and making sure that we were safe and left nothing behind except warm memories. We did games walks and drives and mokoro rides. We saw all the animals on our lists and more besides. Even the " its just a bird" traveller began to appreciate the diversity out there. There were changes of plan, 2 punctures, one dead rear axle and so much late rain that the salt pans were lakes but all was dealt with so we hardly noticed with Nata being a good substitute, even if meeting other not so well behaved groups reminded us that bird watching needs quiet. It is a trip in the wild with dangers that we are not used to and we had total trust in our team that they would make it the best they could but keep us safe. The Falls are impressive and Zimbabwe provides time to recharge batteries (ours and cameras) as well as washing clothes.The group pulled together well, loading this arthritic pensioner in and out of the bus. We will keep in touch to share amazing photos and memories of this wonderful trip.

Botswana is a country the size of France or Texas, but with a population of just over 2 million and some of the most stunning scenery and wildlife. We arrived at the beginning of May, just after the rainy season, so much of the country was still green. It was also the rutting season for some animals. Our safari was in the northern half of the country, starting in Maun and then taking a mokoro (canoe) journey through the waterways of the Okavango Delta to the wild campsite (ie a clearing in the trees with no other people or facilities around). Our arrival was livened by the hippos in the pool by the campsite. Hippos came be my favourite animal, for my wife it was the many colourful birds. Hippos spend the day in water if they can, coming out after dusk. Whilst in the water, they come up for air, grunt, yawn, play and make the occasional belly flops when not sleeping: they just like to enjoy themselves. After our time in the Delta, we took an optional 40 minute plane ride over the Okavango Delta and realised the vastness of it, particularly as we only saw part of it in that time. There were great stretches of waterways, grasslands and scrub with herds of animals scattered across it. No wonder it takes time to find the animals, they are all there but just scattered over this vast area. During our journey in Botswana, first east to the salt flats near Nata, then up to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, before returning via the Chobe, Savuti and Moremi national parks in Botswana, we saw herds of zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, baboons and assorted types of deer, as well as ostrich, tortoise, puff adder, elephants, lions and a leopard up a tree with a lioness underneath waiting for her dinner to come down. We saw two Impala challenging each other and two giraffe fighting, using the horns on their heads to hit their opponent's side, as well as the amorous attentions of male impala and kudu for their females, and a lion kissing a lioness behind her head. We had elephants walk past our campsites and saw a den of hyena with the pups playing outside. On another occasion we saw an elephant thoroughly enjoying her bath, rolling in the water and throwing water over herself. At Victoria Falls, we organised our own walk to the bridge, which straddles the gorge between Zimbabwe and Zambia. At the Zimbabwe customs we got a bridge pass which allowed us to visit this 100 year old bridge and see the gorge, as well as bargain with the many pedlars of wood carvings and copper bracelets. Then it was on to visit the falls, with its 17 viewing points. Start at the first viewing point, which looks over the Zambesi river, before it plunges over the falls. From there on the viewing points get progressively wetter and the views more spectacular - so go expecting to get very wet. After that we dried out at a cafe, with magnificent views of the bridge and Zambia across the gorge. Our return was diverted by elephants on the footpath and rewarded by seeing a warthog on route as well as monkeys and a family of mongoose. That evening we joined the dinner cruise on the Zambesi, for some more hippos, a four course meal with plenty of wine and another great sunset. Our team of four led by Ngande and Melo (our cook), set up our tents and kept us well fed and looked after, even providing "pottys" for some of the wild camps where a night time walk might not be advisable. We all got used to the bush toilets, even the occasional collapse when the sand gave way! Bush showers were also provided, with a water bag slung over a branch and suitable enclosure. Mello's ability to provide three great meals a day in the bush was outstanding. He even provided "home" cooked bread with "Welcome to ... " moulded into the bread, something most of us would struggle to do with a fully equipped kitchen, let alone on a camp fire. This is a great safari, with superb staff, scenery and wild life. And one that all ages can enjoy, our oldest member was 80.

So many wonderful moments. First the people of Botswana are the nicest I’ve ever met. And I’ve traveled a lot. The guide, Ngande, was so knowledge about plants, animals, birds, reptiles and his country. He was professional, friendly and handle even breakdowns (there was one) with efficiency. The cook, Mello, ensure 3 delicious meals a day cooked on an open fire. And the assistants put up tents and made sure details were taken care of. Now for the wildlife - lions, leopards, warthogs, hyenas, zebras, elephants, hippos, incredible bird life and so much more. My friend and I agree it was truly the best ever trip and worth our 39 hours of flying❣️❣️❣️