Explore Botswana
Discover unbeatable offers on Botswana Travels with IndiaTravelbay.
FIND YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE
Botswana stands as Africa's shining gem of conservation success, where nearly 40% of the land is dedicated to national parks and wildlife reserves. This landlocked country in southern Africa has transformed itself from one of the world's poorest nations at independence to a middle-income country with a strong commitment to environmental protection and sustainable tourism. The contrast between the lush Okavango Delta—the world's largest inland delta—and the stark beauty of the Kalahari Desert creates a landscape of breathtaking diversity.
What sets Botswana apart is its policy of high-value, low-impact tourism, ensuring exclusive safari experiences without the crowds found elsewhere in Africa. Visitors can witness the planet's largest elephant population roaming freely, track endangered wild dogs, observe lions swimming in the Okavango channels, or engage with the San Bushmen to learn ancient survival skills. With its stable democratic government, excellent infrastructure, and English as an official language, Botswana offers travelers an accessible yet authentic African adventure where luxury tented camps exist in harmony with untamed wilderness.
Details on Passports and Visas
Suggestions for Dining
Restaurants
Enjoy fine dining and local cuisine at the best restaurants in Albania.
Explore RestaurantsCasinos
Discover the best casinos in Albania with top-rated gaming and entertainment.
Explore CasinosTrending Locations
Northwestern Botswana
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Mokoro canoe safaris
- Luxury safari lodges
The Okavango Delta is an extraordinary inland delta formed where the Okavango River meets the Kalahari Desert, creating a 15,000 square kilometer wetland paradise. This unique ecosystem supports one of Africa's greatest concentrations of wildlife, with animals adapting to the seasonal floods. Visitors can explore meandering waterways by traditional mokoro canoes, spotting elephants, hippos, and rare birds, or stay at exclusive island lodges that offer unparalleled wildlife viewing combined with exceptional luxury.
Northern Botswana
- Largest elephant population in Africa
- Chobe River boat cruises
- Four distinct ecosystems
Chobe National Park, Botswana's first national park, is famous for hosting the world's largest elephant population, with herds sometimes numbering in the hundreds. The life-giving Chobe River creates a lush floodplain where wildlife congregates in astonishing numbers during the dry season. The park offers both land-based game drives and water-based safari cruises, providing photographers with iconic shots of elephants silhouetted against blazing orange sunsets as they come to drink at the river's edge.
Eastern Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Big Five wildlife viewing
- Diverse landscapes
- Chief's Island wildlife sanctuary
Moremi Game Reserve occupies the eastern portion of the Okavango Delta and was the first wildlife sanctuary to be established by an African tribe (the BaTawana). The reserve encompasses a remarkable diversity of habitats, from mopane forests and acacia woodlands to floodplains and lagoons. Chief's Island, the largest landmass within Moremi, serves as a wildlife sanctuary with one of Africa's highest concentrations of predators, including lions, leopards, and the endangered African wild dog, making it a premier safari destination.
Central Botswana
- Second-largest game reserve in the world
- San Bushmen cultural experiences
- Dramatic seasonal transformations
The vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve, covering 52,800 square kilometers, is a place of stark beauty and surprising biodiversity despite its seemingly harsh environment. During the green season (November to April), the desert transforms with lush grasses attracting large herds of springbok, gemsbok, and wildebeest, followed by their predators. This remote wilderness is also the ancestral home of the San Bushmen, who have survived in this challenging landscape for thousands of years, offering visitors rare insights into their traditional hunting and gathering techniques.
Northeastern Botswana
- Ancient super-lake salt flats
- Meerkats interactions
- Zebra migration
The Makgadikgadi Pans form one of the world's largest salt flat complexes, the remnants of an ancient super-lake that dried up thousands of years ago. During the dry season, this lunar-like landscape stretches endlessly to the horizon, while the rainy season transforms it into a shallow lake attracting thousands of flamingos and triggering the second-largest zebra migration in Africa. Visitors can spend time with habituated meerkat colonies, ride quad bikes across the salt pans, or sleep under the stars in this surreal environment where the curve of the earth is visible to the naked eye.
Guidelines for Cultural Awareness
- When greeting Batswana (people of Botswana), it's respectful to say 'Dumela' (Hello) and to use both hands or the right hand when giving or receiving items, as using the left hand can be considered disrespectful.
- Always ask permission before photographing local people, especially in rural villages and among the San communities, as some believe photographs capture a part of their spirit.
- Dress modestly when visiting villages or non-tourist areas; while safari casual is fine in camps, women should avoid very short shorts or revealing tops in towns and villages out of respect for local customs.
- Botswana has a strong democratic tradition and stable politics, but avoid critical political discussions, particularly about neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, as many Batswana have family connections across borders.
- The concept of 'African time' is prevalent in Botswana, meaning schedules may be more flexible than Western visitors are accustomed to. Patience is valued, and showing frustration or anger is considered inappropriate and ineffective.
Suggestions for Evening Activities
- Experience a traditional boma dinner under the stars at safari camps, featuring local cuisine, storytelling, and sometimes traditional dancing and singing by staff members.
- Visit the Jazz Club in Gaborone for live music featuring local artists playing a fusion of jazz, African rhythms, and contemporary sounds in a relaxed atmosphere.
- Take a sunset cruise on the Chobe River to witness elephants, hippos, and crocodiles while enjoying sundowner cocktails as the sky transforms with spectacular colors.
- Join a night game drive in private concessions (not permitted in national parks) to spot nocturnal animals like aardvarks, bush babies, and hunting predators using spotlights.
- Visit Maun's Old Bridge Backpackers for their famous riverside bar where travelers, guides, and locals mingle, sharing safari stories over cold St. Louis beers and watching crocodiles in the Thamalakane River below.
Customer Feedback
Sophie Müller
Our mokoro canoe safari in the Okavango Delta was the most magical experience of my life. Our guide, KB, had incredible knowledge of the ecosystem and spotted a leopard that we would have completely missed. The luxury tented camp at Jao exceeded all expectations—falling asleep to hippo grunts while enjoying five-star amenities was surreal!
Journeyed from Munich, Germany
Takashi Yamamoto
Chobe National Park offered unparalleled photography opportunities with elephant herds crossing the river at sunset. I captured my best wildlife photos ever! The boat cruise provided better viewing than the land safari. One star deducted only because the park gets crowded near Kasane entrance—worth exploring the less-visited western sections.
Journeyed from Osaka, Japan
Olivia Chen
The Central Kalahari completely changed my perception of deserts. Visiting during February's green season, we witnessed predator action as lions hunted springbok on the open plains. The highlight was spending a morning with San Bushmen who showed us how they find water and medicine in this seemingly barren landscape. An authentic cultural exchange that felt respectful rather than touristy.
Journeyed from Vancouver, Canada
Eduardo Santos
Makgadikgadi Pans offers a unique landscape unlike anywhere else I've visited. Sleeping under the stars on the salt pans was incredible, and the habituated meerkats actually climbed on me for a better vantage point! However, three stars because our visit in May was too late for the zebra migration and too early for the dry season activities. Timing is everything here.
Journeyed from São Paulo, Brazil
Aisha Patel
Moremi Game Reserve delivered the most extraordinary wildlife experience. In three days, we saw all Big Five, including a rare black rhino. Our guide at Mombo Camp tracked a pack of wild dogs on a hunt from start to finish. The diversity of landscapes was stunning, and the absence of crowds made it feel like we had discovered our own private Africa. Worth every penny of the premium price!
Journeyed from Mumbai, India