Trust us to find you the rarest animals, the most spectacular wildlife events, the remotest landscapes and deeply meaningful cultural encounters!
This safari encompasses 3 of Botswana's iconic landscapes - from the massive arid Central Kalahari with its desert-adapted wildlife to the verdant and wildlife-rich Okavango Delta waterways and seasonal floodplains, and the wide Chobe River where you drift as elephants and hippos swim around you ...
Expect luxury accommodation, delicious meals and discreet service as you ogle at a multitude of wildlife species in spectacular locations.
Water and the lack thereof. We follow the wildlife from arid salt pans and desert dunes to deep permanent lagoons, floodplains and wide rivers
Highlights
Incredible wildlife viewing - including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), cheetahs, wild dogs, spotted hyenas, red lechwe, roan, sable and desert-adapted species such as brown hyena, springbok and oryx.
Diverse landscapes, from the salt pans and sand dunes of the Central Kalahari to the deepwater channels and lagoons of the Okavango Delta and the wide Chobe River.
Activities that ensure excellent wildlife viewing, including guided game drives, walking safaris, bushmen-led nature walks, boating, and mokoro (traditional canoe) excursions.
Private accommodation in luxury lodges and authentic bush camps, with attentive, discreet service.
Scenic flights for an eagle-eye view of these iconic landscapes.
Thousand star treatment - a night on the sleep-out deck (star bed) at your Kalahari lodge
Locations
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the world’s largest protected wilderness areas, featuring vast open plains, salt pans, and mixed woodland. Wildlife in the Central Kalahari is abundant, including elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and desert-adapted species such as oryx, springbok and brown hyena.
The Okavango Delta is a verdant inland delta formed by the mighty Okavango River flowing into the Kalahari Desert, a unique ecosystem shaped by annual floodwaters from Angola and channels engineered by hippos and elephants. The lush Okavango Delta teems with diverse wildlife, including the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo & rhino), wild dog, cheetah, hippo and pangolin.
Chobe Riverfront in the massive Chobe National Park attracts huge herds of elephants and buffalo in the dry season, offering fantastic photographic opportunities as they bathe and drink in the late afternoon sunlight. Chobe wildlife includes four of the Big Five (the rhino is absent), cheetah, hyena, wild dog, hippo, roan, and sable.
Lodges
3 nights at Tau Pan, the only permanent lodge in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, in a private concession offering game drives, Bushmen-led walking safaris and a night under the stars on a sleep-out deck.
4 nights at Okavango Origins, an authentic bushcamp from a bygone era in the heart of the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta - ideal for water and land-based activities such as mokoro excursions, game drives and guided bush walks.
2 nights at Chobe Bakwena on the banks of the Chobe River. Guests enjoy game drives into Chobe National Park, river cruises, and village tours.
Timing
The best wildlife-viewing months are from June to mid-November, coinciding with Botswana’s dry season. Wildlife concentrates around permanent water sources, maximising sightings of elephants, predators, and birdlife. The cooler dry season climate provides comfortable safari conditions, while the Delta’s waterways remain navigable for mokoro excursions. Note that September to November will be warm to hot, whereas May to August offers mild temperatures.
The rainy season months (December to March/April) are excellent for bird-watchers looking to make the most of the influx of migratory species, as well as for seeing plenty of wildlife babies and predator action, as the big cats focus on young prey.
You can enjoy this safari at any time of year, with careful planning. Our safari experts will help you make the best timing decision.
Price per person sharing
9 nights (10 days) | ||
Low season | January to March 2026 | from US$ 9,700 |
High season | July to September 2026 | from US$ 10,600 |
Includes: All inter-camp and airport transfers and flights (Johannesburg-Maun-Tau Pan-Maun-Okavango Origins-Kasane-Johannesburg), accommodation, all meals, local beverages, daily guided activities, park fees, conservancy fees, camping/concession fees, 24/7 office support and laundry
Excludes: International flights and airport taxes unless otherwise stated, excess luggage charges, tips and personal items, visa or entry permits, telephone calls, insurance (recommended for safaris), optional safari extensions and unspecified activities, meals and drinks outside of included lodge packages.
Thank you!
We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level.
“Predators in waiting”
Our CEO, Simon Espley, says, “My room overlooked a busy dry-season Central Kalahari waterhole, with swarms of restless quelea arriving in droves and scaring the nervous kudu that were wary of nearby lions that had been calling all night.“
“Wild Delta”
Ross Exler, AG Botswana safari expert: “I’ve witnessed wild dogs take an impala and male lions fight for territory within Okavango Origins camp, which is located in the game-rich heart of the Okavango Delta.”
“Sleep beneath the stars”
Our destination expert, Nadia Lautenbach, says, “At Tau Pan, spend a night on the sleep-out deck — falling asleep beneath a canopy of stars with only the sounds of the Kalahari around you.”
Safari planning
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From desert to delta
Tell us about your dream trip - our travel experts will craft a no-obligation itinerary just for you. We have crafted over 5,000 safaris since 1991. Your personal details are protected; we only use this information to contact you.
Why choose us to craft your safari?
Handcrafted experiential safaris since 1991.
Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?
Trust & Safety
Guest payments go into a third-party TRUST ACCOUNT - protecting them in the unlikely event of a financial setback on our part. Also, we are members of SATSA who attest to our integrity, legal compliance and financial stability.
Make a difference
We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level.
YOUR safari choice does make a difference - thank you!