safari experts, since 1991
Trust us to find you the rarest animals, the most spectacular wildlife events, the remotest landscapes and deeply meaningful cultural encounters!
Ever-popular professional wildlife artist Alison Nicholls will share her art techniques for creating wildlife field sketches. This laid-back safari is suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned artists. Your studio is the Okavango Delta, offering a unique opportunity to experience the African bush first-hand and add biological detail to your art.
Wildlife viewing in the Delta is spectacular, with excellent encounters of lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs and wild dogs. You can also expect large herds of elephants and buffalo, as well as a host of other species, including lechwe, giraffe, zebra, hippo, crocodile, and tsetsebe.
Unleash your creativity in Africa’s premier wilderness with immersive bushveld art
Highlights
Art lessons from Alison Nicholls - a professional wildlife artist who has led our popular art safaris for over 15 years. Along the way, she has gathered a following of avid repeat guests due to her reputation as an accomplished artist and her gentle teaching skills.
Your outdoor studio - the Okavango Delta offers scenic landscapes that will get your creative juices flowing.
Prolific wildlife - Africa's premier safari destination is renowned for excellent sightings of big cats, wild dogs, and large herds of elephants and buffalo.
Plenty of activities – including flying over this watery wonderland, game drives, bush walks, mokoro (dugout canoe), boating, and outdoor art lessons.
Exclusive camp & vehicles – your group will have exclusive access to an intimate safari camp and game drive vehicles.
Location and lodge
Your art studio is deep in the renowned Okavango Delta. One of the largest inland deltas in the world, the Okavango Delta's annual floodwaters create an ever-changing landscape of floodplains, palm-fringed islands, dense riverine forests, deciduous woodland, and deep river channels. Wildlife viewing is exceptional, including regular encounters with leopards, lions, wild dogs, hyenas and large herds of elephants and buffalo.
You will spend 6 nights at the authentic Okavango Origins: This intimate bush camp offers just four comfortable tents to those seeking a bygone-era safari where exceptional service and comfort trump crystal glass and rimflow pools. Nestled at the edge of a secluded channel, this camp offers experienced Bukakhwe Bushman guides, whose ancestral connection to this land spans millennia, ensuring authentic and unforgettable safari experiences. As a community-focused operation, Okavango Origins employs local villagers with fair wages and directly supports regional projects.
Guest reviews
"I really can’t say enough good about the art safari; it was FABULOUS! All that I had hoped for and more, and I am still revelling in the memories and reliving it through my sketches. I have no suggestions for improvement because I thought it was perfect. Thank you so much!" ~ Melissa F, United States
"I have just experienced the adventure of a lifetime. Africa Geographic and Alison Nicholls have put together a trip for Africa rookies and old-timers alike… I could not have created a better forum for Africa and my art." ~ Kelly G, United States
"After a wonderful first two legs of my trip (Cape Town and Victoria Falls), I honestly thought that the trip could not get any better. Boy was I wrong. The art safari was one of the greatest experiences." ~ Sarah L, United States
Timing
14 to 20 September 2026 (6 nights, 7 days)
Your art safari is perfectly timed for excellent weather and wildlife-viewing. Mid-September enjoys warm days with cool evenings and early mornings. Rain is highly unlikely, and the annual floods will have receded, leaving water in the deeper channels and floodplains. Your activities will include land-based (game drives and walking) and water-based (mokoro and boating).
Botswana has two distinct seasons that create dramatically different safari experiences. The dry summer season (May-October) is popular, offering excellent wildlife viewing and comfortable temperatures, although temperatures are warm to hot by October. The rain season (December-March) brings lush green landscapes, an influx of migratory birds and migrating zebras, dramatic afternoon thunderstorms, and temperatures reaching 32°C with high humidity.
Price
Based on a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 guests - FULL
6 nights (7 days) | |
Per person sharing | from US$7,685 |
Per single traveller | from US$ 9,600 |
Includes: Meet and greet at Maun International Airport, return flights and road transfers between Maun and Okavango Origins, six nights’ accommodation at Okavango Origins, all lodge meals, local beverages & soft drinks, art tuition by Alison Nicholls, game drives and bush walks, mokoro outings, sketching and painting workshops, optional local village visits, unlimited Wi-Fi, laundry, conservation and park entrance fees, 24/7 office support.
Excludes: art material, international flights and airport taxes, flights and/or road transfers to reach Maun, tips, and personal items, as well as cancellation, medical and travel insurance.
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.
"One of my favourite camps"
Our CEO, Simon Espley, says, "Okavango Origins is one of my favourite Botswana camps - I love the laid-back, authentic bush camp feel. Take time out from activities to relax in the lounge or deck area and absorb as nature reveals herself."
Tip from your artist guide
Alison Nicholls: "Start your wildlife sketches with large, simple shapes that fill the page, and add details only at the end."
Local is lekker
Ross Exler, Botswana safari expert: "Okavango Origins uses local bushman trackers to find wildlife, so your encounters are often unique and private."
Art safari day-by-day
Your art guide, Alison Nicholls, will meet you as you arrive at Maun International Airport and escort you to your local flight counter. The birds-eye view of the Okavango Delta en route to Vumbura will confirm what an exceptionally beautiful and verdant landscape this is. The team from Okavango Origins will meet you at Vumbura Airstrip for the game drive to camp.
Your days in the Okavango Delta will be spent enjoying sketching outdoors with Alison, who will provide expert tips, and then working on detailed drawings back at the lodge, accompanied by more in-depth lessons and advice.
There is, of course, no 'typical' day in the bushveld, but your routine will usually involve an early morning breakfast before heading out in the game drive vehicle to see what nature has arranged, with your guide and tracker reading the bush signals to find the most rewarding sightings. You may spend time with swimming elephants, sleeping lions or hunting wild dogs - every day offers new surprises. Mid or late morning will see you return to camp for rest, artwork, lunch and more rest.
Late afternoon tea will be followed by another game drive and outdoor artwork, followed by a sundowner drink out there and dinner back at camp. Other activities to fit in where possible include night-time spotlight drives, bush walks, mokoro and boat outings (water activities dependent on water levels).
Remember to take a 'day off' from the arranged activities to spend time in the lounge-with-a-view or the wooden deck to sketch local birds, hippos and scenery.
After six days of fun, excitement, and wonder, with your bag packed with sketches, your camera full of photos, and your mind filled with memories, you will begin your journey home or to your next destination. Bon voyage!
And there could be more!
Let us know if you would like us to arrange your flights to and from Botswana and pre or post-safari arrangements. This safari combines well with a visit to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park, for example. The enquiry form below has a section at the end for your additional requests.
Safari planning
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Art in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
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!