Private African safaris in Botswana
Luxury Botswana Safaris
The Okavango Delta by mokoro and light aircraft, private concessions, Chobe and the Kalahari, planned around you by our team.
Why Botswana with Nova
Botswana, Planned Around You
A luxury Botswana safari is the African safari for travellers who value space and quiet. Much of its wildlife country is set aside in large private concessions, each with only a few small camps, and most are reached by light aircraft.
At the heart of it is the Okavango Delta, a vast inland delta that floods in the dry season, when water from the Angolan highlands spreads across the Kalahari sand. You glide through the channels in a mokoro, a traditional poled canoe, and fly between camps over islands, lagoons and herds of elephant and buffalo.
We design each journey from scratch, usually combining two or three camps with different landscapes: water, woodland and open plains. Botswana pairs naturally with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and our team arranges the flights, light aircraft, guides and camps, staying in touch from your first enquiry until you are home.
Our promise
“Luxury travel, focused on eco-tourism and protecting Africa’s wildest regions and animals.”
Botswana has long chosen fewer visitors in larger areas. Staying in private concessions helps fund their protection and the communities that live alongside them, and keeps the number of vehicles at each sighting low.
Getting there
Via Johannesburg to Maun or Kasane, or via Victoria Falls
Best time
May to October, and November to April for the Kalahari
Ideal for
Water safaris, big cats, honeymoons and photographers
Combine with
Where we go
Botswana’s Safari Regions
Botswana is far more than one famous delta. These are the areas we plan journeys around, often two or three in one trip.
Water and islands
The Okavango Delta
A UNESCO World Heritage Site of channels, lagoons and palm islands. Explore by mokoro, motorboat, on foot and by vehicle, depending on the camp and the water level.
Fewer vehicles
Private Concessions
Large private areas in and around the Delta, where camps can offer off-road driving to sightings, night drives and walks, with very few other guests.
Classic game country
Moremi
The protected heart of the eastern Delta, including Chief’s Island, with lions, leopards, wild dogs and big herds on the floodplains.
Elephants and the river
Chobe
Large elephant herds along the Chobe River in the dry season, best seen by boat at sunset. Close to Kasane and to Victoria Falls.
Predators and plains
Savute
A dry, open part of Chobe National Park around the Savute Channel and Marsh, known for its lions and dramatic predator sightings.
Wild dogs and woodland
Linyanti
Private concessions along the Linyanti River in the north, with elephants, wild dogs and very few vehicles.
Desert lions
The Central Kalahari
A huge, empty reserve of grassy pans and fossil valleys. After the summer rains, antelope gather on the pans, followed by black-maned Kalahari lions.
Salt pans and meerkats
The Makgadikgadi Pans
Vast white salt pans, habituated meerkats, a seasonal zebra migration and nights sleeping out under the stars.
When to go
Botswana Month by Month
Botswana has a dry season and a green season, and the Delta floods in the middle of the dry months. Weather patterns vary from year to year.
| Months | What to expect | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Warm and green, with afternoon storms. The Kalahari and the pans come alive. | The Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi zebra migration and birdlife |
| April to May | The rains end and the floodwater begins to reach the Delta. | Green landscapes, fewer visitors and good value |
| June to August | Dry, clear days and cold mornings. The Delta is usually at its highest. | Mokoro trips, water camps and summer holidays |
| September to October | Hot and very dry. Wildlife gathers at the water. | Peak game viewing in the Delta, Chobe and Linyanti |
| November to December | The first rains, and newborn antelope across the bush. | Dramatic skies, baby animals and quieter camps |
The flood depends on rain that fell months earlier in Angola, so water levels change from year to year. We choose camps that will have water or land activities at the time you travel. Summer school holidays in July and August, in Europe, North America and the Gulf, fall in the peak flood and dry season, one of the best times to visit.
Getting there
Getting to Botswana
Most journeys connect through Johannesburg. You can also fly into Victoria Falls and drive to Kasane in about an hour and a half, including the border.
From Europe
Fly nonstop to Johannesburg from London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Zurich or Istanbul, then connect to Maun, the gateway to the Delta, or Kasane, for Chobe.
From the USA and Canada
Delta flies nonstop from Atlanta and United from Newark to Johannesburg, with a short connection on to Maun or Kasane.
From the Gulf
Emirates from Dubai, Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Qatar Airways from Doha fly to Johannesburg in about eight hours. From there, daily flights reach Maun and Kasane in under two hours.
Into the Delta
Light aircraft fly from Maun and Kasane to the camp airstrips, often in 20 to 50 minutes. Luggage is limited to soft bags with a strict weight allowance, which we confirm before you travel.
Flight times are approximate and routes change, including seasonal and regional changes, so we confirm the current options when we plan your journey.
Experiences
Ways to Experience Botswana
Every journey is built around what matters to you. These are some of the things our guests ask for most.
Fly-in camps
Small Camps, Big Spaces
Fly between camps by light aircraft and see the Delta’s islands and channels from the air.
Private concessions
Off-Road to Sightings
In private concessions, your guide can leave the track to follow predators, with only a few vehicles allowed at each sighting.
On the islands
Walking Safaris
Explore the Delta’s islands on foot with an experienced guide, where camps offer walking.
Chobe and Linyanti
Elephants by Boat
Watch elephant families drink and swim from a boat on the Chobe or Linyanti rivers.
Honeymoons
Time for Two
Secluded suites, private dinners and quiet evenings on the deck, with Victoria Falls or Cape Town to finish.
Families
Safari Together
Family suites, a private vehicle and flexible timings that suit younger travellers.
Sample journey
Nine Nights: Victoria Falls, Chobe and the Delta
A starting point only. We change the regions, camps and pace to suit you, and can add the Kalahari, Namibia or Cape Town if you wish.
Day 1
Arrive at Victoria Falls
Fly via Johannesburg to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You are met on arrival and taken to a lodge on the Zambezi.
Days 1 to 3
Victoria Falls
Two nights at the Falls, with a guided tour, a sunset cruise and time to rest after the journey.
Days 3 to 6
Linyanti or Chobe
Cross into Botswana and fly to a private concession for three nights at a camp such as Kings Pool. Elephants, wild dogs and boat trips on the river.
Days 6 to 10
The Okavango Delta
Fly into the Delta for four nights at a camp such as Qorokwe, Vumbura or Mombo. Mokoro trips, game drives and, where the camp offers them, walks.
Day 10
Homeward
Fly by light aircraft to Maun, then on to Johannesburg to connect with your flight home.
Good to know
Botswana Safari FAQs
Do I need a visa for Botswana?
At the time of writing, US, Canadian, UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days, and neither do UAE passport holders. Botswana’s official lists for other GCC passports are not consistent, so Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Omani and Bahraini travellers should confirm before booking.
What counts is the passport you travel on, not where you live. Rules and fees change, so please check the current requirements before you travel.
When is the best time for a Botswana safari?
May to October is the dry season and the classic time for the Delta, Chobe and Linyanti, with the flood usually highest from June to August. November to April is the green season, best for the Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Is Botswana safe for a safari?
Botswana welcomes many international visitors each year, and its safari camps are remote and small. On a Nova journey you are met on arrival, guided throughout and flown between camps. We follow current government travel advice, such as that from the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and plan routes accordingly.
Do I need malaria tablets or vaccinations?
Northern Botswana, including the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Linyanti, is a malaria area, so speak to a doctor or travel clinic about prevention before you travel. Also check the yellow fever certificate rules for your route.
How much does a luxury Botswana safari cost?
Botswana is one of Africa’s higher-cost safari countries, because camps are small, remote and supplied by air. The season, the camps and the number of light aircraft flights make the biggest difference. Tell us your budget and we will show you the best way to use it.
Is Botswana good for a family safari?
Yes, with the right camps. Some have family suites and children’s programmes, and a private vehicle lets you set your own pace. Many camps set minimum ages for children, often around 6 for game drives and older for mokoro trips and walks, so we choose camps that suit your family.
Combine Botswana with
More of Southern Africa
Start planning
Let’s Design Your Botswana Safari
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and what you hope to see, and we will design a Botswana safari around you. Our team works across Dubai, the United States and South Africa, planning journeys for travellers from around the world.
Prefer email? info@novasafaris.com