BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
SELF-DRIVE SAFARI
See Botswana in 17 days! From campsites to lodges.
Have the best of both with this adventure! Sleep in your rooftop tent under the stars then after a few days spend the night in a luxury lodge. Trust us, you’ll love both. Quite rightly so as far as we are concerned. We, too, think this combination is fantastic. That’s why we love to tailor-make this self-drive safari. With the route below, you will probably get the travel bug too. Ready to get into your own 4×4 and meet baboons, lions and elephants? From luxury lodges with plunge pools to campsites under the stars, from Khwai to Skybeds to Chobe.
Day 1 - 3
Welcome to the relaxed safari capital.
Ready, set, go! Welcome to the first chapter of your safari in Botswana: welcome to Maun. In this bustling town in the north of Botswana, you will be welcomed by our local colleagues. Here, you will stay in one of our favourite B&Bs. After a clear explanation, you will receive your 4×4. Do you feel like strolling through Maun afterwards? Absolutely, there are many nice restaurants and shops. There, you can immediately do some shopping, for example; enough water and essentials. Immediately organise your 4×4 in a safari-proof way, almost ready for departure. Exciting!
Day 3 - 6
The first kilometres to the Moremi Game Reserve.
Finally, let’s get the adventure started! but first shopping, refuelling and buying firewood. Where exactly? We are happy to give you insider tips. And then: the first day of travelling in the 4×4. The first is self-drive. The first kilometres, first dirt roads and first elephants on the road. After a hard day’s driving, you will spend the night in the bush in Moremi Game Reserve. Lions, leopards, baboons and even elephants walk right past your self-erected camp. Without fences, without surveillance! Early in the morning and later in the afternoon, you will make fantastic photographic safaris, during which a cold beer is absolutely recommended! Tip: chill out in the warm afternoon and live in the rhythm of nature.
Day 6 - 8
After dark in Khwai Private Game Reserve.
Keep your eyes open! Don’t miss a thing on the beautiful 3-hour drive from Moremi to the Khwai Private Reserve. Here you can park the car away for a few days, sit back and let someone else do the driving for you. Enjoy this gorgeous high-end lodge in the middle of this private reserve on the edge of the Delta. Go on daily game drives in the lodge’s game viewers and meet wild dogs, special birds and many other wild animals. Tip: listen carefully to the guides, you may find this useful later on. Our highlight? A night game drive right through the bush and sundowners at the most beautiful lagoons. And the fantastic camp staff, of course!
Day 8 & 9
An unforgettable helicopter flight and a starry night.
Make your way to the chopper! In a fantastic 10-minute flight with incredible views, you head into the woodlands. Once you’ve landed, a personal guide will welcome you. Together with him, you make a 4×4 drive to the ‘underground hyde’, a bunker from where you will make the most beautiful photos of elephants, buffaloes and other wildlife. Then you travel to Sky Beds and sleep in an ‘open-air bedroom’ under the most exquisite starry sky ever. But first, you have dinner under the most beautiful starry sky ever. In the morning, there is another exciting bushwalk, good breakfast and then it’s ‘helicopter time’ again. Back to the banks of the Khwai.
Day 9 - 11
Elephants, zebras, giraffes and lions in Savuti.
Time to trade the wings for your tyres again! Enjoy the four-hour self-drive to the campsite at the Savuti Channel. Don’t forget to enjoy the view. At your base for the next two days, there is a nice little shop where you can buy firewood and cold drinks. Cheers to the Savuti Marsh Pride! Yes, that’s the group of more than 20 lions that you will hopefully be spotting. These are infamous because they have a reputation for hunting both elephants and buffalo. Don’t feel like driving yourself during this safari? We’ll be happy to tell you how to arrange a local guide in Botswana in no time.
Day 11 - 14
Take a boat safari on the Chobe River full of wildlife.
Today the drive will feel a little longer, but soon you will trade the 4×4 for a boat! Time for the next chapter of your safari in Botswana. From your campsite on the banks of the Chobe River, you can step straight into a guided boat and cruise past the bathing elephants. Be prepared for encounters with hippos and crocodiles! The next day is devoted to a game drive in search of all the game that Africa has to offer. And that’s not all: from Kasane, you will also go on a day trip to Victoria Falls. Would you like to spend another night here? We know some great lodges and B&Bs!
Day 14 - 16
Lots of luxury and meerkats in Makgadikgadi.
Hop in your car, it’s adventure time! On the pedal towards the salt plains of Makgadikgadi. Get comfortable, because you cruise for about 5 hours on a good tarmac road. Also nice to see again. When you arrive at the campsite, it is of course time for a delicious and refreshing sundowner. Not too many though, because tomorrow you have an early meeting with the local meerkat family. Also, the quad safari across the 16,000km2 salt plains cannot be missed, not to mention the bushman walk. Traditional! If you choose the right travel period, you might even witness Africa’s largest zebra migration.
Day 16 - 17
Collecting safari stories during your return trip.
Back to Maun! Enjoy the last few kilometres in your 4×4 and the African vistas. The adventure is almost over. Back at the B&B, it’s time to recover from all your safari adventures, exciting moments and unforgettable encounters. Maybe make a pre-selection of those hundreds of wildlife photos? Of course, we will be happy to show you more of our photos.
The price for this safari in Botswana starts from €5850,- p.p. excluding international flight, Cape Town-Maun flight and gratuities. This price includes all nights, park fees, car rental (Toyota Hi-Lux with camping equipment), transfers, full cover insurance, satellite phone, navigation tracks 4 Africa, meals and local drinks in lodges and available activities. The stay in Maun is B&B.
