let's travel to botswana
Never did I ever think I would utter the words “Let’s travel to Botswana” .
But here I am, a couple of months back from our trip, uttering that exact sentence, on repeat!
Botswana is nothing short of enchanting! It’s home to incredible wildlife, breath-taking national parks, and intriguing local culture and history. It’s also one of the most popular destinations in Africa, especially for safaris!
You can choose from 5-star getaways in the bush with no Wi-Fi signal for kilometers or explore the waterways on a meandering Mokoro dug out boat.
Highlights include visiting the rhinos at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, spotting Leopard at Khwai Camp and enjoying dinner under the stars with Elephants at a waterhole at Elephant Sands. There is no shortage of authentic African adventure in Botswana!
May to October is the dry season in Botswana. It’s the best time to visit the country, especially if you are wild camping, like we did.
With hardly any rainfall, the animals flock to the waterholes, making it easy to spot the more elusive creatures, like lions and leopards!
From November to April, the rains arrive, transforming the dry, arid landscape into a lush green landscape. While the less than ideal weather makes it hard to spot the Big 5, the wet season is perfect for bird lovers!
The migratory birds return to Botswana in the hundreds, and you’ll be in time for the births of baby animals.
Botswana Itinerary
My Hubby, is a master planner when it comes to planning overlanding trips like this one.
He knew exactly where he wanted to go and see. All I wanted was to see elephants.
Man. Oh. Man, did we see Elephants!
We couldn’t have done this trip without the help of Ultimate Routes. These guys hooked us up with the best route for our self-drive 4×4 adventure!
Here’ s our Itinerary!
1 Night at Mokolodi backpackers
When we start our holidays, we like to take it easy and tend to make pit stops along the route to rest and recover after the long drives.
Mokolodi Backpackers has a simple objective: to give travellers an affordable, practical and friendly place to call home in Botswana. And its exactly what it is, cozy, comfortable and filled with so much character and love.
Located in stunning African bush, they offer comfortable chalets all with separate verandas and are surrounded by nature.
With various types of accommodation, from luxurious to basic, You are spoilt for choice.
Whether in a chalet or tent, rondavel or dorm, you’re always surrounded by the stunning African nature.
A highlight, was not only enjoying the company of a resident dog and pot belly pig, but meeting a legend, Graham McLeod.
Interlude: In my hubby’s younger days, he bought his first ever Getaway Magazine and dreamed of the bucket list destinations in Africa to visit. One of the articles stood out to him and from that day, he said one day he would overland Botswana- Guess who wrote the article that inspired hubby to travel, Sir Graham McLeod. It was a pretty cool moment!
Shop his book here
2 nights at Khama rhino sanctuary
Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a community-based wildlife project in Botswana, located about 25 kilometres outside of Serowe. Spending 2 nights on a very spacious campsite surrounded by gorgeous Baobab Trees. We definately had a great spot that was walking distance to the ablution blocks that were nice and clean.
The Sanctuary is home to last last remaining Rhino’s in Botswana. These rhinos are heavily guarded 24/7 due to poaching. You can witness soldiers in action in the bush through-out the day when driving around the sanctuary for game viewing.
The wildlife is beautiful and to witness so many rhino’s in one place, relatively relaxed, is really incredible to see. Definitely a place to visit even if its just for a day.
1 night in kubu island
This is one of the most amazing places, stunningly beautiful, historically interesting and kilometres and kilometres of nothing.
Lekhubu / Kubu Island is a rock out crop which was submerged in the water of the great Lake Makgadigkadi which was one of the largest lakes in Africa. Kubu is a Setswana name for a hippopotamus while Lekhubu means a rock outcrop.
The road to Kubu Island is long, and when you think you’ve reached it, you still keep driving. Out of no where this island of rocks appear in the distance. It is breath-taking. If you are expecting a place to have plug points and ablutions, this isn’t the place. You have to be completely self sufficient when visiting Kubu Island. You really are going to rough it out.
There is absolutely nothing around, just white sand that feels like talcum powder that sticks to everything, everywhere! 1 night on Kubu is enough to experience the marvellous night sky, the calming silence and the deafening darkness that comes with staying on the sacred island. It really was an incredible night.
1 Night at khumaga camp site
Khumaga is beautiful! A campsite based in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is probably one of the nicest places we camped at in Botswana. 1 night was far too short to stay and would recommend at least 3 nights. Be sure to pick site kk10 as it has stunning ablutions a stone throw away and its great for big game interactions.
Beware of the monkeys! Those critters sit on the tree tops to strike for an opportunity to grip what they can. The road paths make for an adventurous ride as it replicates soft beachy sand.
The zebra and wildebeest migrate to the pans during the wet season (December – April), so during those months you will see very few.
August Elephants migrate.
Best time to visit would be between April – November.
Interlude: Leaving for our next destination, hubby spotted an Elly laying down by the water hole. As an elephant lover, knowing full well that elephants of that size don’t ever lay down, we expected the worst. We came to find out that the old gal went down to the river to slip away. It was a sad sight to discover on our departure, but that is life.
overnight rest stop in maun
Audi Camp is situated on the banks of the Thamalakane River, 12 kms from the center of Maun. With 4 en-suite luxury tents on raised wooden decking, a house with 4 rooms, 10 beds, kitchen, bathroom, its a greta place to pit stop and relax. The camp also provides a large, shady camping area with fantastic ablutions.
The camp has a large thatched bar and restaurant area, which serves meals and snacks all day from a bar menu, though there’s also a camper’s kitchen and braai stands if you prefer to cook for yourself. The camp’s been working on its food, and now organises ‘themed’ food evenings.
Khwai
Khwai will absolutely take your breath away. With it’s world-famous Moremi Game Reserve the area really hold so much magic in it. It’s an enchanting area, most well known for the winding Khwai River. Offering a wildlife-rich patchwork of lagoons, shallow flooded pans, woodlands, and grasslands, it has everything you will need to for wild camping.
Without a doubt, it’s one of the most scenic areas of Botswana. And it’s a must-visit location for your safari in the Okavango Delta.
Khwai is a predator-rich area known for having high concentrations of all types of wildlife. It’s an excellent location for viewing lions (our campsite was right next to a leopard and a lion on the hunt for the same kill in the dead forest). It was my first time seeing a leopard in the wild and it was exhilarating!
Beyond predators, Khwai is one of the best places in the Okavango Delta for elephants. The beautiful Khwai River draws in healthy populations of elephants, buffalo, giraffe, red lechwe, impala, hippo, zebra, kudu, and more.
It’s difficult to go any stretch of time without running into some type of wildlife when you visit Khwai. We had elephants walking through our camp, leopard, monkeys, mongooses and even had an owl perch on the tree tops early hours of the morning.
There nothing quite like it. I had never felt more at peace standing out in the open waiting for an elephant to walk by. Botswana really is a place that holds so much serenity. Dont stay less than 3 nights- there is honestly so much to see and take in. A wildlife photographers dream!
AN ABSOLUTE MUST!
A mokoro experience on the Khwai River with Khwai’s experienced polers leading the way has been described as an “unparalleled aquatic adventure”.
Glide silently through the waterways on the Khwai River, immersing in the tranquillity of nature. The gentle swaying of the mokoro and the rhythmic sound of poles dipping into the water create a soothing melody that harmonizes with nature’s symphony.
From graceful elephants and colorful bird species like the African fish eagle and vibrant kingfishers, there is an abundance of wildlife to spot along the way. Each sighting offers a glimpse into the intricate ecosystem that thrives in this untouched wilderness.
Keep in mind
Khwai is rough camping- but i mean rough!
Ablutions are far and few in-between. If you want a hot shower, better you head there in the morning as hot water runs out fast if the camp sites are fully booked.
Absolutely do not recommend driving after the sun goes down. These are when the hippos and elephants track back from the river and it is TERRIFYING to run into them while driving in pitch darkness. It isn’t safe for you and for the animals. Stay at camp and pee in the bushes if you desperate. ( I talk from experience)
A place that holds so much beauty- It’s actually surreal at how beautiful nature is untamed.
Audi Camp Rest - Planet Baobab -Elephant Sands
After the most incredible experience in Khwai- We headed back to Maun- Audi Camp for relaxed shower and a good nights rest before making our way back home. But before that we made a pit stop to Planet Baobab for lunch. It’s definately a must see as it hold giant Baobabs and is home to resident Kalahari cool cats of Ntwetwe– the meerkats.
FUN FACT– You can book a stay and experience a night under the stars and interact with the meerkats! (Definitely something we going to experience when we go back to Botswana)
Our trip gifted us with countless unforgettable moments, but none quite as extraordinary as our stay at Elephant Sands. Nestled in the heart of the bush, this camp offers a front-row seat to one of nature’s most awe-inspiring spectacles: elephants in their element.
Elephants have always held a special place in my heart, and at Elephant Sands, I found myself surrounded by these majestic creatures in a way I could only dream of. With no fences separating us, they roamed freely among the camp, creating an experience that was equal parts thrilling and humbling.
The highlight was undoubtedly the waterhole, just a stone’s throw away from where we dined under a canopy of stars each evening. From our seats, we could watch as the elephants approached, their enormous silhouettes illuminated by the moonlight. They splashed, drank, and frolicked, their playful interactions a reminder of their intelligence and social bonds.
Of course, being this close to nature comes with its quirks—the earthy aroma of mud and elephant dung is something you quickly adapt to. But, far from detracting from the experience, it added to the authenticity of it all. This wasn’t a curated safari; it was raw, wild Africa at its finest.
Elephant Sands wasn’t just a stay; it was a soul-stirring encounter with the natural world. If you ever find yourself exploring Botswana, I cannot recommend it enough. Be ready to trade luxury for magic—because there’s nothing quite like dining under the stars, with elephants as your dinner companions.
The end of an epic adventure.. not yet
As we packed up and left Elephant Sands, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude—for the elephants, the wilderness, and the moments that reminded us how small yet connected we are in this vast, beautiful world. Botswana captured my heart in ways I never imagined, and the memories of this trip will forever be etched in my soul.
And the best part? This isn’t the end of the adventure. We’ve already started planning our next journey to Botswana in 2025. If this trip taught me anything, it’s that there’s always more magic waiting to be discovered—and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Ta Taa, for now.