Botswana: Makgadikgadi, Okavango Delta & Chobe Explorer

Enjoy included UK airport lounge access before your overnight flight to Botswana.

Changing at Johannesburg, you’ll fly to Maun where a charter flight will bring you 140 km to your safari lodge, set on the western banks of the Boteti River. Check into your thatched, glass-fronted suite set high above the Boteti River before making full use of the included wildlife activities to explore your national park surrounds. Whether it’s a day or night game drive, a walking tour, or, water levels permitting, a river cruise expedition, expert guides will get the most out of this stunning environment. And, although the lodge’s name translates to ‘lion’s paw’, you’ll be treated to much more than this big cat king; zebras, wildebeest, porcupine, hippos, leopard, cheetah, hyenas and impala are all regularly spotted. Optional cultural village tours can be arranged and for those staying for a minimum of three nights, a visit to Nxai pans, Baines Baobabs or Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Come the evening, return to poolside luxury, gourmet dining, an intimate bar and a riverside hide.

Stay: Leroo La Tau (Superior)

Your next charter flight hop will see you to the Okavango Delta, a land where myriad waterways and green flood plains host one of Africa’s most diverse collections of wildlife. And your water-based camp – accommodating just 24 guests across twelve boutique suites-with-a-view – is positioned right in the centre of it all. Interconnected walkways bring you out to thatched lounges, fire pits, a library, a rim flow swimming pool and a self-service bar, all with stunning views. It’s the ideal base for activities that bring you through reed-lined channels and papyrus swamps in motorboats and mokoro dugout canoes. As you laze past, keep your eyes out for everything from hippos and crocodiles to hyenas and zebra. Get closer with guided bush walks that track the larger land-based species, including the African bush elephant.

Stay: Camp Okavango (Superior)

Fly out to your last lodge for more thatched, timber chalet luxury where private decks make the most of national park views. The cosy lounge, well-stocked library, cocktail bar and al fresco dining area round off amenities; it’s even possible to watch the resident elephants make their way to the river from the lodge's swimming pool or bar deck. You’ll also have the chance to explore the more human side of Botswana, with the ancient San Rock Paintings at the nearby Gubatsa Hills before 4WD, open-top safari excursions bring you back to the wildlife. A real highlight is the biannual zebra migration. As the second largest in Africa, the zebra move from the park’s northern rivers in search of rain-ripe grasslands and waterholes in the south. Plan ahead as it occurs roughly between November and December and again between February and April. The migration is followed by a large number of predators and you’ll also go out in search of big cats and Chobe’s elephant herds.

Fly back to Maun to transfer to Johannesburg and your flight home. If you’re considering extending your stay, we recommend adding in a visit to Victoria Falls. A true natural wonder, its monumental cascades mark the meeting point of Zambia and Zimbabwe and form the largest waterfall in the world. If you decide to extend your trip here, either Matetsi Victoria Falls or Old Drift Lodge are ideal bases.