mobile safaris in botswana

Mobile Safaris in Botswana

Private safaris off the beaten track exploring a wild, unspoiled tranche of game-rich Botswana.

• Best Time To Go
• Top Parks & Areas
• Itineraries

About Botswana Mobile Safaris

Strike out on a private expedition to explore a wild unspoiled tranche of game-rich country – this is one of the most authentic and inspiring ways to see Africa. 

Botswana is known for its exceptionally luxurious safari camps and lodges, but the experience of an authentic mobile safari under canvas is still hard to beat. No amount of rose petals or personal butlers will make up for the smells and sounds you’ll experience with a few nights under canvas in the African wild. With a group of friends or your family this is one experience that’s hard to beat.

In Botswana, we use either light or luxury mobile camps to provide an unforgettable safari experience. In either case the essence is the same – the focus is on intelligent simplicity; great wildlife viewing, experienced guides and access to some of Botswana’s best wildlife areas from private camps in the middle of nowhere.

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• Light touch brilliance in Okavango Delta
• Extraordinary luxury of your own private mobile camp
• Access to game-rich areas – away from the crowds

A print anthology of safari and wilderness travel with over 220 pages of travel inspiration.

Highlights of a mobile safari Botswana

Often the best safaris involve looking beyond the obvious highlights. It’s about the exhilarating encounters that will make your heart sing. These are encounters that nobody could ever predict, but that make your safari genuinely unique.

BEST TIME FOR MOBILE SAFARIS IN BOTSWANA

Botswana has a hot, wet summer between October and April, and a cooler, dry winter from May to the end of September.

Winter is traditionally high season in terms of price and visitor numbers, while summer is the quieter off-peak (or “green”) season. It’s not quite as simple as this, but as a guideline, visit the Okavango between May and November and the Kalahari between January and March if your primary objective is to see wildlife.

Talk to our Experts

They’ll be happy to let you in on their travel secrets, and help you plan a tailor-made trip that’s truly unforgettable.

“Mobile safaris are proof that luxury is all about context. Wait until you experience the joy of freshly cooked food by a campfire surrounded by a million acres of Africa’s wilderness.

Top Parks & Areas For Mobile Safaris In Botswana

• Embark on a private expedition
• The winding waterways of the Delta
• Experience safari by mokoro
• Camping on islands

• Perfect to hook up with Victoria Falls
• Large numbers of elephants by Chobe River in dry season
• Brilliant boating

• Opportunity to game view by boat and 4×4
• See the colourful packs of wild dog
• May – September

Expeditionary Safari In Botswana’s Okavango

A private expedition.

With a simple tented camp; private and lightweight enough to move every few days, your safari becomes your own private expedition.

Quietly exploring with your guide, avoiding the heavily visited areas, planning the day’s activities to fit with the natural rhythms of the day.

Marmite not Moët & Chandon

We’ve never gone a bundle on the concept of exclusivity – simply charging an arm and a leg to exclude those who can’t afford it doesn’t seem very inspiring.

But we do realize that (like marmite) the best experiences are probably not for everyone. One size fits all usually means that one size doesn’t fit anyone properly. So these mobile camps won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But if the idea of totally private camps, gradually moving to explore a wild unspoilt area in the company of an experienced guide appeals, then think about using one of these camps for at least part of your safari in Botswana. 

Luxury camps: What to expect

• The accommodation is in spacious insect proof walk-in tents with gauze-covered windows.
• Bathrooms are en-suite, with ash long drop toilets and hot water safari showers.
• A minimum of 3 staff excluding the safari guide, accompany the safari to make the safari run smoothly. The staff take care of all camp chores which include providing delicious meals.
• Weather permitting, laundry is done daily with the exception of the days the camp moves to its next location.
• Three substantial meals per day are served, between planned safari activities.
• All drinks are inclusive in the price and are available with all meals as well as activities.

Light mobile camps – what to expect

• Accommodation is in 3×3 m walk-in tents with mosquito proofing and sewn in groundsheets.
• The tents are equipped with stretcher beds, foam mattress, pillows, sheets and blankets.
• There is one shower for every four guests and long drop ash toilets are en-suite.
• Two camp assistants – a driver/cook and waiter/general hand who set up camp and do all the hard bits.
• Guests aren’t required to help with the set up or break down of camp.
• Inclusive on the safari cost is house wine at dinner, bottled water, beer and soft drinks.

From Our Travel Guides

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Meet our travel experts.

It takes genuine local knowledge to craft trips that go beyond the ordinary. The Natural High team have unrivalled experience and will take your ideas and turn them into your trip of a lifetime.

Into The Wild Brochure

Need some more inspiration? Request a copy of Into The Wild, our comprehensive anthology of safaris and wilderness travel.

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incredibly helpful whilst planning trip, then everything went smoothly when we were there, great accommodation, transportation, food, guides etc etc. …

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Outstanding bespoke trip. Every tiny detail was taken care of. We stayed in a variety of lodges and the service was excellent throughout, as were the …

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We live in Canada and have relied on Vanessa Janion to plan and organize 3 trips to Africa for our family members. Without a doubt she has consisten…

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Rod organised 2 excellent trips to Africa for me this summer – the first in June to Uganda and the second in August to Madagascar. Both trips benefit…

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Simply first class on every level. Catherine Ronan was ‘on it’ from the start and built the most fabulous bespoke holiday for the family in Mozambiqu…

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We had wonderful four weeks in Namibia. Everything was really nice planned and we didn’t need to worry about anything. We made some incredible memor…

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Absolutely recommend natural high

Many trips, rod organized, all a azi g…

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Natural High — in particular, Vanessa Janion, was invaluable in the planning of our safari, including the all-important decisions of where and when t…

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Botswana: the joys of a mobile safari

Aug 22, 2018 • 7 min read

Dining al fresco takes on a whole new meaning while on mobile safaris © James Gifford / Lonely Planet

Sleeping in the wild on a mobile safari, with nothing but a piece of canvas between you and Africa's wildlife, may not be for everyone, but it makes for a fully immersive experience.

Increasing competition among Botswana’s high-end safari companies has led to lodge rooms resembling palatial villas complete with plunge-pools, private butlers and an eye-watering price tag. But the cost is not the only drawback – in some lodges, it feels like you are being separated from the wilderness, almost akin to being cocooned in a plush boutique hotel with National Geographic on a jumbo screen. For an authentic safari, it is difficult to beat a mobile – the original form of this quintessentially African adventure.

What is a mobile safari? What are the benefits?

A mobile safari is exactly what it sounds like – a journey through a variety of different wildlife habitats, staying for a few nights in each area. When you move location, your camp moves with you. While mobiles are generally less expensive than permanent camps in Botswana , they are often incorrectly perceived as a second-rate alternative to lodges. In reality, they actually boast a string of other advantages, which can make them a preferable option for many travellers.

Each campsite is simply a designated, secluded area of bush with neither facilities nor fences. Before your arrival and after your departure, there is no trace that anyone has stayed there, and the wildlife is free to wander through camp at any time.

Camping in the bush may sound daunting to the uninitiated, but this is more glamping than camping – dispel all thoughts of fighting with a tangle of tent poles and guy-ropes amid lashing rain, while surviving on a diet of tasteless packet-food. On most mobile operations, the staff will erect and dismantle both the guest tents and a mess tent (where you will meet for meals), prepare three-course dinners, and even do your laundry. All you have to do is sit back and relax.

Evenings, isolation and night skies

In the evening, watch amber flames lick hungrily at the charred logs of the campfire as the lilting chimes of miniscule reed-frogs and vociferous crickets float through the cool night air. If you listen closely, you might hear a zebra braying in the distance, an elephant’s trumpet of displeasure or even a rasping, saw-like cough resonating from the inky darkness – the unforgettable call of a leopard patrolling its territory.

The sounds of the bush become more vivid when there is no barrier between you and the wildlife, particularly in the absence of any auditory distractions. Without the monotonous drone of a permanent camp's generator nor any of the background noise inherent in the operation of such lodges – often a mobile will have just three staff – you will find yourself listening to sounds you never imagined existed. And when everything goes quiet, the silence is so intense, it feels almost oppressive.

The isolated campsites in Botswana's safari-friendly landscapes , whether in the Okavango Delta , the Central Kalahari Game Reserve or elsewhere, mean there is no light pollution either. Often the only light source for miles around is the warm glow of a dozen lanterns illuminating a handful of cosy khaki tents. Above these, myriad sparkling stars light up the coal-black sky like a bounty of diamonds discovered in one of the country’s productive mines.

Flexible mobile safari activities and guide continuity

The nightly celestial spectacle has a hypnotic beauty, but as with any safari the main action occurs during daytime. Although activities are similar to a traditional lodge – morning and afternoon wildlife drives, interspersed with the occasional mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) journey or boat cruise – the intimacy of the operation gives you more flexibility. Normally a mobile safari will involve just one wildlife-viewing vehicle, allowing you to stay out for as long as you like without having to worry about being late for meals. On a mobile, the camp timings revolve around you, not the other way around.

Having the same guide for the duration of the trip also allows the focus of the safari to be tailored to the group’s specific interests, which can be adapted according to what you see. This avoids the possibility of listening to different guides repeat the same information or spending longer than desired at similar sightings at different lodges ­– sometimes an unavoidable consequence of sharing a vehicle with other lodge guests.

Mobile guides are justifiably known for being some of the best in the business – most did their apprenticeship in permanent lodges before branching out to mobiles – and the extended time you spend together creates a special bond, causing many guests to return with the same guide in subsequent years.

To glamp or not to glamp

Like lodges, mobile safaris in Botswana cover the whole gamut of luxury options. At the most basic level, you will sleep on a bedroll (covered mattress) in a shared dome tent, which you will help to erect and take down, have shared ablutions and possibly assist in the cooking duties. At the other end of the spectrum, your large walk-in tent is adorned with Persian rugs, antique chests and a brass, double bed, while your en-suite bathroom is equipped with a flush toilet and running water. The mess tent will be furnished with more rugs, a sofa to lounge upon during siesta and even a selection of imported single malt whiskies.

Most travellers will opt for somewhere between the two – a spacious, en-suite tent with twin beds, a bucket shower (filled with hot water on demand), a long-drop toilet and a basin supplied with warm water in the morning. Whatever your choice, the food, all of which is cooked over an open fire, will rival that of many lodges. Delicious loaves of bread and sumptuous cakes are even baked in a bush oven (essentially a modified tin box), in a marvel of culinary creativity that would make Jamie Oliver proud.

Going green: the ecological benefits of mobile safaris

For eco-conscious travellers, one of the attractions of a mobile is your reduced carbon footprint. Travelling between locations is done by vehicle instead of the small planes that are used to transfer between lodges, which also gives you the opportunity to watch the subtle changes in scenery as you move from one ecosystem to another. In the camp itself, lanterns are often solar-powered, and camera and phone charging is done with an inverter linked to your vehicle’s battery. Some mobile operators also use a portable water filtration system to avoid the waste from plastic water bottles. For an even more environmentally friendly option in the Okavango Delta, you can opt for a mobile on horseback (where the camp is transported by mokoro ) or a walking-and-canoe combination – both of which have a zero-carbon footprint.

Are mobile safaris for everyone?

Like any safari, there are aspects of a mobile that may not appeal to everyone. During the hotter months, there are no fans or refreshing swimming pools to cool you down during the day, and there is no wi-fi or phone network, so you are off the grid (which some might see as an attraction). The moving days can also be long, although it is amazing to watch the camp disintegrate during breakfast, only for it to reappear in time for sun-downers in a completely different location.

Mobiles mostly operate in national parks, so there may be more vehicles than in a private concession, but it will never feel crowded.  Families or groups wanting more privacy have the option of booking an entire mobile for themselves, giving them an exclusive safari at a fraction of the exorbitant cost of hiring out an entire lodge.

Admittedly, the idea of wild animals roaming through camp can take some getting used to, but there is never any danger as long as you stay in your tent at night. Watching an elephant slake its thirst from your shower bucket while you are savouring lunch is an experience you are unlikely to forget.

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• Mobile Safaris

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Mobile safaris

Explore Botswana’s world-renowned Okavango Delta with our mobile safaris. Catering to intimate groups of up to 7 guests, these safaris offer authentic wilderness adventures, large en-suite tents, and gourmet meals.

Psst... if you’re traveling solo, you'll love this: no single supplement fees!

6-11 nights

From 2.825 - 6.495 Euro/person

MOBILE Safaris in Botswana:

An unmatched wilderness adventure.

Botswana – exclusive, remote, and gorgeous. Africa’s top safari destination, known for its high-end, low volume tourism and magnificent landscapes and wildlife. Our mobile safaris, operated by the renowned team from the "Safari Brothers" series on Nat Geo Wild, offer a well-paced exploration of some of Botswana’s most pristine landscapes.

Botswana is a land of astonishing contrasts, from the lush wetlands of the Okavango Delta to the vast, arid expanses of the Kalahari. Each destination within this remarkable country holds its own unique allure. As you journey through the wilderness, you will explore the incredible Moremi Game Reserve, be captivated by the sights and sounds of places like Savuti and Chobe National Park or searching for the black maned lions in Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

While our safaris follow a planned route, nature writes its own script. This means no two safaris are exactly the same. Whether it's a sudden lion chase, a herd of elephants crossing your path, or a beautiful sunset that paints the sky, there's always a moment of unexpected wonder waiting around the corner.

Embarking on a safari in Botswana with Lost Adventures ensures you a meticulously crafted journey, abundant in rich wildlife sightings, awe-inspiring landscapes, and memorable moments. Venture deep into the heart of Botswana and let us guide you through an incredible safari adventure.

EXPLORE OUR MOBILE SAFARI JOURNEYS

Northern highlights.

Northbound - Maun to Kasane

Up to 7 guests

From 3,725 - 6,395 Euro/Person

Miracle Rivers

Maun to Maun

From 2,825 - 4,930 Euro/Person

Shutter Safari

Up to 6 guests

From 5,595 - 6,395 Euro/Person

Blooming Desert

6,495 Euro/Person

Northern Wings

5,660 Euro/person

Southbound - Kasane to Maun

From 3,725 – 6,395 Euro/person

MOBILE Safaris in Botswana

Dive into nature's heartbeat, explore botswana's premier safari destinations.

Lose yourself in the wild allure of Botswana through our thoughtfully crafted mobile safaris. Explore the untouched corners of iconic locations like the world-renowned Moremi Game Reserve, Mababe Private Reserve, Savuti, and Chobe National Park. Venture into the mysterious landscapes of Deception Valley, spot the black maned lions in Central Kalahari Game Reserve and witness the serene beauty of Tau Pan.

Witness Wildlife at its Rawest

Botswana's pristine reserves and parks serve as the backdrop to some of Africa's most authentic wildlife encounters. Experience the thrill of spotting the "Big Five" and a plethora of other species in their natural habitat. From the majestic lions of Savuti, featured in the Nat Geo Wild series “Savage Kingdom”, to some of the biggest elephant herds and rich birdlife in Chobe National Park, every safari is an unscripted play of nature.

Industry Leading Safari operator

While our mobile safaris operate on a fixed itinerary, the quality of experience is uncompromised. Powered by operators known for their own series "Safari Brothers" on Nat Geo Wild, our safaris ensure expertise at every turn. Though the famous brothers aren't your day-to-day guides, their ethos and standards infuse their top-notch guides, trained at their own guiding school.

Tailored Extensions for the Curious

Should you crave for more, we offer tailored extensions to your safari: immerse in the vastness of Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, experience luxury in the heart of the Okavango Delta, or feel the mist of the majestic Victoria Falls. Your adventure doesn't have to end when the safari does; it will merely transform.

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AUTHENTIC TENTED MOBILE SAFARI HOLIDAYS - BOTSWANA

We operate tailor made authentic mobile tented safaris through out Botswana’s wilderness areas and national parks such as Moremi, Savuti, Chobe and Central Kalahari.

On our mobile safaris its truly wild where one will get closer to nature and open up all your senses to experience the African bush.

We hope to welcome you soon to experience Africa's true wilderness with a Kazuma Trails safari.

“It’s really beautiful. It feels like God visits everywhere else but lives in Africa.”   – Will Smith

Why choose a mobile safari.

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Mobile tented safaris

Our safaris, what is a mobile safari, where do you run your safaris, when do safaris depart, established october 2000.

Letaka Safaris is a citizen-owned safari company that has been operating in Botswana since October 2000. The founding directors, known locally as the Letaka Brothers, have over 40 years of combined guiding experience and started guiding safaris in Botswana in the mid-90’s. Mobile tented safaris in Botswana are, without a doubt, the best way to experience one of Africa’s last unspoilt wilderness areas, so pack your bags and book that flight... it's Safari Time!

You're in good hands

Originally all our safaris were owner-guided but the company has now grown to employ some of Botswana’s most highly experienced mobile safari guides. The focus of our company has always been on the quality of our guides, hence our close association with African Guiding Academy (previously called Okavango Guiding School), a training facility which we created to elevate the standard of guiding in Botswana. Many of Botswana’s top guides pass through AGA’s doors at one time or another and we are proud to continue this initiative to create a guiding fraternity that will stand head and shoulders above other African destinations.

Private and Tailor-made Safaris

Although we pride ourselves on our scheduled safaris, you have the option of doing our regular routed safaris as a private departure, or to even make your own route and pick where and how long you are safari for. Our reservations team will help design your ideal safari!

Don't just take our word for it...

We love it when we receive great reviews about the Letaka experience, we also appreciate the chance feedback gives us to continuously improve and better our product and services. Have a look at some of our recent feedback...

Safari Brothers with NatGeo Wild

Privacy overview.

MOBILE CAMPING SAFARIS

Authentic private guided botswana safari  .

Unlimited Tours & Safaris is an owner-­operated safari company that prides itself on providing high-­quality service and unmatched wildlife adventures. We run our Botswana safaris mainly as private, mobile camping safaris in Botswana’s national parks and community‐run reserves. You will join our professional guide in a customized game drive vehicle while a back‐up vehicle carries your camp equipment and sets everything up before your arrival. When night falls, you arrive at prepared camp in the bush with dinner served by a blazing fire under the stars! We base our safaris in Botswana on our passion for animals, our will to track and read the bush and our genuine will to host you in our private bush camps. You will have a team dedicated to make your Botswana safari something special with great wildlife sightings and new friends in camp.  Our mobile setup enables us to provide a quality safari experience for our guests while making sure that we track and move with the animals. Among the parks we visit on a Botswana safari are Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Nxai Pan National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve, and community reserves including Kazinkini, Khwai, and Sankuyo. We have extensive experience working in every park and region we travel, and we work diligently throughout your trip to ensure that you are safe and always enjoying your time with us. We know the animals, we know the seasons, we know the annual Okavango Delta flooding patterns, and we know the ever­‐changing regulations for travelling in Botswana’s beautiful protected wildlife reserves.

Camp set up in advance, spacious Meru-style tents with en-suite bathroom, all meals cooked by our safari chef, all clean‐up and camp duties taken care of by our staff.

Clients help set up camp and cook their meals over an open fire together with the guide. Includes smaller tents and simpler bedding.

All our safari vehicles are custom designed to ensure the best wildlife viewing and comfort. On our full-­service safaris, we bring along a private chef to cook wonderful food for you over an open fire. We serve wholesome and delicious meals under the African skies. For our full-­service safari, we use Meru style 3,5 x 3m (11.5 x 9.8ft) tents with an en-­suite toilet and shower in the back. Read more here.

Unlimited Tours & Safaris offers exclusively private safaris. It’s just you and your travel companions, our fabulous professional guide, great solitary campsites, and Botswana’s gorgeous wilderness.

We have teamed up with safari operators, African Bush Camps and Kwando Safaris , to offer you a special safari that combines the best of mobile camping and the lodge safari experience! This safari offers all the freedom and flexibility of a mobile safari and caps things off with a few days in a luxurious lodge at the end of your trip.

A safari especially for the green season, when Botswana is in full bloom and animals give birth to their young ones. A period of plenty that makes for truly outstanding safaris.

This tour is the ultimate pure wilderness experience. We take you from the Moremi and to the Okavango Delta — to Savuti and on to the flood plains of Chobe — the home of many National Geographic “Big Cat” documentaries. If you are looking for a bespoke safari experience that has no equal, then this is the safari for you.

We will make sure your safari will be the best.

Don´t just take our word for it, please read some testimonials from our guests!

OUR RECOMMENDED SAFARIS

10 days Wildest North - dry season

Our favourite safari taking you from Moremi, to Khwai and Savuti before ending up in Chobe National Park. Diverse landscapes and activities with phenomenal Big Cat game viewing.

Maun to Chobe - green season

A safari when Botswana is in full bloom and animals give birth to their young ones. A period of plenty that makes for truly outstanding safaris. This safari includes Mokoro in the Okavango Delta, Moremi, Chobe, and Savuti.

Kalahari Special - green season

This breathtaking safari will take you from the waterways in the Okavango Delta to the semi-desert of Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Including mokoro canoing and gorgeous walks you will also visit Nxai Pan or Makgadikgadi.

We are an African‐owned and owner‐run safari company that offers custom, private, mobile, tented safaris in Botswana’s beautiful national parks.

A private mobile safari is the authentic bush experience — you will join one of our professional guides in your own private game vehicle and spend your nights under the canvas in our exclusive campsites in the wilderness. By combining our extensive knowledge of the national parks and expertise on animal movements with our guests’ interests, we create custom safaris to make trips excellent for every traveler!

Our team will take care of you from the minute you contact us, our aim is to provide spectacular safaris and our team is a big part of this. Our team has the best local guides because we know what a difference they make for your safari experience. Their passion, expertise, and dedication will help you have an amazing time interacting with diverse wildlife and traditional African communities. In camp our chef will work miracles at the open fire and the camp staff will care for you every need at any time. Together as a family we create everlasting moments!

DON´T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. HERE ARE A FEW TESTIMONIALS

"I was able to spend a wonderful time with Moses and your company. Kind support, gentle attentive, funny talking, yummy brekky and lunch.

I am so satisfied with all!"

Thank you for a awesome trip to the Moremi Game Reserve! We had a lot fun with our guides and in the camp everything was perfectly equipped! On our two days trip we nearly saw everything you can spot in the reserve, including the big cats, specially a mother cheetah with her calfs, what an experience! Thank you and greets to Moses, Joster and Carlos

Unlimited contact information:

PO BOX 20604, Maun Botswana

Telephone: +267 686 2638

Mobile: +267 71112141

booking@ unlimitedsafari.com

www.unlimitedsafari.com

Facebook: 

www.facebook.com/ unlimitedsafari

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Marvelous Mobile Safaris

Our clients are our priority, marvelous mobile safari.

Join us... FOR A REAL BOTSWANA ADVENTURE

Join us... WHERE ADVENTURE MEETS LUXURY

Let Us Take You On An Adventure...

Welcome to marvelous mobile safari.

Founded in 2017 Marvelous Mobile Safari's guide tourists through the wilderness of Botswana, the land that is regarded as having some of the best wild life and wilderness areas on the African continent.

It is here where one will experience the serenity of an untouched Delta situated deep within the Kalahari Basin, journey through the Kgalagadi which gives you the sensation of unending space, pure isolation and effectively it is the ultimate wilderness destination.

Marvelous Mobile Safari is one of Botswana's travel industry pioneers, understanding that community tourism is a powerful tool in fighting poverty and contributes greatly to conservation efforts of flora and fauna.

We, therefore, largely embark on supporting communities that reside in tourism areas and we understand that it is not all about photos of ‘poor’ communities receiving hand-outs, but rather a committed effort in engaging communities and enabling them to find their place in the tourism cycle - ensuring their dignity with long term benefits that empower them.

Our aim is to enable communities to earn from Botswana tourism industry without having to leave their main occupations. This way they are actively involved in conservation thereby ensuring that they benefit from visitors entering into the sight-seeing areas.

Places Marvelous Safaris will Explore with you - Our Clients are Our Priority.

Okavango delta.

The Okavango Delta is a vast inland river delta in northern Botswana. It's known for its sprawling grassy plains, which flood seasonally, becoming a lush animal habitat.

The Moremi Game Reserve occupies the east and central areas of the region. Here, dugout canoes are used to navigate past hippos, elephants and crocodiles.

Makgadikgadi Pans

The Makgadikgadi Pans is the world’s largest salt pan landscape. It covers an area of over 30,000 km² and is technically not a single pan, but consists of many pans – the largest of which are Sua, Nwetwe and Nxai pans. The Makgadikgadi Pans were once part of the old Makgadikgadi lake bed – an ancient lake that is believed to have covered as much as 80,000 km², and started drying up almost 10,000 years ago, leaving huge salt-encrusted pans behind.

Tsodillo Hills

Located in north-west Botswana near the Namibian Border in Okavango Sub-District, the Tsodilo Hills are a small area of massive quartzite rock formations that rise from ancient sand dunes to the east and a dry fossil lake bed to the west in the Kalahari Desert.

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UBUNTUTRAILS • Walking Safaris • Mobile Safaris • Private Safaris

Botswana Travel Specialist

Start your Botswana safari with us

Experience unspoiled Africa

See yourself through nature's eyes

Reconnect with your senses

Connect deeply with nature

Tell stories by the campfire

Camp privately at unique locations

Walk where no man was before

Experience safari from the water

See predators and prey

Camp out one night under the milkyway

Share your space with giants

Enjoy an abundance of wildlife

Track Big 5 animals on foot

Enjoy your drinks after a long hot day

Guided small group safaris in botswana.

UbuntuTrails has explored all corners of Botswana since 2009. We offer intimate safari experiences for small groups guided by some of the best professional guides in the industry. We are here for those travellers who seek off-the-beaten path experiences and intimate interaction with nature in an educational and ethical fashion.

Ubuntu is an ancient African philosophy based on tribal culture and nature. Ubuntu means ‘humanity’: open yourself by connecting to nature, yourself and those around you. Join us on one of our educational walking safaris,  comfortable mobile safaris or a private safari specially catered to your personal interests and our guides and staff will make you experience Ubuntu in its true form. We believe that sharing our knowledge will give you the safari experience of a lifetime!

Walking Safaris: make unspoiled nature your comfort zone

There is no experience more humbling and mindblowing than walking in an unspoiled Big 5 wilderness area in Botswana. Many of our guests are seasoned Africa travellers who want to get closer to nature and more personal in their interaction with wildlife. All our walking safaris are highly informative and educational. Each type of walking safari has its own merits. We differentiate in Advanced Nature Trails which focus on ethology: experiencing and understanding animal behavior, Leadership Trails with a focus on developing personal leadership based on professional guide training and Ubuntu Trails that aim to make you experience nature and your place in it in a very profound manner.

Wildlife Trails

• 13 April 2024 4 Available
• 11 May 2024 5 Available
• 8 June 2024 4 Available

Ubuntu Trails

• 20 April 2024 5 Available
• 18 May 2024 6 Available
• 15 June 2024 6 Available

Leadership Trails

• 6 April 2024 4 Available
• 4 May 2024 6 Available
• 1 June 2024 5 Available

Spiritual Yoga Trails

• 9 November 2024 Available
• 16 November 2024 Available

Mobile Safaris: explore multiple areas in true safari style

A mobile tented safari is ideal to explore Botswana in an intimate yet very comfortable fashion. All our mobile safaris visit several carefully selected wildlife areas to give you a broader view on Botswana's pristine nature. A mobile safari with us is not just about covering ground and seeing the animals. It is aimed to make you experience the Botswana bush in a multi sensory way: smelling the wild sage, feeling the heat of the sun left in the sand in the evening while enjoying a wonderful three course meal prepared by our chef and hearing the hyenas at night while sleeping in your comfortable bed in your private safari tent.

Northern Botswana

Summary You can book this fully catered and guided mobile tented safari in two different travel directions. You either start...

• 6 April 2024 7 Available
• 9 April 2024 7 Available
• 13 April 2024 7 Available

Okavango Delta

Summary Your fully catered and guided mobile tented safari starts and ends in Maun. It is a wonderful one week...

• 15 April 2024 7 Available
• 22 April 2024 7 Available
• 29 April 2024 7 Available

Central Kalahari Desert

Summary Maun is the starting and ending point of your fully catered and guided mobile tented safari. You drive out...

• 5 May 2024 7 Available
• 2 February 2025 7 Available
• 2 March 2025 6 Available

Private Safaris: unique personalized wildlife experiences

Our private safaris are custom made safaris based on your personal interests. Whether you desire an active and adventurous safari or a more comfortable and luxurious safari, Botswana has it all. We build your personal itinerary based on your areas of interest, book your lodges or tented accommodation, organize your transport by vehicle, charter flight or helicopter and we handle all your administration and logistics. We can also block off one of our scheduled safaris for you as a totally private safari trip.

Private Tailor Made Safari

A safari completely organized around your personal wishes If you want to enjoy a private safari in Botswana completely tailored...

Happy guests sharing their safari stories

Many of our guests have joined us several times or brought their best friends along. They are kind enough to share their experiences with us so we can share them with you.

Advanced Nature Trail

In the bush there is no tomorrow and running away, so you have to figure it out and deal with it! I have been on numerous trips with Ubuntutrails. I practice the valuable lessons I learned in the Botswana bush when I manage my business and in my daily life too. Soon I will go on my fourth trip with Ubuntutrails.com

Leadership Trail

I am a repeating guest of Ubuntutrails. Sharing camp with a lot of fellow entrepreneurs and some elephants was awesome. The nights at the campfire have learned me to be at ease in any situation.

A leadership trail is a great way to challenge your personal leadership. I have been to Botswana with Ubuntutrails 4 times now. I have always been an ambitious person but out on the trail I again realized that everything in life and in business is teamwork. Winning together is more fun!

I’ve been on trail with UbuntuTrails many times. I quickly realized that being in the bush requires one to be extremely knowledgable and very versatile. Every day you start with a plan. Executing this plan in such unpredictable conditions requires you to improvise almost immediately after you have left camp. On top of that you need to have courage and trust your team members when facing challenging situations such as encountering a herd of elephants or buffalo. When you are committed to each other and work together, you will always get the maximum out of each situation.

As a general manager people expect you to always be in control. But when you’re in control you’re not going fast enough. The leadership course has learned me to trust my instincts and improvise when your plans don’t work.

Ubuntu Trail

It is so beautiful to experience the rules of nature and to learn that these are also present deep inside yourself. You just have to wake them up. Trust yourself, your fellow travelers and understand your environment without losing sight of them.

Being ‘of the grid’ surrounded by wildlife, making long bush walks including running into elephants, crossing rivers and steering your mokoro through the Okavango Delta is a lifetime experience by itself. However, this trip was more. It is also about leading your ‘team’ through the bush and providing hospitality to your ‘customers’. Just give me 24-hour notice, and I will join you again on the plane to Africa!

Before I joined this two week walking safari in Botswana I had already been to Africa quite a few  times. And I thought I knew the bush and was at ease with it. But only after swimming in the river after the hippo’s had just left and having learned how to approach elephant on foot and spend some time with them in perfect harmony I realized Africa now is the natural place for me to be. Thanks UbuntuTrails for connecting me deeper!

UbuntuTrails is really going beyond known! 8 days into unfenched territory, sleeping among wildlife and long trails by foot or car. Combined with good hospitality and tasteful meals. It tought me so much about animal behavior and how to read and respect their signals. I vividly remember stepping out of the car together with the guide, in search of a lion, ending up around the bush only 25 meters away from 2 mating lions. What an experience.

This Leadership Trail is a transformative journey  during which you rediscover the connection with nature together with like-minded adventurers. My highlight of the journey was the moment I realized that I was at the mercy of nature: a life lesson in adaptability, teamwork, and recognizing the power of collective wisdom. The guides deserve praise. Their in-depth knowledge of the flora and fauna of Botswana ensures an immersive learning experience. They know exactly when to lead and when to allow space for individual growth.If you are ready to learn from the oldest teacher – nature itself – then book this trip.

Joining this week with Peter and his team was an experience beyond my wildest dreams. From the moment we set out, the beauty of Botswana’s landscapes enveloped us, offering a backdrop that was nothing short of breathtaking. The highlight of the safari was undoubtedly the rare and privileged sight of mating lions. It was a profound reminder of the raw, untamed essence of nature and the delicate balance of life in the wild. This adventure was not just a safari; it was a deep dive into the heart of Africa, leaving me with memories I’ll cherish forever and a renewed appreciation for the natural world.

What we OFFER!

Game Drives

We use 9-seater Open Game Viewer vehicles that enable clear sight of game without obstruction. The cars are equipped with battery charging ports mobile fridge and ponchos in winter or rainy season.

Mokoro Trails

Using the dug-out canoe, a traditional mode of transport to the people originating in the Northern side of the pristine Okavango delta. The canoe has been used for decades and it’s still in primary use today.

Sunset Boat Cruises

Cruising around the Okavango delta is one in a million of an adventure, you get to see all big and small animals. An opportunity to for close encounters with the crocodiles and the elephants on the river banks.

Cultural Tours

Our Cultural journeys provide an ideal opportunity to savour the rich historical pedigree of some of the world’s oldest traditions and norms.

Meerkat Expeditions

We offer an ultimate up close encounter with meerkats in their natural habit in the Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana.

Accommodation & Camping

We provide luxury chalets accommodation in Maun, Luxury Lodge accommodation in CKGR and Tented Camping on Safari Tours.

Zazu Luxury Safari

All our Luxury Safaris are with one of our esteemed local guides, private chef, and a dedicated team who will make sure that your safari experience in Botswana can never be equalled to any other. They will look after you from beginning to the end with all charisma and friendliness, really making you feel as if you have your own little piece of Africa.

Featured Ultimate! Safari Tour Packages

In addition to our regular excursions, you also have access to our custom designed Safari Tour Packages to give you ultimate safari experiences. By prior arrangement we can arrange custom expeditions to suite your needs.

Nxai Pan, Moremi, Savuti and Chobe Front (Kasane Lodge)

12 Nights (Includes 1 night in Khwai Lodge) - 6 Pax Minimum

Makgadikgadi, Central Kalahari & Moremi

8 Nights - 6 Pax Minimum

Welcome to Harkness Safaris

Privately guided, luxury mobile safaris in botswana.

Harkness Safaris offer tailor-made safaris in the beautiful Okavango Delta and surrounding areas. Experience untouched wilderness, peace and quiet on a Mobile Safari adventure of a lifetime or from the exclusive comfort of a Safari Lodge. We do not only cater for individuals but also for families.

Choose Your Safari

Mobile Safari

The word ‘Safari’ comes from the Swahili meaning journey. Northern Botswana is one of the …

Okavango Delta

The legendary Okavango is a vast inland Delta of 15,000 sq kilometres. Fed from the …

Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park is usually visited in two parts; firstly at the vast wilderness of …

Victoria Falls

No trip to Africa is complete without a visit to Victoria Falls. Mosu-o-tunya they are …

The Kalahari

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the second biggest in Africa – covering 55,000sq kilometres. …

Vast regions free from the electric fences that plague wilderness areas in other countries – the migration of our animals continues much as it always has. The small and passionate population of the country are responsible guardians of the wilderness which was only made known to the outside world by the first European missionaries to pass through in the mid 1800″s.

Guest Testimonials

Andrew’s safari was at the same high standard that we have enjoyed on previous trips

Mr & Mrs D from Strathaven

Our mobile safari started in Savuti for 3 nights and then went to Khwai and …

Ms B. from Cambridge

Andrew Harkness and his team are just amazing. Given all the reviews we read in …

Mrs M from Mill Valley, CA

About Harkness Safaris

Harkness Safaris is a small family run company found in 2008 with the wish to conduct Safaris in the world's top wilderness destinations. Additionally, I wanted to stay true to the founding principles of Botswana tourism – top quality product in private or quiet areas... Read more

Guided Mobile Camping Safaris

Fully-serviced luxury camping experience

• Safaris & Tours

Accommodations

• What to Expect

Mobile Camping Safaris in Botswana

Take a break from the rest of the world and look forward to a true and authentic African camping safari experience: we take you to unfenced and private campsites in the middle of nature, it’s just you, your friends and family and the wild of Botswana’s unparalleled natural beauty. Watch elephants walk by, while you enjoy a cold drink, and the sun set after a long and exciting safari day. Your camp crew will cater to your every need on this fully-serviced mobile camping safari and make your adventure in the bush a comfortable one: from delicious meals cooked over the open fire, to en-suite bush bathrooms and proper beds in walk-in safari tents. A trip to remember, whether it’s your first time in the bush or you’re an experienced safari-goer.

A fully-serviced Botswana mobile camping safari is designed as non-participation safari: you can sit back and relax while your camp crew will setup and take down your tents as well as the gazebo mess tent, brew your morning coffee and cook your dinner. All equipment travels in a separate supply vehicle so you can enjoy uninterrupted game drives in your own safari vehicle. Your home in the wild is a Meru safari walk-in tent with proper beds and bedding. You have your own en-suite bush bathroom with a bucket shower and bush toilet. The luxury of our mobile camps is not only the higher level of comfort provided by the spacious tents and camp crew, but the experience of being away from it all, in the middle of nature with no other travellers in sight.

We offer mobile camping safaris as small group departures from a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 7 guests or as private safaris for your friends and family only. On our group tours, you will depart on a specific date and follow a set itinerary, while private safaris can be tailored to your wishes and needs.

Best Botswana Guided Mobile Camping Safaris & Tours

Moremi Magic

Places Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai Area

from 2.940 USD per person sharing

Safari Authentic

Places Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai Area, Savuti Region, Chobe National Park

from 3.570 USD per person sharing

The Great North Route

from 5.250 USD per person sharing

Kalahari & Okavango Delta

Places Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Moremi Game Reserve

Price on request (RQ)

OUR MOBILE TENTED CAMP – SLEEP COMFORTABLY IN THE WILD

On our Botswana mobile camping safaris, you sleep in spacious Meru safari tents: you can walk in comfortably, stand up straight and have enough space to store your luggage. You sleep on field beds with mattresses and proper bedding. The tents have mosquito netting at all windows. Each tent has a private en-suite bush bathroom with bucket shower and bush toilet – a true luxury on any camping safari.

You stay at private and unfenced campsites, which means you don’t have to share the space with other groups – it’s just you and the wild. The gazebo mess tent as well as comfortable camping chairs and all kitchen equipment will be transported in a separate supply vehicle, driven by the cook and the camp assistant. You travel together with your guide in your safari vehicle. While there is no electricity on the campsites, you can charge your phone and camera in the safari vehicle.

Private en-suite tents, a dining area and a campfire – your mobile camp on unfenced, private campsites in Botswana.

You will sleep on proper field-beds with blankets and have enough space to move around the walk-in tent.

Your private en-suite bathroom with a bucket shower and bush toilet.

On our fully-serviced mobile camping safaris, your cook will prepare all meals for you.

What to expect on a guided Botswana mobile safari?

Our mobile camp will take you out of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and back to nature, to a place unlike anything you’ve ever imagined. It’s a unique experience for safari lovers and nature enthusiasts. There are no concrete structures on the campsites – we bring and take everything we need, making it a mobile experience. During the day, you explore the national parks and nature reserves together with your experienced guide. When the sun begins to set, you return to your mobile camp or drive to the new location; your camp crew will be expecting you with cold drinks and a warm dinner. Your wildlife experience continues as you stay on your private campsite and listen to the sounds of the natural world around you.

A fully-serviced Botswana mobile camping safari

Different from our participation camping safari, on this fully-serviced mobile safari, you don’t have to assist the camp crew in the daily camp life duties. You can sit back and enjoy, while our team takes care of your every wish. Driving in a separate supply vehicle, they will set up the camp while you’re still enjoying your game drive and other activities. When you move to a new location, the team will dismantle all tents, bathrooms and mess tent gazebo to set it up at the new campsite – leaving nothing behind. You have a private safari chef who will prepare all meals in their bush kitchen, catering to any dietary requirement. You’ll be surprised about the deliciousness open fire cooking creates.

The Guided Experience

Travelling Botswana with a local and experienced guide is an amazing opportunity to get first-hand local knowledge about your surroundings. Your guide, who at the same time drives the safari vehicle, know the national parks and their inhabitants inside and out. No safari day is the same, but your guide will know where to look, when to wait and see, what to expect from game drives and other safari activities in the different regions. We believe, a safari is only as good as the guide who accompanies you and we’re proud to work with some of the best in the country. You can hand-over all responsibility to your guide, whether it’s driving, logistics, navigation and ensuring everyone is happy and well-taken care of. As true safari professionals, they will ensure you feel well-taken care of and get the most out of your mobile camping safari in Botswana.

The Activities on Botswana mobile camping safaris

We focus on a range of safari activities on our mobile camping tours: Whether you visit the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park or the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans – no day on safari will be the same and no one can predict what exactly you will experience. In the African bush, nature is in charge.

On classic game drives, you look for Botswana’s wildlife from the comfort of your safari vehicle, reaching even remote corners of the popular national parks. On boat cruises, you experience Botswana’s fascinating birdlife, water-based wildlife such as hippos and crocodiles and watch elephants and buffaloes come to drink at the river. A very uniquely Botswana experience is a mokoro tour as you silently meander through the many water ways of the Okavango Delta, immersing yourself in nature. On a helicopter flight, you can see Botswana from the air and get a totally different perspective of your surroundings. After the day’s activities, you return to your mobile camp and enjoy the luxurious camping experience it has to offer.

The true luxury of our mobile camping safaris is the opportunity to leave the rest of the world behind, to escape the ordinary every day and immerse yourself in some of the last wilderness areas on our planet. An opportunity to reconnect and understand what wilderness really feels like. It’s the favourite way to travel for many of our travel experts and staff who are very experienced safari-goers.”

Meet our Botswana Team

Experience Botswana through the eyes of locals.

Alexandra Lindinger

Holger Wiebe

Daniel Schoerger

Lesley Mootseng

Maikano Phale

Luisa Heitzmann

Marlene Tritschler

Experience Botswana with us

Speak to one of our local advisors, let's start planning your trip.

We will get back to you within 2 working days.

• The Okavango
• Find A Safari
• Accommodation

Mobile Safaris

Safaris match your criteria, popular safaris.

Combine the Okavango Delta with outstanding wildlife experiences throughout northern Botswana. These safaris allow guests to immerse themselves in the wilds of Botswana with specialist guides and specially adapted equipment.

Before the permanent camps of the delta, at the genesis of this country’s safari industry came the mobile safari. Many of the lodge operators, both Wilderness Safaris and &Beyond, have their beginnings in this sector and have benefited from the focus on hospitality and guiding that mobile safaris require.

Today a number, of mostly independent, mobile operators have joined Wilderness Safaris and &Beyond and offer first class safaris to the Okavango Delta and more broadly northern Botswana and Namibia. Moving every couple of days these safaris make use of exclusive campsites within the National Parks and Game Reserves, not available to the general pubic, and outside in Botswana’s vast private concession areas. Guest participation and comfort levels vary from operator to operator, but these can be an extremely cost-effective way of exploring the Okavango Delta. Guests benefit from the continuity a dedicated specialist guide brings, and many departures focus on particular interests such as birding.

Your Safari Options

Off the beaten track luxury mobile safari.

A luxurious mobile safari without compromising on adventure or authentic experiences. Set on a stunning private concession in the Okavango Delta, this is one of the few mobile outfits able to offer a private and flexible safari experience away from the crowded national parks. With your own private camp and guide the days are tailored to suit your personal interests- with a mix of game drives, walking, boating and mokoro adventures. One night is spent fly camping on a palm island guaranteed to leave you with memories for life. Perfect for families and friends travelling together.

Trans-Okavango Boating Safari

An expedition for intrepid travellers, this trans Okavango boating safari explores the Okavango from north to south. Camping on remote islands, days are spent exploring the waterways and lagoons by boat and the islands on foot. Your camp moves with you, this is a simple authentic camping experience, in the style of the original safaris. A unique safari experience, best suited to well seasoned safari goers or adventurous travellers. These private expeditions only run when water levels permit, usually May-August. Can be tailored on request for shorter trips.

Eleven Night Northern Wings Birding Safari

The best Safari experience that northern Botswana has to offer with excellent wildlife viewing and birding. This specialist birding safari allows you to discover northern Botswana’s phenomenal birdlife. Operated by the leaders in scheduled departure mobile safaris, Letaka Safaris, this safari combines comfortable accommodation with the company’s experienced and highly regarded guides.

Bushways Caracal Safari

This 8 night rustic mobile safari is an experience suited to the adventurous traveller who values the wilderness above all else. Explore the diverse ecosystems of Mababe Private Reserve, Moremi Game Reserve as well as an exclusive Okavango Delta island located on a permanent water channel; a scenic escape traversing through a delightful contrast of mopane forest, water lagoons, woodlands and floodplains, which support an incredible density and diversity of wildlife and landscapes.

Wheelchair Accessible Safari – Private Mobile Safari

A private mobile safari through the best areas of Northern Botswana for travellers with mobility difficulties and disabilities. Exploring the east and west Okavango as well as Chobe, this safari offers some of the best game viewing in Botswana. Operated by Endeavour Safaris, the pioneers of this specialist service in Botswana, safaris are conducted in custom built vehicles with excellent and experienced guides. Carefully designed camp facilities ensure a practical and comfortable safari experience for all guests. Starting in Maun and ending in Kasane, this itinerary offers the option to add in a stop at Chobe Game Lodge or in Victoria Falls.

Northern Highlights

An authentic mobile safari through Botswana’s most famous parks with a superb safari outfit. Visiting the Okavango (east and west Moremi) and the Savuti region of the Chobe National Park, this safari follows a classic route, offering fantastic game viewing year round. For those looking for a pure safari experience and raw wilderness, a mobile safari offers the chance to safari in the style of the original pioneering explorers. Guiding is top notch, the camps are comfortable and the groups small. A great option for adventurous travellers. Extensions and variations available too.

Miracle Rivers

Safari like the original pioneering explorers through the beating heart of the Okavango – the Moremi Game Reserve. This authentic mobile safari visits the west and east Moremi, the beating heart of the Okavango with superb game viewing. Mobile safaris are ideal for adventurous travellers looking for a pure safari experience and raw wilderness. Guiding is top notch, the camps are comfortable and the groups small ensuring a personalised safari experience. A great option for adventurous travellers - couples, friends and solo travellers. Extensions and variations available too. Min age 12 years, but private safaris available.

Classic Northern Botswana Mobile Safari – Northbound

A great value classic mobile safari through the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. Explore the ecologically diverse Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai, rich in wildlife and big game, continuing on to the ferocious lands of Savute and ending on the majestic Chobe floodplains - home of the largest population of African Elephant in Africa, the Chobe National Park. This is a fully serviced camping adventure, with no guest participation, ensuring all time is spent enjoying your safari. This itinerary starts in Maun and ends in Kasane, making a post-safari extension to Victoria Falls a convenient optional add-on.

Bushways Leopard Safari

An excellent value- for- money adventurous semi-participation safari through the Kalahari, Okavango Delta, Chobe and Victoria Falls. Ideal for intrepid travellers searching for an affordable group tour through the highlights of the region. Mobile safaris offer the most authentic safari experience, the chance to explore the wilderness as the original safari pioneers once did. A rustic safari experience packed with adventure and satisfying activities. Experiences include bushman walks, game drives, mokoro excursions and a visit to the iconic Victoria Falls.

Kweene Trails Expedition and Walking Safari

A safari for adventurous travellers whose idea of luxury is an authentic expedition with a top guide in a remote and pristine corner of the Okavango, far from the crowds. A private camp with your own guide, vehicle and safari team. This is one of the few mobile safaris to operate on a private concession, offering a truly off beat and exclusive experience. Privately guided and personally designed for each group- this four night safari explores the untouched wilderness of the Abu concession on foot with one of Africa’s finest guides. Walking is at the heart of this itinerary – you will walk to your new camp on the third day - though 4x4 game drives and mokoro will be included for a more complete Okavango experience.

Best of the Okavango – Walking Safari

The ultimate walking safari itinerary for adventurous travelers and safari purists looking for an authentic walking experience in the Okavango. Combining the two best walking outfits operating on private concessions in the Okavango – Footsteps in the east and Beagle Expeditions in the west. This itinerary delivers a fantastic week - long Delta adventure. Beginning at a small three tent camp and ending with your own private mobile camp accessed only by helicopter, this is truly off the beaten track. Superb guiding is at the heart of this itinerary – taking your safari experience to the next level.

Experience the Okavango Delta

Contact us for more information and to start planning your Okavango safari

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Botswana Mobile Safari

7  days, 1  country, transport + transfers included, meals + drinks (local brands only) included, lodge game activities.

Visiting: Botswana > Moremi Game Reserve > Okavango Delta > Southern Africa

International flights, visas, travel insurance, gratuities

Ready to plan a tailor-made safari in Botswana

Enquire now and a Travel Expert will get back to you within 24 hours.

Is This Trip for Me?

A mobile safari is one of the best ways to experience Botswana. The camps are set up in exclusive wilderness sites that are far from the crowds. They allow you to explore the wildlife areas with the same group of people and the same guide throughout your journey. The camp is set up by our team ahead of time and offer spacious en-suite tents with solid base camp beds. Enjoy 3 nights in the Moremi Game Reserve and 3 nights in Mababe area by the Khwai River on this fantastic 7 day mobile safari.

Botswana Mobile Safari Video

Best Time to Go on this Trip

Peak, low and mixed are an indication of season and price, learn how pricing works.

What you'll Experience on this Tour

Your itinerary.

Letaka Tented Camp

Your safari begins with a light aircraft flight from Maun into the Xakanaxa area of the Okavango Delta. Your guide...

Staying at Letaka Tented Camp

Your safari begins with a light aircraft flight from Maun into the Xakanaxa area of the Okavango Delta. Your guide will meet you on arrival and take you to your set up camp. You will spend three nights here exploring the vast wildlife rich wetland of the Moremi Game Reserve. The tents are 4 x 3m Sahara style tents with high roof with a 2 x 3m en-suite bathroom and a 2 x 3m covered area in front of the tent. The tents are fitted with solid base camp beds made up with mattresses, sheets, duvets and pillows. The tents have en-suite long drop toilet facilities and a bucket shower at the rear of the tent. Showers can be ordered as hot, cold or warm and the water is heated in a bucket on the fire. Each tent has an oil/paraffin lamp on the veranda and in the bathroom and within the tent itself, a LED rechargeable camp light is supplied along with a side table in the sleeping area and in the bathroom.

Includes & Excludes

Meals: Full Board 

Drinks: All Local Brands (excl Spirits) Included

Two days to explore the Moremi Game Reserve with game drives. Moremi lies on the eastern extremity of the Okavango...

Two days to explore the Moremi Game Reserve with game drives. Moremi lies on the eastern extremity of the Okavango Delta. Habitats here range from wide-open floodplains, marshes, lagoons, papyrus fringed channels, woodland and savannah, therefore offering diverse wildlife and birdlife viewing opportunities. Moremi is amongst the best game reserves in Africa for viewing the endangered African wild dog. Xakanaxa is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least 4 prides of lion which may often be seen flanking the ever moving herd. Breeding herds of elephant move between their browsing areas in the mopane forests and the fresh water of the Okavango. Red lechwe are one of the more unusual antelope species and commonly found here.

Following an early morning breakfast you take a slow drive through Moremi Game Reserve north-east towards the Khwai and Mababe...

Following an early morning breakfast you take a slow drive through Moremi Game Reserve north-east towards the Khwai and Mababe Areas. On this moving day we shall do a mokoro excursion in the calmer back-waters of the Khwai and Mbudi channels. The Manuchira Channel is known as the Khwai River at its eastern most extremity. The day’s journey follows this water course, with the track weaving from the riverside and floodplains into the mopane veld and the woodlands that to the Mababe Private Reserve where we camp on the banks of the Khwai River before it flows out and into the Mababe Depression. We pass the magnificent Dombo Hippo Pools in the morning stopping to enjoy the scenery and the antics of the resident hippo and shall game drive through Khwai until we reach Mababe.

Our stay at this exclusive campsite in the Mababe concession gives you the opportunity to explore the area on game...

Our stay at this exclusive campsite in the Mababe concession gives you the opportunity to explore the area on game drives both during the day and at night. Exploring after dark with spotlights you will experience some of the nocturnal animals that are rarely encountered during the day. You will also have the opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness on foot (this activity is seasonal based on rains and grass height, your guide will determine the safety of walking) to enjoy an up close and personal encounter with Botswana’s flora and fauna. Night drives and guided walks are not permitted within the national parks and reserves and will be conducted in the Mababe Private Reserve. The Mababe region boasts excellent populations of elephants, while lion, leopard, serval and African wildcat are common predators of the region.

End of Itinerary

After breakfast we take a game-drive to the airstrip where you will be met by your charter flight back to...

After breakfast we take a game-drive to the airstrip where you will be met by your charter flight back to Maun.

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FAQs about Botswana Mobile Safari

• Moremi may be reached by road through two main entrance gates: the North Gate, which is located near the Khwai River and is accessible from Chobe National Park, and the South Gate, which is 90 kilometers from Maun and 30 kilometers from the North Gate.
• The road from Maun is paved for 60 kilometers before turning into a gravel road that leads to the reserve.
• Safari/bucket showers are common in mobile or tented camps where there is no permanent plumbing. They are an effective yet environmentally friendly way to shower where water is at a premium and provide plenty of hot water to wash comfortably.
• Generally, there is an en-suite private shower stall within your tent with a “rainfall” style shower head at which you can control the water flow. Outside the tent, there is a large waterproof bag or bucket which is filled with about 10 to 15 litres (5 US gallons) of hot water before being raised with a pully/rope system to either connect to the shower pipe or fill a cistern.
• The water is delivered at the ideal temperature so it is best to use it as soon as it arrives. Staff typically fill the showers at a pre-arranged time of day, or you simply need to give them a few minutes notice so they can get it ready.

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Beautiful Botswana

Affordable botswana mobile safaris, real camping in botswana.

Africa Sky Hovery will take you to all places of interests in Botswana along with possible excursions to Chiefs Island, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and the Kalahari Desert.

We give you a hugely affordable lower price by staying in small basic mobile adventure. Real camping’ instead of the luxury accommodation. As we will be offering small tents, stretchers, mattresses, bedrolls. Bush toilets, bucket shower and water basin are provided, we will be more focused on the guests for whom the wildlife safari experience is more important than accommodation.

Exciting Safari Destinations

Ready for a safari adventure, talk to a botswana safari specialist today., mobile camping safari styles.

Africa Sky Hovery Safaris offers three choices in mobile camping.

Self-Catering Safaris

You bring your own tent and equipment and we provide the 4x4 vehicle and guide.

Participation Safaris

We provide a guide, food, tents and equipment and you participate in camp chores.

Luxury Safaris

We provide 4x4 vehicles and private guide as well as making all arrangements.

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Mobile camping safaris in Botswana

Ideal for the adventurous, mobile camping safaris are a "back-to-basics" way of experiencing a traditional safari in Africa.

As safari camps get ever more luxurious , we find many travelers want to escape from the cut glass, fluffy towels and butler service and are interested in immersing themselves in the true spirit of safari.

Leave behind the plush tents and get back to camping on the ground, dust in your hair and proper bush around you!

Botswana mobile camping safari ideas

Mobile camping in the Okavango Delta

7 days from $7,650pp

Green season safari in the Okavango Delta

10 days from $11,260pp

Cape Town, Botswana & Victoria Falls

11 days from $19,495pp

Start thinking about your experience. These itineraries are simply suggestions for how you could enjoy some of the same experiences as our specialists. They’re just for inspiration, because your trip will be created around your particular tastes.

What to expect when mobile camping

Each night you stay in a mobile tented camp in a private campsite. One of our favorite sites is under a huge jackalberry tree beside the Linyanti Lagoon. At night, the sound of the frogs is deafening and you often have a hippo near your tent.

While wild, the mobile camps are by no means uncomfortable. A full camp crew builds the camp, which consists of large dome tents with camp beds and duvets. A small bedside table gives space for your book and flashlight. The crew members are the masters of the mobile camp, erecting tents in minutes, producing three-course meals from a kitchen under an acacia tree, and heating water for bucket showers over an open fire. They are incredibly good at looking after your every need, from a hot chocolate outside your tent on a chilly morning to a glass of red wine around the campfire at night.

Camp facilities

Basic en suite facilities are provided with a canvas basin of water, en suite bush toilet and bucket shower, which will be filled with hot water when you return from game drives.

A word of warning though: don't leave your toiletry bag outside the tent, as hyenas can be rather partial to soap and toothpaste!

Private departures

If you are a family or traveling in a group of four or more, it is often both cost-effective and great fun to take a private mobile safari across the country.

The beauty of this is that you can tailor the trip exactly to your interests, staying in private wilderness spots across Botswana. You will have a private guide and vehicle as well as camp crew to erect camp, cook, and look after you.

There is nothing quite like having a tiny camp on a palm island in the middle of the Okavango all to yourself.

Scheduled departures

On a scheduled departure, the group sizes are restricted to eight people.

We work closely with two mobile operators in Botswana who run scheduled trips across the country. There are a number of departure dates, usually a couple per week, thus offering flexibility to fit into your travel dates.

The mobile safaris as a general rule start in Maun and explore the Okavango Delta, Linyanti Wetlands and Chobe National Park, ending at Livingstone, from where you can enjoy the Victoria Falls. Similar trips run in the opposite direction.

When driving from camp to camp or on game drives you will travel in a modified land cruiser with four rows of seats and open sides.

Trips tend to last for around 10 days, and it is easy to add on more time either at the start or end of your trip.

Recommended places

The Okavango Delta

A glistening expanse of swollen rivers, still lagoons and emerald floodplains, Botswana’s Okavango Delta draws in some of Africa’s star animals. Exploring by mokoro (traditional canoe), game vehicle or on foot, you’ll also encounter a host of birdlife.

Linyanti Wetlands

The Linyanti Wetlands are a vast area of pristine wilderness located in the north of Botswana, stretching from the Linyanti River to the Okavango Delta. As well as being superb for elephant, there is also a vast array of other game and birdlife.

Chobe National Park

Encompassing an impressive 10,700 sq km of wilderness the Chobe National Park stretches from the tip of Northern Botswana to the fringes of the Okavango Delta. Chobe is most famous for its elephant and buffalo populations.

Choosing your mobile camp

Each night on a mobile safari you will stay in a mobile tented camp.

There are two different types of camps: the simpler Adventurer and the more luxurious Discoverer. Here is a brief description of the differences between the two.

Adventurer Camps

Adventurer Camps have dome tents with camp beds, shared hot bucket showers and bush toilets are usually the short drop variety, always with a seat and often with a view.

Some Adventurer camps have en suite toilets and bucket showers, but facilities are usually shared between two tents.

The camp staff will look after the camp organization for you, setting up each camp and providing you with cooked breakfasts, picnic lunches and three-course dinners.

Discoverer Camps

Discoverer Camps have spacious tents with beds, duvets, bedside tables and tiny en suite bathrooms with hot bucket showers.

The camp crew will look after your every need from bringing you fresh coffee at dawn to a whisky around the campfire at night.

Further reading

• Africa’s best safari areas
• Wildlife vacations

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How to Plan a Safari in Botswana, According to Experts

A beginner's guide to safari vacations in Botswana.

An African safari ranks high on the wish list of many a world traveler. Of the millions of adventurers who make the trek here annually, the (ahem) lion’s share will end up in the game reserves of Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania — enduringly popular destinations for wildlife viewing in Africa. But in recent years, Botswana has been nipping at the heels of those countries. 

Botswana is home to diverse landscapes that span delta to desert, and the local culture is vibrant and inviting. The Botswana bush is teeming with majestic fauna, including Africa’s largest population of elephants — they are protected by a government focused on conservation, and tour operators committed to the same. And a safari here means you get to enjoy all of the above with far fewer humans than in its aforementioned continental counterparts.  

“Botswana is an anomaly in Africa,” said Ian Proctor, president and managing director of Ultimate Africa Safaris . “It is considered one of the safest and most stable democracies on the continent.” 

Proctor has been preparing customized itineraries for safari-going clients since 1996, and during that time he estimates he’s personally enjoyed more than 250 experiences across the African continent. Botswana has become his go-to destination, and in no small part because of the modernization of its government.

“Citizens receive free universal healthcare, and LGBTQ+ communities are legally recognized,” he cited as examples. “And with a very small population, its wilderness areas are unparalleled — and, importantly, uncrowded.”

Ready to pack your bags? Here’s how to plan your Botswana safari, along with insight from experts on what you can expect along the way.

How to Get to Botswana 

The most common way to get to the Botswana bush is by way of Safarilink flights out of Maun National Airport (MUB), in the northwestern part of the country. Midsized runways here can’t accommodate jumbo jets, so you won’t find direct service here from the U.S. That’s a mixed blessing, though. The added stop you’ll need — in either Johannesburg or Cape Town — weeds out those tourists who aren’t willing to brave nearly 16 hours of total flight time. 

Really, it’s not nearly as arduous as it seems. American carriers now offer multiple direct options per day into South Africa from New York and Atlanta. And if you work with an outfitter like Ultimate Africa Safaris , you can bookend your safari with well-curated layovers in those connecting cities. 

Best Times to Go to Botswana

Weather-wise, Botswana is at its most inviting from early May through the end of September. Temperatures are more moderate during these winter months, and malaria is less prevalent. Things start to get somewhat wet come mid-October, but if birding is your thing, the rainy season is precisely when you want to arrive. The Nata Bird Sanctuary along the northeastern edge of the massive Makgadikgadi Salt Pans is the world’s largest breeding ground for Lesser and Greater Flamingo. This ancient, Switzerland-sized lakebed is a shrimp-infested food source for the birds, which pass through by the hundreds of thousands from November through March. 

Best Places to Stay  

When it comes to world-class safari camps, this part of Africa is chockablock with options. They run the gamut from rugged to ultra-luxe, and are scattered across every corner of the country’s dynamic terrain. You’ll want to allot ample time to explore the Okavango Delta. This massive marshland in northern Botswana boasts a footprint of nearly 8,000 square miles and is regarded as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. From there, you can transfer by bush plane to the outskirts of the Kalahari Desert to enjoy a wholly different landscape. 

“Botswana dedicates so much space for wildlife — we are actually in the top 10 percent in the world for wildlife conservation,” said Super Sande, a native of Botswana who has been a guide in the country for 32 years. “Between the wet and dry parts of our country, the diversity of game that you see is like nowhere else. You can be surrounded by thousands of zebra and wildebeest and be the only car there. It’s so special.”

Logistically, it’s easiest to take all of these wonders in by booking an all-inclusive package with a tour operator. One such example is Natural Selection's “Botswana Explorer” package, which covers multitudes of terrain over 10 days, including an overnight on a Delta houseboat and luxe stays in private game reserves. The program starts at $8,235 per person, which includes a guide, transfers, and meals along the way. 

As for individual standouts, Jack’s Camp is king of the desert. The legendary outpost along the edge of the salt pan underwent a full rebuild in 2021, and it now boasts rooms with private plunge pools and bedside air conditioning. Its common area is the aesthetic equivalent of stepping into the late 19th century, anchored by a Persian tea tent and a full bar with a comprehensive collection of cultural artifacts. Prices at the year-round lodge range from $1,450 to $2,495 per night, depending on room size and time of year. 

In the Delta, a similar level of luxury can be found at Tuludi . The seven-room property sits on the Khwai Private Reserve — 772 square miles of floodplain awash with wildlife. Suites feature outdoor baths and plunge pools. Don’t be surprised if you’re visited in the evening hours by the local herd of elephants who enjoy feeding on foliage here once the sun has set. 

Later this year, Tawana Camp will become the newest option in the Okavango, and the only camp located within the protected Moremi Game Reserve. This exclusivity is owed to a first-of-its-kind partnership between Natural Selection and the BaTawana nation — who have stewarded the land since the late 18th century (the camp takes its name from the nation's current ruler). It will feature all the trappings of five-star living, including butler service and its own gym. The whole camp is positioned alongside a gently rolling river crowded with hippos, lions, and zebra.

What You’ll See in Botswana

If you stay on a riverfront camp such as Duke’s , you can head out into the water on traditional canoe-like vessels known as mokorom, and from this vantage point, you’ll spy African fish eagles and saddle-billed storks along the shore. You’ll also likely paddle past hippos, whose eyes hover menacingly just above the waterline. Back on dry land, lions prowl in outsized prides, leopards carry slain impala into the trees, and baboons scamper across the plains by the dozen. 

Elephant fans will want to book a stay at Hyena Pan , hidden among the thick mopane forests of Khwai Private Reserve. A short game drive from here brings you to a repurposed shipping container abutting a watering hole. This is the Elephant Hide, and it affords the most intimate spectacle imaginable of the largest living land animal, which congregate just a few inches from a narrow viewing slot fashioned into the side of a steel wall. 

In the salt pan, you can marvel at colorful creatures of all shapes, sizes, and speeds. The edge of the ancient lakebed is inundated with meerkats, Cape hares, aardwolves, hyenas, and cheetahs, to name but a small cross section of species.

“I see the most interesting things here at night, especially,” Sande said. “I just recently saw two honey badgers fighting off some jackals. No two game drives are ever the same.”

A lot of a safari experience depends on good fortune, of course. But luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, and the difference between a good guide and a great guide is careful planning, according to Kagisano Bapute, who steers guests towards unforgettable game viewing in and around Tuludi Camp. 

“You have to stay up to date with everything going on from day to day, and from season to season,” Bapute added. “You’re always checking in with a network of trackers, and you have to be working around the clock, so you’re not just going out there blindly once you have guests with you.” 

What You’ll Eat and Drink 

While staying at any high-end safari camp, you can expect robust meals that rotate regularly, often featuring staples of Western cuisine. At Tuludi, for example, elegant pasta dishes are mainstays on the menu. Sable Alley has its own pizza station. 

While it’s easy to gravitate toward the familiar — and there are certainly some great hamburgers to be enjoyed in the bush — if you’ve come all this way, do as the locals do and save room for seswaa . The flavorful beef stew is frequently served for supper along with local bread, phapatha . Vegetarians can keep an eye out for morogo , a spinach dish studded with onions and tomatoes. 

When it comes to cocktails, gin is king here, and Okavango even has its very own. The award-winning eponymous offering is distilled with local botanicals, including the mopane seed. At Sable Alley, the bar staff is working it into the Bluebird: two parts gin, one part blue curaçao, and a splash of simple syrup, garnished with a slice of lemon. 

Alternatively, book a stay at San Camp and you’ll drive into the heart of the Kalahiri for cocktail hour. A makeshift bar is set up atop the pale, crusted earth, just in time for sunset. Once it gets dark, a multi-course feast is prepared by campfire, with nary another soul in sight. For dessert, gaze up at the most dazzling star-scape you’ll ever see.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure .

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An Expedition in the Okavango Delta Showcases Botswana's Magnificience—and Vulnerabilities

By Alex Postman

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

It seems, on some level, like an im-possibility. In the semi-arid highlands of Angola, hundreds of trickling streams join forces with two mighty rivers, the Cuito and the Cubango, which flow through Namibia and into Botswana as the Okavango , then spill into a fan-shaped 4,600-square-mile wetland before vanishing into the sands of the Kalahari Desert. Poof.

But it's really more like a miracle. Rains that fall in Angola during the previous wet season, from November through May, propel the Okavango River along its 1,000-mile downhill course in June, pushing with it 2.5 trillion gallons of water that fuel a tsunami of life through a massive network of palm islands, channels, and lagoons: Botswana's Okavango Delta. As the water engulfs the previous season's parched landscape, virtually everything it touches is reborn. The dry season drains the delta, but local rains in the month of December provide some relief before the floods sweep through again six months later. If a time comes when this cycle stops playing out like clockwork, it will affect the hundreds of Indigenous communities along its banks who depend on these life-giving waters.

Heading to the transfer helicopter from Wilderness Jao to the delta

A river channel seen from Duba Plains’ chopper

UNESCO has protected the delta for a decade, and the organization is now collaborating with the governments of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to extend the existing Okavango World Heritage Site upstream and into Angola. But the delta's protected status does not make it invulnerable. For years, pressures have been mounting from extractive industries in Namibia and Angola, still recovering from a hideous 27-year civil war, which threaten the lakes and rivers that supply the Okavango with water. Angola's growing development needs have caused rampant deforestation for valuable timber and agriculture. A water diversion project, currently on hold, could affect the system's flow to the Cubango, with consequences for the river's ability to recharge the Okavango. In Namibia a team of National Geographic researchers has exposed test drilling within the watershed by a Canadian oil exploration company. Though work paused last summer, the business holds a similar lease in Botswana near the delta. Even small shifts, like a 1 percent drop in water, could affect the patterns of elephants, those architects of the delta whose dung contains the seeds from which the palm islands grow. “It's a bit like knitting, isn't it?” says Dereck Joubert, the legendary National Geographic filmmaker and founder of Great Plains Conservation , which manages three lodges in the delta. “You unpick one piece and the whole thing falls apart.”

I'd been here once before during the June flood, when the delta appears from above like a terrarium of lustrous, mossy rocks. But this time I've arrived in September, during the dry season, when the plains wither to straw and thirsty animals gather by the river's last liquid arteries. Only now can it be crossed on foot. Combined with days journeying by motorboat and mokoro, a traditional canoe, this will allow me the trans-Okavango expedition I dream of.

We have flown north from Maun, the gateway to the Okavango, to the delta's panhandle, where seismic activity caused the river to suddenly fan out some 60,000 years ago. At Nxamaseri Island Lodge , a fishing camp on the main channel, I meet Mike Hill, a goateed, cargo-shorts-wearing South African. He's been in Botswana for three decades, guiding expeditions through his outfit, Endeavour Safaris .

An afternoon game drive at Duba Plains Camp

The river twists like a garden hose tossed onto the grass. This emerald oasis provides a critical habitat for Africa's largest elephant population and endangered wild dogs, lions, cheetahs, rare aquatic-adapted antelopes, and some 500 species of birds. Hippos are the real danger here. (One recently ripped a hole in the side of Mike's vessel.) They tend to congregate in the deeper waters of the reed-lined side of the river, so we ride on the side backed by waving pom-poms of papyrus, floating root systems that the enormous creatures cannot stand on.

Rounding a corner, we come upon water that seems to churn at a rapid boil while making a loud pop-popping sound, like bongo drums. “A barbel run!” Mike exclaims. He's on his feet and casting a line into the water. The percussion is the smacking lips of countless barbel, a type of catfish, in a feeding frenzy. The barbel stealthily power the ecosystem's greatest nutrient cycle. Water draining out of the floodplains draws millions of minnows and other small fry into the main channel, where masses of lurking catfish run to the edges to feed, while tiger fish wait in deeper water for their turn to strike. Meanwhile, flocks of herons and egrets arrive to exploit the commotion, luring other predators to follow their lunch to the banks. In the wake of it all, the fish chum nourishes everything, even the plants.

Some say the barbel runs used to be much bigger. According to some scientists, climate change is making the delta hotter and dryer. It's not a stretch to envision a time when the volume of water flowing won't be sufficient to sustain the pattern, whether due to climate change or other human intervention. Today the barbel are running but not biting. Mike tucks away his rod.

A suite at Duba Plains Camp

A baby giraffe at Wilderness Jao

We stop for the night on Itsatsa island. Our little bush camp is a hive of activity as Mike's team pitches tents and a petite cook named Pie stirs a cauldron of chicken curry over a campfire. Roughly half of the delta's workforce work in ecotourism. The industry has allowed many young people to remain in the region rather than seeking work elsewhere as they have in many other parts of the continent. Over whiskeys, Owner, a guide who is Bayei, one of five Indigenous tribes in the delta, describes how his grandfather used to hunt buffalo by grabbing them by the tail and sinking a sharp spear into their haunches. Fishing was a labor-intensive process of weaving baskets from reeds and laying them in the water to trap fish in the current.

Caitlin Morton

Stacey Lastoe

Meaghan Kenny

Owner wants to turn his grandfather's island, just a few bends in the river from where we are now, into a camp, he says. Right now there's a window for Botswanans to petition the government for an inheritance claim on their ancestral lands. And a new policy, enacted in 2020, prioritizes tourism licenses for citizens, with the goal of economically empowering Botswanans who seek to forge a connection to their natural heritage. Work is also underway to establish the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) , which would include the two river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe converge. Visitors would be able to travel among all five countries on a single visa, helping better distribute the benefits of tourism throughout the region. These developments could play an important role in preserving the area's micro-ecosystems and the communities who have depended on them for millennia.

From here, Mike and I branch east in the direction of Duba Plains , a private island concession spanning 81,500 acres, where we are greeted by two bull elephants yanking up papyrus and folding it into their pink mouths. The welcome wagon is soon joined by two men in a patrol skiff who interrogate Mike before radioing ahead to the lodge. Security is essential. In 2019, Botswana's newly elected government overturned the country's trophy-hunting ban on the grounds that controlling the large elephant population would reduce incidents of crop raiding and bring needed revenue to local communities. But in the years since, conservationists have cited concern over aerial surveys that indicate a major uptick in poaching, particularly in the north, and NGOs such as the Center for Biological Diversity and the Humane Society have voiced concern over continued trophy hunting in Botswana in light of increasing elephant deaths.

Elephants and red lechwe, the most common type of antelope in the Okavango Delta

Duba's isolation has yielded a Noah's Ark of wildlife. As we arrive, a pod of hippos raise their meaty heads out of the water to yawn and grunt while two female elephants cautiously ford the river, nudging their babies along with their trunks like crossing guards. We spend the afternoon in a Land Cruiser, stalking an elusive leopard, rolling by a male lion waking from his nap, and watching nine wild dog puppies settle into their new den. Life, fertility, and abundance—even amid the privations of the dry season.

The next morning, after a brief helicopter ride over a vista of lily-pad-like islands, we meet our boatmen, who will be leading us by mokoro to Wilderness Jao camp . There's Tuff, who spouts facts with a schoolboy's earnestness; Captain, the most senior poler and the quietest; and Cruise, our “hippo repeller.” In the delta, you don't want to splash the water with a paddle, so long wooden poles are used to quietly propel the slender canoes through the shallows. Or fend off a disgruntled hippo.

As dusk gathers, the channel narrows to just a few feet wide and inches deep. Water lilies light the way like torches, each white or lavender bloom anchored to an edible root similar to a potato. The air is thrillingly pure, the haylike aroma of the sedge mixed with the scent of decomposing plants and mineral tang of water. The polers shove on as the trees fade to charcoal outlines and my clothing clings in a clammy chill. From the right comes the snort of hippos, whose tiny eyes glint yellow in the beam of our flashlights. Cruise slaps the side of his mokoro with his pole to create a distraction as Captain and Tuff glide us toward a hopeful constellation of light and the promise of a hot shower and a soft bed: Jao.

A bronze bathtub with views of the private plunge pool at Duba Plains Camp

Tuff, a mokoro poler for Wilderness Jao

It's hard to fathom how Jao's fourth-generation Botswanan owners built the camp's five soaring treetop suites, let alone the on-site museum and nest-like pool pavilion, on this remote island surrounded by nearly 150,000 acres of private concession. But as at some of the delta's top camps in exclusive-use concessions, which can cost up to $1,500 per person per night in high season, guests are also paying for the protection of thousands of acres of pristine nature. Botswana's diamonds are the cornerstone of its economy, comprising 90 percent of its global exports, but the delta is its crown jewel. The country has historically managed a successful tourism model that is deliberately low-volume and high-cost. “It's one reason why the Okavango is not like the Masai Mara,” says Karen Ross, PhD, an ecologist who has championed the delta's UNESCO status.

A true trans-Okavango journey would entail traveling 250 miles by water from the northern panhandle to Maun, at the delta's southern edge. Being short on time, we fly to the dry floodplains of Kanana camp , where we planned to trek on foot. Before I left, Joubert had offered me advice for the trip, not without risks: “Walking in the bush is a combination of looking down at your feet and looking up at the horizon.” Which is what I do as we tread in silence along ancient elephant pathways. The trail is a palimpsest of their giant, pancake-round tracks and the lobed pads of hyenas or toes of civets. We pass lion droppings composed of teeth and bones and lechwe horns; artifacts of the less fortunate. Approaching a stand of trees, Mike keeps a hand on his rifle and his ear cocked. Elephants at a distance will leave you alone, he'd told me that morning, though one must steer clear of matriarchs with their young. What you want to avoid while on foot is a buffalo—cranky and combative, they're the bullies of the bush.

We settle into a rhythm, sipping water sparingly. Ahead, two large bull elephants are browsing on a tree by a lagoon. Spotting us, one raises his head and flares his leathery ears. Mike signals to slowly backtrack along the water's edge, where several hippos, feeling equally territorial, begin snorting and honking. One curious elephant strolls over toward my spot behind a fallen tree trunk. “ Heyyy, my boy,” Mike says, in the calmly confident voice you might use on a Labrador retriever. The creature peers at us for a few long seconds as my pulse hammers in my chest. The elephant raises his trunk and turns away. For the rest of the walk, I'm buoyed by the exhilaration of having experienced something rare—a live-wire connection with a five-ton wild beast. Almost nine miles after setting out, we enter andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp filthy, tired, radiant.

A lunch break after a morning bush drive at andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp

Animal tracks visible from the helicopter above the delta, en route from Maun to the panhandle in the northwest

On our last day we ride bicycles along elephant paths, hopping over berms and kicking up dust like the herd of buffalo that thunders past us on the next plain. After days of clear skies, a single gauzy cumulus cloud hangs in the air. In Setswana, pula means “rain”; it's also the name of the national currency. In a few months, December's light rains will arrive, quenching parched plains and filling empty lagoons for a bit of relief. It will be five more months before the flooding ignites the cycle again. The Okavango Delta isn't just a miracle. It is also a metaphor. Just as the tiny minnow powers the barbel run in the river, which sustains various larger creatures, so do each of our individual choices contribute to the interwoven tapestry of the human species. What Joubert advised me about walking is just as true of conservation: Look down and look up, at the little picture and the big, now and in the future, one step at a time.

Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel specialist Cherri Briggs , founder of Explore Inc. , orchestrated our multifaceted six-night trans-Okavango trip with signature deftness, recruiting guide Mike Hill of Endeavour Safaris , who has led trips in Botswana for more than three decades. (Endeavour is also a pioneer of accessible safaris for travelers with disabilities.) First, we arrived by bush plane at Nxamaseri Island Lodge , a modest but congenial fishing camp in the Okavango panhandle. We slept the next few nights in high comfort, first by floating into Duba Concession and Duba Plains Camp , the delta's only Relais & Châteaux lodging. Helicopter Horizons whisked us to a wild island inside Jao Concession, where we embarked on a six-mile mokoro ride to Wilderness Jao , steered by the camp's guides. The design here is a feat of engineering and artistry, with five soaring suites and two villas made from wood, glass, and recycled materials. We flew onward to Ker & Downey's Kanana on the Xudum River, which, though simpler in concept, was full of soul: small canvas tents that allowed us to take in the bird and animal life, warm service, and expert guiding. Next, we trekked eight and a half miles to andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp and were greeted by a splashing, breeding herd of elephants in the lagoon outside the main guest area. After another helicopter ride, we reached Machaba Safaris' Kiri Camp , a new property with modern African-themed decor. It sits on a floodplain known for lion and buffalo interactions, which was perfect terrain for a bicycle safari led by Natural Selection 's Kyle MacIntyre, who grew up in the delta in a family of guides. A trans-Okavango trip can be done nearly all year long, but the waterway is best traversed by boat and mokoro in August and September, when the warmer weather brings out much of the animal life. Walking safaris are possible anytime from April through December, depending on rainfall.

This article appeared in the April 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine  here .

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Earthquake in Taiwan blamed for at least 9 deaths as buildings and roads seriously damaged

Updated on: April 3, 2024 / 8:15 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Taipei, Taiwan —  Taiwan's strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways and leaving nine people dead. In the capital, Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings as the earthquake shook the city, and schools evacuated their students to sports fields, equipping them with yellow safety helmets. 

A five-story building in Hualien County, near the quake's offshore epicenter, was left leaning at a 45-degree angle, with its first floor collapsed.

Taiwan's national fire agency said nine people died in the quake, which struck just before 8 a.m. The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park and a van driver died in the same area after boulders hit the vehicle.

The agency said authorities have lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after the quake downed phone networks. More than 70 other people are trapped, but believed to be alive, including some in a coal mine. Another 882 have been injured.

Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency said the temblor struck just before 8:00 a.m. local time and gave the magnitude as 7.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It hit offshore, about 11.1 miles south-southwest of the east coast county of Hualien and was about  21 miles deep. Multiple aftershocks followed, and the USGS said one had a  magnitude of 6.5 and was 7 miles deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more surface damage.

Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, as was subway service in Taipei, where a newly constructed above-ground line partially separated. The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, also had damage to walls and ceilings.

Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways in the mountainous region.

Social media platforms were full of video and images of buildings around the country swaying as the quake struck.

Despite the quake hitting at the height of the morning rush hour, the initial panic faded quickly on the island, which is regularly rocked by temblors and prepares for them with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone.

Authorities said they'd only expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude 4 and accordingly didn't send out alerts.

Residents react   

Still, the quake was strong enough to scare people who are used to such shaking.

"Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I've grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake," Taipei resident Hsien-hsuen Keng said. "I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before."

She said her fifth-floor apartment shook so hard that "apart from earthquake drills in elementary school, this was the first time I had experienced such a situation."

Kelvin Hwang, a guest at a hotel in Taipei, told AFP he "wanted to run out, but I wasn't dressed. That was so strong," so he sought shelter in the elevator lobby on the ninth floor.

Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018. It collapsed a historic hotel and other buildings.

Taiwan's worst recent quake struck on Sept. 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.

Tsunamis concern fades 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. About three hours after the earthquake, it said the threat had largely passed for all areas, with waves being reported only in Taiwan and southern Japan. 

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami wave of about a foot was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. Japan sent military aircraft to gather information about the impact around the Okinawa region, where many U.S. troops are stationed.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there hadn't been any reports of injury or damage there.  

The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and several provinces along China's southeast coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 100 miles apart. China issued no tsunami warnings for the Chinese mainland.

Residents of China's Fujian province reported violent shaking, according to Jimu News, an online outlet. One man told Jimu the shaking awakened him and lasted about a minute.

In the Philippines, residents along the northern coast were told to evacuate to higher ground, but no major tsunami was reported.

Taiwan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. 

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