5 Best Places to Visit in Botswana

An emerald-green paradise in the middle of the red Kalahari, the Okavango Delta forms the centrepiece of most Botswana wildlife experiences. One of the world's most mesmerising natural destinations, its labyrinthine channels, open floodplains and tangled woodlands really do teem with all the animals found in Botswana.

There’s no denying that an Okavango Delta safari is a thrilling adventure. It offers a wide range of safari activities including game drives, nature walks, boat rides and canoe safaris. Much of the Okavango Delta is protected by the legendary Moremi Game Reserve; privately managed conservation concessions take care of much of the rest.

Botswana's heavyweight big game reserve, Chobe National Park, is where to go in Botswana for elephants. The best time to visit is between June and October when enormous herds congregate on the Chobe River. Further south is Chobe's Savuti region, the ultimate raw, wild and legendary setting for savage interactions between lions and hyenas – in other words, the ideal location for an unforgettable Chobe safari.

A far cry from the popular imagery of a sandy wasteland, the beautiful wooded grasslands and seasonally flooded pans of Botswana's three Kalahari parks are home to an astonishing variety of animals found in Botswana. Quite different from Botswana's more famous destinations, a Kalahari safari is ideal for seasoned travellers looking for something unique, and can easily be combined with the Chobe and Okavango Delta.

If it's an Okavango Delta-type experience you want but with an air of exclusivity, then we highly recommend you travel to the spectacularly private reserves of Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando. Bordering the Caprivi Strip, these wild wetlands have only recently opened up to visitors, offering a peaceful and utterly unforgettable Botswana safari experience. What more could you need from a wildlife adventure than breathtaking lodgings, such as the otherworldly Linyati Bush Camp, and superb game viewing - particularly in the June to October dry season.

Tucked away in eastern Botswana, the Tuli Block is one of Botswana's least known destinations. Offering a vastly different safari experience from the rest of the country, Tuli Block is set around the Limpopo River. It boasts a topography of dramatic rocky landscapes, huge baobab trees and free roaming elephants - protected by private reserves. Tuli Block offers one of the best things to do in Botswana, a night drive in search of nocturnal residents – among them the elusive leopard, aardvark and caracal.