Essential Botswana: Self-Launched Wildlife & Nature Adventure

Touch down in Johannesburg and get your bearings. Check into a well-rated hostel or budget guesthouse in the Maboneng or Rosebank area — both are relatively safe and well-connected. Head to the Apartheid Museum (ZAR190, ~£8) for an essential grounding in South African history. In the evening, explore the local restaurant scene — Maboneng has excellent options for a first-night group dinner if you're travelling with friends, or strike up conversation at your hostel.

🚌Fly into OR Tambo International. Take the Gautrain from the airport to Rosebank or Park Station (~£3) — safe, fast and straightforward.

🛏Curiocity Backpackers (Maboneng) or The Station Backpackers — dorm from ~£15/night, private room from ~£30/night

• →Visit the Apartheid Museum independently — book tickets at the door or online (ZAR190, ~£8)
• →Explore the Maboneng Precinct on foot for street art, cafes and local atmosphere
• →Evening meal at a local Joburg restaurant — try Smokey & Daughters or Proud Mary in Maboneng

Make your way from Johannesburg to Serowe, the nearest town to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. The most budget-friendly option is to join a shared shuttle or take a Greyhound/Intercape bus to Gaborone (~£20), then a connecting minibus taxi north to Serowe. Alternatively, many independent travellers hire a car in Joburg for a self-drive leg — this works very well for the Botswana section. Arrive at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary and check into their on-site camping or chalets. In the evening, join the sanctuary's own sunset game drive (approximately BWP375/~£22 per person) to spot rhinos, zebras, giraffes and more at their most active.

🚌Self-drive from Johannesburg via Lobatse border crossing (~450km, ~5 hrs) is the most flexible option. Budget car hire from Joburg ~£40/day (split between travellers). Alternatively: Intercape bus Jo'burg–Gaborone (~£20), then minibus taxi Gaborone–Serowe (~£5).

🛏Khama Rhino Sanctuary Campsite — camping with facilities ~£8–12/person/night; basic chalets also available from ~£25/person

• →Self-drive or shared shuttle from Johannesburg to Serowe (~4.5 hrs by car across the Tlokweng/Lobatse border)
• →Check into Khama Rhino Sanctuary campsite or chalet — book directly at khamamarinosauntuary.com
• →Sunset Game Drive with sanctuary-operated open vehicle (~BWP375/~£22) — book directly at the gate or via the sanctuary office

An early start for the long drive north to Maun (~440km, approx 5–6 hrs by road). If self-driving, the A3 north via Palapye and Francistown is well-paved and straightforward. Maun is a lively, dusty frontier town and the main base for Okavango Delta trips. Stock up on supplies at Shoprite or Spar — fresh food, snacks and cash (ATMs available). Check into a campsite on the outskirts of town. This afternoon is yours to relax, arrange your Okavango activities and chat to local operators. Optional: book a 45-minute scenic flight over the Delta (~USD165/~£130) through local operators like Moremi Air or Mack Air — you won't regret it.

🚌Self-drive Serowe–Maun (~440km on A3, well-paved). If without a car: Seabelo bus Francistown–Maun departs regularly (~£12); or shared minibus taxis via Francistown junction (~£10 total).

🛏Audi Camp Maun or Crocodile Camp — both well-established backpacker campsites. Camping ~£10/person; dorm ~£18; simple private room ~£30

• →Drive from Khama Rhino Sanctuary to Maun via the A3 north (~5–6 hrs)
• →Stock up on supplies at Shoprite Maun for bush camp provisions
• →Arrange mokoro and bush camp bookings directly with community trusts (e.g. Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust) — significantly cheaper than tour operator rates
• →Optional: 45-min scenic flight over the Okavango Delta (~USD165/~£130) with Moremi Air or Mack Air — bookable locally

Transfer from Maun to the northern Panhandle area near Guma Lagoon. The Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT) operates community-run mokoro and bush camping packages bookable directly from Maun — cutting out the tour operator markup. A typical package includes transfer, poling, camping and meals. The last stretch into the Delta is by 4WD track or boat. Set up camp on the edge of the lagoon, soak in the extraordinary views and listen for hippos as the sun sets. Tonight, sit around the campfire under a sky free of light pollution.

🚌Transfer from Maun to Panhandle is typically organised as part of a mokoro package: 4WD vehicle + short boat transfer. Expect ~£15–25/person for the transfer leg when booked through community operators.

🛏Bush campsite at or near Guma Lagoon — basic facilities (drop toilet, bucket shower). Included in OKMCT mokoro package or bookable separately ~£8–12/person/night

• →Transfer from Maun to Okavango Delta Panhandle — arrange through OKMCT or a local operator such as Budget Bush Safaris or Audi Camp's in-house delta programme
• →Arrive at bush campsite near Guma Lagoon — set up your tent and explore the immediate surroundings
• →Optional: Sunset boat cruise on the lagoon (~BWP371/~£22) — arrange with your local poler guide
• →Campfire dinner prepared by local cook staff (included in most community trust packages)

Today is the highlight of the trip. Climb into a mokoro — a traditional hand-hewn dugout canoe — and let your local expert poler guide you silently through papyrus beds, lily-covered channels and open lagoons. This is one of Africa's great slow-travel experiences. Keep your eyes peeled for elephants wading at the bank, lechwe antelopes bounding through shallow water, warthogs trotting across islands and the remarkable birdlife overhead. After the mokoro, take a guided bush walk on one of the islands, then cool off with a swim in a safe lagoon spot identified by your guide. Evenings back at camp are magical — learn to cook Botswana staples like seswaa and morogo from your cook if offered.

🚌No vehicle transport today — mokoro travel only. Remaining in delta bush camp.

🛏Bush campsite near Guma Lagoon (second night — same as Day 4)

• →Full-day mokoro safari with a community-certified poler guide — bookable through OKMCT directly (approximately £35–50/person including guide, full day)
• →Guided island bush walk — included with OKMCT mokoro package
• →Swimming stop at a lagoon island (guide will confirm safety)
• →Optional free cooking class with camp cook (typically complimentary with full packages)

Transfer back to Maun from the Delta. After several days in the bush, Maun feels positively cosmopolitan — use today to recharge, do laundry, download photos and resupply. If you missed the scenic flight earlier, today is your second chance. Otherwise, visit the Nhabe Museum for free local cultural exhibits or head to the Shorobe village basket weaving cooperative (~£12–18 for a workshop, bookable locally) to pick up a genuine Botswana souvenir. In the evening, dine at the relaxed Bon Arrivee restaurant or try a traditional meal at Planet Culture Café (~USD22/~£17).

🚌Return transfer from Delta to Maun via 4WD (~1.5–2 hrs, included in package). No further travel today.

🛏Audi Camp Maun or Crocodile Camp — camping ~£10/person; dorm ~£18; private room ~£30

• →Transfer back to Maun from the Panhandle (included in OKMCT package return leg)
• →Visit Nhabe Museum — free entry, excellent local history and natural history exhibits
• →Optional: Shorobe Basket Weaving cooperative visit (~USD20/~£16) — arrange through your campsite or locally
• →Optional: Traditional Botswana meal at Planet Culture Café (~USD22/~£17)
• →Optional: Helicopter scenic flight over the Delta if not done on Day 3 (~USD335/~£264 — splurge option)

Drive east from Maun to Gweta (~220km, approx 3–3.5 hrs), a small town at the edge of the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Book into Planet Baobab — an iconic and affordable camp perfectly positioned for salt pan exploration. In the late afternoon, join Planet Baobab's legendary Sundowner Bush Walk into the baobab forest with a local San guide (~BWP200/~£12 per person). Your guide will explain the ecology, geology and cultural significance of the world's largest succulents, then you'll watch the Botswana sunset over the pans with a drink in hand. A fire-lit dinner under a baobab-studded sky rounds off an unforgettable evening.

🚌Self-drive Maun–Gweta (~220km, well-paved A3 road, ~3.5 hrs). If without a car: Maun–Nata shared minibus (ask at Audi Camp for current schedules, ~£8), then short onward taxi or Planet Baobab pickup.

🛏Planet Baobab, Gweta — camping ~£12/person; quirky painted rondavels from ~£35/person. Book directly at planetbaobab.com for best rates.

• →Self-drive or shared transfer Maun–Gweta via A3 East (~3.5 hrs, 220km on tarmac)
• →Check into Planet Baobab camp — book directly at planetbaobab.com
• →Sundowner Bush Walk with local San guide into the baobab forest (~BWP200/~£12) — book at Planet Baobab reception on arrival
• →Sunset drinks and campfire dinner at Planet Baobab

Drive from Gweta to Kasane (~290km, ~3.5 hrs), the gateway town for Chobe National Park. Chobe is home to the world's highest concentration of African elephants — an estimated 70,000 Kalahari elephants roam the park. Check in at your campsite and spend the afternoon on optional activities. A sunset river cruise on the Chobe River is unmissable — massive elephant herds come to drink at the banks while buffalo, hippos and crocodiles line the water's edge (~BWP580/~£34 per person, bookable through Chobe Safari Lodge or Elephant Valley Lodge boat operators). Alternatively, join an afternoon/evening game drive on the floodplain (~BWP580/~£34).

🚌Self-drive Gweta–Nata–Kasane (~290km, A33 via Nata, tarmac throughout, ~3.5 hrs). Without a car: shared combi/minibus Maun–Nata (~£8) then Nata–Kasane (~£6); or book a budget shared shuttle through your Gweta/Maun accommodation.

🛏Thebe River Safaris Campsite or Chobe Chilwero Camping — camping with good facilities ~£12–18/person. Book directly or via Booking.com.

• →Self-drive or transfer Gweta–Kasane via Nata (~290km, ~3.5 hrs on tarmac)
• →Check into Chobe Camping or Thebe River Safaris campsite — book via Kasane Tourism
• →Optional: Sunset river cruise on the Chobe River (~BWP580/~£34) — book directly with Chobe Marina Lodge, Elephant Valley Lodge or local operators in Kasane town
• →Optional: Sunset game drive in Chobe National Park (~BWP580/~£34) — bookable through Kasane-based operators or your campsite

Rise early for a morning game drive in Chobe National Park — this is prime wildlife viewing time, with lions, leopards and massive elephant herds most active before the midday heat. Book a shared open-vehicle game drive through a Kasane-based operator (~£25–35 per person). After the drive, cross the border into Zimbabwe at Kazungula and make your way to Victoria Falls town (~80km, ~1.5 hrs). Spend the afternoon orienting yourself around town. Victoria Falls is spectacular — the entrance to the falls themselves costs USD30/~£24. We strongly recommend staying at least 2–3 extra days to enjoy white-water rafting, the bridge swing, sunset cruises and the village tour. Ask at your hostel for the latest activity rates — many can be booked locally at better prices than through operators.

🚌Self-drive or shared taxi Kasane–Kazungula border (~10km), then cross into Zimbabwe. Local taxi or shuttle Victoria Falls border–town (~£3–5). Without own vehicle: shared shuttle Kasane–Victoria Falls bookable through Kasane hostels/campsites (~£15–20/person).

🛏Shoestrings Backpackers or Victoria Falls Backpackers — dorm from ~£14/night, private room from ~£28. Both well-established and central.

• →Early morning open-vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park (~£25–35/person) — book the evening before through your campsite or a Kasane operator
• →Cross Kazungula border into Zimbabwe (bring USD cash for the Zimbabwe KAZA Univisa ~USD50/~£40 if not already purchased)
• →Visit Victoria Falls — entrance fee USD30/~£24, bookable at the gate
• →Leader-equivalent: pick up a free map at your hostel and do a self-guided orientation walk of Victoria Falls town
• →Optional: Sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~USD59/~£47), whitewater rafting (~USD173/~£136), bridge swing (~USD137/~£108) or helicopter flight (~USD173/~£136) — all bookable locally in Victoria Falls town