Wildlife & Wilderness of Botswana: Self-Launched Safari Adventure

Fly into Maun International Airport, the adventure hub of Botswana. Check into Audi Camp on the banks of the Thamalakane River — a legendary backpacker base with a bar, swimming pool and restaurant that's a natural meeting point for independent safari travellers. Spend the afternoon settling in, swapping intel with fellow travellers at the bar, and planning your Okavango days ahead. Head to the camp restaurant for dinner.

🚌Fly into Maun (MUB) — connections via Johannesburg or Gaborone. Airport is 10 mins from town; shared taxi or camp transfer ~£5.

🛏Audi Camp or Old Bridge Backpackers, Maun (~£18-25/night in dorm or basic chalet)

• →Check in to Audi Camp (or Old Bridge Backpackers) on the Thamalakane River
• →Orientation walk around Maun town — pick up supplies and SIM card
• →Evening drinks and dinner at the camp restaurant — great place to meet other travellers

Head to the Okavango Delta polers' station for a traditional mokoro canoe trip deep into one of the world's most extraordinary wetlands. You can arrange independent mokoro trips directly with community-run operators such as Okavango Polers Trust (based at Boro village) — rates are government-regulated and very reasonable. Pack a small bag for two nights of wild camping. Arrive at your bush camp by midday, have lunch, then take an afternoon game walk with your local poler-guide. Return to camp for a fire-cooked dinner under an enormous African sky.

🚌4x4 transfer from Maun to the polers' station at Boro (~£15-20pp, arrange via your camp or local operator)

🛏Okavango Delta wild camp (included in mokoro package with Okavango Polers Trust or similar community operator)

• →Mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) trip into the Okavango Delta — book via Okavango Polers Trust (~£30-40/day including poler and camping)
• →Afternoon guided game walk in the delta with your local poler-guide
• →Wild camp on the riverbank — cooking over fire with supplies packed from Maun

Rise before sunrise for a guided game walk with your poler — elephants, buffalos, hippos and an extraordinary array of birdlife are all possible sightings. Return to camp for a leisurely brunch and afternoon rest in the shade. As the heat drops, take a short sunset mokoro paddle along the channels, watching the sky turn gold over the papyrus reeds. Fall asleep to the sounds of hippos in the water and distant lions — one of Africa's great experiences.

🚌No transport — full day in the delta

🛏Okavango Delta wild camp (night 2 of mokoro package)

• →Early morning guided game walk on the delta islands
• →Birdwatching — the Okavango hosts over 400 bird species
• →Sunset mokoro glide along the waterways — papyrus channels and lily-covered lagoons
• →Campfire cooking and stargazing

Morning mokoro back to the polers' station, then transfer back to Maun. Stock up on supplies for the days ahead at Maun's supermarkets (Choppies is well-stocked). The afternoon is yours — relax by the pool at Audi Camp or splurge on an optional light aircraft scenic flight over the Okavango Delta, a truly unforgettable perspective on this UNESCO World Heritage site.

🚌4x4 transfer back from polers' station to Maun (~£15-20pp)

🛏Audi Camp or Old Bridge Backpackers, Maun (~£18-25/night)

• →Return mokoro paddle to polers' station
• →Supply shopping at Choppies supermarket, Maun
• →Optional: scenic flight over the Okavango Delta — book via Mack Air or Wilderness Air (~£90-130pp for 30-min flight)
• →Afternoon swim and rest at camp

Drive east from Maun into one of the planet's most otherworldly landscapes — the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, an ancient lake bed covering over 16,000 sq km of blinding white salt and utter silence. Camp at Kubu Island Campsite (book ahead via Botswana Tourism) or wild camp on the pan itself with a permit. Sunset over the pans is one of Botswana's great spectacles — the horizon vanishes, the colours are extraordinary, and the Milky Way overhead is dazzling. Pack all food and water from Maun.

🚌Self-drive 4x4 rental from Maun is essential for this section — budget ~£60-80/day for a basic 4x4 shared between 2-4 travellers. Alternatively, join a locally organised day/overnight tour from Maun (~£80-120pp).

🛏Kubu Island Campsite or Makgadikgadi wild camp (~£8-12pp)

• →Drive from Maun to Makgadikgadi Pans (~4-5 hours east on the A3)
• →Explore Kubu Island — baobab-studded shoreline of the ancient lake
• →Sunset photography on the salt pans — bring a tripod for the mirror-flat reflections
• →Stargazing on the pan — zero light pollution, one of Africa's best spots
• →Wild camping or Kubu Island Campsite (~£8-12pp per night, pre-book via Botswana Tourism)

An early start for a long drive north, crossing the Kazungula border into Zimbabwe. Allow extra time at the border (bring USD cash for the Zimbabwe visa on arrival — ~$50 for most nationalities). Continue to Victoria Falls town, arriving by late afternoon. The town is small, safe and very walkable. Check into a hostel, freshen up, and head to the waterfront area for your first glimpse and sounds of the falls in the distance.

🚌Self-drive 4x4 from Makgadikgadi (~6-7 hrs). If not self-driving, cross-border transfers are available via local shuttle operators (~£25-35pp one way).

🛏Victoria Falls Backpackers or Shoestrings Backpackers, Victoria Falls (~£15-25/night dorm or private)

• →Early morning drive north from Makgadikgadi via Nata
• →Kazungula border crossing into Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe e-visa or visa on arrival ~$50)
• →Check in to Victoria Falls Backpackers or Shoestrings Backpackers
• →Evening stroll to the entrance of the falls viewpoint area — listen to the roar

A full free day to explore Victoria Falls and its adrenaline offerings. The falls entrance fee gets you access to 16 viewpoints — allow 2-3 hours to walk them all in the wet mist. The town around the falls is full of independently bookable adventure activities at competitive prices. White-water rafting on the Zambezi is one of the world's top rafting experiences. Flight of Angels microlight or helicopter flights give a bird's-eye view. Or simply slow down and take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi.

🚌All activities walkable or short taxi from town

🛏Victoria Falls Backpackers or Shoestrings Backpackers (~£15-25/night)

• →Victoria Falls National Park entrance and self-guided walk through all 16 viewpoints (~£25-30pp entry fee)
• →Optional: white-water rafting on the Zambezi (Grade 5 rapids, book via Shearwater Adventures, ~£90-110pp)
• →Optional: Flight of Angels microlight over the falls (~£120-150pp for 15 mins)
• →Optional: sunset Zambezi River cruise (~£30-40pp, includes drinks)
• →Explore the craft market and town for local souvenirs

Spend the morning on the Zimbabwean side of the falls — the viewpoints here are exceptional, especially in the wet season when the spray is enormous. Then re-cross the border back into Botswana at Kazungula and drive the short distance to Kasane, the gateway to Chobe National Park, on the banks of the Chobe/Zambezi river system. Check into Thebe River Safaris campsite or Chobe Backpackers. In the afternoon, book a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River — widely considered one of Africa's greatest wildlife experiences with massive elephant herds, hippos, crocs and birds.

🚌Short drive Vic Falls to Kasane (~1 hour via Kazungula border). Shared taxi or minibus available if not self-driving (~£10-15pp).

🛏Thebe River Safaris Campsite or Chobe Backpackers, Kasane (~£15-25/night)

• →Final morning walk through Victoria Falls viewpoints — Danger Point and Cataract View are highlights
• →Re-cross Kazungula border back into Botswana
• →Check in to Thebe River Safaris camp or Chobe Backpackers, Kasane
• →Afternoon/sunset Chobe River wildlife boat cruise — book locally in Kasane (~£25-35pp, 2-3 hours)

Up before dawn for an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park's famous waterfront area — this is the highest concentration of elephants on Earth, and seeing hundreds crossing the floodplain at sunrise is staggering. Lions, wild dogs, leopards and hundreds of bird species are all possible. After the morning drive, head south into the remote interior of Chobe to the wild Savuti Marsh area. Self-drive here requires a 4x4 and some navigation confidence; alternatively, book the day as part of a locally guided mobile safari from Kasane.

🚌Self-drive 4x4 essential from Chobe to Savuti — deep sand tracks. Alternatively join a guided mobile camping safari from Kasane for this section (~£150-200pp/day all inclusive).

🛏Savuti Public Campsite (DWNP/BTO managed, ~£10-15pp)

• →Pre-dawn start — self-drive or locally booked game drive through Chobe Waterfront (~£15-20pp park entry fee per day)
• →Wildlife spotting: elephant herds at the river, lions, wild dogs, giraffes, hippos
• →Drive south into Chobe's remote interior to Savuti area (~3-4 hours on 4x4 tracks)
• →Set up camp at Savuti Public Campsite (book via BTO — Botswana Tourism Organisation, ~£10-15pp)

A full day dedicated to game driving on the legendary Savuti Marsh. This remote area is one of Botswana's great wildlife strongholds — famous for its resident lions, cheetahs and hyenas following the seasonal zebra migration. Large herds of elephants trek enormous distances through here. Go out early at first light and again in the late afternoon when the animals are most active. The area around the Savuti Channel is particularly productive. Keep your eyes on the skies too — massive kori bustards and secretary birds stalk the grasslands.

🚌Self-drive within the park (4x4 essential)

🛏Savuti Public Campsite, night 2 (~£10-15pp)

• →Dawn game drive on the Savuti Marsh — look for lions on kills and cheetahs on the open grasslands
• →Midday rest at camp — prepare own lunch and watch for wildlife at the waterhole
• →Afternoon game drive along the Savuti Channel as the sun drops
• →Campfire dinner and listen to the sounds of the African bush at night

Break camp and drive west from Savuti towards Moremi Game Reserve, stopping to game drive along the way through a variety of habitats — Mopane woodland, Acacia forest and the Mbabe Depression. Pass through Khwai village (a great community campsite option) and enter Moremi via the North Gate. Moremi is the wildlife jewel of the Okavango Delta — a mosaic of waterways, floodplains, islands and woodlands protecting an extraordinary density of animals.

🚌Self-drive 4x4 from Savuti to Moremi (~4-5 hours on bush tracks). A high-clearance 4x4 is essential.

🛏Moremi Public Campsite (Third Bridge or Xakanaxa — book via BTO, ~£10-15pp) or Khwai Community Campsite (~£15-20pp)

• →Game drive from Savuti to Moremi through diverse habitats (~4-5 hours with stops)
• →Stop at Khwai village — community-run campsites and optional guided walks available
• →Enter Moremi Game Reserve via North Gate (park fees ~£15-20pp/day)
• →Afternoon game drive in Moremi — look for leopards in the Mopane trees

A full day in one of Africa's finest wildlife reserves. Drive the iconic Third Bridge loop and the routes around Xakanaxa Lagoon — arguably the most scenic and wildlife-rich drives in Botswana. Red lechwe antelope wade through lily-covered channels. Sitatunga emerge from papyrus beds. Leopards rest in sausage trees. Elephant, lion, hyena and the endangered African wild dog are all regularly seen here. The birdlife is sensational — African fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, malachite kingfishers.

🚌Self-drive within Moremi Game Reserve

🛏Moremi Public Campsite, night 2 (~£10-15pp)

• →Dawn game drive — Third Bridge loop and Xakanaxa Lagoon routes
• →Look for leopards, wild dogs, lions, elephants and rare sitatunga antelope
• →Self-guided birdwatching — Moremi is one of Africa's top birding destinations (400+ species)
• →Afternoon game drive returning via different routes to maximise sightings
• →Sundowner drinks at camp watching the floodplains

One last dawn game drive through Moremi before exiting via the South Gate and driving back to Maun — about 100km on mixed tar and dirt roads. Return your 4x4 rental if applicable, or check back into Audi Camp for your last night. Treat yourself to a meal at a proper restaurant — Bon Arrivée or Shorobe are local favourites. Reflect on an extraordinary two weeks in one of Africa's last great wilderness areas.

🚌Self-drive from Moremi South Gate to Maun (~2-3 hrs, mostly tarred road from Shorobe)

🛏Audi Camp or Old Bridge Backpackers, Maun (~£18-25/night)

• →Final dawn game drive in Moremi — make the most of your last morning in the bush
• →Exit Moremi via South Gate (Maqwee Gate) and drive back to Maun (~2-3 hours)
• →Return 4x4 vehicle if hiring
• →Late afternoon swim at Audi Camp pool
• →Farewell dinner at Bon Arrivée restaurant, Maun

The adventure ends after breakfast. Maun International Airport is just 10 minutes from town with connections to Johannesburg and beyond. If you want to extend, consider a fly-in safari to the Okavango's private concessions, or head south to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve for a very different but equally spectacular wilderness experience.

🚌Taxi or camp shuttle to Maun Airport (~£5-8). Flights home via Johannesburg O.R. Tambo.

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Breakfast at camp
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at Maun craft market
• →Transfer to Maun Airport for onward flights
• →Optional extension: Central Kalahari Game Reserve or Okavango fly-in camp