Botswana is one of those extraordinary places where you can wander freely through the fascinating wildlife and endless landscapes. However, bear in mind this road trip is going to be a wild one. Unlike Namibia, Botswana doesn't have any fenced campsites. So camping here means you must sleep, wash and cook where the animals roam free. But don't worry. After reading this blog, you'll be ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
In this blog, we'll cover the North part of Botswana. Therefore I'll go into detail about Kasane, Victoria Falls, Chobe national park, Moremi game reserve, Okavango Delta, Nxai Pan (Baines Baobab), and Maun. Keep in mind Botswana isn't a low-budget destination. On the contrary, it's pretty expensive compared to its cheaper neighbor Namibia.
Take to heart that mosquitoes carry malaria in the North of Botswana, so take precautions.
Our detailed itinerary (coming from Caprivi, Namibia):
2 nights Kasane, (Victoria falls inclusive) |
1 night Ihaha campsite - Chobe national park |
1 night Linyanti - Chobe national park |
2 nights Savuti - Chobe national park |
1 night Kwai campsite north gate - Moremi game reserve |
1 night Xakanaxa campsite - Moremi game reserve |
1 night South camping - Moremi game reserve |
2 nights Maun |
1 night Baines Baobab - Nxai pan |
1 night Maun |
Back to Windhoek |
CROSSING BORDERS
Coming from Caprivi (Namibia), you must enter Botswana through Kasane. Before entering Botswana, your vehicle will be scanned for fruits, vegetables, milk, and animal products, and you'll have to dip all your shoes into a disinfection bath because of foot and mouth disease. So please stop at a local village in Namibia to give your food away. They'll be pleased to see you. The border crossing process is straightforward but slow. African time, right? (; But there's wifi to kill time.
ARRIVING IN KASANE
After we did some proper lodging in Caprivi, we went back to basic. We stayed two nights at the 'Bananyana.' This was not my favorite campsite because the hygiene standards were pretty low. Nonetheless, we did enjoy our time here because of the lovely family that hosts this place. You'll have an authentic experience, and you'll see how they cook, where they live, and how they communicate with their neighbors. Apart from this, it's only 10 dollars/night. What a bargain!
In the mood for Indian food? Go and have dinner at the 'Coffee & Curry' restaurant. Please order the 'chicken 65'. It's soooooo yummy!
VICTORIA FALLS
A must-do! You have two options here. You can see the Falls in Zambia or Zimbabwe. We opted for Zimbabwe because of the view. When you visit the Falls in Zimbabwe, you stare at the falls instead of standing on top of it.
Read more about visiting Victoria Falls here. (still working on this one.. )
8 DAYS INTO THE WILDERNESS
First, you can drive from Kasana to Maun through the bushes. When planning our trip to Botswana, I couldn't find any information online, so I'll explain everything. Coming from Kasana, you must cross Chobe national park, Savuti, and then go to Moremi game reserve through the Mababe gate and then to Maun.
Booking a campsite in Botswana is a pain in the ass. For more information, go here.
For the record, there's no wifi inside the park. You would be fortunate to have any connection to the outside world.
1. CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Chobe is located on the north side of Botswana and is the country's first national park, covering approximately 11,700km². This is about 1/3 of Belgium. It's known for its large concentration of wildlife, particularly elephants and Buffalos. After entering the gate and driving for a few minutes, I could already see A LOT of elephants. A family herd of more than 50 elephants at the Chobe riverbank. Hello, goosebumps! In this park alone, there are over 120 000 elephants. I got scared because I had no experience with close encounters with these animals.
Mimi's tip: If you are, like us, a self-guided safari beginner, watch many YouTube videos from experienced people. I also watched a lot of 'animal behavior' videos. I know I'm such a geek regarding my safety. However, this made me feel more secure about passing these animals. We managed just fine, so don't let this scare you; this was one of our best experiences.
The best time to visit is during the dry season, from May to October. May and June are dry months with cold nights. August and September are the best months for viewing game but expect sweltering conditions. If you're okay with the heat, this is the best time to go. However, December - March is warm and rainy and is the best season for bird watching, and many animals will give birth (therefore also great for predators). We visited in December. We saw lots of babies and wildlife. Although, I can imagine seeing more during the dry season.
Park fees: sadly, the park fees went way up in 2022. Unfortunately, many websites aren't updated yet. I did some research, and these are the prices now per day, per person:
Per person per day | Citizen | International |
Visitors | € 2 | € 18,5 |
Daily vehicle fees | Botswana Registered | Foreign Registered |
Motor Vehicles Under 3500 kg (Private) | € 2 | € 8 |
Motor Vehicles 3500kg – 7000 kg (Private) | € 34 | € 68 |
Gate opening hours: from April - September: 6 am to 6:30 pm and from October to March: 5:30 am to 7 pm.
Before entering the park, you must make camping reservations in advance. Otherwise, you don't get a permit for several days.
CAMPSITE 1: IHAHA
Coming from Kasane, your main entrance to Chobe national park is the Sedudu Gate. Take the Ngoma gate if you're coming straight from Caprivi (Namibia). Our first location is Ihaha, and they have ten spots available. We picked number 6, and it came with a tranquil river view. This campsite has BBQ facilities, a solar-powered washing station with flush toilets and hot water. But honestly, the showers were pretty dirty and had no lights. I read an article about Ihaha repainting the ablution block in 2022. So it could be better by now.
Safety issues: there were some crime reports around 2018. Local people were crossing the river to break into your vehicles. Night patrols helped prevent these thefts from going on. To us, it felt safe, but make sure to lock your door at night.
Be aware of the monkeys and the baboons. When I was prepping the spaghetti bolognese and cutting the vegetables, I turned around for 1 second, and there was already a monkey stealing my carrots, haha. I eventually had to go inside the van to prepare our Italian dish. When they see food, they will come and grab it. So please CLEAN UP everything and don't leave anything behind.
PRICE: € 37 (per night per person) HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: go to their website: Kwalate Safaris, or try emailing them: kwalatesafari@gmail.com, customercare.kwalate@gmail.com, bruce@msdmesotlo.com, thato@msdmesotlo.com. If this doesn't work, try calling /WhatsApp +267 686 5551.
CAMPSITE 2: LINYANTI
This location contains five campgrounds overlooking the Linyanti Marsh. It also has BBQ facilities, a washing station with flush toilets, and cold showers. We slept at camp spot number 1, and I would recommend it. Enough space in the shades, and it's a peaceful place overlooking the river. Here we had our first-night encounter. A calm hippo was grassing around our vehicle. To know which animals pass by at night, buy a wild camera. You can also invest in a flashlight with red light to glow in the dark without scaring the animals. We heard that Lions can get aggressive if you use your regular flashlight, and we don't want that, right?
Download the apps 'tracks4africa' and 'maps.me' if you don't want to get lost. Be safe while you're driving. Because in between the road of Kachikau and the gate of Linyanti, unexpected deep holes can definitely wreck your vehicle. You can get distracted as wildlife passes, but keep your eyes on the road and let your co-pilot scan the surroundings.
In this area, we didn't come across a lot of wildlife. Maybe it was the season (December), or perhaps it was something else. But the camping spot was magnificent, and we made finger-licking, smoking hot pizzas over here. So our day couldn't get any better!
PRICE: € 55 (per night per person)
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS:'SKL Camps', reservations@sklcamps.co.bw
res@sklcamps.co.bw , +267 686 53 65/6. It's a possibility that they don't answer. Keep on trying anyway.
CAMPSITE 3: SAVUTI
I heard/read great things about Savuti. There is an immense pride of lions out here hunting elephants. Unfortunately, we didn't see any large group, just one male lion and his wifey, which is also great! (; You can't force nature; sometimes you're lucky, sometimes not. The best time for game-watching in Savuti is during April - June.
Assuming you have the option to choose your campsite, go for 1-4 (CV1 - CV4) and 'paradise' (RSV1); they have a (usually) dry Savuti channel view. These are the ones that sell out fast. When you make a reservation, you can ask for a particular campsite. But it's not guaranteed. You don't see many people here during the low season (October-March). That's when we visited Savuti, so we chose a spot near the ablution block (RSV3), which had enough privacy for us. However, in high season (April-September) is different. So make reservations way in advance because it will sell out. If you like privacy and all the popular spots (CV1 - CV4 and RSV1) are fully booked, go for CV6.
Savuti campsite has all the basic facilities: BBQ, showers and flushing toilets.
Mimi's tip: Take enough fuel with you. You don't want to make the same mistake as we did. We had to drive outside the park to fill up our tank. It was a detour of 6 hours. Don't hesitate to bring extra bins filled with gasoline.
If driving further into the Moremi game reserve, go through the gate 'Mababe'. You can buy a 'tourist map' at every gate with general information about the park, which includes a location map, accommodation listing, waterhole spots, and a checklist of mammals, reptiles, and birds. It may be expensive, but it was worth the price for us. We didn't buy it in Chobe, and I regret that decision.
Good to know: you'll have limited or no internet access. Take this as an opportunity to take that much-needed detox from your phone. I promise you; It will do you good. Hire a satellite phone if you fear getting stuck in the wild.
PRICE: € 55 (per night per person) HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: 'SKL Camps', reservations@sklcamps.co.bw
res@sklcamps.co.bw, +267 686 53 65/6. It's a possibility that they don't answer. Keep on trying anyway.
2. MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Covering almost a third of the Okavango Delta's north-eastern side. This unique ecosystem offers a year-round home to wild animals. Water channels and a mopane forest surround this reserve. If you're not convinced yet, a Netflix documentary from this area, 'surviving paradise,' will win you over immediately. (;
In this park, you'll be able to see the African wild dog and a wide variety of antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, and elephants. Bird enthusiasts will also be amazed, with over 400 species of birds, including the African Fish Eagle, Sacred Ibis, and Crested Crane.
You have two entrances into the park, The south entrance and the North. Coming from Maun, you'll need to go through the South Gate and use the North Gate if you're coming from Kasane.
Best time to visit: the dry season is from April to October, with cold nights from June to July. From September to October, the temperature rises, and the heat can become pretty intense during the day. At this time, the game concentration is very high, and the bush is low and dry, making it easier to see the animals. I recommend making reservations in advance because the camping spaces are often sold out during this time. In November, the first thunderstorms arrive, and the wildlife soon disappears into the bush, following the rain. The green/wet season starts in December to March, a great time for birdwatching, and there will be fewer crowds, so campsites will not be overcrowded. The significant disadvantage of this season is the lower density of wildlife. The roads can get inaccessible between January and March because of heavy rain. So there's a possibility that the park will shut down for a couple of weeks due to heavy rainfall. If not, ask the reception lady which area you can't visit because of the wet roads.
Park fees per day per person:
Per night per person | Citizen | International |
Visitors | € 2 | € 18,5 |
Daily vehicle fees | Botswana Registered | Foreign Registered |
Motor Vehicles Under 3500 kg (Private) | € 2 | € 8 |
Motor Vehicles 3500kg – 7000 kg (Private) | € 34 | € 68 |
CAMPSITE 4: KWAI NORTH GATE
Probably my least favorite campsite. It looked like a large herd of elephants ran over it. When we checked in at the reception, the lady told us to be careful because lions were spotted. 'Kwai North' is surrounded by a forest and many bushes, so it was pretty wild. To me, a perfect campground has an open space to check the area for dangerous animals. On the other hand, there are lots of people who prefer the wild way. I'm just a scary baby. (; Again lots of baboons and monkeys chilling around the camping area. However, this made me feel safe because if there are monkeys, you know there's always one monkey fulfilling his 'lookout' duties. So you can be sure if something dangerous shows up, they'll probably see it before you. This campsite offers BBQ facilities, flushing toilets, and showers. When we camped here, there were some centipedes in the washing cabins. I read great things about this campsite, so I think we visited on a bad day. (;
PRICE: € 46 ( per night per person)
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: 'SKL Camps', reservations@sklcamps.co.bw, res@sklcamps.co.bw.
Or try to contact them on their website or Facebook or +267 686 53 65/6. Although it's a possibility that they don't answer, keep on trying anyway. You can drive to the gate to book all the campsites in the low season. But you'll probably waste a lot of time here. So it's better to book in advance.
CAMPSITE 5: XAKANAXA
This is a lovely campsite where you can book a beautiful boat ride and see some hippos and elephants bathing in the lagoon. There was a lot of game on and around the location. We were having lunch, and three buffalos passed by right in front of our eyes. Something I will remember for the rest of my life. We only stayed for one night. However, if you want to stay longer inside the Moremi game reserve, this is the place you should add some extra nights. Xakanaxa and the 'third bridge' lies the furthest from the gates and the deepest into the wild. Therefore they probably have the most game going on.
Xakanaxa is very pleasant, with enough open space, BBQ facilities, flushing toilets, and showers.
PRICE: € 37 ( per night per person)
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: go to their website: Kwalate Safaris, or try emailing them: kwalatesafari@gmail.com, customercare.kwalate@gmail.com, bruce@msdmesotlo.com, thato@msdmesotlo.com. If this doesn't work, try calling / WhatsApp +267 686 5551.
CAMPSITE 6: SOUTH
This is a decent camping site with all the standard facilities: BBQ, flushing toilets, and showers. Here, we had a close encounter during the evening with a hyena. This was our last night in the wild, and when you spend seven nights in the outback, you'll get used to it and be more comfortable each day. As good safari trippers, we go to bed when the sun sets. Considering this was our last night, we stayed up a little after dark, and hello, hyena! I wonder how many animals silently walked by our van when it was dark. After our little panic attack, we jumped into the car and watched the hyena grab our BBQ leftovers from the fire pit. When we calmed down, we analyzed the encounter, which was very gentle. It looked like he wasn't interested in us at all. When you go on an unfenced safari adventure, it's best to prepare a fire even when it's not dark to prevent animals from coming too close. It will keep some animals away, but definitely not a hungry hyena. (;
PRICE per night per person: € 37 HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: go to their website: Kwalate Safaris, or try emailing them: kwalatesafari@gmail.com, customercare.kwalate@gmail.com, bruce@msdmesotlo.com, thato@msdmesotlo.com. If this doesn't work, try calling / WhatsApp +267 686 5551.
BACK TO CIVILIZATION
3. MAUN
It is a charming city to relax after spending a week in the bushes. We stayed at the 'waterfront guesthouse,' which I recommend. The host, Patrick, is super friendly and will give you much information. He also made a reservation at a restaurant for us, which was our favorite restaurant so far. 'Marc's eatery,' his beef fillet with Madagascar green pepper sauce is to die for. A massage salon is beside the eatery, perfect for sore safari muscles. Dusty Donkey, Akacia café, and Hilary's are other good restaurant options.
We also booked a helicopter flight to fly above the Okavango Delta. We arranged a 30-minute flight with a helicopter without doors, giving you better photography opportunities. This will cost you around € 280 (probably more expensive by now). Remember that a helicopter flight can be disturbing for wild animals. Our pilot didn't get too close to the animals, and I was delighted about that. If you don't want to frighten the wildlife, go horseback riding in the wilderness. I'm still a bit pissed off that I didn't do it. You can find more information here.
4. NXAI PAN
Usually, this is the cheetah's habitat, but we didn't see any of them. No problem, that's nature. You can't predict it, which makes it so much fun.
We booked this place for the famous Baobab trees. The campsite's name is 'Baines Baobab,' we loved sleeping at number 2. Campsite 1 is also great, but there was a lot of litter when we arrived. Only sleeping here is just magical. It's near a salt lake, and it's so beautiful. Only three campsites are available, and all the campsites are kilometers apart, so there is lots of privacy.
Park fees per day per person:
Per night per person | Citizen | International |
Visitors | € 1,30 | € 13 |
Daily vehicle fees | Botswana Registered | Foreign Registered |
Motor Vehicles Under 3500 kg (Private) | € 1,30 | € 5 |
Motor Vehicles 3500kg – 7000 kg (Private) | € 34 | € 68 |
PRICE CAMPSITE: € 37 ( per night per person)
HOW TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: go to their website: Xomae Group, or try their WhatsApp + (267) 73204634
BACK TO WINDHOEK
It's a 9-hour drive to Windhoek from Maun. We booked a nice hotel with a rooftop swimming pool and didn't come out because Windhoek doesn't have a good reputation.
Sad side note:
There aren't any wild white or black rhinos left in Botswana. Before this trip, I read articles about the wild white rhino in the Moremi game reserve. Sadly they're all gone because of poaching. That's why Botswana has a sanctuary in the South, where they live and get protected. But don't expect to run into one.
I hope you like all my tips. If you have any questions, shoot.
Love,
Mimi
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