Safaris Botswana: From North to South - Exploring Botswana

Your exciting safari adventure begins in Kasane at 9 a.m. Your day starts with a refreshing morning boat cruise on the majestic Chobe River, which provides the perfect setting for your first encounter with the fascinating wildlife. Here you can admire the riparian landscapes, which are alive with incredible biodiversity.

After the boat trip, our experienced guide will take you and your new group to Chobe National Park, where the wild beauty of nature awaits you. As you drive through the park, you will be immersed in a world where animals live and thrive without the restrictions of fences or human presence.

In the teak forests of the Central Chobe, you can admire the majestic roan and sable antelopes in their natural habitat. These large ungulates feel particularly at home here, as the low density of predators and lack of competition for food provide ideal conditions. For birdwatchers, the teak forests prove to be a true paradise: Here you can discover unusual bird species and observe their fascinating behaviour.

You will spend the next two days in Central Chobe National Park. Here you will explore the special hilly surroundings on game drives and discover numerous wild animals such as lions, hyenas, buffalos, and elephants.

In addition, the surface water that is pumped here by the government is a great attraction for birdlife. In the dry season, thousands of pigeons and sand grouse come down to drink in the morning and are constantly watched by yellow-billed kites, Bonelli's eagles, and African hawk-eagles - so be sure to bring binoculars.

We leave the parched landscape and continue our journey south to the Mababe Private Reserve. A fascinating day's drive where we see some of the evidence of the palaeo Lake Makgadikgadi, which dried up about ten thousand years ago. The most challenging part of the drive is crossing the Magwikwe sandbank, which formed the shoreline of this huge inland lake.

We pass through excellent lion territory and some of the best cheetah territory we will see on our safari. Elephants are seen all along the way, but more at the beginning and end of the drive.

We spent the next two days in Mababe at an exclusive campsite with a strict limit of 20 vehicles. There we will explore the riverbanks, Kalahari bush to the east, and Cathedral Mopane to the south. Our game drives will not only take place during the day but also at night to see nocturnal animals.

In addition, we will explore the surrounding wilderness on foot to experience the Botswana flora and fauna up close. The Mababe region is home to excellent populations of bull elephants and breeding herds. Lion, leopard, serval, and African wildcats are common predators in the region, while wild dogs and cheetah are less common.

Buffalo use the area seasonally, with large herds migrating during the summer rainy season. Other ungulates include tsessebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, and impala, and even eland and oryx in the western parts.

On day 7 we drive to Moremi. In the morning we drive towards the Khwai, stopping to take a mokoro tour on the slower and safer tributary waters of the Khwai. The day's journey follows this watercourse, meandering from the riverbank and floodplains into the mopane forest area before crossing the Khwai River and reaching the Moremi Game Reserve.

The western mopane area is mainly home to herds of elephants, while the eastern part of the Khwai River is home to some impressive old bulls. The adult bulls are comfortable in the cool waters of the Khwai River and are far more accessible than large herds when drinking and bathing. The river has an unusually high density of hippos and some crocodiles. Leopard, cheetah, serval, and lion are common predators on this stretch and both Xakanaxa and Mababe are home to several packs of wild dogs. Common wildlife includes the southern giraffe, Burchell's zebra, tsessebe, and red lechwe.

We spend the next two days on safari in Moremi. The habitats here range from extensive floodplains, swamps, lagoons, papyrus-lined channels, and vast reed belts of Miscanthus and Phragmites to forests and savannah. Because of the different habitats, the diversity of wildlife and birdlife is outstanding.

We will explore the region on game drives. We will observe various bird species, especially birds of prey such as the African Goshawk, the Gabar Goshawk or the Shikra, at close range. 40 km of the drive will take place in the Moremi Game Reserve, another 40 km in areas set aside for wildlife management where the animals can move freely.

After breakfast and an early morning game drive, you will be transferred to the airstrip to board the charter flight back to Maun, arriving at approximately noon.

If you book accommodation after the safari, please ensure that the company meets you at Maun airport for the transfer. If you are flying to one of the many safari lodges, you can also fly directly from Xakanaxa to the lodge of your choice.

Although our partner makes every effort to adhere to schedules and routes, these are subject to change depending on weather conditions (especially with the current flood conditions), roads, animal movements and availability. You will be informed of any changes on site.