15 days Botswana: precious natural gems by plane

Welcome to Botswana. Upon arrival at Maun International Airport, in the north-west of the country, you step into one of southern Africa’s busiest aviation hubs and the undisputed gateway to the legendary Okavango Delta. Even before landing, you are treated to a spectacular preview, with low-altitude vistas over a vast, shimmering mosaic of waterways and islands. Your private driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall. He will take you to your lodge, where you can get some rest after your long journey and enjoy genuine Botswana hospitality. This is where your dream safari begins!

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Thamalakane River Lodge
• Platinum Grays Eden Sanctuary
• Diamond Luxury Grays Eden Sanctuary

Your journey begins with a scenic flight from Maun to the Boteti River area in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. During this one-hour flight, the landscape changes quickly. From above, you see dry pans, open savannah, and winding river channels. After you arrive, there is still time to head into the park for some amazing wildlife encounters along the Boteti River!

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

Characterised by open salt pans in the east and the life-giving Boteti River in the west, the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park covers part of an immense salt pan system, stretching over more than 16,000 kilometers. The national park itself is almost 4,000 square kilometers, and during a game drive you can see wildlife congregating along the greens of the Boteti River, while the vast shimmering salt pans in the east give off an otherworldly vibe, dotted with nothing but quirky baobab trees. At night, the endless stars and distant lion calls make these pans feel both immense and alive—a truly unforgettable slice of ancient nature. And to top it off, you can dive into culture with a traditional village visit, just outside of the national park.

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

Choose between a day trip to Nxai Pans National Park and seeing the mesmerising Baines baobabs, or a drive to the salt pans of Makgadikgadi for a night of camping under endless stars. The choice depends on your hotel, as only the Moela Safari Lodge offers the Makgadikgadi sleeping trip.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

The drive from the Boteti River to Nata takes 2 to 3 hours, covering 150 to 200 kilometres, depending on the lodge you chose. The route takes you up north from the river (via the ferry if you depart from the southern bank) to join the A3 near Motopi, then heading east through the village of Gweta. The road is mostly tarred but there might be a few potholes - keep an eye open for free-roaming wildlife, especially elephants. 

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Elephant Sands Lodge
• Platinum Elephant Sands Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Elephant Sands Lodge

The drive from Nata to Kasane covers just over 300 kilometres and takes 4 to 4.5 hours, most of it on a smooth tarred highway. This route has earned itself a reputation as an 'accidental game drive', and not without reason: wildlife sightings are an essential part of the experience. Leaving Nata behind, the landscape shifts from the vast, shimmering salt pans into stretches of mopane woodland and dry savannah, occasionally interrupted by small villages and wandering wildlife. As you head north past Pandamatenga, the scenery becomes greener, hinting at the life-giving presence of the Chobe River not too far ahead. Elephants are particularly common (and not known for hurrying), while buffalo, sable and giraffe make regular appearances here. Keep your camera close!

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Chobe River Lodge
• Platinum Tlouwana Camp
• Diamond Luxury Tlouwana Camp

The drive from Kasane to the Chobe Riverfront is a scenic introduction to Chobe’s wildlife, covering 60 kilometres in one hour. Leaving the airport, you pass through Kasane city before entering Chobe National Park via Sedudu Gate. From there, the road follows the riverfront, an area well known for elephant herds and other wildlife often spotted even before your first official game drive. It's a gentle transition from arrival mode straight into safari territory.

Accommodations:

• Gold Muchenje Safari Lodge
• Platinum andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas
• Diamond Luxury Ngoma Safari Lodge

The Chobe Riverfront stretches along the northern boundary of Chobe National Park, where the Chobe River separates Botswana from Namibia. The whole park is home to over 120,000 elephants - the largest remaining population in the world. Still, during the dry season, the herds gather along the riverfront in extraordinary numbers, alongside buffalo and plains game. Game drives along the riverfront put you in the middle of this, while a boat cruise on the Chobe River brings you eye to eye with hippos, crocodiles and elephants swimming, drinking or just bathing in the sun at the water's edge.

Accommodations:

• Gold Muchenje Safari Lodge
• Platinum andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas
• Diamond Luxury Ngoma Safari Lodge

The easiest and fastest way to get from one side of Chobe National Park to the other is to first drive from Chobe Riverfront to Kasane, then fly from Kasane to Savuti. Your total travel time will be 2 hours, which means you'll have plenty of time for game drives!

It's also possible to drive the distance, which will take up to 3.5 hours.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
• Platinum Savute Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Savute Elephant Lodge

Savuti is one of Africa's most extraordinary and ever-changing wilderness areas, a vast, ancient landscape in the remote western reaches of Chobe National Park that has captivated explorers and wildlife enthusiasts for generations. Fed by the legendary Savuti Channel, its waters have come and gone over centuries, shaping a dramatic mosaic of dry riverbeds, open grasslands, and seasonal wetlands that draw some of the continent's most spectacular concentrations of wildlife on any game drive. A Savuti Marsh Excursion offers a rare and privileged window into this untamed world!

Accommodations:

• Gold Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
• Platinum Savute Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Savute Elephant Lodge

The short flight from Savuti to the Khwai Community Concession takes 15 to 30 minutes, whisking you from Chobe National Park into one of Botswana's most biodiverse and community-managed wild spaces. The Khwai airstrip drops you right at the edge of this expansive concession, where the Khwai River draws an extraordinary concentration of wildlife year-round. After landing, make the most of the afternoon with a game drive along the riverine forests and floodplains.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Hideaways Mogotlho Safari Lodge
• Platinum Sable Alley
• Diamond Luxury Camp Tuludi

This 30 to 45-minute flight from the Khwai Community Concession carries you deeper into the Okavango Delta, one of Africa's most iconic wilderness areas. Moremi’s airstrip places you at the doorstep of a reserve with habitats ranging from dense woodland to open lagoons teeming with wildlife. On arrival, take a gentle walk around camp before heading out on your first game drive through the waterways and woodlands.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Camp Xakanaxa
• Platinum Camp Okuti
• Diamond Luxury Xigera Safari Lodge

This short 30 to 45-minute flight from Moremi Game Reserve to Maun brings your extraordinary Botswana safari to a gentle close, offering one last aerial view of the shimmering Okavango Delta below. Upon landing in Maun, take some time to browse the local curio shops or enjoy a relaxed lunch before your onward connection.

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