BotswanaSafari Camps & Lodges

Chobe Under Canvas moves between private campsites within the national park, placing guests closer to the sounds and rhythms of the bush. Days focus on game drives and river activities rather than extensive lodge facilities.

Sandibe combines striking architecture with excellent land-based wildlife viewing. The private concession supports predators and large herds, and guests can remain out after dark or leave the vehicle for guided walks.

Baines’ Lodge stands on raised platforms beside the Boro River floodplains. Its private-concession setting allows a broader range of activities than camps inside Moremi, and the small number of suites keeps the atmosphere personal.

The camp provides a comfortable base in one of Moremi’s established wildlife areas. Its position near Xakanaxa Lagoon allows guests to combine traditional game drives with water-based viewing during the same stay.

Choose Camp Okavango for a wetland experience rather than a Big Five safari centered on vehicles. Permanent channels surround the island, allowing boating, mokoro excursions and guided walks through much of the year.

Camp Xakanaxa retains the feel of a traditional tented safari camp in the heart of Moremi. Its location on the Khwai River allows reliable vehicle safaris and boating without changing properties.

Chief’s Camp lies inside Moremi Game Reserve on one of the Delta’s most productive wildlife islands. Game drives are central to the experience, while seasonal mokoro excursions add a water-based element when conditions permit.

The lodge lies outside the national park but within easy reach of its riverfront wildlife. Guests explore Chobe by open vehicle and boat, then return to shaded gardens, broad river views and one of Botswana’s better-equipped safari spas.

Its position inside the park allows game drives to begin earlier than those departing from town. Boat safaris explore the river below the lodge, while the elevated boardwalk provides an easy place to watch wildlife between activities.

This four-star lodge suits travelers who prefer a full-service property close to Kasane’s airport and shops. Safari activities can be arranged individually, including river cruises, game drives and longer outings into Chobe National Park.

The lodge works well for travelers who want plenty of facilities and a wide choice of activities. It is close to Chobe National Park, Kasane Airport and the river, although the atmosphere is busier than at a small safari camp.

Deception Valley Lodge lies on a large private reserve beside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. In addition to day and night drives, guests can learn about the desert environment and the traditional knowledge of the San people.

Dinaka works particularly well before or after an Okavango Delta safari. Black-maned lion, cheetah, brown hyena, oryx and other dry-country species replace the wetland wildlife found farther north.

Eagle Island Lodge occupies a private island reached by light aircraft from Maun. It suits travelers looking for a refined, water-focused Delta stay, with each suite facing the floodplain from its own deck and pool.

Persian rugs, dark timber and canvas interiors give Jack’s Camp a character unlike Botswana’s more conventional safari lodges. Beyond the accommodation, the real attraction is exploring the open pans, desert grasslands and unusual wildlife of the Makgadikgadi.

The experience at Kanana changes with the annual flood. Guests may spend one day following wildlife by vehicle and the next moving quietly through the channels by boat or mokoro. A sleep-out deck is also available for a night beneath the stars.

Much of the appeal lies in watching animals cross the river in front of camp. Its position in the Khwai community area also allows night drives and off-road sightings, which are not permitted inside Moremi.

The Boteti River brings life to an otherwise dry part of Botswana. Game drives enter Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, and the annual zebra migration can pass through the area at certain times of year.

The Linyanti region is particularly rewarding during the dry season, when elephant and other wildlife gather near permanent water sources. The private setting also allows night drives and guided walks away from the busier areas of Chobe.

Linyanti Ebony can be booked exclusively, giving families or small groups the camp to themselves. Game drives, guided walks and seasonal water activities explore the surrounding wetlands and woodland.

This camp suits travelers who value a close-to-nature safari more than extensive lodge facilities. Its position in the private Linyanti Enclave provides access to varied habitats between Chobe and the Okavango Delta.

Far from the larger hotels around Kasane, Ngoma offers a quieter base for exploring Chobe. Its location allows night drives in the forest reserve, while longer outings combine a national park game drive with a river cruise.

San Camp is less about conventional safari drives and more about understanding the Makgadikgadi landscape. Days may be spent with meerkats, learning from local San guides or crossing the open pans by quad bike during the dry season.

Savute is known for dramatic changes between dry and wet conditions, and the wildlife responds accordingly. The lodge provides a refined base in this remote part of Chobe, with a pool, hide and spa tent between drives.

The former Khwai River Lodge has been completely rebuilt as Sediba Sa Rona. Its private-concession setting allows flexible game drives in an area known for large concentrations of wildlife and varied habitats.

Few camps offer as much variety within one stay. Wildlife drives explore the drier parts of the concession, while boats and mokoros follow the channels around Shinde Lagoon.

Stanley’s lies near the southern edge of Moremi Game Reserve but has the freedom of a private concession. This allows guests to remain out after dark, explore on foot and use mokoros when the flood reaches the area.

King’s Pool lies in an important wildlife corridor used by large herds of elephant and buffalo. Game drives explore the surrounding reserve, while the hide and seasonal barge trips offer very different views of the lagoon.

Few Okavango camps have a wildlife reputation equal to Mombo’s. Game drives explore fertile floodplains where large concentrations of plains game support a healthy predator population, while the spacious suites provide a private place to watch animals between drives.

There are no conventional game drives at Xugana. Instead, guests explore a permanent-water area by boat and mokoro, walk on nearby islands and return to a quiet lodge overlooking the lagoon.