10 Best Places to Visit in Botswana as an Adventure Seeker

`Planning a perfect vacation can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Botswana is the perfect destination for nature lovers, as it's mostly uninhabited, and where you can spot the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos). In this guide, you will find the 10 Best Places to Visit in Botswana as an Adventure Seeker. 

We decided to start our tour in Zimbabwe and finish it in Johannesburg (South Africa). We hired off-road vehicles, which are a must in this country. To have this kind of vacation you need to be an experienced driver, as roads are very difficult (being a lesser-known country, the roads are a bit worse compared to neighboring countries, such as Namibia). Accommodation is mostly made of luxury resorts, but we opted for campsites. Click here to check out the map of the itinerary. 

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Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is a spectacular waterfall located about midway along the course of the Zambezi River, at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Botswana state is right below them, so I would suggest including them even though they are not technically in Botswana. The entrance fee is 50$ (updated to 2023) if you are a foreigner. It takes around 2 hours to visit them (prepare yourself to be soaking wet, so dress accordingly). There is also the possibility of doing the helicopter ride over the waterfalls, which costs 200$.

Chobe National Park

This park is probably the most popular park and the easiest one to reach in Botswana. We did a boat tour in the afternoon, and it was the most beautiful sunset that I had ever seen in my life. We saw many animals, including hippos, buffalos, and elephants. Additionally, a group of elephants were crossing the river, and we were able to get pretty close. Here the animals are a bit more used to being watched. The next morning we arranged a tour by car (at sunrise), and we saw also two male and female lions, monkeys, and giraffes.

Savuti National Park

I highly suggest stopping by this national park, as is very easy to spot any kind of animal here. Here we decided to do game drives on our own, but is also possible to arrange game drives.

Moremi National Park

Similarly to Savuti National Park, this vast area is perfect for spotting animals (giraffes, elephants, zebras, gnus, buffalos). Anywhere you drive you will encounter hundreds of animals. One thing to know is that, unlike Chobe National Park, the animals are not used to seeing people. It's easy to spot them, but once they notice you they will most likely run away. If there are cubs, they can become a bit aggressive. This makes it harder to take pictures, but I loved these lesser-known parks since it felt like the real savannah. In these parts, you will encounter very few tourists. 

Okavango Delta

This delta in north-west Botswana, it is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with an almost intact wetland system. One of the unique characteristics of the site is that the annual flooding from the River Okavango occurs during the dry season, with the result that the native plants and animals have synchronized their biological cycles with these seasonal rains and floods. The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion. Here I strongly suggest to do the plane ride over it, at sunset. During this hour the animals gather around the river, and you can see large groups of any kind of animal. It’s not easy to photograph them, but is an unique experience. We didn’t do any game drive in this area, but I think you should include it as well.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

This is a huge area that touches Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. This is a different landscape, with fewer animals overall since it’s a desert. In Botswana, the Deception Valley is a typical destination where tourists tend to go. I would suggest when arriving to ask at the gates where the last animals were spotted because it’s harder to spot them. There are also some boards where is written which animals were spotted in the last seven days. 

Elephant Sands Campsite

The campsite (which also has lodges) has been built next to a water source that attracts elephants. Elephants gather here at sunset to drink the water and walk around the tents in the campsite. The lodges are in front of the water pool, where at some point there were 50 elephants. It was really fun staying at this campsite, I highly suggest it. 

Kubu Island

Kubu Island is a dry granite rock island located in the Makgadikgadi Pan (one of the largest salt flats in the world). During the wet season is not reachable, because it becomes an actual island, while during the dry season, the water is not present and you can reach it by car. This place is out of this world, as very few people reach it. Tourism is not present at all, and the only accommodation available is a campsite (that doesn’t even have the toilets). Here animals can’t be spotted, but the scenery is worth the visit. The island is also covered by baobab trees.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

I suggest coming here to spot rhinos, which are generally harder to see. In fact we were able to spot them only here.

Planning a perfect day trip doesn't have to be overwhelming. By following these steps and considering your preferences, you can create an unforgettable experience. So, pack your bags, choose your destination, and get ready for an adventure!