Botswana Itinerary
Are you looking for one of the most incredible safari destinations in Africa? Our Travel Advisor, Minnow Hamilton loved Botswana and can’t recommend it enough! Most of the Safari lodges within Botswana will be situated in either the Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert, or Chobe National Park. which has the largest population of elephants on the continent! Minnow was very fortunate to join Wilderness Safari’s on a trip to experience a number of their Lodges in Botswana and Mozambique - read all about it here!
Arriving into Johannesberg, I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel for the 1st night which was very convenient – it’s a 2 minute walk across the street from the airport. The gym and spa were small but did the job. You can book a massage ahead of time for when you arrive – it might help with a good night sleep. We typically will suggest clients stay here if they have an international flight that gets in later in the evening, as it’s very convenient, especially if heading out into the bush the next morning!
Flight from Johannesburg to Maun was the next morning and be aware that it’s an international flight so it is recommended to get to the airport 2 hours ahead of time.
Note: excellent shopping in the Johannesburg airport in case guests forgot safari gear and the prices aren’t even that bad!
Upon arrival in Maun, i was met by Yandisa, our Wilderness Safari host. We then took a small bush plane to get to our first stop, Qorokwe camp.
Qorokwe Camp
One of the newest camps in the Wilderness collection so the rooms and the entire lodge is up to date, clean and fresh. The staff is super keen and excited to be a part of it and you can feel that. Amazing game viewing here with direct views of hippos in the water right out in front of your dinner table. They have a very warm and friendly staff.
Good to know
The family suite is particularly spacious and features a plunge pool with two separate bedrooms and a large living space in the middle – better for two couples travelling together then two separate rooms. There is also a larger, shared pool for the whole camp which is quite nice.
Photo: Wilderness Safaris
Vembura Plains
This is one of the top ranked camps in Botswana for a reason. The staff here is AMAZING, they will go above and beyond for their guests. We got a wonderful surprise from the staff; they arranged a helicopter ride and private bush bar in the middle of the Kalahari. Beautifully executed with the same level of excitement and pride in delivering the surprise as we had in receiving it!
We stayed at North camp which is the original. Rooms were spacious and very private – they felt very African in their décor and aesthetic, I thought they were perfectly ‘authentic’.
Good to know
It’s a classic camp, but groovy. Loved the aesthetic and small cozy, island feel to it. They are booking 1-2 years out. I would love to go back to this camp and would HIGHLY recommend both.
At camp they provide you with 2 Olympus cameras for guests to use and then they give you the memory card to take home with you.
Activities here are more varied because of its location in the Delta, it is surrounded by water so guest experiences include – game drives, boat rides, fishing (catch and release) and the small boat rides.
Note: They will also arrange for a village visit upon request. Most of the staff live in a village an hour away from camp. Might be best combined with a helicopter ride.
Mombo
The most unbelievable high-end luxury accommodations with the best game viewing we saw all week.
Great food, excellent guide but a very different culture.
The accommodations are the best we stayed in terms of luxury and the game drive was unparalleled. They have a high population of rhinos and a dense enough wildlife that allows for the extreme kind of viewing- such as a live kills.
Abu Camp
This camp is a very special place run by an amazing team of mostly women.
The aesthetic and vibe are very boho chic and feels cottagey. Rooms are beautiful but it still has a bit of a Hampton-y feel to it.
The wildlife viewing was good…but the elephant sanctuary was something very special.
Good to know
This camp at first glance feels very homey and cute, but it is not for the faint of heart. They invite guests to walk with elephants, feed them and get up close and personal for photo ops. It’s amazing that they have been able to train them, but they are still wild animals and there is a degree of danger there.
I would end a trip here instead of start because it helps to be more conditioned to being around animals before you are up close and personal with the giants! It also has a more relaxed feel that you can enjoy at the end of the journey.
A great place to send any single travelers or groups of women travelling together.
The Saxon
After 2 nights in Abu we flew back to Johannesburg via Maun and spent the night at the Saxon, a beatiful, boutique property in a very vibing area of town. I woul definitely recommend this property for anyone spending more than a few hours in the city - it’s a great base from which to tour the city.
Azura, Benguerra Island
This resort is very ‘boho chic’ and in one of the most beautiful locations you can find. The honeymooners we met on the trip all seemed to be very happy there. Some rooms are better than others, so definitely be sure to have your Advisor select the one that’s right for you.
We had an unforgettable trip in Botswana, the experiences were above and beyond our expectations and we can’t wait to return!
To learn more about how we can create the perfect vacation offering VIP treatment at the worlds finest properties and provide you with preferred partner amenities, please contact a TWIL Travel Advisor for all the details.