When you think of an African Safari, most people think of Tanzania or Kenya. While these safari destinations are amazing in their own right, we think you need to turn your attention to one of the most UNDERRATED safari destinations in Africa: Botswana.
Botswana is home to the largest population of elephants on the planet! Not to mention it is home to some of the most unique and diverse wildlife regions AND has the largest inland delta in the world.
In this blog post we are sharing everything you need to know before visiting Botswana for an epic safari. We are also including our exact itinerary, and how you can book the exact same experience that we had.
You can find our EXACT Itinerary here!
What to Know Before You Go on Safari in Botswana
Hire a specialized company to help you plan: Planning an safari trip anywhere in Africa is incredibly overwhelming. Safari Frank is the company that we chose to assist in our planning and we couldn’t be happier with how the trip came together. We wanted a variety of experiences so no camp felt like we were repeating something we had already done, and we wanted small boutique camps that didn’t have large crowds. They absolutely made our vision come to life!
You can find our exact itinerary that they planned for us here!
Malaria Area: Botswana is a malaria area, precautions are recommended.
Yellow Fever: All travellers coming from or going through countries which have been declared yellow fever infected areas must provide an international health certificate of vaccination for yellow fever upon arrival into Botswana.
Packing Restrictions: Because you will be traveling on small charter aircraft to get to and from each camp, there is a restriction on weight allowance and all luggage must be soft sided. We traveled with Mack Air, and if they felt your bag did not meet the requirements, they provided a soft sided duffle bag to repack in and you can leave your original suitcase and left over belongings with them at their office.
The Safari Frank team actually coordinated our luggage to fly to our next major airport so we could pick it up as we travelled through Africa!
Small Plane Access: Small, shared charter planes are the main method of transportation to get to and from each safari camp. The charter flights are NOT included in the price of your stays at the camps themselves, however Safari Frank coordinated everything for us so that our trip was seamless.
Looking for an epic addition to your Botswana trip? How about a safari river cruise?
Check it out here!
Everything to know about the Okavango Delta, Botswana
How To Get There: Charter Aircraft through Mack Air from Maun Airport
Safari Focus: Big game, predators, floodplains, water-based safaris
Best Time To Visit: Dry season is May to October and offers the best chance to see wildlife
Our safari began in the Okavango Delta, one of Africa’s most diverse wildlife regions. Like we said above, this is the largest Inland Deltas in the world. This unique eco-system helps major populations of elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles, and endangered African wild dogs thrive.
What is a delta? Good question. It is where a river spreads its water and sediment across a flat inland plain instead of emptying into a sea or ocean, with water often evaporating or seeping into the ground.
Gomoti Plains Camp
This camp is one of our favourite safari locations we have ever experienced.
Located in a private concession within the Okavango Delta, this camp focuses on land-based safaris and we had some of the best wildlife encounters of our life here.
We saw a massive pride of Lions, and we even got to see a hair raising interaction between the Lions and a pack of Hyenas over a meal. We also got to see a pack of endangered African Wild Dogs which was incredibly special.
Accommodations
This is a luxury tented camp with 10 Tents in total and the entire camp holds up to a maximum of 24 guests.
This means that all of your wildlife interactions are without the massive crowds you can find in destinations like the Serengeti.
Each tent has a comfortable bed, a full bathroom with hot and cold water, and an indoor and outdoor shower. There was a safe provided, a small “field bar” where the staff will place ice, fresh water, and wine of your choice should you request it.
Each tent also has a large deck with seating to watch the wildlife walk right by your room. We had a large herd of giraffes walk right by our room, as well as elephants and a hippo!
Meals and Drinks
All of the camps we stayed at offer an all-inclusive experience with meals and drinks.
Breakfast: We started each morning with a hearty breakfast that included continental offerings, coffee, tea and then hot breakfast foods like eggs and meats available to order a la carte.
Morning Break: While out on your morning game drive, your guide will find a time and place to stop for some morning coffee and tea. They also had some snacks like tea biscuits and a variety of cookies.
Lunch: After our morning game drive we came back to the camp to have lunch. This was typically a variety of salads and a choice for a main course. Dessert was also offered.
Afternoon Tea: Afternoon tea was served every day before you head out for your game drive. The team prepared a variety of sweet and savoury snacks, as well as cocktails, coffee and tea!
Dinner: After our evening game drive we came back to the lodge for a candle light dinner each night. We had appetizers and fresh bread. Then a choice of main course options and a delicious dessert.
Sun Downer: A sun downer experience is a must have when on safari in Africa. This took place out during our game drive. Our guide would choose a scenic spot for some cocktails and snacks to watch the sun go down!
Drinks: Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages were always available. There was always a fresh water carafe in your tent, and you could request hot water, and your favourite bottle of wine to be stocked in your tent as well.
Activities
Game drives are the main reason why people visit the Okavango Delta. Our safari cars sat a maximum of 6 people. The cars had comfortable seats, storage to place your camera gear or phones, and insulated ponchos in case of any rain.
We were the only ones in the vehicle due to a low volume of guests and a variety of guides being available, you can book a private car prior to your arrival to guarantee that you and your group are the only ones in the car.
At Gomoti Plains Camp, our guide took us out every morning and in the late afternoon until dark to look for wildlife in the surrounding area of the camp. After dinner we also had the option for a night game drive. This is a unique offering because this camp sits in a private concession and not a National Park, there is no curfew time for when safari vehicles need to be back at camp.
The terrain here is more open, which allows for longer wildlife viewing and tracking, especially of predators!
Other seasonal activities that are offered at Gomoti Plains Camp are:
- Walking (guide dependant)
- Mokoro Canoe (water dependent)
- Motorized boat game drive (water dependant)
- Fishing (water dependent)
Other Inclusions and Facilities at the Camp
Gomoti Plains Camp has a lot to offer that is included in your stay:
- Laundry is included and can be left in the basket in your tent and you will get it by the next day.
- Swimming Pool, with loungers
- Tented Main Area for dining and relaxing
- Library
- Spa Therapist – treatments include massages and facials done in guests rooms!
- Curio shop for any souvenirs or essentials you may have forgotten
Tip: While laundry is included, many camps will not wash undergarments so there is washing powder provided for you at your sink in your bathroom. Keep in mind most of the laundry is hand washed, so we do not recommend bringing anything delicate.
Monachira Camp
Monachira Camp offered a contrasting experience to Gomoti Plains Camp with the experience here centered around water-based activities! This camp opened in 2025, so all of the tents and facilities here are brand new.
Accommodations
This camp has 10 luxury tent accommodations, holding a maximum of 24 people total at this camp. Each tent has a stunning interior with a comfortable bed, a large bathroom with hot and cold water, and an outdoor shower. Our tent had a beautiful soaking tub outside as well!
We stayed in Tent 1, which had a beautiful soaker tub, you can find photos of the tent below!
Activities
Game Drives: The game drives at Monachira Camp were great! We saw a variety of wildlife like elephants, zebras, baboons, giraffes and so much more.
Mokoro Canoe: This traditional canoe experience is exclusive to the Okavango Delta. A guide took us through a shallow waterway, past hippos (eek!), and brought us to a small island where we enjoyed the sounds of the animals around us and learned more about the history of the area from the guides.
You can read more about our Mokoro Canoe experience here!
Boat Safaris: For our late afternoon/ early evening game drive we went out on a motorized boat to explore the river. The boat had two levels, offering a birds eye view from the top seats. We watched a herd of elephants play in the river as the sunset and it was magical!
Walking Safaris: This camp offers walking safaris which provides the opportunity to learn more about the vegetation, birds and other wildlife you discover along the way.
Meals and Drinks
Monachira Camp has an identical set up in schedule for all of the food and drinks as Gomoti Plains Camp. There is a main dining area where all of your meals will be had. You can request to have your favourite bottles of wine stocked in your “field bar” in your tent as well.
Our sundowner experience here was a bit different then other camps. They have a place by the boat dock with a bar, bonfire and the perfect view to watch the sunset!
Other Inclusions and Facilities at the Camp
Monachira Camp has a lot to offer that is included in your stay:
- Laundry is included and can be left in the basket in your tent and you will get it by the next day.
- Swimming Pool, with loungers
- Tented Main Area for dining and relaxing
- Curio shop for any souvenirs or essentials you may have forgotten
- Cigars are available for purchase (the only camp we stayed at that had these)
Finals Thoughts on our Botswana Safari
Botswana is truly one of the most unique destinations for safari in Africa.
With an abundance of wildlife, incredible game reserves and National Parks, and opportunities to enjoy activities found no where else, we think this place should be at the top of your bucket list!
You can find all of the information to book the EXACT same safari experience as us here!
As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment or message us on one of our socials. 🙂
