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What's This? The telephone icon means that the trip report was obtained by me phoning Botswana safaris travelers to find out more about their experience. |
Been On A Botswana Safari Before? Give your travel opinion of what the experience was like and in the process help others who are still planning their African journey. |
BOTSWANA SAFARIS TRIP REVIEWS - GROUPED BY WILDLIFE AREA
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The
Okavango delta covers an area of 15,000 sq kilometres (the size of Switzerland or Massachusetts) and is fed by Southern
Africa's third-largest river, the 1,300km long Okavango river.
The mass of water attracts large numbers of game such as elephant, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe,
hippo, crocodile, lion and leopard and forms a unique ecosystem that is unrivalled anywhere else in the world.
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Safari Style:
Overland
Accommodation:
Camping
June/July 2007
27 days
Mark & CathReview Source: TravelBlog |
Recently Added!!
Mark and Cath braved a 27 day safari adventure through southern Africa in as part of an organised tour: an option that in their opinion might be less expensive than taking to the road independently but is not necessarily ideal if you don't want to follow a tight schedule.
Their trip started and concluded in Cape Town, South Africa and included destinations such as Botswana, Victoria Falls (the Zambian side) and Namibia.
Mark warns that they had some confusion entering Zambia regarding visa fees payable. Another point he makes that would do prospective visitors well to remember: make provision for very cold nights during the winter (May to August).
He was a little disappointed at not sighting any cheetahs, but says that the animals they did see more than made up for any inconveniences and disillusions met by them. They did however sight a leopard, against the one to three odds of such an event, so as far as the wildlife goes they were fortunate.
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Safari Company:
Capture Africa
Travel Agent:
Acacia Travel
September 2006
Three days
Sharon Dewar, USAReview Source: Tangodiva |
If untamed wilderness and few other tourists are your style then Botswana safaris are just the ticket as Sharon found out on her first ever visit to Africa. She stayed at the Moghoto Camp, a private campsite near the Moremi Game Reserve in a spacious luxury tent replete with comfortable bed, nightstand and en-suite bathroom and shower. Wildlife sightings were breathtaking and included a beleaguered lion crossing a river only to be attacked by a hippo and then charged by elephants as he just barely made it to the rivers edge and a successful ambush and killing of a warthog right in front of them by a lion pride...
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Safari Company:
Wilderness safaris
Travel Agent:
Expert Africa
August 2006
Three weeks
Donna Hruska, USAReview Source: Personal website |
Donna stayed at the Chitabe, Little Vumbura and Savuti camps on her Botswana safaris trip and she had an unforgettable experience. The thing that really surprised her was how close you can actually get to the wildlife in an open topped Landrover.A big advantage of private Botswana wilderness camps is that you can drive around after dark which allows you to spot nocturnal animals that are very rarely seen like porcupines and African wildcats. During the day Donna was treated to sightings of all of the big five animals and a wild dog pack...
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Safari Company:
Wilderness safaris
April 2005
Three days
Michael, San Francisco USAReview Source: Article |
A luxury tented camp with a bar and pool, lion and elephant right on your
doorstep. This is an African safari at its best.The light aircraft that Michael flew in on was greeted by a herd of elephant walking right across the landing strip and they had to pull up and circle around again...» Michael's Okavango safari experience 
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Safari Company:
CC Africa
Travel Agent:
African Adventures
November 2005
Ten days
Joe Eder, USAReview Source: Top Adventure Tours |
Joe says that his luxury Botswana safari was much more than he expected. He stayed at the Sandibe and Nxabega camps and had a butler who would carry his photography equipment for him. The highlight of every day was to be able to watch and experience the spectacular sunsets which were all different in their own unique way. Both camps are situated on the river which means that there are often hippo about and he was awakened by one as it fed close to his lodge...
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Safari Company:
Exodus Overland
March 2005
Two days
Kim Buckley and Richard Baxter, UKReview Source: TravelBlog |
Coming within ten metres of seventeen hippos in a small dugout boat
might not be everybody's idea of fun but it was very exciting for Kim and Richard. They also travelled around the Delta by speedboat which has the advantage of speed over the dugout canoe but isn't as peaceful...» Kim & Richard Okavango swamps
overland trip
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Safari Company:
Ebright Travel
March 2002
Three days
Connie Ebright, USAReview Source: Review submission |
Connie
has been all over Africa but says that Botswana is her favourite
place on earth and that's saying something because she goes on a safari trip at least twice a year. Read her journal
and find out why...» Connie Ebright Botswana Safaris
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Safari Company:
Audi Camp Safaris
7-10 September 2006
Four days
Bart & KarineReview Source: African Wildlife Parks |
Recently Added!!
After a lot of research, Bart & Karine decided on a private camping safari with a personal guide and cook, both who were great as were the food and Audi Camp (the starting point) itself.
They saw a nice variety of game although some areas are quieter than others. It started off well with their first lions mere kilometers into Moremi. Third Bridge was broken which caused some disappointment and effort by the guides to get to the better game viewing area, i.e. Xakanaka and the Kwai River. Throughout their safari they saw very few other cars.
Bart's highlights include a sunset motorboat trip on the Delta, seeing the agile red lechwes in real life and spending 2 hours with a mother leopard as she rested, made a kill and proceeded to play with her food for half an hour.
The trip report contains birding info and fantastic photos.
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Safari Company:
Umkulu Adventures
July 2006
Two weeks
Kaj Baht, DenmarkReview Source: Telephone interview |
If you're looking for a relaxed camping safari, Kaj's trip report will give you a good idea of what you can expect.
Like the fact that hippos grazing around your tent at night can be quite noisy! » Read Kaj's Botswana camping safari interview |
Safari Company:
Grasslands Safaris
July 2004
Six days
Tom, California USAReview Source: Personal website |
Even the safari guides had never seen anything like this - A flock of
over a million quelea birds that blotted out the horizon as they search for food. An amazingly rare and unique encounter...» Tom's Moremi Game Reserve adventure
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Safari Company:
CC Africa
July 2004
Two Weeks
Ian & Wendy, USAReview Source: Personal website |
Ian and Wendy went on a camping safari with six other people in the group which meant they could all have a window seat to spot the wildlife. And as this is luxury camping the spacious tents were set up for them every night with hot water basins ready for washing in the mornings. The bush shower was hooked over the limb of a tree and filled with water heated over a wood fire. Even though there are no fences they never felt unsafe because the guides really know what they are doing. One night they woke up as an elephant started shaking a tree that they were camped under to eat the acacia pods that rained down onto their tent. Amazing stuff...
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11 000 sq kilometres of prime wildlife viewing land, Chobe provides breathtaking opportunities to see
African animals in their natural habitat.
The
highest concentrations of wildlife occur along the riverfront strip in Northern Chobe, but the Savuti Marshes and Mababe Depression.
These are also excellent places to see lion, cheetah, hippo, elephant, giraffe, warthog, buffalo, brown and spotted hyena, baboons and wild dogs. |
Safari Company:
Independent "self-drive" safari
July 2006
Two Weeks
Johann Daffue, South AfricaReview Source: Telephone interview |
Johann and his family live in South Africa and have a 4x4 vehicle, so going to Botswana on a self-drive safari is relatively easy. However he gives some great tips in his trip report, proving that not only people in a similar situation can enjoy Botswana and Chobe in this way.
Through his experience one learns some valuable lessons about life on the road in Africa... read all about it in his Chobe safari trip report » |
Safari Company:
Gecko's Grassroots Adventures
June 2006
Three Weeks
Wendy Hunt, New ZealandReview Source: Telephone interview |
Wendy spent part of her 3-week holiday to Africa on Botswana safaris, starting in Chobe but also visiting Moremi, Savuti and the Okavango Delta.
Unfortunately she didn't have a very positive experience, partly because of bad luck with wildlife viewing and the extreme cold weather she didn't expect to find in Africa.
It is especially from trip reports like these that you can pick up valuable tips to ensure your own safari turns out all you dream it to be...» Her full Southern Africa safari report |
Safari Company:
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Aug 2004
Two Days
Simeon Wallis, USAReview Source: Blog |
Chobe is an excellent place to see elephants especially close to the river and there were plentiful sightings of predators too. The lodge caters for a maximum of 20 guests so you enjoy lots of personal attention from the staff and guides...» Simeon Wallis Chobe Botswana Trip
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Safari Company:
Ecoafrica
June 2002
Two Days
Ken Ratzlaff, Kansas USAReview Source: Article |
One of the premiere places to find game - especially elephants, buffalo, hippos, birds and a killer crocodile or two. Ken went for a cruise on the river on this Botswana safaris trip and was lucky enough to see a whole herd of elephant crossing literally only the tips of their trunks sticking out above the water...» Ken Ratzlaff Chobe National Park
safari
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Safari Company:
Linyanti Explorations
July 2000, 2002
One Week
John Milbank, AustraliaReview Source: Article |
Selinda - Awesome photographs of a huge lion pride (21), wild dog, cheetah and lions feeding.
John believes that Selinda is the best place to go on safari in Africa bar none, and when you read his trip report it's hard to argue. Don't miss this one...» John Milbank Botswana safari holiday
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Safari Company:
Gap Adventures
May 2007
Five days
Heather, CanadaReview Source: Personal Blog |
Heather had the incredible good fortune of seeing leopard, cheetah and lion all within two days of her arrival in Mashatu.
Unfortunately she fell ill on the third day and spent most of her time recovering. A very detailed trip report on what to expect there...
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Accommodation:
Mashatu tent camp
March 2007
Two days
Dena Andrews, USAReview Source: Personal blog |
Dena went on two game drives and managed to see an amazing amount and variety of wildlife including the big cats.She encountered a zebra with a neck wound probably inflicted by a lion...
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Accommodation:
Planet Baobab
July 2006
Four days
Heather Awsumb, USAReview Source: BotsBlog |
Planet Baobab camp is situated right on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans and provides an ideal access point to this vast, dry lake. At the entrance to the camp there is a massive statue of an Aardvark which must rank as the most unique signpost in all of Botswana.
From here Heather and 10 friends went on an overnight Botswana safaris trip into the Pan...
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Accommodation:
Nxai Pan
April 2006
Two days
Karen SmithReview Source: Travelblog |
There is no permanent accommodation on the Pan so camping is done "wild" with portable toilets and bucket showers.Karen was amazed at the amount of stars that it's possible to see on Botswana safaris here because there is little interference from any artificial light sources...
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