Why Botswana is one of Africa’s most rewarding safaris

22 April 2026

Known for its strong focus on conservation, low visitor numbers, and high-quality experiences, Botswana is one of Africa’s most rewarding safari destinations. What makes it special is the sense of space and the way each moment feels unhurried. One minute you might be watching elephants gather quietly along a riverbank, the next you’re following fresh tracks in the sand with a guide who reads the landscape like a story, where the experience builds naturally, without feeling staged.

Why Botswana is one of Africa’s most rewarding safaris

The Okavango Delta safari reimagined

At the heart of Botswana is the Okavango Delta. Every year, seasonal floodwaters from Angola transform dry land into a maze of channels, lagoons, and palm-dotted islands. Exploring by mokoro (a type of canoe) offers a completely different perspective, moving gently through narrow waterways with nothing but the sound of water and birdlife around you. In areas like Chief’s Island, known for its concentrations of big game, or the Jao Reserve with its mix of habitats, days shift easily between water-based safaris and game drives, giving you a fuller picture of the Delta.

Wildlife that keeps you on your toes

Along the Chobe Riverfront near Kasane, elephants move in large numbers, often crossing the water as the light starts to fade. Boat safaris here bring you close to the action, whether it’s buffalo gathering at the banks or hippos surfacing nearby. In the Moremi Game Reserve, the changing landscape of floodplains and woodland creates the right conditions for predators, and it’s not unusual to come across lion or leopard as you move through the reserve. No two days follow the same pattern, which is part of the appeal of safaris in this region.

A safari with more variety

What gives Botswana real depth is the range of experiences available. Game drives are just one part of it. Walking safaris in places like the Khwai Community Area slow things down and focus on the smaller details, from animal tracks to plant life. Helicopter flights over the Delta reveal just how vast and intricate the waterways are, while visits to the Makgadikgadi Pans introduce a completely different environment. Here, time spent with San communities offers insight into traditions that have been shaped by this landscape over generations.

How it all comes together

A trip through Botswana works best when it connects these different regions. You might begin in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where wide open plains stretch for miles and wildlife has adapted to the dry conditions, before heading into the Okavango Delta for a mix of land and water-based activities. The ideal itinerary often ends in Chobe, where river safaris and game drives bring everything together. Moving between each area creates a natural flow, with each stop adding something new and building into a safari that feels both varied, special, and complete.

To experience a Botswana safari, speak to your personal Travel Counsellor today.

Set-jetting: The world's most cinematic destinations to visit right now

22 April 2026

More than half of all travellers now research a destination after seeing it on screen, and the results are genuinely exciting: set jetting is sending curious travellers to places they might never have otherwise considered, taking them deeper into destinations than a standard itinerary ever would. The best set-jetting trips aren't just about ticking off a filming location. They're about using a story you love as a way into somewhere real. Here are the destinations doing it best right now - and the shows that are sending people there.

This resort is the most striking place to experience Mount Fuji

22 April 2026

Most people see Mount Fuji from a distance – either from the Shinkansen window or briefly between buildings in Tokyo. Hanz Outdoor Resort, set directly on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko, offers something meaningfully different. Here, the mountain dominates the view from your villa terrace, from the lake at dawn, and from the open-air thermal baths fed by natural waters sourced from Fuji itself. It's a base that works both for first-time visitors who want to understand why this mountain holds such significance in Japanese culture and for repeat travellers ready to explore the less-visited corners of the Fuji Five Lakes region. The resort has also been featured in National Geographic, Time Out, and described by Metro UK as “the most beautiful campsite they had ever seen”. Here are a few reasons why…

Explore Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu Falls, Salvador, and the Beaches of Bahia

22 April 2026

Few countries pack as much variety into a single trip as Brazil. This 12-day itinerary moves through four of the country's most distinct destinations - Rio de Janeiro's iconic cityscape, the raw scale of Iguaçu Falls, Salvador's Afro-Brazilian history and street life, and the calm of Bahia's Coconut Coast. Each stop is different in character, and together they give a genuine sense of just how much this country has to offer.