One of the wildest and naturally beautiful destinations in Southern Africa, there is an abundance of incredible places to visit in Botswana, most of which are centred around wildlife.

One of the lesser-visited of Southern Africa’s safari destinations, Botswana offers some of the best wildlife viewing on the planet. With open savannahs, wetlands and a lush river delta teeming with large herds of mammals and the predators who follow them. From the lush Okavango Delta to the arid Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, we’ve highlighted 10 must-see destinations in Botswana!

 10 of the best places to visit in Botswana this year:

Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is a unique wildlife oasis in the centre of the harsh Kalahari Desert. The Okavango River flows through the heart of the Kalahari and gives life to a unique inland water system that attracts large numbers of birds and animals.

10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana
A red lechwe wades through the wetlands in the Okavango Delta | 10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana

Visiting the Delta is a unique experience because much of its wildlife can be viewed from the water – usually on a traditional canoe called a mokoro. Every year the delta floods cover over 16,000 square kilometers, and created the marshland scenes that Botswana is famous for.

The best time to view wildlife is during peak flood season (which is ironically during the May-October dry season). During this time wildlife is more concentrated on the delta islands, and much easier to spot. There are numerous lodges and luxury safari camps, many of which offer walking safaris and/ or island camping trips.

Chobe National Park

Situated within the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park covers four distinct eco-systems with the SavutiMarsh boasting some of the highest year-round concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana
African elephants drinking in Chobe National Park | 10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana

Chobe is home to approximately 120,000 elephants, best seen from the water on a mokoro safari or sundown river cruise. The dry season, between May and September, is the best time to visit the national park with large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, eland and giraffe congregating here at this time of year.

Chobe is accessible by car which makes it a little less expensive than some of Botswana’s other parks. There’s a wide variety of accommodation available to suit all budgets. You can even rent a houseboat.

Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi Game Reserve, situated in the eastern Okavango Delta on the border of Chobe National Park, is situated on a small piece of land with an extremely high density of wildlife – a great combination!

With over 500 recorded species, Moremi’s birdlife is unrivalled. African Wild Dogs are regularly seen on the reserve along with the Big Five, thanks to the reintroduction of both black and white rhino.

Hippos wallowing in Moremi Game Reserve | 10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana

The July through October dry season is the best time to visit, and a combination of 4×4 safaris and water-based mokoro trips offer the best way to experience the abundant wildlife.

There are several lodges and camps within the park, some of which exclusive to fly-in safaris. The others are very popular among those on self-drive safaris. There are also a variety of lodges just outside the reserve, which offer game drives in the park.​

Tuli Block

The Tuli Block is situated in eastern Botswana, on the borders of South Africa and Zimbabwe. The wildlife-rich area lies at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.

Previously commissioned as private farmland, but transformed into a wildlife sanctuary for economic reasons, the land on which the Tuli Block lies boasts several rivers, riverine forests, savannah, and lots of massive baobab trees.

Leopard in a tree, Tuli Block | 10 Remarkable Places To Visit In Botswana

The Block encompasses several reserves, including Mashatu Game Reserve and Northern Tuli Game Reserve.

Wildlife sightings are guaranteed all-year-round, with large herds of elephant, plenty of lion, leopard and even cheetah being ever-present on the reserve. As the land is still privately owned, guided walking safaris and nighttime game-drives can be enjoyed. There are a variety of lodges and camps to stay at.

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