THE BIG 5 FINEST SAFARI – BOTSWANA’S ULTIMATE WILDERNESS CIRCUIT
Overview
Embark on Botswana’s ultimate safari experience - a 21 day journey through the country’s most iconic wilderness destinations, from the Okavango Delta floodplains to the salt pans of Makgadikgadi, and from the predator-rich Savuti Channel to the remote Central Kalahari.
This is more than a safari - it’s an adventure of a lifetime, combining thrilling wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and cultural immersion. Accommodation is in fully serviced mobile camps set in prime wilderness areas, with a professional guide, chef, and camp crew ensuring comfort and seamless service throughout.
Highlights
- Explore Moremi Game Reserve & Khwai: Big cats, elephants, wild dogs, and mokoro excursions.
- Witness the drama of Savuti: Legendary lion-elephant interactions and vast predator territories.
- Discover Chobe Riverfront: Home to the largest elephant herds in Africa.
- Stay at Elephant Sands, where elephants drink meters from your tent.
- Visit Kubu Island: A sacred granite outcrop in the heart of Makgadikgadi salt pans.
- Explore Nxai Pan and the iconic Baines Baobabs.
- Experience the desert beauty of Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Khumaga, along the Boteti River.
- Fully serviced mobile camping with gourmet bush dining and expert guiding.
Tour Overview
Availability
All Year
Duration
21Days/20Nights
Pickup Location
Airport Available
Included
- Accommodation is in fully serviced canvas safari tents (dome or Meru-style)
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Assorted drinks & bottled water
- Transfers in a 4x4 safari vehicle
- Scheduled game drives & excursions
- Professional guide, chef, and camp assistant
- Park entry fees
- Camping fees
Excluded
- International & regional flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Personal purchases
- Gratuities for staff
- Unexpected fuel/government increases
- Items not specified in the itinerary
Itinerary
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Day 1-2: Maun to Moremi Game Reserve
Your adventure begins in Maun, where your guide welcomes you for a safari briefing before setting off to Moremi Game Reserve. Spend two days exploring this wildlife paradise. Expect elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, and diverse birdlife. Enjoy sunrise and sunset game drives through lagoons, floodplains, and mopane woodland. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Moremi)
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Day 3-4: Khwai Concession – Mokoro & Night Drives
Continue to the Khwai Concession, a prime safari hotspot bordering Moremi. Experience day and night game drives, offering opportunities for nocturnal predators such as leopards, hyenas, and civets. An optional mokoro excursion glides you through serene waterways. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Khwai)
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Day 5-6: Savuti - Predator Capital of Botswana
Travel to Savuti, famed for its shifting landscapes and intense predator action. Explore the Savuti Marsh, Gubatsa Hills, and ancient San rock paintings. Expect lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and towering bull elephants. Evenings are spent stargazing by the campfire. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Savuti)
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Day 7-9: Chobe Riverfront - Elephants & Birdlife
Arrive at the Chobe River, where game drives follow the riverbanks alive with elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, and vibrant bird species like the African Fish Eagle. This is one of Africa’s richest wildlife corridors -perfect for photographers. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Chobe)
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Day 10-11: Elephant Sands - The Gentle Giants Up Close
Head to Elephant Sands, a unique wilderness lodge where elephants visit the waterhole right in front of camp. Enjoy magical evenings as these gentle giants gather, providing some of the most intimate elephant encounters in Africa. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Elephant Sands Campsite)
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Day 12-13: Kubu Island - Sacred Salt Pan Wilderness
Journey to Kubu Island, an ancient granite outcrop in the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans. Take a guided walk to learn about the island’s sacred history, ancient baobabs, and fascinating geology. At sunset, the pans transform into a surreal pink and gold dreamscape. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Kubu Island)
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Day 14-15: Nxai Pan & Baines Baobabs
Travel to Nxai Pan National Park, known for its grassy plains dotted with wildlife like springbok, impala, and giraffe. Visit the iconic Baines Baobabs, immortalized by 19th century explorer Thomas Baines. Expect exceptional photography opportunities here. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Nxai Pan)
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Day 16-17: Khumaga & Boteti River
Settle at a camp overlooking the Boteti River in Khumaga. Explore Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on game drives, where zebra herds and elephants often gather along the riverbank. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Khumaga)
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Day 18-19: Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR)
Continue to the remote CKGR, one of the largest reserves in Africa. Game drives here reveal oryx, springbok, eland, and predators like cheetah and black-maned lions. This is the wild Botswana of endless horizons and star-filled skies. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - CKGR)
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Day 20: Return to Khumaga
Spend another night in Khumaga, unwinding by the Boteti River and reflecting on your epic safari journey. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Accommodation: Mobile Camp - Khumaga)
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Day 21: Back to Maun - Safari Ends
After breakfast, drive back to Maun for onward connections. (Meals: Breakfast)