8 Days in the Bush
My Botswana Itinerary
Botswana had been on my mind for years. Something about the country kept calling me. I had read so much about its conservation efforts, its low-impact tourism model, and how it prioritized wildlife and nature over mass tourism. So when it came time to plan my very first safari, there was no question: Botswana was it.
Getting to Botswana
Originally, I had wanted to go to Kasane, as I was interested in visiting Victoria Falls. But after much research, I realized I would be missing out on most of the country. Kasane, though beautiful, wouldn’t give me the full picture of what Botswana has to offer. So, I pivoted and decided to make Maun my base. It turned out to be the perfect hub for exploring multiple regions and getting a true taste of Botswana.
First things first: you can’t fly directly into Maun from most international destinations. I had to connect through Johannesburg, South Africa—one of the more common routes into Botswana. From there, I boarded a short flight to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta.
Days 1–2:
Boteti Tented Safari Lodge & the Makgadikgadi Tour
I originally booked a stay at Boteti Tented Safari Lodge just because they were the only ones offering a tour to the Makgadikgadi National Park (Which I thought it was the Makgadikgadi salt flats but I’ll explain more below). No one else seemed to have it available, and I needed to stay there to get the option of the tour (talk to me about how the industry is monopolized in Botswana.. but I talk more in detail about it here). Yes, it was expensive, but the location was beautiful, and the experience felt personal and intimate.
On arrival, they picked me up at the airport, gave me an hour to rest, and then took me for what they called a “village experience.” In reality, it was two people selling crafts. I’m not a shopper (and usually dread these kinds of setups), but I tried to be polite. It turned out to be quite humbling, one of the women explained they have to truck in water containers for $70 a piece, and selling crafts is how they pay for it, since there is no fresh water around (All the water from the wells in this regions comes with A LOT of salt, and can’t be drinked).
Back at the lodge that evening, I had a mokoro (dugout canoe) ride along the river on the property and caught one of the most magical sunsets I’ve ever seen. The tented room was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the staff couldn’t have been friendlier.
Going back to the water situation, the running water in the hotel bathroom (shower – sink water) was salty too, since most of the water from wells in Botswana comes with a high concentration of salt. Showering felt like going to the beach. Clean, but… not really. The only drinkable water you get comes in bottles from very far away.
The next day was the big Makgadikgadi tour. I had mistakenly thought the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and Makgadikgadi National Park were the same—but they’re not. The pans are quite far from Maun, so you can’t just pop in for a quick look. The tour took us through Nxai Pan National Park first, where we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We saw lions, buffalo, giraffes, ostriches, antelopes, and zebras.
From there, we made our way to the Nxai Salt Flat (a surreal, dreamlike place), then to the iconic Baines Baobabs (massive, ancient trees), and finally to Makgadikgadi National Park, where we saw elephants, giraffes, antilopes and even more lions.
My guide had warned me about the elephant’s mating season, since he was looking at some fresh elephant’s track and dung on the road. No more than 5 minutes after that, we saw the elephant crossing the road, and it turned out to be a solo male elephant that was in musth (a hormonal state where they become more aggressive becuase they are looking for females). We could actually smell him before we saw him, and my guide made sure we kept a safe distance.
Fun fact: I tasted the salt from the pans. Not as salty as I expected!
Makgadikgadi was an incredible place. It was peaceful, beautiful and full of life (literally). We needed to come back, since we had a long drive ahead, but just in case you need the info, Makgadikgadi has a campsite you could stay at. Just be mindul of the requirements to enter / stay at a national park in Botswana, since they are extensive. They really do care for conservation.
Although I was supposed to stay one more night at Boteti (I had paid for it), they didn’t not offer any tours to the Moremi Game Reserve, and since they are too far away to be picked up by another agency, I had to asked them to drop me off at another hotel that night so the other tour could pick me up in the morning. I did lose a prepaid night, but it was my only option logistically.
Island Safari Lodge (the other hotel) was cozy and comfortable. They had a great restaurant, though that first night there had been so much rain, they told me we were going to loose electricity and internet after 10 p.m. (the generators couldn’t run everything for that long).
Day 3:
Moremi Game Reserve
Early the next morning, my guide for Moremi picked me up. The roads in Maun outside of the main area are completely dark at night and early morning—no streetlights—and filled with wild and domestic animals (I saw a pack of oryx just chilling by the roadside). Also, potholes. So many potholes, so you gotta be careful if you are gonna be the one driving.
That morning, on our way to Moremi, my guide got a call from a friend who’d spotted a pride of 20 lions. He just told me we were going to “help someone” as we turned around and he drove to a private reserve and caught them just as the sun was rising—an unforgettable sight and definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
The Moremi Game Reserve was beautiful, lush, and absolutely worth the 4-hour drive each way. Would definitely recommend it for a game drive. I can’t start to describe the amount of nature I saw, in all different ways.
Birds, Elephants, Giraffes, hippos, all kinds of antilopes, (I also saw impalas fighting, which was surprisingly thrilling) and even more lions! My guide insisted on getting closer and closer to the lions every time, and I’m not gonna lie, I got very scared! Last time I had been that close to a lion either me or them were in cages.
The guide did explain that the animals are used to the game vehicles, and as long as they do not to see you as a threat, you are good (that means no screaming, sudden movements, etc). Still, guides read their behavior carefully before approaching.
On the way back, we had to stop at the cattle cleaning station—part of Botswana’s strict cattle export policy. Everyone has to disinfect their shoes to prevent contamination. Had never seen something like that before.
That evening, I came back to Island Safari Lodge for dinner. Although it wasn’t included in my stay, the meal was only about $12 and absolutely worth it. I ordered a T-bone steak, and it turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever had. The beef in Botswana is incredibly good—flavorful, tender, and widely available. Since cattle is one of the country’s main exports, beef is both high quality and surprisingly affordable.
Day 4:
Mokoro Ride & Maun City Tour
That next morning, I joined a mokoro tour through the Okavango Delta. A mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe originally made from tree trunks, though today many are fiberglass. It’s steered by a local guide who stands at the back and uses a long pole to push through the water, much like a gondola in Venice—but through reeds and lily pads instead of canals.
The Okavango Delta itself is one of the most unique ecosystems in the world—a vast inland delta where the Okavango River fans out across the Kalahari Desert.
It was very peaceful and beautiful, and the group I met made it even better—a tech innovator, a lifelong children’s advocate residing in South Africa, and a retired woman biking from Cairo to Cape Town.
We glided silently through the water, spotting birds, reeds, and even a few hippos. Eventually, we arrived at an island in the middle of the delta and went on a guided bush walk. Our guide explained how the mokoro is still used by locals for fishing and transport. After the walk, we had lunch (can you believe our guides brought us Nando’s?) and then returned to town for a brief city tour. Maun doesn’t have a ton of landmarks, but we stopped by an unfinished museum, the old bridge, and enjoyed a great food tasting of traditional Botswana food.
One funny story: the South African woman told us someone she knows keeps lions on their property instead of guard dogs. Wild.
Days 6-8:
Grassland Safari Lodge in the Kalahari Desert
Originally, I wanted a true Bushmen village immersion, but since I was traveling solo, it wasn’t cost-effective for the tour agency to accept my booking. So, I compromised and stayed at Grassland Safari Lodge in the northern Kalahari instead, which still offers some cultural experiences and, ultimately, the opportunity to interact with the Bushmen.
The family who runs it was incredibly welcoming, and the activities were fun and interesting:
- Predator feeding: They run a project caring for wild dogs, lions, and leopards. One of the activities involves taking guests to see the animals being fed. Intense is an understatement.
- Rhino trekking: Since they support rhino conservation, they have a couple of rhinos on the property. We spent about two hours looking for them, and although we didn’t find them that time, the rhinos ended up coming to the waterhole in front of the dining area one night.
- Game drives and horseback safaris: Game drives are a staple of Botswana’s tourism, and since there’s plenty of wildlife on the property, going on one is almost a must. They also have horses. I hadn’t ridden in a long time, but I asked for it and decided to give it a shot — and I’ve got to say, it’s a different experience. Animals aren’t scared of horses, so you can get even closer. We got very close to a giraffe and were able to ride for hours in the bush, enjoying the sunset and doing something truly out of the ordinary.
- Bushmen cultural exchanges: As I mentioned before, this was the main reason why I went down to the Kalahari Desert. You don’t get to live with them in the village, but still went on a couple walks with them, and I learned how to make tools, make fire cook marama nuts, drink water from ostrich eggs, and identify edible roots.
The lodge was peaceful — and incredible, to say the least. Although it’s very remote (at least a 4-hour drive from any main city), it was worth going through all of their 16 gates to get there. They have acres of property, and while most of it is just bush, their facilities include an open dining area and a fireplace in front of a waterhole. They’ve placed salt blocks there, which attract animals — especially antelope, who crave the minerals. So, you get to see everything from antelope, zebras, giraffes, and ostriches to even rhinos — all while casually chatting and enjoying your meal.
One night, the family was walking back to their house after dinner. Although rhinos are usually around, it was very dark, and the rhino didn’t recognize them, got scared, and charged at them. Everyone was fine, but I told them, ‘How surreal is this? Your rhino “pet,” casually roaming around your home, randomly charges at you!
On our drives, they also taught me the basics of animal tracking. Lots of it is just paying close attention and using common sense.
Grassland was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Culturally, it was mind-opening from every angle — which is what I love most about traveling. Everyone around there spoke at least three or four languages, including Naro (the language of the Bushmen), English, Afrikaans, and even some Tswana..
My trip was coming to an end, and it was time for me to head back to Maun to catch my flight.
Final Thoughts
Botswana was full of contrasts—wild and welcoming, remote and connected, rugged and luxurious. Most people speak English (it’s taught in school), and Tswana is the main local language. Afrikaans is also spoken by many white Batswana.
The wildlife is absolutely unreal. I saw nearly every animal I’d dreamed of. But keep in mind—Botswana is still a developing country. Many live in difficult conditions, and there’s a wide range in the quality of homes, from concrete structures to stick huts.
Pula (Botswana’s currency) means “rain” in Setswana. Fitting, isn’t it? Water can be very precious in dry season.
Bring everything you need, be mindful, be generous if you can, and most importantly—stay flexible. It is not cheap to visit Botswana, but it is definitely worth it.
Are you ready to start discovering Botswana?
Here are the tours I did and personally recommend!
Are you ready to start discovering Botswana?
Here are the tours I did and personally recommend!
