How To Book A Safari Trip To Botswana For The Ultimate Off-Season Trip

Tucked into the safari jeep, camera in hand, face-to-face with a lion, the feeling of excitement and disbelief rushed over me. I couldn’t believe where I was at that moment. How lucky I was. How intense and incredible it was to see this animal, among others, not behind a cage in the zoo, but roaming free.

Our guide, Isaac, whispered to us “he’s going to come right next to us. Don’t be scared, stay seated, take your pictures and just observe.” The lion came close enough to touch and in that moment, something in me changed. A safari experience will fill you with a deep love for wildlife and gratitude for the experiences you’ll have.

For me, Botswana is what sparked that.

Green Season in Botswana (How To Save Money)

Safaris can range quite drastically when it comes to price points and experience. Going during the green season, aka the off-season, can cut costs as much as 50% while still delivering an amazing experience and in some ways, a better adventure.

Green season is when many of the babies are born, so you have a great chance of seeing mothers tending to their newborn baby baboons, elephants, warthogs, hippos, giraffes, lions, buffalo, and more.

Even with the trees covered in greenery, the incredible guides through Desert & Delta properties, are extremely talented when it comes to finding unique experiences in the wild. From encountering a pack of wild dogs playing in the water and a leopard slinking through the bush, to lions mating and elephants taking a golden hour soak in a watering hole.

Why You Should Work With a Safari Operator

It’s incredibly worth it to go through a safari operator like Desert & Delta that represents nine amazing properties and manages the logistics. They handle the transportation in between the properties, activities, meals, safari game drives, and more to make sure your experience is stress free.

It’s possible to do a safari on your own by renting a car and driving through the national park. People do it, but in my opinion, you’re missing out on a lot. Having the help of professionals that understand animal behaviors, tracking, and communicating with each other to find the best experiences and wildlife interactions for their guests is worth every penny.

Where To Stay

Chobe Game Lodge

Chobe Game Lodge is a great destination to begin the trip. The property is filled with luxury accommodations, each room with a little something special from terraces with views of the Chobe River, to private plunge pools. There’s a pool on the property to cool off in and after being out in the heat on a game drive. Animals can come right into the property, so you could be taking a walk on the property, look over and see a family of warthogs walking across the grass.

Staying on the Chobe River, with Namibia right across, allows guests to experience boat safaris. You can relax, and sip a local beer while riding on the water spotting baboons coming down for a drink, elephants cooling off, and hippos floating around.

Wake up bright and early to head out for a safari game drive after a quick bite to eat and cup of coffee. The Jeeps will venture out into Chobe National Park to see what you can discover, and every day is different. You can see warthogs, hippos, giraffes, elephants, jackals, monitor lizards, beautiful birds, lions, and, of course, plenty of babies!

You’ll also be supporting talented women called the “Chobe Angels.” Johan Bruwer, the GM of the lodge and creator of the Chobe Angels, wanted to begin a completely female guide team, giving women career possibilities that weren’t prominent at the time. We had Vivian Diphupu, Environmental Educator and Guide Trainer, as the guide for our group, and she made it an unbelievable experience.

Savute Safari Lodge

All of the properties represented by Desert & Delta are top of the line, but Savute Safari Lodge will leave an extra special mark because of the watering holes right on the property. You could be cooling off in the pool or sitting down to breakfast and look over to see a huge herd of elephants playing in the water.

This particular property also had one of the most incredible guides, Isaac Mpuchane. His passion for wildlife is contagious, and he was so knowledgeable when it came to finding us incredible, life-changing experiences. He picked up on animal calls, tracking predators, and found very exclusive experiences like a herd of wild dogs playing in the water with each other, a leopard slinking through the greenery, lions mating, and more. We found a pack of hyenas, zebras, and so many beautiful birds like the yellow billed hornbill.

After the morning safari, you can head back to the room to take a little siesta in your private bungalow, with a huge spanning patio to lay out on and see what animals walk by. I was getting ready for bed one evening, and heard a trumpet sounding honk. When I looked out my window, an elephant was right outside my room! It’s truly an incredible experience.

Camp Okavango

The rooms on the property feel like your own private treehouse, surrounded by the noises of wildlife and branches swaying in the wind. As I was unpacking, I heard and saw monkeys swinging through the trees, and my back patio opened up into the bush, so at any given moment, you could see animals walking by. There’s a spacious, double shower to freshen up in before dinner, and a gorgeous infinity pool to swim in with a glass of local Amarula Cream Liqueur on the rocks.

Take the mokoro ride to explore a variety of birds and plants along the water. Take an airboat out to look for hippos, crocodiles, and elephants crossing through or a helicopter ride to get a lay of the land. Guests can even do a walking safari to explore the land, looking for giraffes and other animals like the Verreaux Owl with striking light pink eyelids. With our guide, Taps, at Camp Okavango, we had incredible wildlife experiences followed by a sundowner cocktail hour with our feet in the delta.

How To Pack

When packing for Botswana, keep in mind that you usually need to have a pretty light weight, soft, squeezable bag for the bush planes like the the Dagne Dover Landon Neoprene Carryall Bag. You can’t be schlepping huge checked bags onto small planes with limited space for luggage, so packing light is essential.You can pack even lighter than normal with laundry services readily available for property guests, so you really only need a couple of clutch items and your camera equipment.

You’ll want lightweight, breathable clothing like cotton or linen, in soft earth tones. Of course, plenty of sunscreen, a hat, a bathing suit, proper footwear like sneakers or hiking boots, strong bug spray and Bug Bite Thing products like their Tick Remover or the Suction Tool.

For game drives, I brought the Lux & Nyx Large Origami Tote for essentials like my camera, sunscreen, water bottle, chargers, and phone among other miscellaneous things. Be sure to speak to your doctor about any necessary vaccines and medications needed like malaria pills as a precaution.

What To Expect

Expect the unexpected! At any given moment you can encounter a baby being born, mating rituals, a lioness hunting prey, or other once in a lifetime experiences. Be in the moment and take some time to appreciate where you are.

Unlike other wildlife experiences I’ve had, like swimming with great whites in Mexico where divers had to learn how to use scuba breathing gear, or trekking to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, safari experiences have no real effort involved for guests and can be enjoyed by many. You relax comfortably in the boat or safari vehicles with a cup of coffee or bottle of water, camera equipment by your side, and simply enjoy the experience.

I can’t recommend Botswana enough. Seeing animals up close, in the wild, is an experience that will stick with you for life.