Sunset at Maxa lodge in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Botswana Off the Beaten Path

Zebras at sunrise in the Okavango Delta in Botswana

Botswana Off the Beaten Path

Cheetah cubs in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. A sighting on safari.

Botswana Off the Beaten Path

An elephant in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Botswana Off the Beaten Path

Linyanti, Selinda, the Central Kalahari and other lesser-visited concessions for travelers who want Botswana beyond the classic Okavango route

Days: 11 | Contact us for pricing

  • Includes accommodation at best-in-class hotels and lodges
  • A range of unique, optional safari activities included at each lodge

This Botswana journey moves through three distinct wilderness areas, each more remote than the last. Beginning in the surreal landscape of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans - one of Africa's most otherworldly environments - the itinerary then pushes deeper into the Okavango Delta, with stays at two camps that sit well outside the Delta's more frequently visited circuits. From meerkat encounters and Bushman walks on the salt pans to mokoro excursions through papyrus-lined channels, game drives in predator-rich floodplains, and boat safaris through the Delta's seasonal waterways, the activities shift with each location and with the rhythm of the seasons.

Vaya Destination Specialist Gareth Smith in Africa

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We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.

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At a Glance

  • Johannesburg
    1 night: overnight in South Africa's largest city
  • Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
    3 nights: visit meerkat colonies, go on a horseback safari, or learn about this fascinating place on guided Bushman walks
  • Okavango Delta
    3 nights: paddle through waterlily-lined waterways in mokoro canoes and get eye-level with Okavango wildlife
  • Gomoti Plains
    3 nights: explore the lesser-visited southern Okavango Delta, keeping your eyes peeled for the region's famed predators

All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.

5-Star Reviews

Find out why our discerning travelers consistently rate us with 5-stars.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Johannesburg

Welcome to Africa! Upon arrival in Johannesburg, you’ll be met off the plane and escorted to your hotel, conveniently located at the airport for an easy overnight stopover before your onward flight to Botswana in the morning.

Day 2: Fly to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana

Head back to the airport for your morning flight to Maun, Botswana. Upon arrival, a representative will meet you on arrival to get you checked in for your onward bush flight.

You’ll touch down at your first remote destination in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive across one of Africa’s most otherworldly landscapes. One of the largest salt flats on earth, the Makgadikgadi shifts dramatically with the seasons: a bleached, shimmering expanse in the dry months, and a magnet for wildlife migrations when the rains arrive.

Accommodations: Camp Kalahari, 3 nights

Just one of only three camps in a one million-acre private wildlife reserve, Camp Kalahari has 12, Meru-style tents set amongst the palms. There’s a veritable blockbuster of activities to get stuck into, including quad biking, horseback riding, bushman walks and traditional game drives. Enjoy lazy siestas in the swimming pool pavilion and, in the dry season, watch the Elephants come to drink at the water – a memory you won’t forget in a hurry!

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 3-4: Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

Take advantage of two full days to explore one of Africa’s most extraordinary landscapes. The activities on offer range from close-up meerkat encounters to guided Bushman walks with the Zu’/Hoasi people, who have called this desert home for centuries.

Game drives and horseback safaris offer the chance to spot zebra, elephant, cheetah, brown hyena, and bat-eared fox across the salt pans and surrounding savannah. For something more adventurous, guided quad biking takes you across the pans, and optional helicopter flights provide a sweeping aerial view of the landscape. Depending on the time of year, you may also witness the Makgadikgadi’s famous wildlife migrations: up to 30,000 zebra and wildebeest move across the pans in Botswana’s summer months, while flamingos descend on the water-filled pans between March and April.

Accommodations: Camp Kalahari, 3 nights

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Fly to the Okavango Delta

After a morning game drive or guided bush walk, you’ll head to the airstrip for your flight to Maun and onward to your second camp in northeastern reaches of the Okavango Delta. This is a rarely visited corner of one of Africa’s greatest wilderness areas.

You’ll settle in before heading out for an afternoon game drive to get your first read on this new landscape, which combines permanent waterways, seasonal floodplains, and a rich mix of ecosystems within the vast Kaza Transfrontier Park.

Accommodations: Maxa, 3 nights

Maxa is a small, intimate camp set under a canopy of ebony trees overlooking the Maxa Lagoon in the northeastern reaches of the Okavango Delta. The camp accommodates a maximum of 12 guests across four canvas tents and one family tent, each with both an indoor ensuite bathroom and a full open-air outdoor bathroom. The design is deliberately rustic and freeform. Open-sided lounge and dining areas sit under light canvas roofs with clay walls, handmade local furniture, and a central courtyard with a wood-fired oven where the chef bakes bread and prepares meals. A sala with a day bed, a firepit, and a suspended cargo net hammock overlooks the lagoon.

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6-7: Explore the Okavango Delta

Enjoy two full days to immerse yourself in one of the Okavango’s most seldom-explored corners and choose from a range of activities. Mornings and evenings are spent on game drives through the surrounding floodplains and woodland, while mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) excursions offer a water-level perspective on the Delta’s channels, wildlife, and papyrus-lined waterways.

Opt for a guided bushwalk to get a closer look at some of the smaller flora and fauna, and boat trips open up the broader lagoon system where hippos, crocodiles, and an abundance of birdlife are regular sightings. Wild lunches out in the bush are a camp highlight, and swimming in the Delta’s clear channels is possible depending on the time of year. Your guide will shape each day around what you want to see and do, with the rhythm of the Delta setting the pace.

Accommodations: Maxa, 3 nights

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Travel to the Southern Okavango Delta

After a final morning safari at Maxa, you’ll say your farewells and fly to your third and final camp in the southern Okavango Delta, framed by towering palms and known as one of the region’s premier areas for big game and predator sightings. You’ll arrive in time for lunch and settle in before heading out for your first afternoon game drive in this new landscape.

Accommodations: Gomoti Plains Camp, 3 nights

Named after the river it borders, Gomoti Plains Camp lies alongside one of the smaller of the water system's flood plains. Framed by towering palm trees, the 10 canvas tents provide eco-luxurious comfort in an area that is alive with superb land and water-based game-viewing opportunities. Guests can make use of the cooling plunge pool, communal bar and dining area, and can cozy up in the reading nooks.

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 9-10: Gomoti Plains

Spend two full days exploring the southern Okavango Delta by choosing from activities that shift with the seasons. Year-round you’ll have morning and evening game drives, night drives, guided walking safaris, birding, and cultural visits to nearby communities. When water levels allow, the camp also offers motorized boat safaris and mokoro excursions through the flood plain’s channels and waterways, opening up an entirely different perspective on the Delta.

Accommodations: Gomoti Plains Camp, 3 nights

*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Departure

A hippopotamus opening its mouth in the Okavango Delta in Botswana during the dry season.

After one final morning in the bush, head to the airstrip for your late morning flight back to Maun, where you’ll connect to Johannesburg and your onward flight home.

*Includes: Breakfast

Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary

  • Choose from a selection of carefully curated lodges and hotels to ensure this trip fits your exact travel style.

  • Add a night or two in Johannesburg at the start or end of your trip and dive into this vibrant city with a private Vaya guide.

  • Get an unforgettable birds-eye view of Victoria Falls on the “Flight of the Angels” helicopter overflight.

  • Add a beach extension and spend some relaxing downtime on the pristine white sand of the Indian Ocean. Mauritius, Seychelles and neighboring Mozambique are just a short flight away.

  • Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.

Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
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