Experiences in Botswana

Whether your thing is safaris, mokoro rides, quad biking, fishig, 4×4 off-road adventures you are sure to make the best of your stay in Botswana.

Balloon Safaris
AirVentures offers balloon safaris in the North Western part of the Okavango Delta, between the Vumbura River, and the Selinda Spillway. The experience of a Balloon safari, in one of Africa’s great wilderness destinations, epitomises the very best of game viewing, flying over a landscape flooded with water and winding channels, dotted with islands, and combined with large expanses of woodland forests. This age old ballooning adventure explores the Okavango Delta in a completely unique way offering a 360 degree panoramic view from tree top level to a thousand feet in the air.

To experience a balloon safari with AirVentures in the Okavango Delta, a minimum of one night’s stay needs to be booked at one of the camps located in our flying area. This is due to hot air balloons having to fly within the first hour of sunrise. As the flying area is located in a remote area of the Okavango Delta, which is only accessible by air, charter flights are unable to reach the area in time for the balloons take-off at sunrise.

There are four Camps in, and around, the flying area, each offering a unique product, catering for a wide variety of individual tastes, and all providing water and land-based activities throughout the year. Camps are reached by a 40 minute flight from Maun, or a 1 hour flight from Kasane. Transfer times from the Camps to the balloon safari will vary depending on the launch site being used.

Helicopter Rides
For those people looking for the ultimate safari experience and experience Botswana differently; this activity should not be missed! This excursion allows guests the opportunity to explore the more remote areas of the Okavango system from the air. Guests have the opportunity to be flown over the remotest parts only accessible by air. This activity is available on request.

Scenic Flights
Enjoy scenic flights over the Moremi that makes up the greatest experience in Botswana. Focus down onto the wildlife and surrounding natures that will forever change your perception of this timeless land while you enjoy the scenic flights over the Delta getting the overall perspective of the area. This activity is best enjoyed when weather conditions are calmer.

Golfing
Botswana has rapidly developed to become one of the hottest golfing destinations in the Southern Africa, and the beautiful weather has nothing to do with it. There are good golf (two) courses in the city of Gaborone set in tranquil environ of about 80 different bird species and a variety of animals that makes every round a pleasure, and some of the golf course offer with an imaginative 18- hole championship course. The two golf courses are Gaborone Golf Club and Phakalane Golf Resort (located in Phakalane Golf Estate). The club house within both courses enjoys an active and healthy social attendance and has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. In Kasane, a 9 hole golf course is located within The Mowana Safari Resort & Spa premises. The Chobe area is rich with abundant wildlife and birding, making a golfing activity a special experience for the visitors of the region.

Cycling Safaris
Botswana is a paradise for the claustrophobic. No matter which region you decide to tackle, you can expect long stretches of vast, three-hundred-and-sixty degree open space, depending in your location, you can go for days without any significant towns and the rarest of all: a truly blue sky in every direction without a trace of pollution. Whether it is Makgadikgadi Pans, the Tuli area, scrub brush, or even seas of sand-dunes, nature on a scale most people can barely imagine is what awaits in Botswana, and as such for the touring cyclist all this space comes with a catch: you have to be totally self-contained to bike here.

Camping
Numerous camping options are available in all of Botswana’s National Parks and Game Reserves, allowing the visitor an experience the magic that is Botswana is available throughout the country. There are a number of excellent sites within the Game Reserves and National Parks. Botswana has vast area and logistically camping trips need to be well planned and it is advisable to contact a local tour operator and take basic safety measures. Always ensure that someone knows where you plan to go and that you take some means of communications. It is sensible to travel with two vehicles. Please do not rely much on your GPS while navigating through the remote areas of the parks. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks conserves and manages the country’s fish and wildlife resources in partnership with other stakeholders in order to derive value from the environment for the benefit of the Nation. Administers the wildlife resources in Botswana.

Hiking
Botswana is not a natural hiking destination. Nevertheless there are some good day hike destinations in the hills in the south east of the country, most of which can be done as a day trip from the capital city. Due to the fact that Botswana is general thinly populated, and with fewer people there are fewer paths; some hikes, in particular to the top of hills, involve walking through the bush without a path. The bush is harsh with many acacia thorn trees and other prickly scrub. Long sleeves, gardening gloves and even a pair of gardening clippers can be good ideas. May – September) is the best time to go hiking as the days are drier, clearer and warm. Outside these times it is best to go early morning. After 10 am the temperature can rise well above 30 Celsius which takes all the fun out of the hike. A global positioning system (GPS) is very useful. The lack of paths and maps makes having a GPS, even if it is just the one on your phone, a good backup in case you loose your way. Kgale Hill located in Gaborone is ideal for both hiking and hill climbing.

Fishing
Fishing in Botswana is one of those right-place-right-time experiences.

But depending where you go and what you’re fishing for, you can enjoy some seriously good fishing in Botswana. You can fish with artificial lures or bait or even go fly-fishing. Some lodges operate a catch and release policy; other lodges will cook your catch for supper. And of course you’re in big game country too: most water-based safari lodges supply fishing gear, offering an exciting mix of game viewing and fishing trips. Fishing in Botswana is seasonal, and thus, always advisable to check for fishing season to avoid disappointments. Fishing is available mostly in the Northern parts of Botswana.

Camel Riding
Experienced and knowledgeable tour guides escort groups or individuals on escorted camel rides. These intimate and charming camel rides cover approximately 50 km between the Camel Park (Tsabong) and the Kalahari Transfrontier Park Mabuasehube gate; making a dramatic viewing of wildlife, nature and the vast open Tsabong landscape.

Basarwa Walk
The wildlife in Botswana moves freely across the country, which creates ample opportunity for guided walking safaris, but less so for more general walking. The guided Basarwa walks in the Kalahari region could be a real highlight for those keen on walking in Botswana. However, there are facilities in Botswana that provide such a services located in the Northern and Central Kalahari region. Basarwa walks focuses on the local flora, the Basarwa culture and how the ethnic group use natural materials. These walks draw attention to the landscape rather than wildlife, which may appeal to those interested in more general walking in Botswana.

Game Viewing & Drive
Game Viewing
Botswana is one of the most sought after safari destinations in Africa with many diverse areas from deserts to lush delta grassland to forest, and a range of animal and bird species to be seen on game drives. Botswana has many parks, reserves and private concessions open to game drives and these all provide different and unique experiences. There is strict control over driving in the official national parks and reserves, with off-roading and night driving prohibited but this does not prevent spectacular sightings as the day drives are very productive.

The private concession areas outside the parks and reserves provide opportunities for off -road driving and night drives although both activities are done in moderation. The highlights of game viewing in Botswana is a high number of predators in many areas; the ability to view animals from up close and pristine wilderness areas that can be enjoyed by using open vehicles for better viewing experience. Lion sightings are common and rare, depending in your location. Rhino tracking can be added to an itinerary on request.

Game Drive
The main event on any safari is the game drives. Botswana is one of the best destinations in Africa to give a wonderful safari experience, particularly, due to the large and diverse numbers of animals and birds and the relatively small number of fellow tourists. All the lodges use open sided 4×4 vehicles with seating for either six or nine people, which means everyone gets great uninterrupted views of the scenery and wildlife. There are no minibuses or enclosed vehicles here, but if you have not been on safari before you may not realise how crucial this is to the overall enjoyment of the experience. Game drives are the main activity at most lodges in Botswana, particularly in the Game Reserves and National park such as Moremi, Tuli area, Chobe and Kalahari National Parks, and you will normally do two per day depending on one’s choice of activity and itinerary.

Boat Cruise
Take a river cruise or a boating safari and experience nature at its best interaction – the river, the animals and the sunset! This activity is available in the Chobe River, Okavango Delta, Pan Handle and other areas in Botswana with a river ecosystem.

Bird Watching
Enjoy a superb birding experience in the Chobe, Makgadikgadi, Okavango Delta, Africa’s Largest Game reserve, Central Kalahari Game reserve. The services of specialist birding guides are available in Botswana to educate travelers in every journey of the diversity of the birds available in Botswana. The northern wetlands are the best places in Botswana to see the near-endemic Slaty Egrets, the endangered Wattled Cranes and the huge Pel’s Fishing Owls and harbour an unrivalled selection of herons, storks etc. From the world’s biggest bird (the Ostrich) to the heaviest flying bird (the Kori Bustard) to the most numerous of all birds (the Red-billed Quelea), Botswana has a truly impressive variety and quantity of bird species

Mokoro Ride
The Mokoro is a common type of canoe used to get around in the shallow waters of the Okavango Delta. The oarsman stands in the stern and pushes it with the pole. Traditionally Mokoros are made from dug out trunks of a large straight trees, like ebony, and kigelia and but today, for conservation purposes they are more commonly made from fibreglass.

A Mokoro ride in the Delta is an absolute “must do” even if it at first seems terrifying.

All guides learned to handle a Mokoro at a very tender age as low as seven, making them expert polers. It’s a careful balancing act – the simplest sudden turn or twist could land the passengers in the water.

This vessel allows you to experience the delta in stealth and tranquility. Allowing you to get close to birds and other animals.

Horse Back Safari
Horseback riding in Botswana allows you to experience all that this magnificent land has to offer. Botswana is the immortal heart of the splendidly desolate and roadless Kalahari Desert. This wild land consists of endless savannahs, dunes, ephemeral lakes and salt pans, making the horseback experience a unique experience of a lifetime. This activity can be experienced in different parts of Botswana such as the Tuli, Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi, Kgalagadi area and outside Gaborone. There are extremely experienced and knowledgeable guides and well-schooled, responsive horses; all in an exceptional setting.

Self-Drive in Safari
Self drive Botswana, at the comfort of your own pace traverse through this wild and unspoilt land. Self driving in Botswana is an experience on its own.

You will need a 4×4 vehicle, a high lift jack, a tow rope plenty of water and fuel and food. Take note that a large percent of the area you will cover will not have cellphone reception.

Quad Bike Riding
The Makgadikgadi Pan is situated in the middle of the dry savanna of north-eastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. This is perfect for quad biking.