Safari Specialists Botswana 60th Safari September 2026

Situated along the banks of the Thamalakane River, in the North-West District of Botswana, Maun, a term that derives its name from the San language, meaning "the place of reeds," serves as the administrative town center of Ngamiland. Maun is notoriously known as a "Frontier" town, and is referred to as the 'gateway' to the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve as most tourists enter these destinations through this buzzing town.

Although classified as one of the fastest growing towns in Botswana, and boasting one of the busiest airports in Southern Africa, Maun still retains much of its old/traditional (village-like) character, which encompasses the old judicial court of chiefs who are still active. Reed and mud hut infrastructures are seen in and around town as well as donkeys/carts and livestock. However, numerous hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, shopping malls, post offices, a museum and a big hospital are available too. Maun also serves as the headquarters for the safari industry, tour operators and air charter companies that offer trips into the Okavango Delta and National Parks such as Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai, Savute, Makgadikgadi, Chobe, Nxai Pan to name a few, as well as monumental historical sites like the Tsodilo Hills. Opportunities to visit nearby cultural villages can also be arranged from this central point.

The Moremi Game Reserve is all about searching for big game; where the habitats are as diverse as the wildlife itself. Water-adapted antelopes and wary-eyed buffaloes spill out into floodplains, behind towering woodlands where leopards hide on the high branches. Dead trees cast silhouettes over elephant-filled savannas a stone’s throw from papyrus-fringed channels stretching out to the delta beyond.

When you arrive in the Moremi Game Reserve, it’s anyone’s guess what you’ll find lurking in the long grass. From wild dogs stalking waterbucks to long sunsets by a hippo-filled lagoon, the scenes will live on in memory long after the journey home.

Kick up sharp smelling clouds of dust on a morning drive, disturbing pockets of warm air in the reeds as you splash through water crossings in pursuit of a distant lion’s call. Pause by the edge of large lagoons, squinting to catch mischief making hyenas as they emerge from the trees to drink.

When you get sick of game drives, discover the channels by boat while Squacco herons fly alongside you into the wind. Watch a lazy sunset with the blue-cheeked bee eaters before returning to dry land for more hardcore bush exploration.

As Moremi Game Reserve is bound by national park rules, activities here are limited to game drives during hours of daylight with no off-roading, and boat cruises on the permanent channels.

While most of the reserve is open to the public, two private lodges sit in the Mombo Concession to the north of Chief’s Island, surrounded by the waters of the Okavango Delta. Boating isn’t possible here, instead the area offers the ultimate in dry-land game viewing. Hailed as Botswana’s predator capital, this exclusive corner is closed to outsiders and home to the big five, where the invitee list fills up years in advance.

Situated in the Chobe National Park, Nogatsaa is a very distinctive, remote and wild area away from the hustle and bustle of the Chobe Riverfront. The territory remains untouched, with sweeping expanses of grasslands with mopane and deciduous woodlands.

The area has a cluster of natural clay-bottom pans which fill during the rainy season, they are magnets for game and provide water well into the dry season. Nogatsaa Lodge pumps a few of the waterholes making them a guaranteed source of water all year round. Four of the waterholes also have “hides” (raised wooden platforms) which lend themselves to some amazing game sightings: herds of elephant, buffalo and antelope stop by. Interesting species include eland, roan, sable antelopes and with luck the delicately limbed oribi.

The Chobe Riverfront is an elephant mecca; home to the largest density of African elephants in the world. Travel here during winter and you’ll fast run out of fingers and toes while you count them drinking at the riverbanks and socialising out on the floodplains.

Thanks to its ease of access from Victoria Falls, the Chobe Riverfront is the busiest part of Botswana (though still a much quieter affair than most South or East African safaris). What Chobe lacks in solitude during the busier months, it more than makes up for with quality game viewing.

Chobe will leave you feeling tiny as giant elephant bulls stroll up next to your vehicle or snorkel alongside your boat. It will make you feel lost as hundreds of hippos and buffaloes crowd you out on the floodplains. It will put your heart in your throat as prides of lions stalk antelopes by the water’s edge, and it will leave you alone with your thoughts while the classic red sunsets melt over the river to a soundtrack of whistling fish eagles.

Chobe is not just a great introduction to Botswana. It also makes a rewarding repeat journey once you’ve ticked off the big stuff. It’s a place to search for the rare sable antelope, to spot that gem from the birders’ bucket list and to explore the remoter corners.

Where you stay in Chobe makes a huge difference to your safari experience. The most affordable options are at bigger hotels in a town setting where you’ll share your game drives with a few more vehicles. On the more exclusive end, stay in a wilder area in or around the park, listen to the sounds of the bush at night and get a head start on accessing the park for activities.