Botswana Under Canvas

An 11-day Traditional Botswana Safari...Under Canvas

Explore the vast wilderness of Africa in the tradition of Hemingway and Roosevelt on our Botswana Under Canvas Safari.  Perhaps the most authentic safari style, our Botswana Under Canvas Safari will let you live the adventure of a lifetime as close to nature as you can get.

Your adventure begins at the famous Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  There's lots to do here, including a guided tour of the Victoria Falls (park entry fee included), curio shopping at the craft village, visit to the local village, a school tour, traditional dancing display, gorge walk with sundowners, black eagle viewing with sundowners, or an evening cruise on the Zambezi.

From Victoria Falls you'll head into Botswana to explore the enormous Chobe National Park.  The Chobe River Front is a remarkable wildlife area due to the permanent water source of the Chobe River.  The spectacle of all the animals coming to drink and frolic at the water's edge is one to behold, particularly in the dry season (May - Oct) where water is scarce away from the river. It is an area famous for its abundance of elephants and variety of predators.  The Savute region, in the southern area of the park, breaks all the rules for animal behavior and habitats. Here, lions hunt elephants, leopards take to fishing, the grasslands are vast and open and rocky hills punctuate the flat terrain.

From the Chobe Park you'll spend some time exploring the Khwai River Private Reserve on the edge of the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve.  The region encompasses diverse habitats from wetlands and grasslands, to forests and floodplains.  Exceptional wildlife is found here and one of the best places to see the endangered African Wild Dog.  

Finally your journey ends along the Boteti River, the last last finger of the Okavango Delta, reaching down to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.  The Boteti River draws a line in the sand, separating the dry Makgadikgadi from the thirst lands of the Kalahari beyond. This is the ultimate last chance for hundreds of zebras and wildebeest that crowd the water’s edge to quench a desert-drawn thirst.  

Please note: This is a sample itinerary and we're happy to work with you to customize this safari to your interests and budget. 

BRIEF ITINERARY

Days 1-2 | Arrive in Victoria Falls | Gorges or Little Gorges Lodge (Full Board)

Days 3-4 | Chobe National Park | Chobe Under Canvas Tented Camp (Full Board)

Das 5-6 | Chobe National Park | Savute Under Canvas Tented Camp (Full Board)

Days 7-8  | Kwhai Private Reserve | The Jackal & Hide Tented Camp (Full Board)

Days 9-10 | Boteti River & Makgadikgadi National Park | Meno a Kwena Camp (Full Board)

Day 11 | Return to Maun 

End of Services

As our Botswana Under Canvas Safari is a private, tailor-made itinerary, there are no specific departure dates. Just let us know your potential travel dates and we will check on availability of all services.

PAYMENT: A non-refundable, 20% deposit is required within 7 days of receipt of invoice to confirm booking.  Balance is due 45 days before departure.  If booking is within 45 days of departure date, entire balance is due upon receipt of invoice.

Other terms & conditions apply.

Rate Includes:

  • Full board accommodation while on safari
  • Transfers to and from the airport
  • Scheduled flights as per the itinerary, luggage allowance 15 kgs per person
  • Excursions as per the itinerary
  • Park Entrance fees throughout
  • Current Government taxes and levies

Rate Excludes: 

  • International Airfares
  • International and domestic departure tax
  • Meals and excursions not described in the itinerary above
  • Entry Visas to the country
  • Travel and health insurance
  • Any optional tours or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Gratuities (tips) to your guide, hotel staff and porters
  • Any other items of a personal nature, such as drinks, laundry, telephone and postage.

Gorges Lodge has arguably the most spectacular views in southern Africa and offers a unique Victoria Falls experience from a peaceful and idyllic base on the edge of the Batoka Gorge.  Whether you are enjoying a cup of coffee at sunrise on your private veranda or a cool refreshment by the pool at sunset, you will be constantly drawn to the stunning vistas provided by the Batoka Gorge and the rushing waters of the Zambezi River below.  Accommodations are 10 stone under thatch chalets, all with private verandas that provide stunning views.  Each chalet has en-suite bathrooms with showers, mini bars, overhead fans and tea and coffee making facilities.


Chobe Under Canvas offers an exhilarating experience in the game-rich Chobe National Park - one of the world’s most significant wilderness reserves and home to the greatest concentration of elephant on Earth. Chobe Under Canvas is ideally situated in a private campsite across the park, offering an exclusive safari experience with exceptional wildlife sightings.

Available to guests on a nightly basis, Chobe Under Canvas consists of just five spacious Hemingway style tents, each with double beds, en-suite bathrooms, separate flush toilets and steaming hot bucket showers. Guest areas have comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris with a good book and frosted beer or glass of chilled wine.

Located in Chobe’s best private wilderness campsites, the guides are able to take guests as close as possible to the resident wildlife on interpretive game drives. A fully equipped safari vehicle is complete with onboard safe and charge points for digital cameras and equipment.

Complete with welcoming camp staff, delicious home-cooked meals, and traditional bush dinners served under the stars, Chobe under Canvas offers the soul of Africa - no mains electricity and no running water. The simplicity of camping and the relaxing solitude of the African wilderness offer guests the perfect opportunity to unwind and rejuvenate their soul, far away from modern-day pressures and conveniences.


Savute Under Canvas offers an exhilarating experience in the game-rich Chobe National Park - one of the world’s most significant wilderness reserves and home to the greatest concentration of elephant on Earth.  Savute under Canvas is ideally situated in a private campsites deep in the park, offering an exclusive safari experience with exceptional wildlife sightings.

Available to guests on a nightly basis, Savute Under Canvas consist of just five spacious Hemingway style tents, each with double beds, en-suite bathrooms, separate flush toilets and steaming hot bucket showers. Guest areas have comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris with a good book and frosted beer or glass of chilled wine. Having secured some of Chobe’s best private wilderness campsites, Professional guides are able to take guests as close as possible to the resident wildlife on interpretive game drives. A fully equipped safari vehicle is complete with onboard safe and charge points for digital cameras and equipment.

Complete with welcoming camp staff, delicious home-cooked meals, and traditional bush dinners served under the stars, Savute under Canvas offers the soul of Africa - no main electricity and no running water. The simplicity of camping and the relaxing solitude of the African wilderness offer guests the perfect opportunity to unwind and rejuvenate their soul, far away from modern-day pressures and conveniences.


The Jackal & Hide  is in the heart of the 700 sq mile Khwai Private Reserve, on the northern edge of the Okavango Delta. Khwai is comprised of multiple ecosystems in which a great variety of wildlife thrives, making it one of Botswana’s most desirable wilderness regions to explore. The camp has exceptional views of the remarkable surrounding landscape.

Each of the eight comfortable Meru style tents have an en suite bathroom with shower and toilet and a small private veranda. The central camp facilities are comprised of the dining, lounge and bar areas. An additional lounge area leads to a central fire pit, both being ideal relaxation spaces.

The reserve is carefully managed to maintain a truly pristine, natural environment with minimal impact from safari activities. Healthy populations of large game species such as elephant, buffalo and giraffe inhabit the reserve along with many antelope. Top predators might be glimpsed and bird life is prolific.


Meno a Kwena borders Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in close proximity to Nxai Pan National Park. Overlooking the Boteti River, this authentic safari camp is styled in the tradition of an East African tented camp.  The 10 tents are simple yet stylishly furnished with comfortable bedding, a fan as well as gauze sliding doors and windows. Each tent has an en suite bathroom with a shower, a flush toilet and a private sitting area with views over the Boteti River.  The main lodge has a dining area, bar and lounge with small library and features many interesting artefacts and photographs.  There is a small plunge pool, as well as a floating game viewing hide offering a close yet safe view across the river into the national park.

 

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2020 Rates

  • $7265 (Apr-May; Nov)
  • $8000 (June)
  • $9375 (July-Aug)
  • $8950 (Sept-Oct)

*Rate is per person sharing.  Single supplement applies

Length: 11 days/10 nights

Route:  Starts in Victoria Falls; Ends in Maun.

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Vast plains teeming with wildlife? Paddling the Okavango? Following elephants on foot?

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