Botswana
The Best of Botswana: An In-Depth Safari Experience
Program No. 22424RJ
Venture into the Botswanan wilderness to witness elephants, lions, leopards and more, as a local expert teaches you about Botswana’s four unique ecosystems and their cultures.
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14 days
13 nights
33 meals
11B 4BR 7L 11D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Fly to Botswana, Chobe National Park, Overview of Botswana
Chobe National Park
4
Game Drive, Sustainable Tourism Class, Boat Safari
Chobe National Park
5
Fly to Okavango Panhandle, San (Bushmen) Class, Boat Safari
Okavango Delta Panhandle
6
Tsodilo Hills, San Rock Art, Basket Weaving
Okavango Delta Panhandle
7
Bush Walk, Elephant Class, Free Time
Okavango Delta Panhandle
8
Fly To Moremi, Okavango Delta Class & Game Drive
Moremi Game Reserve
9
Game Drive, Free Time, Boat Safari
Moremi Game Reserve
10
Game Drive, Importance of Termites Class, Boat Safari
Moremi Game Reserve
11
Fly To Makgadikgadi Pans, Human/Wildlife Conflict, Safari
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
12
Local Village Visit, Lions Class, Game Drive
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
14
In Transit From Program
In Flight
At a Glance
Join Road Scholar experts to discover the extraordinary wildlife of Botswana in its four highly contrasting but equally stunning ecosystems — riverine, savanna, delta and desert. Home to the world’s largest concentration of elephant as well as many rare species like lions, leopards and wild dogs, Botswana is a safari paradise. Travel from the verdant Okavango Delta to the ancient Kalahari Desert and the famed Chobe National Park, where great rivers meet and elephants roam freely. When you’re not exploring the Botswanan wilderness on safari, take excursions to Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and local villages to learn firsthand about their fascinating rock art, cultural practices and remarkable survival skills.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Minimal walking. Participants must be able to endure bumpy rides in four-wheel drive vehicles for up to four hours. Elevations up to 5,575 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Get up close to some of the most incredible creatures on the planet with expert naturalists.
- Explore the wonderfully diverse flora and fauna in Botswana’s four unique ecosystems.
- Experience authentic Botswana culture on excursions to local villages and Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
General Notes
Please refer to the “Travel Information” section on the Road Scholar website, the start/end dates in your first informational packet or contact the provider if you plan on booking your own flights for correct arrival and departure dates. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Lisa Reed
Lisa Reed was born in Zimbabwe, spent her school years in South Africa, and now lives in Botswana. She has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari destinations, and has managed safari camps on her own and with others since being in Botswana. Lisa has a natural affinity with adults and children, and enjoys passing on her years of experience and knowledge to the next generation. She has been leading safaris for Road Scholar for more than 15 years.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Lisa Reed
View biography
Lisa Reed was born in Zimbabwe, spent her school years in South Africa, and now lives in Botswana. She has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari destinations, and has managed safari camps on her own and with others since being in Botswana. Lisa has a natural affinity with adults and children, and enjoys passing on her years of experience and knowledge to the next generation. She has been leading safaris for Road Scholar for more than 15 years.
Honest Siyawareva
View biography
Growing up, Honest Siyawareva spent much of his life in close proximity to nature, thanks to his family’s passion. Fulfilling his family legacy — his father and uncle were both professional nature leaders — in 2014, Honest qualified as a professional nature leader in Zimbabwe, the only person to pass the extremely onerous examinations that year. Working for Wilderness Safaris in Zimbabwe, he has split his time between camps in Hwange National Park and Mana Pools National Park.
Onx Manga
View biography
Onx Manga was born in Maun, Botswana, the jumping off point for most safari destinations, and was drawn to the safari industry from an early age. He worked at Khwai River Lodge in Moremi Game Reserve and then became assistant camp manager at Savute Elephant Camp in Chobe National Park. He later worked at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge before returning to Botswana and the bush. Onx is a brilliant combination of real-life experience and studied learning. He is dedicated to nature and its conservation.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Best of Botswana: An In-Depth Safari Experience
Program Number: 22424
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle
Haphazardly schooled by her free-spirited mother and left to roam the bush, Scott writes with warmth and candor of her unconventional upbringing in Botswana, commenting on her Grandpa Ivor (personal pilot to the first president of Botswana), physician father's work, unfortunate pets, siblings and adventures.
A Natural History Guide to the Arid Kalahari
The landscapes and vegetation, the antelope, the hyenas, cats and other carnivores, the birds and the smaller creatures... all are included in this comprehensive guide. Plus: Tips and advice for getting the most out of your visit to the arid Kalahari. Not only is A Natural History Guide to the Arid Kalahari a wonderful guide to one of the most intriguing nature destinations in Africa, but you can read it like a book.
Botswana, the Bradt Safari Guide
With comprehensive coverage of history, flora, fauna and practicalities, this fourth edition presents Okavango, Chobe, the Kalahari and other popular destinations in detail.
Botswana Map
A detailed map of Botswana at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Unfolded size: 27 x 39 inches.
The Double Comfort Safari Club
Infinitely patient Precious Ramotswe and her prickly secretary (make that assistant detective!) Grace Makutsi, head to the Okavango Delta where there have been several unexplained and troubling events including the demise of one of the guests.
Wildlife of Southern Africa
This Princeton Pocket Guide, featuring 400 color photographs by Withers and co-author David Hosking, covers all the birds, mammals, lizards and insects you are likely to encounter.
Cry of the Kalahari, Seven Years in Africa's Last Great Wilderness
The story of a family thrown out of Botswana for its stance on conservation. While their approach to conservation is controversial, there's no doubt that the Owens are dedicated to the wildlife of Southern Africa -- and are very good writers.
Whatever You Do, Don't Run
Allison spins captivating tales of wildlife, camps and the life of a safari guide into a hilarious, slyly informative introduction to Botswana.
Africa, a Biography of the Continent
With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa.
The Healing Land
The author travels to the dry grasslands of southern Africa in search of the legendary Kalahari Bushmen and finds evidence of shamans, powerful religious rituals, tribal hunting practices, and much, much more.
The Last Elephants
African savanna elephants--among the most magnificent and beloved of our fellow mammals--are an extraordinary, social, and intelligent species. The Last Elephants, an homage to these animals and a clarion call for their preservation, is based upon a shocking finding: savanna elephant populations across Africa are being decimated, with two to three murdered every hour for their ivory. Without action, these elephants soon will vanish from our world. They are a species in imminent danger of extinction, and it is up to us to save them.
Newman's Birds of Southern Africa
This commemorative 10th edition celebrates the late author with a fully revised and updated version. Edits were done by his daughter, Vanessa Newman, to reflect the latest research, taxonomy and common names.