11 independent reviews for Botswana safari and wild camping

Reviews for Botswana safari and wild camping

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review 30 Nov 2025

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Camping in the wild.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Just to be ready that is not a "holiday" but a journey through Africa.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes i do.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Really good if you are ready to adapt to campsite way. Team perfect, organization perfect, food good. The host company and his team deserve 5 stars...

review 30 Nov 2025

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Everything was AMAZING! Seeing the wild animals up close. The camping, the fantastic food, and especially our wonderful guide Brian.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Be prepared for an adventure!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

One of the best things I have ever done.

review 22 Jun 2025

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The knowledge of the guide on plants, birds, animals and the countries and people. The guide helped us feel safe, even when lions were close to our camp and we learnt so much on this trip.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Don't expect a relaxed time... be prepared to take part in helping with all aspects of the camping experience - and to start early everyday. It was great fun because we were in a group where everyone pitched in. Also, we had a couple of nights when lions were close to our camp, so couldn't leave our tents at night - and a she-wee came in very handy. Finally, be aware that there are long periods of time when there is no data or phone signal... it was actually great, but might be an issue if you need to be contactable.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes.... the time with the polers in the okavango delta was incredible and you could see how our visit sieving helped them continue to live and work in that remote region.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Fabulous - although more of an adventure than a relaxed holiday.

review 22 Jun 2025

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The whole holiday was amazing, seeing a large variety of animals and birds with expert guides as well as enjoying the amazing landscapes and sunsets. We were lucky to see the big 5 as well as hyenas, wild dogs and many more. I also found a new love for bird spotting!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Start the tour in Johannesburg, the first 2 days are long drives but definitely worth it to see the rhinos. I would recommend an inflatable sleeping mat, the mat provided would be tough to sleep on for 10 days! A larger capacity power bank is also very helpful as limited opportunity to charge in the vehicle with a group of 12.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes, I feel that the company employed local people including guides and polers in the delta. The ‘Save our Sausage trees’ is a great initiative to support people in the Delta to get fibreglass mokoros. We were encouraged to refill plastic water bottles where possible. It is however challenging to recycle the plastic bottles purchased to ensure adequate water is available when wild camping.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Wonderful! One of the best trips we have been on! As the guides say…this is not a holiday it is an adventure. Be prepared for early starts and long days, but it is definitely worth it! Our lead guide Brian was incredible and food was top notch! Didn’t expect to gain so much weight wild camping! Couldn’t recommend this trip or company more highly! Thankyou!

review 20 Oct 2025

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Incredible wildlife.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

A Maun start is good if not strongly wanting to go to the Rhino sanctuary. It saves 2 days hard driving. Prepare for long drives when moving to a new area.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Most of the drivers, wildlife guides and mokoro drivers are local. Park entrance fees support conservation.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Excellent trip to visit northern Botswana, stay in campsites that have only your group, and see amazing amounts of wildlife.

review 10 Nov 2024

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Watching the baby animals.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Only book this trip if you know what a wild safari is!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

I hope that it has benefited the local population, because we have done some shopping and the tourists - let's put it this way - provide jobs for many people. The environmental impact, well, we have seen rubbish thrown away in national parks.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Absolutely worth the price, it was an exceptional opportunity!

review 15 Dec 2024

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The glorious landscapes of Namib deserts, Botswana Delta, happy accident of a compatible group of international travellers, excellent caring, knowledgeable, guides. The itinerary was brilliantly planned, though sometimes rushed.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Be prepared (as I was not) for managing heavy canvas tents, unwieldy poles, stiff zippers. Tents were taken down very early almost every morning, so managing them was an issue for solo travellers, despite helpful group. The excellent food, common sense, uncomplaining cheer of the group—my tip: Don’t complain, travel lightly.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

I was dismayed at the amount of plastic we used… how to manage differently in that context? not clear. More time in small local markets along the highway might have been helpful?

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

I loved this trip. It was hard work but glorious. The guides were wonderful, though they were working with faulty equipment (we had to push our truck sometimes to start it; locks jammed; stair came loose as travellers got off van; tents were solid but needing replacement.

review 18 Jun 2023

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Difficult to pick highlight. Enticing was great

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Don’t be fearful, just go

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Fantastic

review 11 Oct 2019

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Seeing a leopard kill. Being chased by a hippo. All the amazing animals up close. Our fabulous guide Farai and his cooking!! Kenny our driver and guide - great driving skills! Ronald our guide who put up our tents before we arrived at a new camp.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Be prepared for anything. Bring lots of wet wipes and a scarf to put around your face when in the jeep - for warmth, to keep the dust and wind out. Be super organised.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Definitely - it created jobs. We were so careful with the environment - no rubbish left, used water sparingly, donated to the sausage tree fund.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Amazing!!!! So well-organised and the guides were so professional. Loved the guides and the healthy food.

review 15 Aug 2019

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

There were SO many highlights. Possibly the most memorable part was our 2 night stay in the Okavango Delta. A short but amazing helicopter flight over the delta (optional, at extra cost) gave us the perfect overview before our mekoro (poled canoe) journey to the island, where the so-called basic facilities proved quite reasonable. No squatting, but a loo with a view and a shower with water heated over the fire! We had 2 pleasant walks with good wildlife viewing, a beautiful sunset mekoro trip, and the company of a hippo munching its way through the night on the grass by the adjacent pool. It was in the pool in the morning, before we left, but climbed out before we needed to travel past it. Travelling by mekoro must be the most peaceful and relaxing way to travel!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

We didn't find the mattresses supplied sufficiently comfortable, so purchased self-inflating mattresses at the first opportunity (in Swakopmund). If you aren't used to very hard beds, I'd recommend making space for them in your luggage! The roads in Namibia and Botswana were so rough that they caused our 5 litre water bottles to spring leaks. Maybe the amount of plastic in the bottles has been reduced! We also invested in a folding water container in Swakopmund.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes. We ate in local restaurants, shopped locally and directly paid the people poling the mekoros.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Absolutely wonderful. The only changes I would make to the holiday would be for the company to provide drinking water (to obviate the need for lots of disposable plastic bottles) and for there to be airplane style overhead lockable storage in the vehicle so clients would not needs to carry their backpacks around when otherwise they were not needed.

review 27 Aug 2019

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

being in direct contact with nature and wildlife, amazing skies, great sightings, relaxed atmostphere, very knowledgeable guides, excellent food prepared by our guide

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

read carefully the instructions sent by the operator and then let yourselves get carried away

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

no recycling of waste during wild camping

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

I think the operator should better check that all participants are fit for this kind of trip. We had an 83 yo traveling solo in the group, walking with sticks. While I admire her for her adventurous character, she was not able to put up her tent and take it down nor could she participate in the other chores so it was an additional burden for all of us. Whats more, on the first day, she got badly bruised climbing into the 4x4 vehicle, we had to take her to a doctor which delayed us and caused us to miss one game drive in Moremi game reserve...

Read the operator's response here:

Hi Rachel, thank you for your comments. On this trip when wild camping we have to take everything in and out of the park with limited space in the vehicle and trailer. Recycling on the spot is not always doable. We do however request the guides to drop the refuse at a re-cycling dump in a village on the way out of the parks. Our company does not discriminate against age. All clients that are over the age of 65 are required to submit a medical certificate from a Doctor stating that they are fit to travel. This client did have such a declaration and was fit to travel.

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