Zebras in grass in Savute Wildlife Reserve

Luxury holidays to Botswana

Burnt-orange sunsets. Desolate salt pans melting into the horizon. Thousands of elephants wading through a vast riverine delta. Botswana is a land packed with natural drama and one of Africa’s last great wildernesses.

Going on safari here is a luxury holiday in every sense, from top-class camps and lodges in the wild to close-up encounters with extraordinary wildlife. The Okavango Delta is Botswana’s head-turner, an intricate web of channels, forested islands and floodplains fed by the Angolan highlands. Explore by game vehicle, boat or traditional mokoro as elephants, hippos, lions, leopards and prolific birdlife surround you. Further north, Chobe is renowned for its huge elephant populations, while the Kalahari offers something completely different. Here, the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans stretch towards the horizon, transforming after the rains as zebra and other wildlife move across the plains.

Suggested itineraries for Botswana

These example journeys will give you a starting point from which to plan your holiday to the Botswana. This collection of ideas includes our favourite combinations of hotels, regions and destinations. Every Turquoise itinerary is unique, so please treat these as inspiration and get in touch with our destination experts to create your bespoke journey and quote.

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Family Fun in the Western & Eastern Cape

11 nights from £25,500 per family

Perfect for families with little ones, this itinerary showcases the very best of South Africa with the ideal balance of…

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Family Safari & Beach in Kenya

10 nights from £26,450 per family

Combine the thrill of a family safari in Kenya with the magic of Lamu, a unique coastal escape perfect for families…

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Romantic dinner around the pool at night at Madikwe Lelapa Safari Lodge

South Africa & Mauritius: Safari Beach Adventure

11 nights from £36,500 per family

Combine a malaria-free safari with a week long stay on the beach with this fabulous itinerary.

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Sunset views in Thornybush Private Game Reserve

South Africa & Victoria Falls In Style

7 nights from £9,950 per person

Explore South Africa & Victoria Falls in Style - from the Cape to 'The Falls'.

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Lion cub in grass at Chitwa Chitwa safari lodge

South Africa & Mozambique: Chic Safari and Stunning Island

1 nights

Combine the stunning island of Mozambique with Sabi Sands Reserve in South Africa for this incredible safari beach…

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Aerial view of Babylonstoren with pearl mountain in the background

South Africa: Family Winelands & Safari Holiday

7 nights

7 nights from £11,445 per family South Africa Enjoy an exhilarating adventure which will take you from the Winelands to…

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Discover Thabametsit Tree house at night

South Africa & Mauritius Luxury Safari Beach Honeymoon

11 nights from £7,700 per person

For the ultimate luxury escape to South Africa and Mauritius, combine 4 nights at Marataba Safari Lodge in South Africa…

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Classic South Africa Safari & Mauritius Beach

11 nights from £6,820 per person

Journey from a malaria-free safari to Mauritius, combining incredible wildlife with a luxury beach escape.

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Ultimate Safari Beach – Kenya & Zanzibar

10 nights from £6,099 per person

Prices start from £5,780 per person. A 10 night journey twinning Kenya's iconic Masai Mara with the powdery beaches and…

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Best time to visit Botswana

Botswana’s landscapes change dramatically through the year, making it a rewarding destination in every season. November to March brings the summer rains, brief thunderstorms, lush greenery and excellent birdlife. April and May are comfortable and beautifully green, while wildlife begins moving towards the Okavango Delta.

June to August brings Botswana’s cooler winter, with dry landscapes, clear skies and superb game viewing as animals gather around water. The Okavango’s floodwaters also begin filling the channels and lagoons. Late August and September are warmer, with thinning vegetation and excellent wildlife sightings before the summer rains return.

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Regions in Botswana

Botswana

Selinda Game Reserve

The Selinda Reserve is a 320 000 acre private wildlife sanctuary in northern Botswana. This area is where the famous Selinda…

Botswana

Savuti Wildlife Reserve

The Savuti is a region with a story, as it hasn’t always been the safari haven it is today. The Savuti lies south of Linyanti in…

Botswana

Okavango Delta

Rightly considered one of the most incredible wildlife and wilderness sanctuaries in Africa, the Okavango is the largest inland…

Botswana

Moremi Game Reserve

The Moremi Wildlife Reserve encompasses the central and eastern areas of the Okavango Delta. An untouched wilderness, this areas…

Botswana

Makgadikgadi National Park

The Makgadikgadi is one of Botswana’s most stunning regions – Its right up there with the Okavango Delta, but for entirely…

Botswana

Linyanti Wildlife Reserve

To the northeast of the Okavango Delta, the Chobe and Linyanti Game Reserves are renowned for their predators as well as being…

Botswana

Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park - named after the magnificent Chobe River - is the second largest national park in Botswana. Home to a huge…

From Delta to Desert

Glide through the Okavango by mokoro, watch elephants along the Chobe River and cross the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans. Botswana’s magic lies in how dramatically the landscape, and the safari experience, changes as you travel.

Where to stay in Botswana

Wildlife is king in Botswana and a range of wilderness safari camps afford you the chance to right on the edge of nature. From safari-luxe camps right in the heart of the Okavango Delta to stylish tented accommodation sitting among the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, you can let Botswana's incredible animals come to you.

Shinde

Nestled on a luscious palm-dotted island in the heart of the northern Okavango Delta, Shinde is one of Okavango’s finest and most established properties.

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Sable Alley

This classic safari-luxe camp is wonderfully located in the Okavango Delta amid the famously game-rich floodplains of the Khwai Private Reserve - one of Botswana’s best kept secrets.

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Botswana highlights

Go wildlife watching in the Okavango Delta

Home to the ‘Big Five’, Moremi Game Reserve is nestled in the heart of the Okavango Delta. It offers a rich array of experiences, with safari game drives slicing through mopane woodland and dry savannah where you can glimpse the ‘Big Five’, red lechwe, impala, cheetah and more within just an arm’s length. Hop on a river safari aboard a traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe) for a relaxing wildlife experience; ford the delta’s marshland and lagoons, parting reeds to reveal herds of elephants drinking from lush islands and the eyes of the odd crocodile glinting in the afternoon sun. However you choose to explore Moremi’s landscapes, make sure you look up. Nearly 500 bird species flit the reserve, from a malachite kingfisher perched on a reed to a coppery-tailed coucal swooping overhead.

Botswana holiday types

Botswana honeymoons

Botswana family holidays

Botswana safari camps

Botswana travel inspiration

Family Easter Holidays 2025

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Wedding Anniversary Holidays - Summer 2024/2025

Our team of travel specialists love planning a special occasion holiday. If you have a wedding anniversary coming up this summer, it is the perfect opportunity to plan a luxury holiday. Turquoise's expert consultants spend their days putting together tailor …

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28 Dec 20236 mins read

Turquoise Holidays' Alternative Olympics

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08 Apr 20217 mins read

A day on safari in Botswana

From being woken by birdsong to ending round the campfire and spotting a feast of wildlife inbetween, Africa travel specialist Nick Prentice recalls how a day on safari in Botswana is a thrill from start to finish…

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31 Jan 20193 mins read

Beautiful gem stones from around the world

Bespoke jewellery boutique, W&W Jewellery is renowned for their exceptional jewellery using rare and refined gemstones. Here they give us a starter guide to the origins of our favourite gemstones...

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29 Oct 20174 mins read

Young Explorers on Safari in Botswana

For a long time, it was thought that children didn’t belong on safari, that they would be too young to appreciate what was around them and not grateful for such an opportunity - how backwards that seems now! Thanks to …

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Perfect September Luxury Holidays

If you're looking to holiday in September, you're making a great choice. Across the northern hemisphere, many children have gone back to school, but that just means many resorts will be clear of families and more open to couples or …

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Travel Reviews

We have extensive personal experience of all the destinations we sell to on the website and we want to share this with you so you have the best possible experience when you travel. We can help create the perfect holiday …

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Why Choose Turquoise?

Family Owned & Run

We are one of the few remaining family owned and run operators of our size. We have direct relationships with every single destination, island, resort and hotel we work with, in order to deliver exceptional and truly personalised service.

Our Passion Runs Deep

We are - and always have been - mad about travel. For almost 25 years we've been scouring the globe for the best places to stay, the newest routes to take, the perfect people to meet. No-one will care more about your holiday.

Definition of Luxury

Luxury means something different to everyone. Whether you are seeking the silence of vast spaces, the isolation of a private island, the buzz of a new city, the adrenaline of a safari or anything in between, we listen, we learn, we advise.

Fun & Refreshing

We endeavour that every Turquoise experience is unique, fun and refreshing. Travel is all about experiences, about serendipitous moments and endless smiles. It is a joy and an honour to plan each and every Turquoise holiday.

Frequently asked questions about Botswana

Answers to the questions we’re asked most often about Botswana. If you have a more specific question, please get in touch with our destination experts.