Botswana and Namibia – Personal Travel Studio

Botswana and Namibia are two of Africa’s most remarkable destinations.

And although they share a border, they offer wonderfully different experiences.

Botswana is famous for its extraordinary wildlife, the waterways of the Okavango Delta and the enormous elephant herds of Chobe National Park.

Namibia brings dramatic desert landscapes, towering sand dunes, rugged mountains and the wildlife-rich plains of Etosha.

Together, they create an exceptional African journey.

Phillip has travelled through Botswana and into Namibia, combining remote safari camps, scenic flights and the wonderful Zambezi Queen before continuing to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

For us, it’s a particularly appealing way to experience southern Africa.

Our travels in Botswana and Namibia

Phillip’s journey began in Maun, the gateway to Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

From here, a scenic light-aircraft flight provided extraordinary views of the waterways and islands before arriving at Stanley’s Camp.

And that’s part of what makes Botswana so special.

The journey between camps becomes an experience in itself.

Days were spent exploring the wilderness on safari before continuing towards Chobe National Park, famous for its enormous elephant population.

From Chobe, Phillip crossed into Namibia to join the Zambezi Queen, a luxury river vessel offering a completely different safari experience.

Watching elephants and other wildlife along the riverbanks was a wonderful contrast to traditional game drives.

The journey then continued into Zimbabwe, staying at Elephant Camp and visiting the spectacular Victoria Falls.

It’s exactly the sort of varied African journey we love putting together.

That experience gives us a personal starting point when discussing a journey through the Delta and Chobe region, with the Namibian river stay and Victoria Falls adding different perspectives.

A wider route through Namibia’s deserts would need its own time and planning. We would choose the final combination around your interests rather than assume every landscape belongs within the same holiday.

Why we love Botswana and Namibia

What appeals to us is the range of experiences these neighbouring countries can bring to a journey. Wildlife may be the main reason for travelling, but the setting and the way you move through it can become equally memorable.

Phillip’s journey shows how a remote camp, a scenic flight and time on the river can each contribute something different. There is room for variety without measuring the holiday by the number of borders crossed or places visited.

Namibia’s desert regions offer another reason to explore further when you have the time. The contrast with Botswana’s waterways can be striking, but those distances deserve a thoughtful route and enough nights in each setting.

For us, the strongest combination is the one that fits how you like to travel. A focused journey with comfortable camps and time to appreciate the surroundings can be more rewarding than an ambitious itinerary that leaves little room between its highlights.

Our Botswana and Namibia Picks

These six picks introduce the safari regions, landscapes and river experiences described here. Some combine naturally within a focused journey, while others need a longer holiday or a separate visit. The route should give each setting enough time.

The Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s most extraordinary wildlife environments.

Seasonal floodwaters spread across the Kalahari, creating a remarkable network of lagoons, channels, islands and floodplains.

Elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and an enormous variety of birdlife inhabit the region.

What makes the Delta particularly special is the variety of safari experiences.

Alongside traditional game drives, some camps offer boat excursions, guided walks and mokoro journeys through the waterways.

We’d recommend spending several nights here, ideally choosing camps that offer contrasting experiences.

We would choose the camps around the setting and available activities, taking your dates into account. Two stays should provide a reason to move, with a difference you will appreciate rather than simply another location on the map.

Leave time to enjoy camp life between guided outings. A comfortable pace helps you absorb the landscape, with the flight connections treated as part of the full experience and enough nights to settle in before the next stage of the journey begins.

The Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s most extraordinary wildlife environments.

Seasonal floodwaters spread across the Kalahari, creating a remarkable network of lagoons, channels, islands and floodplains.

Elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo and an enormous variety of birdlife inhabit the region.

What makes the Delta particularly special is the variety of safari experiences.

Alongside traditional game drives, some camps offer boat excursions, guided walks and mokoro journeys through the waterways.

We’d recommend spending several nights here, ideally choosing camps that offer contrasting experiences.

Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi and Chobe National Park

Moremi Game Reserve forms part of the wider Okavango ecosystem and is renowned for exceptional wildlife viewing.

Its combination of woodland, floodplains and waterways supports predators, elephants and numerous other species.

This is a region to consider when you want wildlife to have a substantial place in the holiday, with time for guided outings and room to appreciate the environment between sightings. The experience should be shaped around the camp and its particular setting.

We would look at how a Moremi stay complements other choices within the wider Delta. The names of the regions alone will not tell you whether two camps offer a worthwhile contrast, so the practical programme matters as well as the location.

Choose a manageable number of bases and give each enough nights. A focused stay can be more rewarding than moving frequently, with time for quieter moments at camp and space to enjoy the wildlife without making any particular sighting a condition of success.

Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi and Chobe National Park

Moremi Game Reserve forms part of the wider Okavango ecosystem and is renowned for exceptional wildlife viewing.

Its combination of woodland, floodplains and waterways supports predators, elephants and numerous other species.

Chobe National Park

Chobe offers something different.

It’s particularly famous for its elephants, with large herds gathering along the Chobe River during the drier months.

A river safari is an experience we’d strongly recommend.

Watching elephants approach the water, hippos resting in the shallows and wildlife gathering along the banks is quite extraordinary.

The relationship between the park and the river is central to its appeal. We would consider a combination of suitable experiences rather than assume every day needs to follow the same safari routine.

Your base should work with the way you want to explore. The accommodation, the journeys for outings and any onward river stay deserve attention together, particularly when Chobe forms the connection between several parts of a holiday.

Allow time to enjoy the setting without rushing towards the next transfer. Wildlife remains unpredictable, but a thoughtful programme gives you opportunities to appreciate the riverbank activity, the surrounding landscape and the quieter moments that make the experience memorable in their own right.

Chobe National Park

Chobe offers something different.

It’s particularly famous for its elephants, with large herds gathering along the Chobe River during the drier months.

A river safari is an experience we’d strongly recommend.

Watching elephants approach the water, hippos resting in the shallows and wildlife gathering along the banks is quite extraordinary.

The relationship between the park and the river is central to its appeal. We would consider a combination of suitable experiences rather than assume every day needs to follow the same safari routine.

Namibia's deserts and Etosha

Namibia offers a completely different side of Africa.

The towering red dunes of Sossusvlei are among the country’s most recognisable landscapes, while nearby Deadvlei creates an extraordinary contrast of ancient trees, white clay and enormous dunes.

Further north, Damaraland offers rugged mountains, ancient rock engravings and opportunities to encounter desert-adapted elephants.

Etosha National Park is Namibia’s premier traditional safari destination.

Its vast salt pan and surrounding waterholes attract elephants, giraffes, lions, rhinos and numerous other animals.

We particularly like the idea of combining these landscapes with Botswana’s waterways.

You experience two very different sides of southern Africa within one journey.

We would choose the regions around the scenery and wildlife that matter most to you, then allow realistic time to travel between them. A few well chosen bases can give Namibia more depth than a long list of overnight stops.

The desert journey should have enough space of its own, particularly when a Botswana safari forms another substantial part of the holiday.

Namibia's deserts and Etosha

Namibia offers a completely different side of Africa.

The towering red dunes of Sossusvlei are among the country’s most recognisable landscapes, while nearby Deadvlei creates an extraordinary contrast of ancient trees, white clay and enormous dunes.

Further north, Damaraland offers rugged mountains, ancient rock engravings and opportunities to encounter desert-adapted elephants.

Etosha National Park is Namibia’s premier traditional safari destination.

Its vast salt pan and surrounding waterholes attract elephants, giraffes, lions, rhinos and numerous other animals.

We particularly like the idea of combining these landscapes with Botswana’s waterways.

You experience two very different sides of southern Africa within one journey.

The desert journey should have enough space of its own, particularly when a Botswana safari forms another substantial part of the holiday.

The Skeleton Coast and Swakopmund

Namibia’s Atlantic coastline is another remarkable contrast.

Swakopmund offers a relaxed coastal atmosphere, excellent excursions and opportunities to explore where the desert meets the ocean.

Further north, the Skeleton Coast is one of Africa’s most remote and dramatic landscapes.

Shipwrecks, immense dunes and wild Atlantic beaches create an extraordinary sense of isolation.

For travellers with more time, these regions add another fascinating dimension to a Namibia itinerary.

Consider whether the coast adds something you particularly want to experience and how it fits with the inland route. A stay around Swakopmund and a journey into more remote coastal scenery call for different arrangements.

We would look at the travelling time, accommodation and available excursions together before deciding the balance. The change of landscape deserves enough room to feel worthwhile, with space to appreciate the surroundings rather than simply arrive and move on again.

A longer holiday can give this part of Namibia a clearer role within the journey, alongside the desert and wildlife regions you choose.

The Skeleton Coast and Swakopmund

Namibia’s Atlantic coastline is another remarkable contrast.

Swakopmund offers a relaxed coastal atmosphere, excellent excursions and opportunities to explore where the desert meets the ocean.

Further north, the Skeleton Coast is one of Africa’s most remote and dramatic landscapes.

Shipwrecks, immense dunes and wild Atlantic beaches create an extraordinary sense of isolation.

For travellers with more time, these regions add another fascinating dimension to a Namibia itinerary.

A longer holiday can give this part of Namibia a clearer role within the journey, alongside the desert and wildlife regions you choose.

The Zambezi Queen and Victoria Falls

One of Phillip’s favourite experiences was staying aboard the Zambezi Queen.

Operating along the Chobe River, with boarding arrangements in Namibia, the vessel offers a wonderfully relaxed way to experience the surrounding wildlife.

Instead of spending every day in a safari vehicle, you can watch elephants, hippos and birdlife from the water.

It also connects beautifully with Victoria Falls.

Phillip continued into Zimbabwe, staying at Elephant Camp and visiting the falls.

For us, combining a traditional safari, a river-based experience and Victoria Falls creates something particularly memorable.

We would give each part of that combination enough time, looking at the river arrangements and the connection to Zimbabwe alongside the safari camps. The changes of setting should feel comfortable rather than create a succession of rushed transfers.

Phillip’s experience provides a personal perspective on the contrast between land and water. A stay near the falls can then bring the journey another memorable setting, with room to enjoy the accommodation as well as the visit itself.

The Zambezi Queen and Victoria Falls

One of Phillip’s favourite experiences was staying aboard the Zambezi Queen.

Operating along the Chobe River, with boarding arrangements in Namibia, the vessel offers a wonderfully relaxed way to experience the surrounding wildlife.

Instead of spending every day in a safari vehicle, you can watch elephants, hippos and birdlife from the water.

It also connects beautifully with Victoria Falls.

Phillip continued into Zimbabwe, staying at Elephant Camp and visiting the falls.

For us, combining a traditional safari, a river-based experience and Victoria Falls creates something particularly memorable.

Things to do in Botswana and Namibia

Explore the Delta from a carefully chosen camp

Choose a Delta stay around the experiences that particularly interest you. Game drives and available water activities can bring different perspectives, but the setting of the camp and conditions during your visit will help determine the programme.

The aim is to appreciate the whole environment, with a guide bringing the landscape and wildlife into context. Quiet time between outings can be part of enjoying a remote camp rather than simply a gap before the next activity.

We would give the stay enough nights and consider how it complements the rest of the holiday. A thoughtful combination leaves room to settle in, with realistic connections and no expectation of a guaranteed animal sighting.

See Chobe from the river

Time on the river offers a different perspective from a safari vehicle, with attention drawn to the banks, the water and the activity around them. Choose a suitable outing within a programme that reflects your interests.

Wildlife watching needs patience, with an experienced guide helping you notice more than the headline animals. The surroundings and the way the experience unfolds can become as memorable as a particular sighting.

We would consider how the outing fits with your accommodation and any longer river stay. There is no need to fill every day with similar activities when a balanced selection can give the river its own place within the holiday and leave time to rest.

Appreciate Namibia’s desert landscapes

Give the desert regions time for observation as well as photographs. The dunes and contrasting scenery described here can become a substantial reason for travelling, particularly if landscapes matter as much to you as wildlife.

Choose outings that suit the people travelling and how much activity feels comfortable. A carefully planned visit should allow for the conditions and the practical journey from your accommodation, with space for breaks.

We would avoid building the day around too many separate stops. Fewer experiences with enough time to enjoy them can be more rewarding, leaving you able to appreciate the setting and return comfortably rather than spend much of the visit preparing for the next transfer.

Enjoy wildlife watching around Etosha

Consider Etosha as part of a Namibia route that gives wildlife its own place alongside the desert scenery. The waterholes and surrounding landscape provide a focus for observation, with local guidance helping you understand the conditions during your stay.

The programme should suit your companions and interest in guided activities. Patience and time to look around matter more than trying to complete a list of animals within one outing.

We would choose the accommodation and route together, allowing enough nights for the experience to feel worthwhile. A comfortable pace leaves room to enjoy the setting between visits, with no particular sighting promised and realistic time for the next stage of the holiday.

Make the scenic flights part of the experience

Phillip’s arrival into the Delta shows how a journey between camps can become a memorable part of the holiday. Seeing the waterways and islands from above introduces another perspective before the next stay begins.

The flights should also work practically within the itinerary. We would consider the complete route and the arrangements for each camp, with enough time on the ground to enjoy the places the aircraft connects.

There is no need to add flights simply for variety. A carefully chosen sequence can make the transport feel natural, with the scenery contributing to the journey and the rest of the programme leaving room for guided outings, meals and relaxed time at camp.

Add a considered visit to Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls belongs to a further part of the journey in Zimbabwe, rather than either of the two countries at the centre of this page. It can provide a memorable addition when the connections and available nights fit.

Phillip continued there after the Botswana safari and Namibian river stay, with time at Elephant Camp as well as visiting the falls. That personal experience provides a starting point for discussing the combination.

We would give the visit enough space in the programme and consider the season alongside your interests. The final stay should add something worthwhile, with comfortable arrangements and time to enjoy the setting rather than simply extend the list of destinations.

Botswana and Namibia FAQs

When is the best time to visit Botswana and Namibia?

The drier months, generally May to October, are particularly popular for wildlife viewing.

Animals gather around permanent water sources, while conditions are often excellent for exploring Etosha and Chobe.

The Okavango Delta’s seasonal floodwaters frequently arrive during this period, creating wonderful water-based safari opportunities.

The greener months bring different landscapes, excellent birdwatching and seasonal wildlife activity.

We’d always consider the individual regions and safari camps when recommending travel dates.

How long do I need for Botswana and Namibia?

We’d recommend around two weeks for a focused safari itinerary, or three weeks if exploring Namibia’s main desert regions alongside Botswana.

Is Botswana or Namibia better for a safari?

Both are exceptional, but different. Botswana is particularly renowned for remote wildlife experiences and the Okavango Delta, while Namibia combines traditional safaris with spectacular desert landscapes.

Is the Okavango Delta worth visiting?

Absolutely. It’s one of Africa’s most extraordinary environments, offering exceptional wildlife and a wonderful combination of land and water-based safaris.

Can I see the Big Five?

Both countries offer opportunities to encounter iconic African wildlife, although sightings vary by region. Botswana’s rhinos are particularly elusive, while Namibia’s buffalo are mainly found in the northeast.

Can I combine Botswana and Namibia with Victoria Falls?

Yes, and it’s a combination we particularly recommend. Phillip has travelled this route himself, combining Botswana’s safari regions, the Zambezi Queen in Namibia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Is the Zambezi Queen in Botswana or Namibia?

The Zambezi Queen operates along the Chobe River, with boarding arrangements on the Namibian side. It provides a wonderfully different perspective on the wildlife of the Chobe region.