How we plan a Botswana safari.
We would rather start with a conversation than a form, and we will ask about money early on, because everything after that depends on it being a real number.
Six steps, from first call to welcome home.
The Conversation
A call at a time that suits you. We ask what you want the trip to feel like as well as what you want to see, and we ask what you are working with, because a proposal built on a guess wastes everybody's fortnight.
The Proposal
Within 72 hours: a designed itinerary with routing map, camp profiles, honest seasonal notes and fully transparent per-person pricing — plus, where useful, one option above and one below so the trade-offs are visible.
The Refinement
We keep revising until it is right. No cap on drafts and no charge for them. Most trips go through three or four, and the ones that end up best usually go through more than that.
The Preparation
On confirmation: a personalised documentation pack, packing guidance calibrated to season and light-aircraft weight limits, visa and health briefing, a wildlife and birding checklist, and a pre-departure call two weeks out.
The Journey
Met on arrival. Accompanied on Signature and Grand, monitored throughout on every collection. A duty operations manager in Maun reachable at any hour by phone or WhatsApp.
The Return
A welcome-home call, a curated gallery where a photographic guide was included, and a standing invitation — repeat guests get priority access to our best camps in peak season and preferential rates.
Things we will tell you that cost us bookings.
- When the season you have chosen is wrong for what you want to see
- When a camp is not worth its rate this year, whatever it was like last year
- When a shorter trip done well beats a longer one done thinly
- When your itinerary has one stop too many, and which one to cut
- When the flood is low and a water camp will not have its mokoro channels
- When a cheaper collection would suit you better than the one you asked for
What is in every rate we quote.
- All park, reserve and concession fees
- All accommodation as specified
- All meals as specified, and house drinks in most Signature and Grand camps
- All game activities — drives, mokoro, boat cruises and guided walks where permitted
- All internal transfers by light aircraft, road and boat
- Professional Botswana-registered guides
- All gratuities to guides, trackers, drivers and camp staff
- Drinking water throughout
- Emergency medical evacuation cover
- 24/7 in-country support from our Maun duty desk
- Pre-departure documentation and briefing
Not included: international flights, visas where applicable, travel insurance, premium wines and spirits, curio purchases, and optional activities such as helicopter flights or hot-air balloon where offered. We list these in every quotation rather than in a footnote.
Practical questions, answered properly.
Do I need a visa for Botswana?
Many nationalities, including the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia and much of southern Africa, do not need a visa for short tourist stays. Requirements change, so we confirm yours in writing during planning and again in your pre-departure pack. Your passport must generally be valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates and have enough blank pages for entry stamps.
What are the light-aircraft weight limits?
Typically 20kg per person including hand luggage, in a soft bag with no rigid frame — hard suitcases genuinely will not fit in the hold. Some aircraft are stricter. This surprises more guests than anything else in the pre-departure pack, which is why we send packing guidance calibrated to your specific routing rather than a generic list.
Is malaria a risk?
Northern Botswana — the Delta, Chobe, Linyanti — is a malaria area, and prophylaxis is recommended, particularly November to April. The Kalahari and the pans are much lower risk. Camps provide nets and repellent. Speak to your own doctor; we cover it in the briefing and in your documentation.
How much should I budget for tipping?
Nothing. All gratuities to guides, trackers, drivers and camp staff are included in every journey we sell, at every collection. You do not travel with an envelope of cash and a mental arithmetic problem. If you want to give something extra to a guide who was exceptional, that is entirely your choice.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, and we will say so more than once. Every journey carries emergency medical evacuation cover, but that is not travel insurance. You need a policy covering medical treatment, repatriation and cancellation. We ask for your policy details before departure.
What should I pack?
Less than you think, in a soft bag. Neutral colours, layers, and a properly warm jacket, hat and gloves if you are travelling between May and August: a 6 a.m. game drive in an open vehicle in July is close to freezing. Laundry is available at most camps. A full list, calibrated to your season and routing, comes with your documentation pack.
Can you book our international flights?
We do not sell international flights, but we will tell you which routings work, which arrival times save you a wasted night in Johannesburg or Maun, and how to connect. Getting this wrong costs people a day of their holiday, so ask us before you book.
Ready for the conversation?
Send us a few lines about who is travelling, roughly when, and what you want out of it. A named Travel Designer replies with a designed itinerary within 72 hours.