9-Day Botswana Family Safari

At a glance

Makgadikgadi, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park

The 9-Day Botswana Family Safari takes the family through four of Botswana's great ecosystems in eight nights, staying at small, welcoming lodges with family rooms at every stop. Watch zebra come down to the Boteti River from Leroo La Tau, look for lion and leopard in Moremi Game Reserve from Camp Xakanaxa, glide through the Okavango Delta by mokoro at Camp Okavango, and finish with elephant and river safaris on the Chobe River at Chobe Game Lodge. Light aircraft do the travelling, the lodges welcome children from six, and every stay is fully inclusive: a Botswana family safari the whole family will talk about for years.

Flying between camps turns the travelling days into part of the safari: an hour over the dunes or the escarpment instead of a day on gravel, and more time where it matters. Every flight, transfer and activity is arranged; you simply arrive.

Makgadikgadi

Nights 1 to 2 · Leroo La Tau

Moremi Game Reserve

Nights 3 to 4 · Camp Xakanaxa

Okavango Delta

Nights 5 to 6 · Camp Okavango

Chobe National Park

Nights 7 to 8 · Chobe Game Lodge

Travel dates

Travel any time · best from May to October

The dry season, May to October, is the classic time: cool mornings, thin bush and game concentrated along the rivers and permanent water. The Okavango floodwaters usually peak between June and August, which is when the water activities are at their best. November to April is the green season, hot and lush, with newborn antelope, migratory birds and far fewer guests in camp.

Travel dates are yours to choose. Tell us roughly when, and we check availability at every property and on every flight before anything is held.

When to go

Botswana and the Zambezi region follow the same rhythm as Namibia: dry and cool from May to October, with September and October the hottest and best for big concentrations of game, then green and stormy from November to April. In the Okavango the flood arrives from the Angolan highlands around June and lingers into September, so mokoro and boating are at their best in the middle of the dry season. Victoria Falls is fullest from February to May and at its lowest, with the clearest views, from September to December.

What is decided: the shape of the trip: the areas, the order, the properties and the number of nights in each. It is the version we would build first for most travellers.

What we confirm together: your dates, who is travelling, room categories and any extensions before or after. Every safari is tailored from here, and nothing is held until you ask us to.

The route

Four camps linked by light aircraft

The route runs from Maun to the Boteti River and the Makgadikgadi, north into Moremi Game Reserve, deeper into the Okavango Delta, and on to Kasane on the Chobe River, all by light aircraft. The flights are short and the camps meet you at each airstrip; the only driving is in the game vehicles.

MakgadikgadiLight aircraft from Maun
Moremi Game ReserveLight aircraft from Makgadikgadi
Okavango DeltaLight aircraft from Moremi
Chobe National ParkLight aircraft from Okavango

Flight times are approximate and schedules are confirmed the evening before. Luggage on light aircraft is limited to about 20 kg per person in soft bags.

Press play to follow the route. Dashed legs are flights, solid legs are by road. Drag to explore, scroll to zoom.

Day by day

Nine days, four properties

01-02

Maun → Makgadikgadi

Arrival, Makgadikgadi

From Maun a light aircraft flies the family to the Leroo La Tau airstrip, followed by a short drive to the lodge, built on the cliffs above the Boteti River on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. The family suite has two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, and a view straight down to the river.

Game drives cross into the national park, and from May to November the zebra and wildebeest of Botswana's secret migration gather at the river below the lodge. A visit to Khumaga village is a good way for children to meet the people who live alongside the wildlife. Meals, local drinks and activities are included.

Included at the lodge: Game drives
Optional: Khumaga village visit

Overnight · Leroo La Tau · fully inclusive · 2 nights

03-04

Makgadikgadi → Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi Game Reserve

Fly north to Moremi Game Reserve and Camp Xakanaxa, on the banks of the Khwai River at the Xakanaxa Lagoon, in the heart of Moremi. Eleven tents and a family tent with two en-suite bedrooms sit under the riverine trees.

Moremi is one of the best game viewing areas in Botswana, and children love the variety: lion and leopard on the morning drives, elephant and hippo at the water, and boat safaris through the channels to the heronries, where the birds nest in their hundreds. Meals, local drinks and activities are included.

Included at the lodge: Game drives, Boat safaris

Overnight · Camp Xakanaxa · fully inclusive · 2 nights

05-06

Moremi Game Reserve → Okavango Delta

Okavango Delta

A short flight takes you deeper into the Okavango Delta to Camp Okavango on Nxaragha Island, in the permanent waters of the Delta, where the family suite has two en-suite bedrooms.

This is the Delta by water: mokoro trips through the reeds and water lilies, motorboat safaris along the channels, and guided walks on the islands where children learn to read tracks and droppings. Fishing is possible in season, and a helicopter flight over the Delta can be added for an unforgettable view. Meals, local drinks and activities are included.

Included at the lodge: Mokoro excursions, Motorboat safaris, Guided island walks
Optional: Helicopter flight, Fishing in season

Overnight · Camp Okavango · fully inclusive · 2 nights

07-08

Okavango Delta → Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park

The last flight takes you north to Kasane and a short drive to Chobe Game Lodge, the only permanent game lodge on the banks of the Chobe River inside Chobe National Park, with family suites facing the water.

End the safari with river safaris among the elephant herds of the Chobe, some of the biggest in Africa, and game drives along the riverfront for lion, buffalo and giraffe. The lodge's boats and game drive vehicles are electric, so the only sounds are the animals. Meals, local drinks and activities are included.

Included at the lodge: River safaris, Game drives

Overnight · Chobe Game Lodge · fully inclusive · 2 nights

Chobe National Park → Kasane

Departure

After breakfast the lodge drives you back to Kasane Airport for your onward flight, or on to Victoria Falls if you are adding a few days there.

Overnight · Departure day

Where you stay

Where you sleep

Nights 1 to 2 · Makgadikgadi

Leroo La Tau

Eleven thatch and glass-fronted chalets and a family suite on cliffs above the Boteti River, facing the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

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Game drives in the national park, boat safaris on the Boteti when the water allows, and the zebra and wildebeest of Botswana's secret migration at the river between May and November. Khumaga village is close by.

Fully inclusive; children from six.

Visit website

SettingMakgadikgadi

BasisFully inclusive

Included activitiesGame drives

OptionalKhumaga village visit

Nights 3 to 4 · Moremi Game Reserve

Camp Xakanaxa

Eleven luxury tents and a two-bedroom family tent on the Khwai River at the Xakanaxa Lagoon, in the heart of Moremi Game Reserve.

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Morning and afternoon game drives, motorised boat safaris through the channels and lagoons, and superb birding in the spring and summer breeding season.

Fully inclusive; children from six.

Visit website

SettingMoremi Game Reserve

BasisFully inclusive

Included activitiesGame drives, Boat safaris

Nights 5 to 6 · Okavango Delta

Camp Okavango

Eleven suites and a two-bedroom family suite on Nxaragha Island, in the permanent waters of the Okavango Delta.

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Mokoro excursions in the shallows, motorboat safaris on the deeper channels, guided island walks and seasonal bream fishing, with a sleep-out platform for stays of three nights or more and helicopter flights on request.

Fully inclusive; children from six.

Visit website

SettingOkavango Delta

BasisFully inclusive

Included activitiesMokoro excursions, Motorboat safaris, Guided island walks

OptionalHelicopter flight, Fishing in season

Nights 7 to 8 · Chobe National Park

Chobe Game Lodge

The only permanent game lodge on the banks of the Chobe River inside Chobe National Park, with every room facing the river.

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Forty-four rooms including family suites and four river-view suites with their own plunge pools. The lodge's safari boats and game drive vehicles are electric, for near-silent river safaris and game drives among the Chobe's elephant herds.

Fully inclusive; a short drive from Kasane Airport.

Visit website

SettingChobe National Park

BasisFully inclusive

Included activitiesRiver safaris, Game drives

The practical side

Good to know

The flights: Light aircraft link the camps, usually a Cessna Caravan or similar, and the camps meet you at each airstrip. The safari starts and ends at Maun or Kasane; we arrange the connection from Windhoek, Johannesburg or Victoria Falls, whichever suits your wider trip.
Luggage: Light aircraft have a strict limit of about 20 kg per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags without wheels or frames.
Passports and visas: Visa rules for Botswana depend on your nationality and change from time to time; we confirm what applies to you when we quote. Your passport needs at least six months of validity and two blank pages.
Health: The Okavango, Chobe, the Zambezi and the Kruger lowveld are malaria areas. Speak to a travel clinic about prophylaxis and vaccinations a few weeks before you travel.
Meals and activities: The safari camps are fully inclusive: all meals, most drinks, laundry and two guided activities a day with the camp's own guides.
Connectivity: Most camps have Wi-Fi in the main area only, and some of the remoter ones have none at all. It is part of the appeal.
What to pack: Neutral colours for game drives, a warm jacket for early mornings in the dry season, a hat, good sun protection, closed shoes for walking, binoculars, and soft bags rather than hard cases.
Travelling with children: The four lodges accept children from six years old, and each has a family room, tent or suite with two en-suite bedrooms. Light aircraft have a luggage limit of about 20 kg per person in soft bags, children included. Tell us the ages when you enquire and we plan the activities around them.

Included

Your journey includes

Meet and greet on arrival with your tour file
Light aircraft flights between the camps as indicated
Airport and airstrip transfers as indicated
Eight nights' accommodation at the properties listed above
Meals and beverages as indicated for each property
Activities as indicated for each property
Park fees as indicated
24/7 in-country support from the Secret Namibia team

Not included

Please budget separately for

International and regional flights to Maun or Kasane
Holiday and personal travel insurance
Visas and visa applications
Optional activities such as helicopter flights
Gratuities
Items of a personal nature

Next steps

From this sample to your own safari

Tell us what appeals.Use the enquiry button on this page, or write to hello@secretnamibia.com, with rough dates, who is travelling and anything you would change: more nights, a different lodge, a few days somewhere else at the end.
We tailor it.Within a day or two you have a version built around you, the same shape if you like it or a different one, with a firm quote for your dates and party.
We hold the rooms.Once the shape is right we place provisional holds at every property and on the flights, at no cost and with no obligation, usually for a week or two.
Deposit and confirmation.A deposit turns the holds into confirmed bookings. The balance is due before travel, and we look after everything from there until you are home again.

This page is a sample itinerary, not a quote, and nothing on it is booked or held. If it suits someone you know, send them the link; we are just as happy to start from scratch for them.

Botswana,
Family Fly-In Safari

Makgadikgadi, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park

When to go

Four camps linked by light aircraft

Nine days, four properties

Arrival, Makgadikgadi

Moremi Game Reserve

Okavango Delta

Chobe National Park

Departure

Where you sleep

Leroo La Tau

Camp Xakanaxa

Camp Okavango

Chobe Game Lodge

Good to know

Your journey includes

Please budget separately for

From this sample to your own safari

Shall we plan your version?

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Namibia

Secret Namibia

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