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Kruger Walking Safari
Botswana Trip Report
Famous for offering some of the most luxurious and exclusive (and correspondingly expensive) safari camps in all of Africa, Botswana’s high level of thoughtful service lends itself beautifully to a family safari for the right sort of adventurous family. Botswana is certainly not the first country to jump to mind when considering a family safari, but for some it will be the family holiday of a lifetime.
A popular itinerary starts off in one of the larger lodges in Chobe, which acts as a good introduction to Botswana as WiFi and phone signal is still available in most hotels. For those who do not want the Chobe crowds, then the Linyanti area is an excellent park with beautiful boating and fantastic wildlife. Then, of course there is the must-see; the beautiful and watery Okavango Delta for unique mokoro adventures, unbelievable wildlife, staying at little extremely personalised luxury camps. For the seriously adventurous families with time on their hands, you could also head to the remote and desolate Makgadikigadi Pans.
A Botswana family safari can be seamlessly combined with an action-packed trip to Victoria Falls (a simple drive over the border at Kasane takes you into Zambia), or indeed a city break at Cape Town.
The big question for a Botswana Family Safari is whether you want to stay in private reserves (exclusive, intimate, activity-central) or the National Parks (restricted activities). The private reserves cover parts of the Okavango Delta, along with the Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando reserves. The only (but significant) con of the private reserves is the price tag. The National Park options still deliver a great safari, but without the high cost of the private reserves. These areas include Chobe National Park, some areas of Moremi, Makgadikgadi and the Kalahari.
Hands down the best lodge in the Okavango Delta for children is Seba Camp. With a huge concentration on centring activities around children, you would almost expect Seba Camp's tag line to be 'the children are the future'. It's not, of course. But a family holiday here would prove an immersive experience for adults and children alike.
For the Selinda Spillway it’s absolutely Selinda Explorer’s Camp. Children are given a Young Explorer’s Pack on arrival which marks the start of their ‘training’ and over the course of their stay will work towards their Conservation Ambassador Badge. An extra touch that puts this top of the list is that your child will receive a letter from a local child inviting them to be a lifelong pen pal.
Chobe is not our favourite wildlife area as we find it relatively crowded, but having said that Muchenje is one of the best family safari lodges in Botswana. Opt for the two-storey family chalet, giving you more than enough space to eradicate the usual family bickering from your holiday – teenagers especially like this!
Leroo La Tau is our pick in the Makgadikgadi Pans. This camp has a spacious family room and is really spread out, so ideal for relaxation in between activities. Kids will love exploring with the San Bushmen, boating around the area and seeing the impressive Zebra migration - a sight fit to impress any age!
Botswana is a landlocked country, so not as easily combinable with a beach break as other African countries like in East Africa. The closest destination would be Mozambique, famous for its spectacular white sandy beaches, which are probably some of the best in Africa. You have the Quirimbas and Bazaruto Archipelagos chains to choose from. However, they are not cheap! For a safari and beach combination we would implore you to consider an East Africa safari destination; it is much easier logistically and also cheaper to combine the two and Zanzibar (the go to East African island) is more appropriate for families than options in Mozambique.
Further afield you can also combine Mauritius with a safari in Botswana, although you have to take into consideration extra travel time. Due to non-connecting flights, the downside of combining Botswana with the beach is the annoying overnight in Johannesburg. Alternatively, both Victoria Falls and Cape Town work perfectly well with a Botswana safari pre and post safari.
Time to stop rushing around with your heads in a screen. A safari is a chance to ditch the iPhone and PlayStation, and reconnect with nature and with each other. Botswana’s wilderness is one of the last true ones in the world, and we cannot think of many better places to spend really special quality time with your loved ones.
Botswana is a great place for a wild education. With so little in the form of man-made entertainment, there are few distractions and the lodges will often have specially trained guides running children’s educational programmes. So with great luxury, comes great convenient service!
Botswana is all about intimacy and personalised service. Children are just as attentively looked after as the parents; there are no half measures just because children are short!
A Botswana family safari is not for everyone. However, there are very few family experiences that can compare for those whose children are mature and nature-savvy.
On top of stunning lodges and first class hospitality, Botswana's wildlife is exceptional, from the marauding hippos, the wading elephants or the exceptional birdlife, it is one of the best places on the continent to view the big five, plus wild dog and cheetah. A boating, walking or vehicular safari never disappoints in Botswana.
Safaris are not the most economical option for a family holiday; there is no question about it. Family tents are available across most camp, meaning you can all be under the same canvas - a relief to some..! It’s worth remembering that under 12’s are eligible for a reduction on their international air fares. On the ground in Botswana, prices start at around $950 per adult per night and about $600 per child per night. Although very expensive, if you have the budget then we really would recommend Botswana as the ultimate family holiday destination for older families looking for the best of the best.
Introducing Odyssey Explorer
Welcome to our new itinerary-building app! Odyssey Explorer allows you to browse a range of popular itinerary templates and tailor them to suit your budget and tastes. Once you are happy with your route template, Odyssey Explorer gives you the freedom to select and change your accommodation in each destination. It is an excellent tool for you to get an instant price for your dream trip before you work with a Tanzania expert to fine-tune it and make it into a reality.
Book a safari camp with inter-connecting rooms or a family tent so you can all stay close together.
If you are a large, multigenerational family then looking to book a smaller camp for exclusive use is certainly worth considering. Being able to tailor make your days to how you want them is a real bonus and gives your trip that extra special feeling.
Going just outside of the main June to September season will still give you great game viewing, but at a fraction of the cost.
Avoiding the national parks and being in one of the private concessions will give you a really raw, intimate and quiet safari experience and you can be certain that your family's every needs will be attended to.
Keep your safari varied. Children will become bored after their 10th vehicle game drive. Choose a mixture of camps that offer a different experience.
A trip to Cape Town and/or Victoria Falls is always a good bookend for your safari. Cape Town has so much to keep all the family entertained and Victoria Falls is something no-one will ever forget once they see it.
I have been meaning to send you a note but have been so busy since we got back. The trip was AWESOME! It exceeded all of our expectations and was a fantastic family experience that we will remember forever! I actually logged into your site this weekend as I was planning on writing a review on your company but then got distracted. I have full intention of writing a review for you, as well as the places we stayed – which were all great.
Our trip was amazing, exceeded my expectations in every possible way and l am still in awe at seeing the wildlife in its natural environment, our Botswana safari was truly magical and to be able to spend it with my family made it even more special!
We had a really marvellous time and the kids loved every minute of it. This was the first Safari I had been on with my entire family, which encompasses 10, 13, 19 and 23 year-olds. I have never seen them all looking happy for so long, although it was a shame that the youngest could not go on the walking Safari.
Overall the trip was a stunning success. It was wonderful to be able to share things like that with my sons. A lifetime of memories for them.
This was one of the best trips I’ve done with my family in many years. As very experienced travelers and climbers I liked that George from Africa Odyssey worked with me upfront to customize our trip to our needs and interests and we went through many iterations until we got it right. He really listened to us and I know that made a huge difference in the quality of our trip.
