Botswana | 12 Unforgettable Experiences

Botswana holds a special place in our hearts. While we didn’t spend enough time there to confidently list it among our favourite countries, it’s definitely a solid contender. It’s where Laura saw her first wild hippo (her spirit animal), where we spotted our first lions, where we had the life-changing experience of spending a night in the Okavango Delta. The people of Botswana welcomed us with open arms. Locals lovingly shared their diverse history, culture, wisdom, and our excitement that Canada and Botswana have the same national holiday. There is so much of Botswana that we still have to see but we very much recommend these 12 unforgettable experiences that make it destination-worthy for any traveller.

Related // Our favourite things to do in Cape Town

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1 // Wild camp on an island in the Okavango Delta

Hyenas cackling and warthogs scampering. Hippos snorting in the water and nibbling on the riverbank. The cracking of trees. The swishing of reeds. The distant roar of a lion. This is the soundtrack of a night spent camping in the Okavango Delta. Arrive via mokoro canoe to a secluded campsite in the heart of one of Africa’s most diverse and magnificent landscapes. Giraffes and zebras graze nearby and elephants might come along to snack on the trees. Live alongside the Bayei tribes people, cook by campfire, marvel at the stars. There’s no running water and the toilet is a hole in the ground. It’s an exhilarating experience you just can’t have anywhere else.

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2 // Go on a canoe safari

Whether you spend the night there or not, taking a canoe safari through the network of waterways in the Okavango Delta is an essential Botswana experience. Glide along the river in a mokoro, a dugout canoe traditionally fashioned from a solid piece of wood, now more commonly made of fibreglass to preserve the ecosystem. The mokoros are expertly propelled by Bayei tribes people wielding 10-foot bamboo poles who have navigated the delta their whole lives. Good thing because the waters are shared by crocodiles and hippos who bob in the water close by. 

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3 // See wild elephants outside park boundaries

Botswana has the highest density of elephants in the world so it’s only a matter of time before you see a herd walking the barren landscape, crossing the road, or strolling through a town. Watching such amazing creatures roam freely in nature was a humbling experience we won’t soon forget.

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4 // Watch the sunset on a boat cruise of the Chobe River

Chobe National Park offers an impressive list of things to see and do while in Botswana. The first is a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River. Enjoy a bottle of Windhoek as you sail along, spotting hippos, elephants, antelope, buffalo and birds on the shores. The cruise culminates with Africa’s famous red sun dipping slowly beneath the horizon, a gorgeous backdrop to the grazing animals.

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5 // Get a bird’s eye view of the Okavango Delta

If you have the funds this is definitely one of the coolest experiences to have in Botswana. Departing from the Maun airport you can take a helicopter tour above the Okavango Delta. The open-sided copter gets you low enough to see herds of elephants, giraffes, zebras and more as they move across the landscape.

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6 // Soar over the Okavango Delta in a plane

A slightly more affordable option to the epic helicopter tour, taking a plane ride over the delta gives you an amazing vantage point to take in the vast wetlands. The bumpy ride adds a sense of adventure while you watch the scenery below from your guaranteed window seat. Whether it’s from a helicopter or a plane, getting up in the sky is a top thing to do in Botswana.

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7 // Learn to manoeuvre a mokoro

Back on the ground, one of the most fun experiences to have in Botswana is learning how to captain a mokoro in the Okavango Delta. Locals start practicing when they’re only eight years old and tip many times before becoming seasoned pros. They’ll show you how it’s done before you give it a shot. It’s not as easy as it seems. Be sure not to tip – you never know what’s lurking in the waters below. 

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8 // Walk among giants in the Okavango

The Delta is home to the Big 5, though cats are rarely seen during the day. Stepping out of your mokoro you can go on a guided walking safari to spot giraffes, zebras, warthogs and, of course, elephants. It’s a thrilling experience to walk among these magnificent creatures and inch your way closer, careful not to spook them. Expert local guides flank your group walking in single file, using termite mounds and their honed senses to spot animals and watch for potential dangers. You’ll be safely back at camp before the sun sets and the cats come out. 

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9 // Sleep at a Rhino Sanctuary

Nearing extinction, the rhino is sadly one of the most difficult animals to see anywhere in Africa. The Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Eastern Botswana offers different experiences for travellers including camping on site, game drives and a chance to spot rhinos. It was a stop on our G Adventures overlanding tour through Botswana and should be on your list of things to do if you’re passing through the area. 

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10 // Take a sunrise game drive in Chobe National Park

One of the best things to do in Botswana is a game drive in Chobe National Park while nocturnal animals are still out and about. Watch the sun creep over the river before heading out in search of lions, and if you are really lucky, leopards hiding in the trees. This is where we had our first game drive and it was a very exciting experience. Our group was full of anticipation as we kept our eyes peeled for the elusive cats. The thrill of seeing a male lion creeping through the grass can’t be beat. If you’re in Botswana, don’t miss the experience of going on a sunrise game drive in Chobe.

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11 // Spot the birds of Botswana

Botswana is a bird watcher’s paradise. The colourful beauties you’ll see flying through the air are bound to spark interest in any visitor. There are many safari options specifically for bird-watching but even if you aren’t on one of these the local guides are a wealth of knowledge on various species and their habits. Look up in the trees to spot fish eagles on the hunt. Keep your eyes peeled for a member of the Ugly 5, the maribou stork, skulking on the shore. Or a yellow-billed stork camouflaged in the reeds. Honing our birding skills was one of our favourite things to do in Botswana.

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12 // Complete the Big 5

If Botswana is your only destination in Africa you’ve picked a great place to check off the Big 5. While elephants are the easiest to spot, cape buffalo are almost as prevalent. Spot them on the shores of Chobe River. Rhinos are tough to find anywhere now that there are so few of them. But you have a very good chance at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. As for cats, lions and leopards are rarely spotted in the delta, but you can find them in Chobe National Park at dawn and dusk. Alas, we left Botswana with only four of the five, despite the valiant efforts of our driver to seek out a leopard. But we were so close, and it gave us a good goal for safaris in Tanzania.

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What’s at the top of your things to do in Botswana bucket list?