Epic Botswana & Namibia Safari

A very important feature of this Botswana and Namibia safari is the small group size, as African safari are best experienced with fewer travelers in order to enhance intimate wildlife encounters.

An essential element of this safari is our use of specialized 4x4 vehicles, facilitating unmatched wildlife viewing opportunities. In Botswana, we use open 4x4 Land Cruisers with a unique suspension system and an open-top, open-sided, tiered seating arrangement designed to maximize wildlife viewing and comfort over the sometimes uneven terrain of Botswana's delta environs. On occasion, we will use 4x4 stretch Land Rovers with a similar design. A canvas roof provides shade in the hotter months and comes off during the cooler summer months to allow the sun to warm us on morning and afternoon drives. In Namibia, we explore in closed 4x4 Land Cruisers or Land Rovers to provide protection from the wind (and the sand that travels with it) in this vast, sandy landscape.

The primary vehicle type we use has 10 cushioned passenger seats—one in front next to the driver, followed by three rows of three seats each—though we limit our capacity to just seven guests, allowing each guest a window seat. This is the case in each vehicle we use on wildlife drives, ensuring maximum comfort, viewing and photo opportunities. The closed 4x4 vehicles have eight cushioned seats with a spacious interior, providing ample room for guests and their belongings. Vehicles have a cooler stocked with cold drinks, a small library with reference books and field guides, and open vehicles are equipped with lined ponchos for added warmth on cold morning drives. Each custom-built vehicle sports front bull bars and runner boards as well as a full recovery kit, including spare tires and a high-lift jack. Vehicles are updated or replaced regularly and meticulously maintained to provide our guests with an outstanding safari experience.

• Trip price includes: Accommodations in luxury safari camps, services of Nat Hab's professional Expedition Leader(s), local guides and camp staff, premier open-sided 4-wheel drive Land Cruisers or Rovers, private chartered flight from Namibia to Botswana, rhino tracking with Save the Rhino Foundation rangers (2024 only), all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on final day, some alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, airport transfers on Day 1 and final day, all activities and entrance fees, all taxes, permits and service fees.
  

• Internal air cost includes: All scheduled and light aircraft flights within the itinerary (this will be listed separately on our invoicing).

Travel to and from the start and end point of your trip, some alcoholic beverages, some gratuities, passport and visa fees (if any), optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry and internet, etc.), airline baggage fees, airport and departure taxes (if any), required medical evacuation insurance, optional travel protection insurance.

Easy to Moderate
To participate in this trip, you must be able to walk unassisted at a steady pace for at least one mile over uneven terrain, climb steps to get into and out of our raised safari vehicles, and be able to tolerate daily outdoor excursions that may last 4-5 hours or even a full day at a time, sometimes in hot, windy and/or dusty conditions. Wildlife drives pose a particular type of physical demand on the body, as they require long hours of sitting and take place over terrain that is often very rough and bumpy, including dirt roads with many ruts and potholes. Travelers with back or neck problems, or other health issues that could be exacerbated by such conditions, should take this into consideration. While any walking safaris are considered optional, travelers must be able to walk unassisted to and from the vehicle to our camp accommodations, sometimes walking over uneven ground or on boardwalks and you will get the most out of your safari experience if you can walk a mile or two over uneven ground and rough or steep terrain without assistance. Climbing the sand dunes of Sossusvlei will be the most strenuous activity offered on this safari, but other more moderate walks without incline are also available, which still allow for enjoyment of the dunes. Days spent on safari are often long, as mornings typically start before daybreak and evening meals are served after sundown. In general, safari accommodations and vehicles are not climate-controlled and, depending on the season, temperatures can range from quite cold to extremely hot, so it is critical that travelers come prepared.

On custom or private departures with smaller groups, our ability to accommodate varying levels of physical abilities or interests is limited, since these trips are staffed with a single Expedition Leader who may be assisted, pending availability, by local guides.

This trip combines the highlights of Namibia and Botswana in one ultimate safari itinerary. We recommend this adventure for guests who want to make the most out of a single trip to Africa—we travel from desert to delta on a varied, comprehensive itinerary. One Expedition Leader will guide the Botswana portion of the trip and another the Namibia portion, since each is chosen for their in-country expertise. As usual, our outstanding Expedition Leaders tie the entire safari together for a most memorable experience.

Click here to view the seasonal variations of weather and wildlife viewing in Botswana.

Please plan to arrive Windhoek by 5 pm on Day 1 and you may depart Maun, Botswana anytime after 1:30 pm on the final day.

We can best serve you if our Natural Habitat Adventures Travel Desk makes your reservations, as our staff is intimately familiar with the special requirements of these programs and can arrange the most efficient and cost-effective travel. Please call us at 800-543-8917. Note that while we offer you the best possible rates available to us on airfare and additional nights' accommodations, you may find special web rates or better fares online.