On the Road with Indagare: Postcards from Botswana

From gliding through the Okavango Delta in a mokoro canoe to watching elephants gather along the Chobe River and tracking leopards across the Kalahari, Botswana offers an extraordinary combination of untamed wilderness, exceptional wildlife and some of Africa's most intimate luxury camps. With a longstanding commitment to low-impact, high-value tourism, the country remains one of the continent's most exclusive safari destinations, with a deep sense of peace and remoteness. Days here unfold to the rhythms of the bush: dawn game drives give way to slow afternoons overlooking floodplains, and evenings end under some of the clearest night skies on Earth.

Several Indagare team members recently returned from scouting trips in Botswana. See highlights and get tips from their safaris below.

Trip Designers Alex Schulte & Taylor Soma

What lodges did you love, and what made them special? The wildlife density at Wilderness Mombo is genuinely unmatched; we had more predator sightings in three days here than we'd had on entire trips elsewhere. Being right on Chief's Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta made every single drive feel like anything could happen. They also have amazing wellness facilities with a fully built-out gym, cold plunge and sauna—right in the bush! Great Plains Selinda Camp was incredibly intimate and had the best food on safari we've ever had. At Great Plains Duba Plains Camp, the property felt genuinely soulful and warm—all thanks to the amazing staff. There's a real sense of community here, with guests gathering together like family rather than separate parties passing through.

Did you have a favorite moment or memory from the trip? At Mombo, we were walking over the bridge from the main lodge to the wellness spa area when a massive herd of elephants passed directly beneath us, just a few feet below. It gave us a completely different perspective from above!

What was something about your time in Botswana that surprised you? How much the water levels (both flooding in the delta and rains) dictate everything. We traveled in the shoulder season and landed in between weather patterns, so several lodges had unusually high water levels that changed our game drives, activity offerings and even the roads we could take. It reshaped the trip in real time, but in a good way—it forced spontaneity and gave us experiences we never would have had otherwise (like a heli transfer into and out of Mombo).

What was something you learned from your guides that you won't forget? How much they read beyond just the animal in front of them—tracks, alarm calls, wind direction, the behavior of a completely unrelated species—to predict what is about to happen. It made us realize how much safari is really about listening to the whole landscape, not just watching wildlife.

What's a unique, only-in-Botswana experience Indagare can arrange? Helicopter transfers between camps when water levels are high instead of taking bush planes. It's not something you can plan for exactly, but it's an incredible way to see the Delta's flooded plains from the air, and it turns a logistical transfer into one of the best experiences of the trip. Botswana has fascinating terrain.

What makes Botswana different from other safari destinations? The low-density tourism model. So few camps are allowed to operate relative to the size of the land that you genuinely feel like you have the wilderness to yourselves; we rarely saw another vehicle at a sighting. Combine that with the Okavango Delta itself, where water and land shift throughout the year, and you get a nature experience that's constantly changing—and totally unlike other drier, more static safari destinations.

What's something you wish you knew before traveling to Botswana for safari? How much seasonality and water levels can shape the actual day-to-day experience. It's worth going in with flexibility rather than fixed expectations of what each day will look like, since a lodge's offerings can shift significantly depending on the conditions.

What's something that makes you want to return to Botswana? The sheer wildness of it. There's a feeling out there of being completely in the middle of nowhere—disconnected from the rest of the world in a way that's rare to find anymore—yet also deeply connected to the land and the animals in an intimate, almost primal way. That combination is hard to describe until you've felt it, and it's exactly what makes us want to go back.

Do you have any tips for capturing amazing safari content? One of our favorite bits of intel: the Great Plains camps provide a professional long-lens camera for guest use at each property (one per room), so if you're moving between their circuit of camps, you don't need to sacrifice suitcase space hauling around a bulky lens setup; just bring an SD memory card and you're covered.

Trip Designer Paige Gordon

What lodges did you love, and what made them special? The game viewing is insane at Great Plains Duba Plains Camp, and there's a high density of predators and prey sharing small islands, surrounded by tons of water, so naturally you have a good chance of some action here. It's also a wonderful place for birders. Plus, the area's wild dogs are back! We were lucky to see them on our first game drive here (though given that they move around a ton, it's never guaranteed that you will see them). Of course, all of this was thanks to our amazing guide OP. The food at Great Plains Selinda Camp was excellent, as was the presentation. The team really went above and beyond to create special moments. The game-viewing here was also very strong; the camp is right in the thick of it (for instance, there was a lioness hunting a warthog right in camp one afternoon, then just minutes later, a herd of elephants got spooked by the lioness and came crashing through camp).

What makes Botswana different from other safari destinations? How truly private and remote the lodges feel. For the most part, you won't see other vehicles around—particularly at our favorite properties in the Delta and Linyanti. It's so, so private. The elephant sightings here are incredible—the herds are absolutely massive. One evening, we were sitting in a big open field watching the sunset, with a herd of maybe 80 elephants in the distance. We sat there for a while, so eventually the herd moved closer to us, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by them (seriously—there were elephants in every direction, just chilling and grazing). Then, one huge, old bull elephant (our guide estimated he was 50) approached our vehicle and stared right at us for what felt like five minutes straight. We didn't move and barely breathed the entire time. After, our guide explained that he knew this bull was in a very relaxed mood—otherwise he would not have let him get so close. It was an unforgettable, insanely cool encounter.

What was something you learned from your guides that you won't forget? Mother nature always delivers! Even if it's not what you are expecting, something amazing is always waiting just around the corner.

Did you have a favorite moment or memory from the trip? Elephant Havens is a must-visit for animal lovers. This 140-acre sanctuary for orphaned elephants is located just outside of Maun (an approximately one-hour drive from the city center). Each elephant here was separated from its herd, one way or another, but the team at Elephant Havens is giving each one another shot at life. Their ultimate goal is to eventually reintroduce each elephant back into the wild. When you book a visit, you have the chance to interact with the baby elephants (alongside a handful of other guests), and there’s also the option for an extended private visit that allows you to have more time alone with the elephants as they go about their day, including watching them get bottle-fed. For those who want a really immersive experience and prefer to spend the night, there are also a handful of simple but comfortable rooms on-site. Another highlight from the trip would have to be watching a leopard climb down from a tree in the Okavango Delta.

Indagare Journey Host & Membership Specialist Ali Malecka

What lodges did you love, and what made them special? Logistically, Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond Safari is easy—it's only a 15-to-20-minute flight from Maun—making it a strong option for a shorter one-to-two night Delta stay, especially if availability elsewhere is limited or you have fewer days for your trip (it's also a great option for honeymooners). Our guide Packo was excellent—calm, thoughtful, and incredibly knowledgeable.

What was something about your time in Botswana that surprised you? I learned that pairing Namibia (which I visited first for an Indagare Journey) with Botswana is an excellent Southern Africa combination. The dramatic desert landscapes of Namibia contrast beautifully with the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta.

What makes Botswana different from other safari destinations? To echo my colleagues—the Delta water element dramatically changes the safari experience and the rhythm of your days, incorporating a peaceful contrast; mokoro rides, boat excursions and helicopter flights feel immersive and distinct from a traditional land safari. The wildlife viewing during our stay was also excellent. On our first night, an elephant walked directly up to the dinner deck, and the following afternoon, another lingered beside our private plunge pool. We also had incredible sightings including a wild dog hunt and impala kill.

Did you have a favorite moment or memory from the trip? The helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta ended up being one of the biggest surprises and highlights of the trip. I initially questioned whether it would feel repetitive after the bush flights into camp, but it was entirely different and absolutely worth it if budget allows.

Trip Designer Grace Park

See video highlights from Grace's safari above.

What's something that makes you want to return to Botswana? I've been fortunate enough to experience safari in South Africa and Tanzania, but Botswana has long been at the top of my list, and it certainly delivered. Here, you are truly in the wild—the wilderness is so incomprehensibly vast and untouched that it feels like a privilege just to witness it in this lifetime. While the top lodges are all wonderful in their own right—excellent food, perfect gin-and-tonics, plunge pools—it's the guides who truly make the experience so special. We met many guides, now friends, who had been working at the lodges and exploring the reserves for 15- to 20-plus years, yet they still shared the same excitement every day as the guests heading out on their first game drive. Their knowledge, calm and ability to read animals—some they've known since they were born—are remarkable.

What's something you wish you knew before traveling to Botswana for safari? Because of each lodge's remote location and the country's relatively flat topography, airstrips often flood and become inaccessible. Helicopters are sometimes the only way in or out, so it's worth being comfortable with flying in them—and with last-minute changes to plans, in general.

Trip Designer Isabel Graubart

What lodges did you love, and what made them special? Xigera is an A-plus safari lodge and one of the absolute best properties in Botswana. It firmly sits in the “best-of-the-best” category in terms of design, atmosphere, attention to detail and facilities. Wilderness DumaTau was my personal favorite lodge of the trip. The infinity pool is amazing, huge and social. It has six sun loungers next to the pool, and four floating in the pool, plus a fully tended bar setup. Guests naturally gather here between game drives, making it one of the most social and lively communal areas of any camp visited. Despite having only a handful of tents, the overall atmosphere feels the most like a true resort-style safari experience. On the other hand, Great Plains Selinda Camp is a very small and intimate camp that does not have that social element—guests tend to keep to themselves here. This makes it ideal for travelers seeking privacy and seclusion rather than a communal atmosphere. Arrival by boat is highly recommended and is one of the most memorable ways to enter camp. Jack’s Camp is a very unique and characterful property; the Bushman experience here is exceptional and a real highlight of the stay, as is the sleep-out on the salt pans (note that this experience is seasonal and subject to weather).

What was something about your time in Botswana that surprised you? One distinctive feature of Botswana is the natural sage scent in the bush!