One of the great natural wonders of the world, this majestic waterfall is a must-see if you are in the area. Whether you’re in Zimbabwe, Zambia, or Botswana, this is a place you must visit.

When to go?

The falls are at their greatest at the end of the rainy season, from March to May. That said, due to the enormous water displacement most viewing points are covered by a permanent water curtain, so taking a good picture can be hard. So, at the beginning of the raining season and at the start of the dry season condition or somewhat better, with still lots of water but better chance of seeing the whole waterfall. The end of the dry season will turn this majestic waterfall into a trickling stream so unless that’s what you want to see avoid this time.

Where to go?

The Victoria Falls lie on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and can be seen from both countries. But the best views are definitely from the Zimbabwe side of the falls. Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe has some nice paths along the falls with various viewing spots to get a complete picture of the grandness of the falls. So, if time allows it, go to the Zimbabwean side of the falls. You can cross the Victoria Falls bridge to reach Zambia and vice versa, there are organized tours to visit both sides. On the Zambian side you can go to the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park for views of the falls.

Visit the Victoria falls from Botswana

The easiest way to visit the Victoria Falls from Botswana is from Kasane, there are many organized day trips available for a reasonable price. This is easier than drive their yourself since you don’t have to deal with all the custom declarations for your car. You still must pay over 50 euro/dollar in cash for a one-day visa. Bring hard currencies because they won’t accept any local currencies or (credit) cards.

Why choose Botswana for your safari?

It’s a beautiful country, the longest stable democracy in southern Africa and it has the biggest population of elephants on the planet. It has a good road network, and it focuses on sustainable tourism. These are just some of the reasons to go here.

Where to start your Botswana safari?

There are several options to start your Botswana safari from. We choose Johannesburg as our starting point, so we could also visit some South-African parks and since renting a 4×4 was significantly cheaper there at the time. Other starting options are Gaborone, Francistown, or Maun, all in Botswana. Depending on your starting point your itinerary will look slightly different.

Itinerary

Khama Rhino sanctuary is a good place to start your safari from, it’s 2 hours from the South African border, 3 hours from Francistown and 4 hours from Gaborone. If you start in Maun you can probably skip the sanctuary depending on your luck with spotting some rhinos in the national parks.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a great place to see some rhinos, there are both white and black rhinos there. Since it’s relatively small it won’t be difficult to find all the different animals by yourself but it’s still large enough to give you the reward of finding the animals. It also gives you the opportunity the practice your off-road skills without the danger of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Ntewetwe salt pans

The salt pans provide an unreal mirror world in the dry season, where it’s easy to lose your sense of direction in the seemingly endless salt plane. A beautiful place to experience the full beauty of this place is Khubu island. This baobab filled island surrounded by the pans provides magical sunrises and sunsets.

Maun

Maun is the gateway to the Okavango delta and a good place to stock up on food, gas, and supplies. It’s also the place to get in an airplane and see the Delta from above. Some people say this is the highlight of their travel experience in Botswana, I wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly is a great addition to any safari.

Moreni National Park

From Maun it’s just a short drive to the south gate of Moreni NP, a good first camp site to explore the park from is Third bridge camp site.

Drive east to Khwai North gate camp site. From there it’s easy to explore both sides of the Khwai part. The Eastern part of Khwai offers great opportunities to watch hippo’s and crocodiles as you ride along the Khwai river.

Savuti National Park (Chobe National Park)

Exit the park through the north gate and head towards Savuti. It’s a long day’s drive to Savuti camp site at the northern edge of the park. Take the marsh road during the dry season since it crosses more interesting places. Savuti offers a wide array of animals, we saw elephants, jackals, hyenas, lions, giraffes, zebras and many more. Go to Bushman hill for some ancient rock art.

Chobe riverfront

Chobe riverfront is your best chance to see any animal, it’s packed to the brim with animals as all come the drink and feed on the banks of the Chobe river. Expect to see lions, leopards, etc. Best place to stay is Ilaha camp site as it’s situated inside the gates, giving you the freedom to go out whenever you want. But you’ll have to be lucky to get a place here, as places are booked well over a year in advance. The other option is to stay in nearby Kasane, and which is just a 15 min drive away. It’s said that the park doesn’t open for people not staying inside before 9am but we arrived at the gate well before sunrise (6am) and could drive through without any problem.

Kasane

Kasane is a great base both for river excursions on the Chobe river, a great way to get up close and personal with the different animals.  It’s also the place to book a day trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Nata bird sanctuary

For a change of scenery and the opportunity to spot some birds instead of mammals visit the Nata bird sanctuary. What to expect? Tens of thousands of flamingos and the accompanying smell. Also, ostriches and packs of wildebeest.