The 8 best road trips in Botswana

29.10.2023 - 19:47 / lonelyplanet.com

Flying in for a few nights at a splendid luxury lodge is a marvelous way to see the remote corners of beautiful Botswana, but to truly enjoy this country’s monumentally wild spirit, it’s all about taking to the open road.

Whether you’re road-tripping by 4WD or in a smaller sedan, a self-driving expedition through national parks and game-rich reserves will transform your vacation into a dizzying adventure, allowing you to take in many of the best things to do in the country.

Traveling by car allows precious freedom to camp wild in the Okavango Delta as the safari pioneers once did, or sit with the 100-strong elephant herds of Chobe National Park for as many hours as you please. Take underrated back routes to discover Botswana’s hidden treasures, such as sacred waterfalls and San art studios unreachable by regular flight routes, or even hunt down that flawless landscape photograph in the Kalahari Desert while keeping to your own schedule.

From a classic self-drive camping adventure to sedan-friendly tarmac treks to an engaging artisan route through the quieter corners of the Kalahari, here are eight of the best road trips to take in Botswana.

A wild camping circuit for adventurers
Maun–Chobe; 450km (280 miles); allow 7 days

Accessible only by 4WD vehicles, this road trip isn’t for the faint of heart. One of Botswana’s most iconic itineraries, this famous self-drive circuit starts in Maun and leads north to the wild heart of the country for an immersive off-the-grid safari. Stock up on plenty of fuel, water, firewood and food, then wave goodbye to the donkeys, dogs and goats that freely roam Maun’s rural outskirts. Crossing the veterinary boundary (often referred to as the “buffalo fence”) – which prevents diseases from passing between domestic and wild animals – marks the start of this extraordinary adventure. From here, you could bump into a mischievous elephant at any moment, or get bogged down in the severe sand tracks.

Camping at Third Bridge in Moremi Game Reserve or at a community-run campsite in the neighboring Khwai Community Concession provides ample opportunity to meet the swamp’s residents, such as the wading red lechwe antelope or hippos harrumphing in the twisting lagoons within the Okavango Delta. The route then veers north to the dynamic Savuti marsh, home to legendary lion prides, and ends at the Chobe River in Chobe National Park.

Detour: While at Third Bridge, take an early morning drive around Mboma Loop and do a mokoro (canoe) trip from Mboma Boat Station (if you're tight on time, you can also do a trip from Khwai Community). The grassy savannah of this 100-sq-km island, a long extension of the Mopane Tongue, contrasts sharply with the surrounding landscapes and provides some excellent