Botswana 4x4 Self-Drive Expedition

Overview

This is the connoisseur's self-drive safari — a fully-equipped 4x4 expedition through the wildest country left in Africa. Over nine nights you drive a kitted Land Cruiser with a rooftop tent from Maun, the gateway to the Okavango, through the Moremi Game Reserve and the legendary Khwai, north into the Savuti channel and the elephant kingdom of Chobe, finishing at Kasane on the Chobe River. There is no tar, no fences and no crowds — just deep sand, unfenced campsites where the wild comes right in, and game viewing that has to be earned. We arrange the kitted vehicle and provisioning, win the scarce campsites, and plan a route and fuel strategy that is genuinely safe.

This is not a first safari. The tracks are deep sand and seasonal water crossings, the distances are remote, and there is no phone signal or fuel for long stretches — which is exactly why it is the ultimate adventure for the experienced self-driver. You camp at real public and community sites — Khwai, Third Bridge in Moremi, Savuti and Ihaha on the Chobe riverfront — with the only barrier between you and the wild being your tent zip. We strongly recommend travelling as a two-vehicle convoy, provide GPS tracks and a satellite messenger, and are reachable throughout. The reward is the largest elephant population on Earth, wild dog, and desert and delta predators, all on your own terms.