What to expect in Botswana

We recommend a Safari Drive journey in Botswana if you have some experience of 4x4 off road driving (not necessarily in Africa) and are happy in remote areas where game roams freely. Botswana’s driving conditions can be tough as the roads are often deep sand or mud. The campsites are generally public so there may be other campers around. Most campsites have basic facilities of showers (often cold) and flush loos.

Here is a summary of what to expect

Please note that the above is an indication of the general conditions. There are always exceptions to the rule and it is possible you will encounter different conditions depending on your itinerary and the remoteness of the regions you go to.

Game has right of way

In Botswana’s National Parks, the game roams freely and should always be given right of way. If you are camping during your self drive trip, you will almost certainly have game in and around your campsite since you will be camping in sites that have no fences. You need to take a number of precautions about moving around the camp especially when going to the loo or having a shower. Animals, especially baboons, can be a huge nuisance in the camp as they will steal food and any other items left out of the vehicle so it is necessary to be conscientious about keeping things stowed away. We provide you with a comprehensive trip handbook, which includes rules and advice on how to manage with wild animals around. As long as you follow our sensible precautions, you should have no trouble.

Driving instruction

We think it’s a good idea to do an off road driving course before departure as the conditions can sometimes be quite tricky. Please let us know if you are interested in having some instruction before you go and we will point you in the right direction. The courses are normally either a half day or full day and are great fun in their own right. If you do book a course, we are always happy to speak to them and go through with them the kinds of conditions you could experience on your safari.

Photograph above (cropped) by Colin Bell with kind permission of Wilderness Safaris