Top 10 Family Activities in Botswana

Atop 10-metre high cliffs on the western bank of the Boteti River, the distinctive Desert & Delta owned Leroo La Tau sits. An exceptional vantage point for the flowing river below, you’ll be treated to incomparable views of the rich wildlife without even leaving your room.

One of just three camps sat within a one million acre private reserve, the remote and understated Camp Kalahari is the epitome of seclusion. The quality of the experience here will ensure that even the finest tastes are well catered for, but it is also a place for those with an adventurous nature. Forget the rush of the modern world and become an explorer, scouring the flats for the wildlife that’s adapted to survive the arid conditions.

Botswana is Africa’s most exclusive safari destination. Each enormous private reserve has just one or two luxury lodges guaranteeing a series of private experiences as you travel from one exquisite location to the next. Expert guides will take your family on safari among big cats and vast elephant herds in beautiful deltas and deserts.

Imagine gliding silently along an Okavango waterway in a mokoro canoe as zebra and impala graze the grasslands. Or cantering on horseback with your guide alongside giraffe. In the Kalahari, take an early morning walk with a San Bushman as he explains the ancestral secrets of survival.

Here’s something you might not expect. The people looking after you on safari might create some of your happiest safari memories. You’ll remember laughter and those after dinner stories and jokes around the campfire. During a three-night stay in a luxury camp, you’ll get to make friends with your guide, the chef, the vegetable gardener and the other people who love their work.

Botswana is a great choice for an exclusive family safari. Roaming the spectacular deserts, deltas and savannahs are literally millions of animals. The fertility and abundant water of the Okavango and Linyanti Deltas supports an incredible 200 different mammal species. The Government’s high value, low volume tourism policy helps conservation and enables you to enjoy a top quality private safari.

Between safaris there is plenty for children to do in camp while the adults relax. Safari lodges may be small and in remote locations, but they have excellent facilities and your hosts’ purpose is to give you the best possible time. In this section we also suggest a couple of places that combine easily to complement your Botswana safari.

We’ve compiled a list of our favourite experiences to inspire your imagination.

The best way to give your family the facilities it seeks may be to book out an entire camp or lodge. Perhaps you are planning a multi-generation safari. Or you may want to fulfil a dream of walking, mokoroing and camping out in the Okavango. You may simply crave an extra degree of privacy. Most lodges we use take fewer than 16 guests, some take only eight, so booking a whole lodge is a viable option.

Tau Pan Camp is situated inside the world famous Central Kalahari Game Reserve right on the edge of the beautiful Tau Pan. “Kalahari” is derived from the Tswana word Kgala meaning “great thirst” – and it has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent water.

Shinde Camp is one of the most beautifully located in the Okavango Delta, a sophisticated tented camp set on a lush island surrounded by crystal-clear waters and shaded by ebony and mangosteen trees.

Botswana is one of the best places for a family holiday of a lifetime! There are millions of animals across plains, deserts and deltas.

Gomoti Plains was one of the most eagerly anticipated safari properties in Botswana and opened its doors to guests in March 2017.

A luxury safari lodge in the Okavango Delta with a range of exhilarating activities.

Zarafa is one of the most exclusive camps in Botswana with just four luxuriously appointed marquee style tented suites. With a maximum of eight guests, the emphasis here is on individual hospitality, privacy and serenity. A family of up to five may like to treat themselves to the sumptuous Dhow Suites — the most exclusive private property in Botswana.

Blending the spirit of 1940s African exploration with modern exclusivity and opulence, Jacks Camp has long set the standard for luxury safari experiences. With the addition of the secluded Jack’s Private Camp, guests can enjoy an even more exclusive, private and tailored adventure in the midst of the stark beauty of the Kalahari Desert.

The Kalahari is a fascinating place for a family safari. The children can sit by a meerkat den watching these curious little creatures foraging and playing as one stands guard on its hind legs looking out for eagles. They can watch enthralled as a San Bushman reveals hidden secrets that have enabled them to survive here for thousands of years.

Opened in 2024, Mokete is a modern tented camp set within a huge expanse of untamed grassland and marsh in Botswana. It’s the only camp within a 50,000-hectare area, so you will enjoy this wilderness, with its huge herds of buffalo and prides of lion, in privacy.

Seba Camp is the Okavango Delta’s magical outdoor classroom. This is one of the most family-friendly properties in Botswana, with two family suites and specialist guides and activities that are both engaging and fun for children.

Ignite your inner explorer with a stay at Camp Kalahari, where the comfortable canvas tented suites are reminiscent of an African adventure from an earlier era. With a range of activities for all ages and two family suites, this is an excellent camp for discovering the enchantment of the Kalahari with your youngsters.

Deep in the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve, refined luxury awaits at Chief’s Camp. A beacon of safari chic, the camp is set on Chief’s Island - the largest land mass in the Okavango Delta - an area that has established a reputation as the ‘Predator Capital of Africa’.

Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of southern Africa’s most iconic landscapes. The elaborate waterways ebb and flow with the seasons, creating an unparalleled wildlife viewing experience any time of year.

From dry savannah to delta wetlands, the Moremi Game Reserve is a wildlife oasis. Created in 1963 to protect wild animals from hunters, Moremi’s expanse includes one-third of the eastern Okavango Delta.

The Selinda Spillway connects the Okavango Delta to the floodplains and swamps of the Linyanti River. During the dry season, this region becomes a magnet for incredible concentrations of wildlife.

Easily reached via Kasane Airport, Chobe National Park protects a vast swath of northern Botswana’s diverse landscapes. From forest to floodplain, all manner of wildlife can be found in this magnificent park.

In dramatic contrast to the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari Desert receives almost no rain for most of the year. Wildlife and plants alike must adapt to the harsh conditions until the rainy season arrives.

The Makgadikgadi Pan is an expansive salt flat – one of the largest in the world – that offers a safari experience like no other. Zebras migrate across the pan from December to March and the birdwatching is outstanding, too.

One of the most remote, stylish and exclusive camps in the Okavango Delta, Duba Plains is set amid large floodplains and shaded by mighty ebony, fig and garcinia trees. Incredibly diverse game viewing and a wide variety of unique activities await you here.

From the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, to the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this Botswana safari will leave you with incredible memories from beginning to end. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this epic journey from plains, to delta to desert.

Catering to just 24 guests, Xigera Safari Lodge in the Okavango Delta offers an exclusive, intimate and personal experience, with phenomenal animal encounters both on land and on the water. The thoughtful service and generous hospitality is the cherry on top.

The exquisitely stylish Mombo Camp is the epitome of luxury safari. It's set within a well-renowned wildlife hotspot deep in the Moremi Game Reserve. Known by locals as ‘the place of plenty’, not only does the area boast one of the highest concentrations of wildlife anywhere in Africa, but it’s stunningly beautiful too.

Dinaka rests within its own private concession on the northern edge of the world-renowned Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Surrounded by an expanse of ever changing desert landscape, Dinaka has several, permanent, life-sustaining waterholes which attract an abundance of wildlife all year round. The red sands in this corner of the Kalahari offer exceptional game viewing and a luxurious lodge to stay in too.

This memorable safari combines a journey through one of Africa’s most game rich areas, with a visit to one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Experience Botswana’s abundant wildlife in the spectacular Okavango Delta and Linyanti, before heading to the winding Zambezi River to see the astonishing Victoria Falls.

Travel across Southern Africa in complete luxury, staying at some of the most exclusive properties on the continent. With every single detail taken care of by exceptional guides and staff at each location, you can concentrate on what really matters - immersing yourself in an exclusive African safari experience.

Located in a beautiful position alongside the Maunachira River, the peaceful oasis of Okuti Camp lies to the east of the Moremi Game Reserve. Overlooking luscious grasslands dissected by the meandering river, the camp is a serene base from which to explore the Moremi, an area renowned for its abundance of wildlife, including the big five.

Perched on the banks of the Selinda Spillway’s watery wilderness, Selinda Camp hides amongst a grove of riverine trees. One of just a handful of Relais & Châteaux member properties in Botswana, the stylish camp was designed to create an indoor/outdoor experience and provides perfect big game viewing all year round.

From the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, to the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this family friendly safari will leave you all with lifelong memories. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this spectacular journey from Delta to Desert.

Under a canopy of ebony trees, Botswana’s first Relais & Châteaux member property sits in all its glory. A photographer’s dream, Zarafa Camp is a private property where guests revel in luxury, as well as natural beauty. Downstream, the show stopping Dhow Suite - perhaps the most exclusive property in the whole of Botswana - promises to be absolutely unforgettable.

On the banks of the Linyanti Channel, lies the sophisticated Linyanti Ebony Camp. Rising from marshes dotted with groves of riverine trees, the traditional tented camp is endowed with panoramic views of pristine wilderness. Home to healthy populations of predators, as well as many less seen species, the fantastic wildlife is sure to delight all year round - as are the exceptional guides.

Perched atop a hill on the banks of the Chobe River, lies the sophisticated Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero. With panoramic views across the island-dotted floodplains - which many big game, predators, smaller mammals and birdlife call home - the lodge offers a memorable safari experience infused with plenty of luxury.

Chobe Game Lodge offers five-star luxury in the wilds of the bush. A haven of peace and tranquillity, the lodge overlooks the winding Chobe River, which is frequented by a whole host of bird species and wildlife including the world’s largest remaining population of elephants. Fully Ecotourism-certified, Chobe Game Lodge is sure to provide an unforgettable experience for couples, small groups and families alike

One of the most authentic ways to visit Chobe National Park without compromising on luxury, Chobe Under Canvas offers excellent service, delicious ‘bush’ cuisine and an unmatched atmosphere. The camp is repositioned regularly to give you exceptional game viewing of the rich wildlife inhabiting the Chobe Riverfront.

Luxurious and comfortably traditional, Deception Valley Lodge is a family-run property set to the north of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Nestled on a private concession, it offers exclusivity, seclusion and unspoilt wilderness. Home to a variety of game, big and small, as well as the indigenous San Bushmen, your experience at the lodge is bound to be extraordinary.

If you’re looking for a truly adventurous safari experience then this mobile safari camp is for you. Staying in a mobile camp that changes location regularly, you’ll be transported back in time to the very earliest days of safari.

With the Gomoti River on its doorstep, Tawana offers an exclusive safari experience in one of Africa’s most exciting wildlife destinations, the Moremi Game Reserve. This area is incredibly rich in wildlife, of varying species. Plains game, predators, amphibians and birdlife can all be seen here. A location as special as this calls for an equally outstanding camp, and elegant, well-equipped Tawana Camp more than delivers.

Accessible by helicopter, Atzaro Okavango is a newly built, beautifully designed and supremely comfortable camp offering an exclusive safari experience in the Okavango Delta, Botswana’s prime wildlife location. This exquisite property combines superb wildlife viewing with unrivalled levels of luxury.