A 12-day Botswana safari expedition departing 30 May 2026 —
personally led, maximum 6 guests, priced at shoulder season rates
while experiencing prime June wildlife conditions.
First booking confirmed. 5 spots remaining.
There are three wildlife areas widely regarded as the finest in Botswana: the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, and Chobe National Park. Most itineraries cover one, sometimes two. This trip covers all three — plus three nights in the Kalahari as a fourth distinct ecosystem.
I’m not aware of many itineraries at any price point that achieve that in 12 nights. This one does, and it does it at USD 8,250 per person sharing in early June — which is effectively peak season for wildlife viewing.
And when I say fully inclusive, I mean it. Two charter flights. Two boat cruises. A helicopter flight over Victoria Falls. A guided tour of the Falls. All accommodation, all meals and drinks throughout the safari, with breakfast and dinner included at Victoria Falls, all game drives, all activities, all ground transfers, all park fees.
You arrive in Maun and I take care of everything until we land at Victoria Falls airport twelve days later. The only things not included are your international flights to Maun and from Victoria Falls, travel insurance, gratuities, and personal expenses.
Here’s what the 12 nights include:
The Kalahari — Grasslands Safari Lodge, the only place in all of Africa chosen by National Geographic for Will Smith’s Pole to Pole series. Seven episodes, seven continents, one African location. What drew them here is what draws me back: Neeltjie Bower, a sixth-generation San Bushman descendant whose family has called this landscape home for nine generations, leading what is genuinely the finest Bushman cultural experience in Africa.
The Okavango Delta — Gomoti River Lodge, with game drives into Moremi Game Reserve and a 90-minute boat cruise through the papyrus islands and lagoons at Xakanaxa en route to Khwai.
Moremi Game Reserve / Khwai — Two nights at Saguni Safari Lodge in the Khwai Area, overlooking the picturesque Mbudi Lagoon. Widely regarded as one of the top three wildlife areas in Botswana, with exceptional predator activity and wildlife density that makes every drive count. A full-day game drive transfer through legendary Savuti follows — one of Botswana’s most dramatic landscapes, often prohibitively expensive to visit as a standalone destination.
Chobe National Park — Two nights in a proper mobile tented camp deep in the quieter sections of Chobe, away from the crowded riverfront lodges. Real beds, attentive service, bucket showers, and a boat cruise on the Chobe River with elephants, predators and extraordinary birdlife.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe — A proper finish. Not a rushed overnight but genuine time to experience one of the natural wonders of the world, including a helicopter flight over the Falls and a guided tour.
Early June is the sweet spot. The dry season is well underway, animals are concentrating around water, vegetation is lower, visibility is excellent — and we’re travelling at shoulder season pricing because of a specific supplier relationship that extends those rates beyond the normal 1 June cutoff. Once that window closes, it closes for good.
Maximum 6 guests. Personally led by Andy Higgs from day one to day twelve.
The focus is on experiencing several very different wildlife areas across Botswana, each with its own character, finishing with Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
We begin in the Kalahari at Grasslands Safari Lodge — and this is where I need to tell you something that stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it.
National Geographic’s Pole to Pole with Will Smith follows him across all seven continents over 100 days. Seven episodes. Seven continents. Of those seven, just one is set on the African continent.
And the single place in all of Africa where Will Smith stayed? Grasslands Safari Lodge.
That’s not a marketing line. That’s the decision a National Geographic production team made after evaluating the entire continent.
What drew them there is what draws me back: Neeltjie Bower, a sixth-generation San Bushman descendant who is fluent in Naro — one of the oldest languages on earth — and whose family’s connection to this landscape spans nine generations. The Bushman cultural experience she leads at Grasslands isn’t a performance. It’s an introduction to a living culture shared by someone with an unbroken familial and linguistic connection to it.
Over four distinct experiences during your three nights here, you’ll learn how the San track animals across sand, read the land for food and water, and understand the traditions and survival skills that sustained one of the most successful hunter-gatherer cultures the world has ever known. There is nothing else like it in Africa.
By late May and into early June, the Kalahari is in beautiful transition — relatively green from recent rains, exceptional light, and excellent wildlife activity around the lodge’s extraordinarily productive waterhole, floodlit at night for remarkable after-dark viewing.
Activities: Four Bushman cultural experiences with Neeltjie Bower, game drives, white rhino tracking, optional horseback safaris, guided bush walks, birdwatching
Scenic road transfer into the Okavango Delta, stopping to visit local basket weavers. Gomoti River Lodge offers superb views over a seasonal lagoon with access to excellent game viewing in a private concession and full-day drives into southwestern Moremi Game Reserve.
Transfer from Gomoti to Khwai via scenic game drive including a boat cruise at Xakanaxa. Our upgraded tented camp overlooks the picturesque Mbudi Lagoon in Khwai Area – widely regarded as one of the top three wildlife areas in all of Botswana.
Classic safari territory with excellent game viewing, strong predator activity, and wildlife density that makes every drive memorable. Early June is prime time here.
This is a highlight: Full-day game drive transfer from Khwai to Chobe via Savuti – one of Botswana’s most legendary wildlife areas.
Savuti is famous for dramatic landscapes and exceptional predator activity, but visiting as a standalone destination is prohibitively expensive. By incorporating it as a transfer day, we experience this remarkable area without the high cost of overnight stays.
A long but spectacular day with outstanding wildlife and scenery.
Two nights in a comfortable mobile tented camp – proper beds, attentive service, bucket showers – positioned deep in the quieter sections of Chobe where wildlife viewing far exceeds the crowded riverfront lodges.
Safari as it should be: authentic, atmospheric, away from vehicle convoys. Chobe National Park is world-famous for elephant concentrations and exceptional predator sightings. Early June is excellent timing.
We finish at Victoria Falls with time to experience them properly from different viewpoints and make the most of what the area offers.
Included: Helicopter flight over the Falls (Flight of the Angels), Guided tour of Victoria Falls, Dinner at The Lookout Café, Full day at leisure with access to nearly 70 optional activities
After spending most of the trip in the bush, Victoria Falls works extremely well as a varied, energetic finish before heading home.
Late May into early June is one of the very best times to visit Botswana:
Early June is a sweet spot — you get all the benefits of the dry season without peak season crowds or pricing. The fact that this departure locks in shoulder season rates while offering high season conditions is what makes it genuinely unusual.
I’ve been organising bespoke African safaris for over 30 years, and I know the continent inside out because I’ve actually lived and travelled there extensively.
I work with a small number of clients each year to ensure everyone gets exactly the trip they’re looking for. I focus on conservation-friendly, intimate safari experiences — private conservancies and small camps, not mass tourism — and I only work with destinations and partners I know and trust personally.
This Botswana departure is personally led by me from start to finish. You won’t be handed off to a local representative— I’ll be there throughout, which means fluency in English and Norwegian, 30+ years of Africa knowledge, and someone who genuinely cares that you have an exceptional experience.
Maximum 6 guests means genuine intimacy, proper attention and the flexibility to adapt based on what the group wants.
This represents exceptional value for Botswana at this level, particularly given that we’re travelling during what is effectively high season. The pricing is only possible because of the supplier relationship and the 30 May departure date.
All payments held in PTS trust account for full consumer protection.
Deposit is due immediately to secure your spot. With only 6 spaces and the first booking already confirmed, I recommend deciding within the next week if you’re interested. Once we’re full, the opportunity closes.
Solo travellers are welcome. You’ll be charged USD 9,975 for single occupancy. If another solo traveller joins and wants to share, I’ll adjust your price to USD 8,250.
General fitness is fine. The trip involves early morning game drives, some walking, and one long transfer day (Savuti). Most activities are vehicle-based. If you can walk comfortably for a couple of hours, you’ll be absolutely fine.
You book your own international flights to Maun (arrive 30 May) and out of Victoria Falls (depart 10 June). I’m happy to help you find suitable options and advise on timing/connections that work best with the itinerary.
Yes, comprehensive travel insurance is required. I’ll provide general recommendations including coverage levels needed for safari activities and medical evacuation from remote areas.
I’ll provide full visa requirements once you’ve booked. Most nationalities get visa-on-arrival for both Botswana and Zimbabwe, but I’ll confirm based on your passport.
Yes – click here for the full day-by-day details including accommodation descriptions, activities and logistics.
I’ll send you booking confirmation, deposit invoice, and PTS trust account payment details. Once deposit is received, I’ll collect passport details, dietary requirements, and other essential information to finalize everything with the camps.
Fair question. I’m PTS-registered (full consumer protection), I’ve been doing this for 30+ years, and you can read reviews from previous clients here. More importantly, I’m leading this trip personally – you’re not being handed off to a stranger. What you see is what you get.
With the first booking confirmed and only 5 spots remaining, this trip will fill quickly. If the timing, itinerary, and pricing work for you, don’t wait.
Questions? Email andy.higgs@grownuptravel.co or call +47 459 19 660
The Grown-up Travel Company
Lauvåsbakken 18, 7540 Klæbu, Norway
andy.higgs@grownuptravel.co | +47 459 19 660
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