Self-Drive Safaris

Self Drive Safaris in Botswana

For the more adventurous­­­ and independent traveller we can organize self-drive camping safaris in Botswana – a fantastic way to explore Africa on a relative budget. A self drive trip in the national parks in Botswana is not for everyone with basic conditions and very challenging terrain. All the campsites in the parks are unfenced with wild animals roaming around. If a camping holiday is not the sort of thing you would enjoy in your home country then it is not recommended to experience it for the first time in Botswana. However this should not put you off beacause you can still consider a self-drive safari, but overnight in more permanent lodges, camps and guesthouses.

Good planning and preparation is essential for a successful self-drive safari. Using our years of experience and expertise, we would be happy to assist you with this and advise on the best itinerary. As well as arranging rental of vehicles we are able to make reservations at all the campsites and lodges in Botswana.

The national parks in Botswana are remote and it is essential to have a proper 4x4 vehicle like a Toyota Hilux or Landcruiser or a Land Rover which is well maintained. At Gondwana Tours & Safaris we are very careful who we work with and will only rent vehicles with companies that we trust and which we know can provide a 24 hours back up and support service. For your security, and if we know your itinerary will be in areas where there is no mobile phone signal, all our vehicles are rented with satellite phones and GPS included.

It is advisable to take out additional insurance, especially for spare tires and the windscreen, as thorns and loose stones often take their toll on rental cars when driving on dirt roads.

Depending on your budget and preference, you can overnight in campsites, tented camps, lodges or guesthouses. We can certainly help you here to make the best choice or work out the logistics. 

The rental cars can be booked fully equipped with all camping equipment if you are doing a camping self-drive safari. Alternatively should you want to stay in tented camps or lodges we can arrange rental of just the vehicle. Again, we can help you to make the best choice. 

Self drive camping trips with smaller children are possible and can be an exciting option, but since the national parks are unfenced and wild, parents have to be especially careful to supervise their children and we do not recommend allowing small children to sleep in a tent by themselves.

Finally, careful consideration should be given as to when to come. December – March is the rainy season in Botswana. During this time tracks in the national parks can be flooded and it is very easy to get stuck. Ideally anyone coming during this time should be experienced at 4WD driving. Any time from April – November is normally fine and dry. Please do note that it can be very cold at night from June – August. September – October is our hottest time of the year!

Please let us know if a self-drive safari in Botswana could be an interesting option for you. We would be thrilled to give you further details and help you finding the most suitable trip.