Botswana budget safari begins and ends in Maun.  It is a 5 day African safari in Botswana. Botswana budget safari flies you into the idyllic Okavango Delta.

About 5 Day Botswana Budget Safari

Botswana budget safari begins and ends in Maun.  It is a 5 day African safari in Botswana. Botswana budget safari flies you into the idyllic Okavango Delta. This is ‘a Garden of Eden’ teaming with wildlife. Botswana budget safari allows you to explore the delta in dugout mokoros or on foot with our professional guides.

You’ll then fly on to the Chobe National Park and the Savuti Marsh. This is a fascinating area that is rich in wildlife. You’ll also visit a relic of an inland lake on this Botswana budget safari.  The marsh has been dry for almost 30 years. In 2010 however, water flowed again from the erratic Savuti Channel.

In the Delta your stay is at Oddballs’ Enclave. This is a peaceful haven, with every creature comfort. There are no intrusions of generators or motorized equipment.

In Chobe your Botswana budget safari stay is at the exclusive Camp Savuti. It is a small intimate camp, designed for privacy and comfort. The camp overlooks the Savuti Channel. Both the Delta and the Savuti Marsh are known for their prolific wildlife.

This makes the area ideal for exciting game viewing.  This Botswana budget safari to northern Botswana’s wilderness area will not disappoint.

Botswana Budget Safari Itinerary

Day 1 and 2: Maun – Oddballs’ Enclave

Botswana budget safari kicks off in Maun. Upon arrival you’ll be met by our Botswana safari rep. You’ll be briefed on your Botswana budget safari.  By Delta Air you will enjoy a scenic flight into the heart of the Okavango Delta. Your Botswana budget safari guide will meet you at the airstrip.

Enjoy a transfer on this Botswana budget safari to your camp. Oddballs’ Enclave is an authentic safari camp. This is your base for exploring the Okavanago Delta. The camp is set on a secluded island near Chief’s Island. From here you’ll explore the intricate network of channels.

There are tranquil lagoons and reed fringed islands. The camp does not offer motorized activities. This helps in lowering the impact on the natural environment. It also aids in keeping the noise pollution down.

You’ll enjoy early morning and late afternoon mokoro excursions. This is by poling silently through the narrow maze of waterways. You’ll be on an exploration of the delta in search of wildlife and bird encounters.  There is no better way to experience the delta.

You’ll pause at small islands for nature walks to explore the wild bush on foot.  This is an opportunity to get close to the wonders of one of Africa’s last truly wild places. You’ll go through the bush with fascinating insects, plants, animal tracks and other signs of animal activity in the bush.

Immerse yourself in the sounds and smells of the bush during this once in a lifetime adventure. At camp meals are served out on the spacious deck areas. Here you can keep an eye out for visiting wildlife and birds. This is a great spot to put your feet up at the end of the day.

You’ll admire a beautiful sunset over the wilderness. All these while listening to the sounds of nature as the stars come out.

Oddballs’ Enclave is a classic and eco-friendly delta camp. It accommodates at most ten guests and is only accessible by plane. Accommodation is in Meru-style tents set under canvas-roofs on raised wooden platforms.

The tents are well equipped and fitted with either single twin or double beds. Each tent features a semi-detached en-suite bathroom. It has an open air and yet private bucket shower, with hot and cold running water. You can relax on your private deck at your tent.

You may also opt for the elevated decks with lounge areas. They both open out onto the bush. They are designed for guests viewing comfort.  The delta is home to diverse species. These range from elephants and big cats to baboons, hippos and antelopes.

An outstanding feature of the camp is its beautiful location. It is on a small island in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The emphasis in this serene environment is on slowing down and relaxing.

You’ll enjoy the magnificent wilderness and its wild inhabitants. The camp is run on solar power therefore, reducing its environmental impact.

Day 3 & 4: Oddballs’ Enclave to Camp Savuti

You’ll wake up to an early day on Botswana budget safari. This will be with breakfast at your camp. It is time to leave the peaceful Okavango Delta. You’ll fly out in a small plane to Camp Savuti.

This is in the Savuti region of the Chobe National Park. A 20 to 40 minute drive takes you through the bush to Camp Savuti. Don’t forget to enjoy the game viewing along the way.

You’ll have early morning and late afternoon thrilling game drives in the Savuti Marsh area. There is an abundance of wildlife found here. This is done in open sided safari vehicles along the channel edges.

Savuti channel has been standing dry for almost 3 decades. It began to flow again in 2010 and today feeds the marsh. It is currently covered in sweet grasses, especially in the rainy season. The grassy floodplains attract a wide range of grazers and other herbivores. It is this that lures predators to the area.

This makes it a prime predator watching hotspot. Your safari guide points out the small and large wild animals. There are also birds that you come across in the African bush. You’ll have stops to let you observe them in their natural habitat.

With some luck you will encounter Africa’s predators in action. In between your game drives, there’s time to chill-out at Camp Savuti. Here you can look out over the Savuti Channel with its wealth of wildlife and birds.

Camp Savuti is a small safari camp. It consists of only five comfortable Meru-style tents. The camp can therefore accommodate 10 guests at most. The tents are thoughtfully set apart from each other. this is to ensure maximum privacy.

They are spacious tents that are set on raised platforms. They feature en suite bathrooms and private viewing decks. The main camp facilities include a lounge and dining area with a bar. All open out onto the campfire area and the surrounding bush.

Camp Savuti lies in the western part of Chobe National Park. This area has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. This region of Botswana is famous for its predator sightings. This includes endangered wild dogs and plenty of lions.

The highlight here is viewing free-roaming wildlife and birds. They can be seen from the camp itself or on open vehicle game drives. This is ideal for game watching and photography.

Day 5: Camp Savuti to Maun, Botswana

This is the last day of your Botswana budget safari. You have a chance to take one more early game drive. This is into the wildlife-rich Savuti Marsh region of Chobe. This is to be followed by a delicious breakfast back at Savuti Camp.

After breakfast you hop back onto a small plane and return to Maun. Mark the end of your Botswana budget safari with your departure flight.

End of Botswana Budget Safari

5 Day Botswana Budget Safari Destination

Okavango Delta

The 5 day Botswana budget safari also goes to the Okavango Delta. This is a vast and varied ecosystem created as the Okavango River flows into the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.

The Okavango Delta is rich in wildlife, this World Heritage Site is a sanctuary to some of the world’s most endangered animals and birds.

This delta in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with a wetland system that is almost intact.

One of the unique characteristics of the site is that the annual flooding from the River Okavango occurs during the dry season, with the result that the native plants and animals have synchronized their biological cycles with these seasonal rains and floods.

 It is an exceptional example of the interaction between climatic, hydrological and biological processes. The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion.

The 5 day Botswana budget safari takes you unique pulsing wetland. More correctly an alluvial fan, the delta covers between 6 and 15 000 square kilometers of Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana and owes its existence to the Okavango (Kavango) River which flows from the Angolan highlands, across Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and into the harsh Kalahari Desert.

Each year the Okavango River discharges approximately 11 cubic kilometres (1.1 × 10¹³ litres) of water into the Okavango Delta. Most of this water is lost to transpiration by plants (60%) and by evaporation (36%) with only 2% percolating into the aquifer system with the remainder finally flowing into Lake Ngami.

The Okavango Delta is affected by seasonal flooding with flood water from Angola reaching the Delta between March and June, peaking in July. This peak coincides with Botswana’s dry season resulting in great migrations of plains game from the dry hinterland.

Okavango Delta is generally flat, with a height variation of less than two meters across its area. The dry land in the Okavango Delta is predominantly comprised of numerous small islands, formed when vegetation takes root on termite mounds.

However larger islands exist with Chief’s Island, the largest, having been formed on a tectonic fault line.

The 1000th site to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014, the Okavango Delta is an important wildlife area protected by both the Moremi Game Reserve. On its eastern edge, and the numerous wildlife concessions within Ngamiland.

An oasis in an otherwise dry environment the Okavango Delta is known for its superb wildlife, with large populations of mammals and excellent birding particularly in the breeding season.

Savute Region

The 5 day Botswana budget safari heads to the south of Chobe National Park. Here lies the wild and game-rich Savuti (often spelled Savute). The 5 day Botswana budget safari is a tour to one of Botswana’s wildlife hotspots, the Savuti Region is known in particular for its exceptional predator sightings.

Famously large prides of lion and packs of hyena hunt on the open grasslands, leopard patrol the woodlands, and it’s one of the best places in Botswana to see wild dog.

Ten years ago the Savuti Channel was dry, and most of the tooth-and-claw action centered on artificial waterholes. Then in 2010 this unpredictable river started flowing once again, dramatically transforming the Savuti Region.

The marsh is a watery paradise once more, large herds of elephant and buffalo crowd the riverbanks, and the birdlife is nothing short of phenomenal.

The best way to see Savuti’s predators, herds and birds is on a guided game drive on the 5 day Botswana budget safari. All of our recommended Savuti camps and lodges offer both morning and afternoon drives.

As for the lodges; take your pick from a handful of small, eco-sensitive camps most of which overlook the Savuti Channel. This puts you right at the heart of the action so between drives you can relax, drink in hand, watching wildlife at the water’s edge.

Like most safari destinations, game viewing on the 5 day Botswana budget safari in Savuti reaches its peak during the dry winter months. But early summer is also an excellent time for a Savuti safari; especially around November and December when the annual zebra migration passes through the area.

Imagine the sight of vast herds of zebra converging on the grassy plains, with opportunistic predators hot on their hooves.

The Savuti Channel has a fascinating history of flooding and drying up independently of good rainy seasons and flood levels elsewhere – a mystery that has intrigued geologists and other researchers for many years.

Flora and Fauna to See on 5 day Botswana budget safari

The incredible wildlife sightings and numbers are usually the biggest attraction for visitors to Savute, but the area also has some interesting and unusual features.

Rocky outcrops – one aptly named “Leopard Rock” dot the northern part of the area, some with primitive rock art, thought to be by the San people.  The Baobab Gallery – a collection of these curious trees may also be found to the north.  The range of geology and ecosystem is unique.

In 2008, the Savuti Channel, having been dry for many years, once more became a deep, clear waterway harboring Hippo and other aquatic life with a large variety of waterbirds.

Wildlife from plains game to predators, has had to adapt to a new source of water and all the opportunities and menaces it has brought with it. How long will it be before the water dries up again?

Judging from historical records it could be more than a hundred years or less than ten. Nature has the final say in such matters.

On the 5 day Botswana budget safari you will see dead Camelthorn trees on the Savuti Marsh. They have become one of the most prominent features of the landscape – skeletons of trees drowned in the flood-waters at least 40 years ago.

The shallow basin of the Mababe Depression is now the waterless bed of an ancient lake and the marsh itself is grassland that is home to large numbers of animals.

The western edge of Savuti is formed by the Magwikhwe sand ridge, which is approximately 100 km long and 20 m high. This is the ancient shoreline of a super-lake that once covered most of Northern Botswana. It is hard to imagine that this harsh, dry landscape was once submerged under an enormous inland sea.

Another part of the Savuti is characterised by the Gubatsa Hills, which were formed millions of years ago during volcanic movement. These hills rise to a height of about 90 meters out of an otherwise completely flat landscape.

The Savuti area offers 5 day Botswana budget safari guests great game viewing at certain times of the year. The annual Zebra migration is closely followed by many Lion prides. Good sightings of Cheetah and Leopard are possible and the endangered Wild Dog also occurs here.

Savuti is famous for its large concentrations of Elephants that congregate around the waterholes, making game-viewing exceptional.

Birdlife for those on 5 day Botswana budget safari is also amazing, with Secretary Birds and Kori Bustards often seen around the Savuti Marsh.

Summer migrants and water birds include Abdim’s Storks, Carmine Bee-eaters, and Fish Eagles. Red-billed Queleas, which gather in their thousands, are a spectacular sight as they wheel and turn in unison.

5 Day Botswana budget safari Accommodation

Oddballs’ Enclave

The Enclave is on a small island just off the south-western edge of Chiefʼs Island, deep in the heart of the Okavango, and bordering Moremi Game Reserve.

The camp is accessible only by light aircraft. On arrival, you will be welcomed to the island by your private guide, who will remain your guide for the duration of your stay.

Oddballs’ Enclave can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests, in five twin or double bedded mini-Meru tents, making it a classic and intimate camp.

The experience at Enclave is one of intimacy. Small, comfortable and a perfect place to sit and watch the sun rise or set. Oddballs Enclave has a variety of seating arrangements and raised viewing decks that overlook the Okavango floodplains.

All areas face a large molapo that is at times entirely flooded, allowing you to depart directly from the deck and glide across the calm waters beyond.

Focused on the tranquility of relaxing in the peacefulness of the Delta, spend your day gliding across calm waters by traditional mokoro, searching for wildlife on dryer islands on foot, or simply relax with a book and watch as nature unfolds around you.

Muchenje Campsite & Cottages

Muchenje Campsite & Cottages is a family owned and managed camp set in the Chobe Enclave, 7.2km from the Chobe National Park Ngoma gate (60km from Kasane, Botswana via tarred road and 80 km from Katima Mulilo Namibia).

A peaceful, secure and beautifully treed property on the borders of the National park provides a serene setting for your stay when on the 5 day Botswana budget safari. This is

 Muchenje Campsite & Cottages is also a perfect base from which to explore the less crowded western end of the National Park. It is a perfect stop over for 4×4 enthusiasts wishing to visit Linyanti and Savuti or to spend a night on your way to the Caprivi Strip in Namibia.

Your hosts on the Botswana budget safari here are long term residents in the area and will be happy to offer you advice and friendly assistance during your stay with us.

10 spacious well shaded level campsites, set under tall flat crown acacia trees on the elevated banks of the Chobe Floodplain. We ensure safe and secure camping within the boundaries of the property’s electric fence.

Each campsite can sleep between 4 and 6 campers, and each site has its own braai stand, 220V power points and clean running water. There are 4 separate ablutions units; each containing its own basin, toilet and solar assisted hot water showers.

Outdoor wash-up and laundry areas are available. In our quest to be eco-friendly our ablutions are managed by the latest Biorock™ systems.

3 charming self-catering cottages; with a fully equipped, open plan kitchen, en-suite bathroom and outdoor shower. Each cottage has an outside covered verandah with beautiful views.

These railway cottage inspired chalets each contain a double bed and can sleep 2 people on Botswana budget safari.

Savuti camp site

Savuti camp site has moved over the years, and now is more central and has better infrastructure than ever. The new public camp site has a relatively new ablution block, surrounded by an ingenious circular wall. The toilets and showers (with hot water) are relatively clean and in good order.

The idea of a fence around the whole site has been abandoned, though the site now has an impressive office and entrance gate.

The camping pitches (eight at last count) are separated and marked, albeit not always clearly. Many on Botwana budget safari sit under old camel thorn trees, with site number one being particularly good.