Luxury Botswana Safari: exclusive lodges & private concessions
Botswana sells wilderness by the acre, not the bed. On a private concession you share two hundred thousand acres with one camp – yours – and the rules of the public park no longer apply.
In Botswana, luxury is measured in exclusivity - not the thread count of their luxury linen
Three things separate a genuine luxury Botswana safari from a lodge that simply charges luxury prices. Ask any operator about all three before you book.
Off-road and after dark
Inside Moremi and Chobe’s public areas you must stay on the track and be back in camp by sunset. On a private concession your guide can follow a leopard into the bush and run a night drive with a spotlight. It is the single biggest difference to what you actually see.
Vehicles you do not share
Six-seat vehicles as standard, three or four guests in practice, and a private vehicle available on request. Photographers get the beanbag side of the car. Families are not seated with strangers.
Air, not asphalt
Camps are linked by light aircraft – fifteen to forty minutes between concessions instead of five hours of corrugated sand. The transfer is part of the experience, and it is the reason a seven-night Botswana circuit is genuinely restful.
Where your permit lets you go
Rates vary by camp and season and are confirmed at the time of quoting. Nightly rates are not published on this page – pricing sits on the package page linked below.
four nights, two private reserves
- Comprehensive service from arrival in Johannesburg to departure.
- Luxury tents with heated interiors, private decks, and plunge pools.
- Tents equipped with Swarovski binoculars and Canon DSLR camera with wide-angle 600mm lens for complimentary use.
Botswana pairs naturally with Victoria Falls and the Sabi Sands
Kasane sits two hours from Livingstone by road, which makes an eleven-day Southern Africa circuit straightforward: Delta, Chobe, the Falls, then the Sabi Sands for leopard. One set of light-aircraft legs, no doubling back.
Botswana Exclusive Safari
Relais & Châteaux and National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World properties – Zarafa Camp and Duba Plains Camp – reached by charter flight from Maun, with a private DSLR and 600mm lens kit for the stay.
- Comprehensive service, Johannesburg to Johannesburg
- All meals, drinks, laundry & gratuities
- Optional 2 nights Vic Falls + 3 nights Cape Town extension
- All charter & regional flights, meals, drinks and activities
- Canon DSLR + 600mm lens kit, memory card to keep
- Laundry and gratuities
- International flights, travel & medical insurance
“We are particular and even pedantic about doing the job properly and checking every little detail.” – and their guests notice: “an extraordinary 21 day city and safari vacation in Southern Africa thanks to Quinton Conroy.”
Luxury Botswana safari questions
What does "private concession" actually mean?
A concession is a block of land leased from the government or a community trust by a single operator, who is the only one allowed to run camps and vehicles on it. Because it is not a national park, park rules on off-road driving, night drives and walking do not apply – which is why sightings feel private and why the rates are higher.
Is a Botswana luxury safari worth the premium over South Africa?
If solitude matters to you, yes. The Sabi Sands delivers better leopard viewing per day and costs less; Botswana delivers wilderness with almost nobody in it. Many of our guests do both in one trip, which is exactly what the eleven-day Southern Africa circuit is for.
What is the luggage limit on light aircraft?
Typically 20kg per person in a soft-sided bag, including hand luggage and camera equipment. It is a real constraint and it catches people out. We send a packing brief with your confirmation and can arrange storage for the rest of your luggage in Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Can you arrange a private vehicle and guide throughout?
Yes, at most camps, for a per-day supplement. Worth it for photographers, for multi-generational family groups travelling at different speeds, and for anyone who wants to sit with a single sighting for an hour.
June and July close out first. Start the conversation now.
Send us your dates and we will come back with a costed day-by-day plan and provisional camp space.