A luxury safari in southern Africa usually comes down to two countries that do very different things well. This guide sets them side by side: what each delivers, the lodges we use, and how the two connect, so you can decide which fits, or whether to do both.

What luxury means in each country

In Namibia, luxury is mostly about space. Many of the best lodges sit in private concessions and reserves where yours may be the only vehicle for the day, and you can either fly between them by light aircraft or drive yourself with the lodges booked around you. Our Namibia luxury safaris show both shapes.

In Botswana, luxury is mostly about access. Tourism in the inner Okavango Delta is limited to small tented camps reached by air, according to UNESCO’s World Heritage listing for the Delta, so a trip there is built around a few remote camps and the flights between them.

Namibia: the landscape half

Namibia is where the scenery carries the days: the red dunes around Sossusvlei, the Skeleton Coast, the granite country of Damaraland. Game sightings happen, and Etosha is the centre of them, but it is the landscape you travel for.

At the luxury end, the private reserves along Etosha’s boundary matter. On reserves such as Ongava you can drive after dark and leave the road, neither of which the national park permits.

Lodges we use at this level include andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, Zannier Sonop, Wilderness Little Kulala and Wolwedans Dune Camp in the southern Namib; Hoanib Valley Camp and Shipwreck Lodge in the far north-west; the granite kopjes of Onduli Ridge; and Horizon by Ongava and Anderssons at Ongava on the edge of Etosha. Zannier Omaanda and Okonjima Bush Suite round out the list.

Botswana: where game viewing peaks

Botswana is where a combined trip peaks for game. The Okavango Delta and the Chobe riverfront deliver better game viewing than Namibia does at any time of year, and we would rather say so plainly than present the two as rivals.

The Delta was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014. Its annual flood arrives in Botswana’s dry winter, peaking around June and July, just as the land around it is at its driest. UNESCO puts Botswana’s elephant population at around 130,000, with the Delta as the core area for the species.

In the Delta and the concessions around it, camps we use include Kanana, Atzaró Okavango Camp, Linyanti Bush Camp, Khwai Leadwood, Selinda Explorers Camp, Duba Explorers Camp and Little Sable. On the Chobe side, Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Chilwero.

Victoria Falls: the finish

Victoria Falls is the usual last stop on a combined trip. UNESCO ranks it as the largest curtain of falling water in the world, about 1,708 metres wide, and has listed it as a World Heritage Site shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe since 1989 (UNESCO listing).

We use The Victoria Falls Hotel, Old Drift Lodge, Anantara Stanley Livingstone and Thorntree River Lodge. Our guide to combining a Namibia safari with Victoria Falls covers the practicalities.

Namibia and Botswana side by side

See the North Focus and South Focus routes, and the Delta Explorer Deluxe, which moves between Linyanti Bush Camp, Khwai Lediba and Atzaró Okavango Camp.

Combining the two

If you have the time, the two halves suit each other: Namibia for the landscapes, then Botswana for the game, finishing at Victoria Falls.

Our 18-day Namibia, Delta, Chobe and Victoria Falls safari does exactly that. It starts in Windhoek and runs through Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, Etosha and Onguma, then via Divundu in Namibia’s north-east into the Okavango Delta at Kanana, on to Chobe Game Lodge, and ends at Old Drift Lodge at Victoria Falls.

On flights: most connections between Windhoek and Maun route through Johannesburg, in both directions, so allow for that when planning a fly-in combination.

Which should you choose?

If scenery is what you are coming for, choose Namibia. If game viewing is, choose Botswana. If you want both, allow for a longer trip: our combined luxury route runs 18 days. Travelling with children? Minimum ages differ from lodge to lodge, so tell us the ages when you enquire and we will build around lodges that will take your party.

The 10-day honeymoon fly-in and the 14-day drive and fly photographic safari are two more starting points on the Namibia side. For the lodges themselves, see the best safari lodges in Namibia, and for timing, the Namibia weather guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Namibia or Botswana better for a luxury safari?

It depends what you want most. Botswana is better for game viewing: the Okavango Delta and the Chobe riverfront deliver better game viewing than Namibia at any time of year. Namibia is better for scenery: dunes, desert and coast. Many travellers combine both and finish at Victoria Falls.

Is Namibia’s wildlife only in Etosha?

Most of Namibia’s big-game viewing is in and around Etosha National Park, including the private reserves on its boundary, where night drives and off-road driving are allowed but are not permitted inside the park. Elsewhere in Namibia, the landscape rather than the game is the main reason to go.

Is Botswana more expensive than Namibia?

Travellers on safari forums consistently report Botswana as the more expensive of the two. Costs depend on season, lodges and length of stay, so send Desert Tracks your travel dates for a quote built on them.

How many days do you need to combine Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls?

Desert Tracks’ combined luxury route runs 18 days, from Windhoek to Victoria Falls, taking in Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Etosha, the Okavango Delta and Chobe. Self-drive travellers on forums suggest 18 to 21 days on the ground for a Namibia and Botswana combination.

Can you fly directly between Windhoek and Maun?

Most flight connections between Windhoek in Namibia and Maun in Botswana route through Johannesburg, in both directions. Allow for that connection when planning a fly-in safari that combines the two countries.

Is Namibia or Botswana better with children?

Opinions differ. Some forum travellers find Namibia easier to get around with children, while others prefer Botswana for being closer to the wildlife. In both countries minimum ages vary from lodge to lodge, so check them before choosing a route.

When is the best time for a luxury safari in Namibia and Botswana?

Namibia’s dry season, May to October, is ideal for wildlife viewing, especially in Etosha. In Botswana, the Okavango Delta’s annual flood arrives in the dry winter and peaks around June and July, according to UNESCO.

Where do you stay on a luxury safari at Victoria Falls?

Desert Tracks uses The Victoria Falls Hotel, Old Drift Lodge, Anantara Stanley Livingstone and Thorntree River Lodge at Victoria Falls. The falls are a World Heritage Site shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe.