Route

Plan your trip

Three days are more than enough to explore the Boteti and surrounds. Slot it in your itinerary on your way north to Maun or back from Moremi, for example.

If you don’t have time for a long Botswana holiday, simply make the Boteti your main destination.

There are far fewer tourists here than in the bigger parks in northern Botswana and it still feels wild. You also get exposed to the farming community. If you’re driving directly from SA, overnight at Tuuthebe Lodge between Letlhakane and Orapa. Drive north-west the next day – turn off and go see if Lake Xau has water. Continue to Tiaan’s Camp near Xhumaga. Stay here for one night and spend another night at Kumaga Camp on the opposite bank, inside the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

From there, you can follow the course of the river northwest to Drifters Camp, which is also a great overnight spot.

See page 89 for information on accommodation options along the Boteti River. See page 12 – 13 for maps of the region.

4x4 option

If you have a 4x4, you can add Nxai Pan National Park to your Boteti itinerary. See page 55 for more about Nxai Pan. Do this circular route: Follow the course of the Boteti River from the south to where the B300 joins up with the A3. Then turn east onto the A3 to Nxai and return home via Kubu Island.

Park fees

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park: P120 (R155) per adult per day; P60 (R77) per child aged 8 – 17, plus P50 (R64) per vehicle per day. You have to pay in cash (pula) at the gate.

Pont fee

The pont at Xhumaga costs P150 (R193) per vehicle or P200 (R258) if you’re towing a trailer or off-road caravan. The pont runs from sunrise to sunset.