Botswana is home to one of the largest populations of elephants on the African continent and offers travelers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness incredible wildlife in stunning natural settings. However, many of Botswana’s most well-known reserves and camps see large numbers of visitors each year, potentially detracting from that intimate wildlife experience. For those seeking to truly escape the crowds and immerse themselves in Botswana’s remote wildernesses, safari lodges located deep within the untamed plains offer an exclusive alternative.
A Land of Wildlife and Wild Spaces
Botswana covers an area slightly smaller than France but is remarkably wilderness-rich, with over 65% of its land protected as national parks, game reserves, or wildlife management areas. It is one of the few places in Africa where the sense of wilderness survives on a grand scale. Large migratory populations of zebra, wildebeest, and other plains game congregate in the north, while the Okavango Delta is home to Africa’s largest remaining elephant population as well as myriad other species that thrive amid its lush swamps and waterways.
The diversity of habitats from the delta to the Kalahari Desert supports over 110 species of mammals and over 600 bird species. Iconic animals such as elephants, lions, leopards, and abundant plains game are all commonly sighted. However, while the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo) can be found, Botswana’s wide open spaces mean sightings are not guaranteed. Those venturing beyond well-touristed reserve areas must embrace the uncertainty and thrill of potentially spotting rare and elusive wildlife deep in their wilderness strongholds.
Escaping the Madding Crowds
Some of Botswana’s most renowned reserves and lodges are still wildlife-rich but can see busier seasons with coachloads of daily visitors. For example, the Chobe Game Reserve, bordering Zimbabwe, supports Africa’s largest remaining elephant population of over 120,000. However, its density of lodges and camps in prime wildlife viewing areas means game driving routes, and riverfront sighting spots often have multiple vehicles jockeying for position.
Similarly, Moremi Game Reserve within the Okavango Delta regularly sees over 20,000 visitors annually concentrated along a network of dry season roads. Its picturesque scenery and reliable wildlife concentrations attract large tour groups. While these areas offer excellent game viewing and cultural experiences, the busy scenes are not for those seeking seclusion and solitary encounters deep in the African wilderness.
A select number of remote safari camps and lodges are situated well away from the crowds, only accessible via small chartered planes. Immersing guests in unparalleled wilderness with commanding views over vast open plains punctuated by stands of mopane trees and seasonal wetlands. With just a handful of rooms, exclusive use of large, unfenced concessions, and guided excursions exploring unknown tracks, these lodges grant a privileged perspective of Botswana’s wild spaces.
Linyanti Concession: Secluded Luxury Amid Abundant Wildlife
The Linyanti concession lies within the northern reaches of Chobe National Park situated some 300km from the popular Chobe River area. Accessed only by air, this remote enclave of 35,000 hectares is home to two exclusive safari camps – Mombo and Savuti – offering just 18 rooms between them spread over vast unfenced grasslands.
As one of the largest private wildlife areas in Africa, the concession is miraculously untouched by human development, with no fences isolating wildlife within artificially bounded reserves. Resident wildlife populations thrive freely across open salt pans, grassy floodplains, and wooded savannah, undisturbed except for occasional safari vehicles. With its proximity to major wildlife migratory corridors, the area sees phenomenal concentrations of elephants, buffalo, and predators throughout the year alongside resident pride of lions and packs of wild dogs.
Secluded Luxury of Mombo Camp
Nestled unobtrusively on a rise overlooking a broad grassy plain dotted with ebony trees, Mombo Camp exudes a sense of exclusivity and intimacy with nature. Its just six airy and spacious wooden chalets are scattered privately yet near the central area, granting front-row views over the seasons’ dramatic wildlife spectacles unfolding across the open savannah.
While game drives, walks, and boating explore the boundless concession, guests also partake in activities seldom available at other forested safari camps – such as desert adventure drives and visits to ephemeral salt pans. The camp’s remote wilderness location and small capacity guarantee an experience far removed from the bustle of busier northern reserves. Distanced from all but the natural world, it offers travelers passionate about wildlife an unparalleled opportunity to witness Africa’s seasonal pageantry and daily dramas in pronounced solitude.
Luxury and Encounters at Savuti Camp
Situated within dense woodlands and open grasslands alongside a vast saucer-like depression known as the Savuti Channel, Savuti Camp provides an oasis of luxury amid Botswana’s untamed northeast. Its elegant tents with private verandas, swimming pool and air strip foster an exclusive ambiance. Yet the wilderness prevails, with resident prides of lion, wild dog packs and elephant herds that amble through camp unperturbed by human presence.
As the dry season progresses, the channels’ pools attract aggregations of wildlife for waterhole viewing unrivaled elsewhere in Botswana. With its remote location accessible only by air, Savuti offers a privileged perspective on Africa’s wild spaces and untamed beauty far beyond the congested scenes elsewhere in Chobe. Its expert guides ensure unparalleled sightings in the company of just a handful of like-minded souls pursuing authentic wilderness encounters amid a backdrop of secluded luxury.
Okavango Delta: Tranquility Amid Wetland Wonder
Covering over 5,800 square miles and containing over 100,000 water-filled channels, lagoons, and islands, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Okavango Delta lies at the inland terminus of the Okavango River in northwestern Botswana. Fed only by seasonal rains, its dynamic habitat transforms continually as floodwaters recede across the dry season, unveiling a rich and complex wetland ecosystem. The delta supports a diversity of wildlife that only Africa’s largest inland delta can provide.
While the more popular areas see large tourist volumes, several exclusive camps and lodges within the delta’s private concessions exist specifically for those craving solitude amid nature. Immersing guests in tranquility on remote islands accessible only by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) or light aircraft, these frontier-style retreats allow privileged experiences of the seasonal changes transforming landscapes across several month-long stays.
Island Wilderness of Xaranna Camp
Situated on a secluded palm-fringed island deep inside the permanently flooded zone of the Okavango, Xaranna Camp consists of just five thatched suites raised on stilts to avoid disrupting the sensitive wetland ecology. Isolated amid braided channels and lush grassland, it grants exclusive access to a private enclave of solitude within a verdant wilderness.
Traditional activities combine with wildlife viewing from open vehicles or traditional mokoros piloted by Polers through the ever-transforming maze of waterways. Multi-day walking, birding, or photographic safaris witness seasonal change, transforming landscapes in pronounced solitude throughout several month-long stays. With its intimate size and remote location deep within the floodplains, Xaranna offers an unmatched opportunity to witness the annual cycles of the Okavango’s wonders through prolonged stays far from usual tourist circuits and bustle.
Singita’s Grumeti Reserves Tanzania
The famed Singita Grumeti Reserves lying at the western edge of the Serengeti plains, encompass over 560,000 acres of protected wilderness, including sections of the Greater Serengeti ecosystem. Singita’s three lodges – Faru Faru, Sasakwa, and Merelani – are located deep within this vast, pristine wilderness and grant privileged access to some of Africa’s most astonishing wildlife spectacles.
Situated on the seasonalGRUMETI RIVER, Faru Faru Lodge’s nine thatched suites hidden amid riverine forest provide front-row seating to the annual wildebeest migration’s dramas. Sasakwa Lodge’s eight stone cottages immerse guests amid open acacia woodlands where the pride of the lion roams freely. And exclusive use Merelani Hills Camp’s four spacious tented suites envelop guests in panoramic views across sweeping savannah where mega-herds gather during the rains.
Accessed only by light aircraft and guided by renowned conservationists and trackers, these remote wilderness camps offer extremely privileged experiences at the intersection of Tanzania’s two most astounding wildlife regions. Their exclusive footprints in such vast unfenced protected land translates to unparalleled sightings and solitude amid some of East Africa’s most intact wilderness strongholds.
Pursuing Untamed Frontiers
For those patient and passionate about seeking Africa’s true wildernesses, these remote camps and unfenced concessions offer privileged access to well-off usual tourist circuits. Their intimate sizes, exclusive guided activities exploring vast private concessions, and multi-week stays foster unparalleled experiences amid unrivaled solitude and interactions with nature. While requiring significant time, expense, and advanced planning, they present opportunities to witness untamed regions and seasonal cycles changing landscapes far from crowds.
Pursuing Untamed Frontiers
For those patient and passionate about seeking Africa’s true wildernesses, these remote camps and unfenced concessions offer privileged access to well-off usual tourist circuits. Their intimate sizes, exclusive guided activities exploring vast private concessions, and multi-week stays foster unparalleled experiences amid unrivaled solitude and interactions with nature. While requiring significant time, expense, and advanced planning, they present opportunities to witness untamed regions and seasonal cycles changing landscapes far from crowds.
For travelers mindful of low-impact tourism, these frontier-style safari experiences deep within Botswana’s and Tanzania’s intact ecosystems offer a majestic alternative to busier reserves. Helping disperse visitor numbers across a vast range of habitats supports ecological sustainability while granting rare privileged windows into Africa’s seasonal pageantry unfolding amid profound wilderness. For those prioritizing authenticity amid natural surroundings with few others, they represent some of the continent’s most exclusive and rewarding encounters with its abundant yet imperiled wildlife riches and wild spaces existing far beyond the madding crowds