Things to see & do in
Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Covering around 40 percent of the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve is one of the great safari destinations in Botswana. Voted best game reserve in Africa in the past, Moremi was the first wildlife sanctuary to be created by an African tribe on their own lands. The BaTawana people, concerned about wildlife depletion, are now stewards of Moremi, and many trips here will focus on Chief’s Island, which was once a favoured royal hunting ground.
What makes Moremi Game Reserve so special is the terrain – a mix of forests, floodplains, lagoons and waterways dotted with lilies. Dry and wetlands allow for stunning contrasts, and support a staggering diversity of wildlife: Cape wild dogs and buffalos, giraffes, hippos, zebras, impalas and antelopes, along with some 500 bird species and – since the successful reintroduction of rhinos – the Big Five. Safaris here take the form of 4x4 drives, guided walks and voyages in the traditional mokoro dugout canoes, poled skilfully along by your guides. Many canoes are now actually made of fibreglass, since the growth of demand for canoe tours has led to serious worries about the sustainability of chopping down so many trees.
Our Botswana Vacations
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
US $2035
14 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Victoria Falls
An unforgettable wildlife and scenery experience
From
US $3853
11 days
ex flights
Botswana fly-in safari vacation
Experience Botswana on a 6 night fly-in Safari adventure
From
£2850
7 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana safari vacation
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
From
US $3845
21 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana game tracker accommodated safari
Adventure lodge safari through Kruger, Zimbabwe and Botswana
From
US $2830
16 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Chobe river cruise
An exclusive combination of land & water based adventures
From
US $6125
10 days
ex flights
Windhoek to Victoria Falls self drive tour
A self-drive adventure through Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
£4250
15 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and wild camping
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe.
From
US $1974 to US $1975
13 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
US $2815 to US $2950
21 days
ex flights
Botswana lodge safari
Botswana affordable lodge safari Okavango, Moremi, Chobe
From
US $3000 to US $3140
13 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana safari, elephant paths
Follow in the paths of one of Africa's most iconic creatures
From
US $3555
11 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls small group lodge tour
Classic route lodge safari to Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
US $3965 to US $4195
21 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls vacation in Southern Africa
A spectacular and diverse African journey
From
US $3179 to US $3349
20 days
ex flights
Best of Botswana and Zimbabwe
Visit two of southern Africa’s most amazing countries
From
US $7650
14 days
ex flights
Southern Africa budget vacation
Discover the iconic wildlife and nature of South East Africa
From
US $1064 to US $1565
10 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group vacation
Explore the best of Southern Africa's wildlife and nature.
From
US $2342 to US $2700
22 days
ex flights
Luxury Botswana safari & Victoria Falls
Luxurious lodges & spectacular wildlife viewing
From
£9850
12 days
ex flights
Botswana safari vacation
A semi participation and mobile safari in Botswana
From
£2465
15 days
ex flights
Camping safari in Southern Africa
Camping safari highlights of Zimbabwe, Botswana & Kruger
From
US $2035 to US $2195
16 days
ex flights
Botswana luxury safari with Victoria Falls
An amazing off-road and river safari in beautiful Botswana
From
£3445
9 days
ex flights
Botswana safari, lodges and mobile camps
Wildlife lodges, mobile tented safaris & Victoria Falls!
From
US $6615
13 days
ex flights
Botswana and Zimbabwe Ivory Route lodge tour
Classic Journey adventure safari Botswana, Zimbabwe Namibia
From
US $4750
15 days
ex flights
Southern Africa luxury wildlife & beach vacation
Pristine beaches and rich wildlife on this Southern African tour
From
£9510
15 days
inc UK flights
Botswana wildlife adventure
Fantastic Botswana wildlife adventure to 4 different areas
From
US $8865
12 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana self drive vacation
Victoria Falls and incredible wildlife on self drive tour
From
US $4380
16 days
ex flights
Kalahari desert expedition safari, Botswana
Central Kalahari Game Reserve & Kgalagadi National Park
From
US $3400
14 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Mozambique beach break
An outstanding safari, Victoria Falls and deserted beaches
From
£6890
14 days
ex flights
Botswana safari vacation on a shoestring
Affordable safari and camping experience through Botswana
From
£1195
7 days
ex flights
Joanna Simmons, one of our expert travel writers, took an unforgettable family safari to Botswana in 2018 that visited Moremi Game Reserve: “Moremi is just so beautiful. It’s part of the Delta, so there are wetland areas, but there are also forests and grassy areas and it seems to constantly evolve as you drive through it. A very happy memory is quietly watching about 50 elephants wandering through the trees – babies, big females – grazing and moving, all around us. We also saw a leopard kill here. We just missed a lechwe (marsh antelope) being born and watched it take its first steps, then a female leopard shot out of the tall grass and took it. It probably lived for about six minutes. You want nature? Moremi delivers.”
How to visit Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi is just under 5,000km2 in size, and borders another ace in the Botswana pack, Chobe National Park, at its northeastern edge. Access is usually from the nearby town of Maun, where large populations of wild donkeys, goats and the red lechwe graze by the river, but many lodges on Chief’s Island have private airstrips, too. Some itineraries also explore private reserves outside Moremi.
Accommodation in Moremi ranges from fairly luxurious bush lodges, some of which feature en suite tents; to wild camping where you can expect pretty basic conditions, such as bucket showers, but also the thrill of nighttime wildlife visits. Only two areas of the reserve are above water level all year round: Chief’s Island, which is the largest landmass in the delta and can only be reached by plane or boat, and the Mopane Tongue.
Accommodation in Moremi ranges from fairly luxurious bush lodges, some of which feature en suite tents; to wild camping where you can expect pretty basic conditions, such as bucket showers, but also the thrill of nighttime wildlife visits. Only two areas of the reserve are above water level all year round: Chief’s Island, which is the largest landmass in the delta and can only be reached by plane or boat, and the Mopane Tongue.
Chief’s Island
Around 60km long and 10km wide, with a great diversity of terrain, Chief’s Island possesses perhaps the highest density of animals in all of Southern Africa, offering them a valuable retreat when the waters rise. Historically an exclusive hunting area for the tribal chieftain, the island presents immensely exciting safaris by 4x4, or mokoro canoe when water levels allow. The environment is absolutely pristine, as there has never been permanent human settlement here.
Mopane Tongue
Jutting into the delta from the east, and connected to Chobe National Park by a corridor of land, the Mopane Tongue is a peninsula, much of it covered in mature mopane forest, which is used for housebuilding, musical instruments and decoration. Leopards and cheetahs can be seen here with a little luck, drawn by an abundance of antelopes, while the waterways of the Xakanaxa Lagoon at the tip of the tongue are renowned for their birdlife.Our top Botswana Vacation
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
US $2035
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Botswana or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Best time to visit Moremi Game Reserve
The best time to visit Moremi tends to be between July and October, when temperatures are more moderate. Many water sources dry up, so the wildlife concentrates around those that remain, inevitably leading to excellent viewing opportunities and conflict between predators and prey. During this dry season, vast herds of prey species make their way to the reserve from the Kalahari Desert in search of water, which – combined with the knowledge and experience of the guides here – should ensure very successful safaris.
October to April is the hot, wet season. Game viewing is trickier, as the vegetation is so thick and lush, but it’s an exceptional time of year for bird watching, with January the main breeding season. The rains can make some parts of Moremi inaccessible, however; and many lodges close between December and February.
More about Botswana
Best time to visit Botswana is during the green season from November through to March, especially if you're planning to visit Botswana for the national parks of Moremi and Chobe.
If you’re looking to travel to southern Africa then our Botswana travel guide, packed full of information, is the perfect place to start your journey.
Our Botswana interactive map page reveals the country's highlights, with details of three classic itineraries, too, to help you make the most of your time.
There are of course myriad things to do in Botswana, from a mokoro canoe ride in the Delta to bush walks and an authentic San experience in the Kalahari.
Carrying water and silt from the Angolan highlands, Botswana’s Okavango Delta floods life into the Kalahari Desert and supports wildlife on an epic scale.
Discover the diverse and fascinating wildlife roaming through one of Africa’s last great wildernesses on a Botswana safari.
The chance to see a vast array of Botswana wildlife hunting, feeding and raising young in some of Africa’s most unspoilt, pristine environments is what draws people to this desert nation.
You know your children and if you think that traveling in Botswana with kids will work for you and your family then don’t hold back, go for it.
Botswana is an exclusive destination with exclusive accommodation – often small, always perfectly formed and frequently at the forefront of responsible tourism.
We really rate travel advice from our friends in Botswana and think you should too; read pearls of wisdom from expert travel writers, photographers and fellow travelers, too.
Learn about Botswana's responsible tourism issues, from hunting bans to the San people, is an important part of traveling right in Botswana and finding out what you can do to help.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: 2630ben] [From above: Tomas Forgac]
[Zebras: Tomas Forgac]
[View from a mokoro: Carine06]
[Buffalos: Michael Jansen]
Back to the top
- Recently viewed
