Khwai & Makgadikgadi Luxury Safari

Safari Overview

• Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights
• Destinations: Khwai Private Reserve & Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
• Camps: Sable Alley & San Camp
• Best For: Luxury travellers, photographers, second-time safari guests, couples and those seeking variety

This itinerary is ideal for travellers who want to experience two very different sides of Botswana in one seamless journey. It begins in Khwai Private Reserve, a richly varied wildlife area bordering Moremi and Chobe, before moving into the stark beauty of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans — one of Africa’s most extraordinary and atmospheric landscapes.

Khwai Private Reserve

Khwai Private Reserve is a vast 440,000-acre wilderness adjoining both Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park. It is known for its rich diversity of habitats, including riverine woodland, floodplains, open savannah, mopane woodland, rivers and lagoons.

This variety of terrain supports exceptional wildlife, with elephant, lion, leopard, wild dog, cheetah and sable antelope all found here. The reserve is also a meaningful community-based conservation initiative, creating a strong link between safari tourism, environmental stewardship and local livelihoods.

Camp One: Sable Alley

Your safari begins at Sable Alley, a stylish rebuilt bush camp overlooking a lagoon connected to the Khwai River. The setting is especially appealing, with wildlife often visible from the pool, lounge and outdoor seating areas as herds of plains game, buffalo and elephant come down to drink.

Guest tents are elevated on decks and feature private verandas, en-suite bathrooms, and both indoor and outdoor showers. With its beautiful setting and varied game-viewing opportunities, Sable Alley is a rewarding base for a classic northern Botswana safari.

• 3 Nights
• Elegant tented accommodation overlooking a lagoon
• Strong wildlife diversity across varied habitats
• Night drives for nocturnal sightings
• All meals, beverages, guiding, laundry and park fees included

Insider highlight: The reserve’s habitat diversity makes it particularly rewarding for guests hoping to encounter species such as wild dog, sable and even rhino, alongside classic big-game sightings.

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

The second half of the journey shifts dramatically in mood and scenery. The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans form the world’s largest network of salt pans, stretching across nearly 3,900 square kilometres on the bed of an ancient inland lake.

In the dry season, the pans shimmer as a vast white desert beneath immense skies. In wetter months they attract flamingos, waterbirds and one of Africa’s great zebra migrations. This is one of Botswana’s most unusual destinations — less about classic big-game density and more about space, silence, light and extraordinary atmosphere.

Camp Two: San Camp

San Camp is one of Africa’s most romantic and distinctive safari camps. Operating during the dry season, it sits on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans beneath desert palms, with just six elegant white tents creating an intimate and deeply atmospheric retreat.

The camp’s design evokes the charm of an earlier safari era, while the setting feels almost lunar in its beauty. There is a central dining tent, a small library and natural history museum, and even a yoga and meditation tent — making San Camp as restorative as it is adventurous.

• 3 Nights
• Intimate camp with only six white tents
• One of Botswana’s most romantic safari settings
• Unique desert landscape experiences
• All meals, beverages, guiding, laundry and park fees included

Insider highlight: San Camp’s ongoing habituation programme gives guests the rare opportunity to interact with clans of meerkats — one of the area’s most memorable signature experiences.

Safari Highlights

• Two dramatically different Botswana ecosystems in one itinerary
• Classic big-game viewing in Khwai Private Reserve
• Night drives and diverse habitats at Sable Alley
• The surreal beauty of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
• One of Africa’s most atmospheric camps at San Camp
• Meerkat interaction and desert-style safari experiences

Included

Throughout the journey, accommodation, meals, beverages, guest laundry, daily safari activities, expert guiding, park entry fees and VAT are included. Please note that additional travel costs to and from Maun are for guests’ own account and should be added separately to the base itinerary pricing.

Travel Logistics

The safari begins and ends in Maun, Botswana’s main safari gateway. From Maun, a charter flight connects guests to Sable Alley, followed by a road transfer of approximately one hour to camp.

The transfer from Sable Alley to San Camp includes a road transfer back to the airstrip, followed by a charter flight and then a shorter road transfer of approximately 20 minutes to camp. The itinerary concludes with a final charter back to Maun.