What is the best safari camp in Botswana?

Mombo Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve ranks first for its wildlife density, with &Beyond Sandibe a close second for design and guiding.

How many camps should I book on a Botswana safari?

The usual formula is two to four camps of 2 or 3 nights each, connected by light aircraft, mixing a delta water camp with a dryland camp in Makgadikgadi or Chobe.

How much does a 7-night luxury Botswana safari cost?

As of October 2026, as a rough guide, from about $12,000 per person for 7 nights across 3 camps, and well above that at top camps like Mombo in high season. Caviar quotes current rates when you plan.

Which Botswana camp is the most private?

Zarafa Camp on the private Selinda Reserve has just 4 tents, and Duba Plains has 5 tents plus a two-bedroom suite.

6 Best Luxury Safari Camps in Botswana

Botswana's safari camps play in a different league. They're remote wilderness camps, most reached only by light aircraft, where the food, the guiding and the wildlife are all looked after for you.

Which is the best luxury safari camp in Botswana? Mombo Camp, in the Moremi Game Reserve, for sheer wildlife. &Beyond Sandibe is a close second for design and guiding. For a first safari, pair 3 nights at each, and add 2 nights at Jack's Camp if you want the salt pans too.

Key facts

Best months: May to October, the dry season, when animals gather around water.
Getting there: most camps are reached only by light aircraft, flying between camps.
How to build it: two to four camps, 2 or 3 nights each. Mix a water camp in the delta with a dryland camp in Makgadikgadi or Chobe.
Budget: a rough guide, as of October 2026: about $8,000 to $25,000 per person for 5 nights depending on the camps. Mombo's rates are among the highest in Botswana, and Caviar quotes current rates when you plan.

Here's my honest ranking.

1. Mombo Camp, Moremi Game Reserve

All-inclusive | Rating: 10/10

A leopard stretching and yawning on a fallen log in the Okavango Delta, Botswana Photo: Colin Watts / Unsplash

Mombo is the Michael Jordan of safari camps, and everyone knows it. It sits on Mombo Island next to Chief's Island in the Moremi Game Reserve, and the wildlife density is staggering. A single morning drive can bring lions, leopards, wild dogs, elephants and buffalo, and if you're lucky, a honey badger (the real star). The camp was rebuilt in 2018, and the tents are huge, each with a plunge pool and outdoor shower.

2. &Beyond Sandibe, Okavango Delta

All-inclusive, 12 suites | Rating: 10/10

Sandibe is one of the most beautiful camps in Africa. The pangolin-inspired structures blend into the treeline with curving organic forms that feel like they grew there. The guiding is exceptional. Trackers here read bird calls and fresh prints the way the rest of us read a menu, and they seem to know where the animals will be before the animals do.

3. Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta

All-inclusive, 12 tents | Rating: 9/10

Wooden mokoro canoes pulled up at a palm-lined landing beside safari vehicles in Botswana Photo: Ed Wingate / Unsplash

My favorite water-based safari in Botswana. Helicopter flips over the delta, mokoro rides through papyrus channels, and boat safaris that put you at eye level with hippos and crocodiles. You see the Belmond polish in every detail.

4. Jack's Camp, Makgadikgadi Pans

All-inclusive | Rating: 9/10

Completely different from the delta camps. Jack's sits on the edge of one of the world's largest salt flats, a surreal, blindingly white expanse that feels like another planet. Activities include quad biking across the pans (in the dry season), meerkat encounters and walks with Zu/'hoasi San guides. The 1940s explorer look, with Persian rugs and antique furniture, is gorgeous.

5. Duba Plains Camp, Okavango Delta

All-inclusive, 5 tents plus a two-bedroom suite | Rating: 9/10

Famous for its lions and buffalo, filmed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert for National Geographic. The camp belongs to Great Plains Conservation, which the Jouberts co-founded, and with so few tents it feels very private.

6. Zarafa Camp, Selinda Reserve

All-inclusive, 4 tents | Rating: 9/10

An African wild dog standing in golden grass and looking at the camera in Botswana Photo: Leon Pauleikhoff / Unsplash

The most intimate camp on this list, with just 4 tents on the huge private Selinda Reserve (also run by Great Plains). The wildlife is prolific (large elephant herds, lion prides, wild dogs), and a night on the sleep-out deck puts you under one of the darkest, starriest skies in northern Botswana.

How to Build a Botswana Safari

The usual formula: two to four camps, 2 or 3 nights each, connected by light aircraft. Mix a delta camp (water-based) with a dryland camp (Makgadikgadi or Chobe) for variety. If you want the full picture of the delta first, start with my Okavango Delta luxury safari guide.

Safari Length	Rough Budget Per Person (as of October 2026, varies a lot by camp and season)
5 nights (2 camps)	$8,000 to $25,000
7 nights (3 camps)	$12,000 to $35,000
10 nights (4 camps)	$18,000 to $45,000

The low end is a strong luxury camp in shoulder season. The high end is Mombo-level camps in peak season.

Claire's Recommendation

First safari: Mombo (3 nights) + Sandibe (3 nights). This gives you the delta's best wildlife (Mombo) and most beautiful design (Sandibe). Add Jack's Camp (2 nights) if you want the surreal pans. Mombo's rates are among the highest in Botswana, so plan generously, and we'll quote current rates when you plan. You deserve a safari where the hardest decision is which deck to sit on.

Weighing Botswana against Kenya? Read my Maasai Mara luxury safari guide, then book a free consultation.

Claire B. Soares, 6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist

6X Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist with 65+ countries visited across all 7 continents.