Daddy or ruthless killer? This is the question on everyone’s minds as we watch a large lion sniffing a patch of grass. He’s magnificent: his tawny mane bouffant as though it’s been blow-dried, with a dark centre streak lending him an edgy look, like he has a punk’s mohawk. And he’s clearly on a mission.
“He’s following the scent of the females,” explains Lucas Ramoka, our guide. “He might be part of the pride, or an intruder.”
Ten minutes previously we’d left two lionesses and a cub resting in a thicket. This male seems to be looking for them, but is he friend or foe?
“If he’s the cub’s father, then all will be fine,” warns Lucas. “But if he’s not, he could kill it.”
Encounters like this are standard fare in Botswana, a country that’s ranked among the world’s top safari destinations for its untamed landscapes and spectacular wildlife.
But Botswana also has a reputation as an elite destination, where a single night in a high-end lodge can cost more than a week in Greece.
Yet there are ways to experience Botswana’s magic without needing to remortgage your house. Affordable options exist, from adventure camping and overland safaris to budget lodges.
After all, the wildlife remains the same no matter where you stay.
So how do guests decide whether to splurge or save? To find out, I’ll compare the two ends of Botswana’s safari spectrum, spending five nights with budget operator Bush Way, and six nights with luxury brand Wilderness.
Budget Botswana with Bush Ways
Over the past 25 years, Bush Ways has been on a mission to make Botswana’s wonders more accessible to those on a tighter budget. They offer a choose-your-own-adventure of group safari experiences, from mobile camping trips, where guests help with chores, to glamping where the work is done for you, to small-group or private overland trips staying in affordable lodges.
“We saw a gap for the traditional safari camp that centres around good value and Botswana hospitality,” explains Bush Ways’ Director Heiko Genzmer. “We believe a safari in Botswana should be for everyone, not just the ultra-wealthy.”
If you think ‘affordable’ means basic, think again.
Sango Safari Camp, on the edge of the Okavango Delta, is private and comfortable – six safari tents with en-suite bathrooms sit on raised decks with views of the river, where saddle-billed storks forage for snails.
There’s a welcoming lounge and dining area where meals are served family-style, and even a pool.
While you might have to do without fluffy bathrobes and designer interiors, being just outside Moremi Game Reserve means wildlife sightings are guaranteed – in two days I see giraffes chilling with zebras, get inspected by curious hyena pups, and even witness a pack of painted dogs on the hunt.
One way Bush Ways keeps prices down is to offer lodges in community areas, or lesser-known places.
With its UNESCO status, the Okavango Delta camps can charge premium rates, but head 100 miles south to the Central Kalahari and you get intimate animal encounters for a fraction of the price.
Bush Ways runs two lodges in the Deception Valley Private Game Reserve, a 43,000-hectare expanse of semi-arid wilderness that’s home to desert-specialised species like oryx and brown hyenas, alongside lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and giraffes.
Despite being mid-range, Deception Valley Lodge, where I spend three nights, exudes luxury, with huge chalet suites connected by a gleaming boardwalk, a pool, spa treatments, and a small gym.
Meals are top-notch too – spicy shakshuka for brunch, Thai chicken for dinner, and the squidgy brownies they serve at afternoon tea (I eat two).
I visit in rainy season, when the waterlogged landscape makes approaching wildlife more difficult. Knowledge, my guide, takes this as a challenge, powering our 4×4 through overgrown bush to track down a family of lions sheltering under the trees.
“It’s much easier in dry season,” he reveals. “Animals congregate around the waterholes in huge numbers. Last year we had six honey badgers in front of the lodge.”
High-end luxury with Wilderness
If you can have all this on a budget, why pay more?
I get my answer as soon as I walk into my room at Tubu Tree, one of Wilderness’s 20 spectacular lodges in Botswana. Newly rebuilt in 2024, it’s an oasis of zen, a contemporary refuge with 12 enormous suites, each one with a private veranda, soothing interior design and beds so restful I struggle to rise in the morning, even with the wildlife calling.
From the bathtub with a view to the well-stocked mini bar (all-inclusive, naturally) they’ve thought of everything – and while you don’t need this stuff, I admit it’s lovely to have.
“I don’t believe a safari is just about the wildlife,” says fellow guest Nadia, from South Africa. “The lodge is so important. You don’t want to come back from a dusty game drive and feel uncomfortable.”
As well as the luxury, Wilderness is about location. Their camps are set deep in Botswana’s most remote and pristine areas, where visitor numbers are limited and conservation levies are high, creating perfect conditions for abundant wildlife.
That’s why Mombo, my final stop, is known as the ‘Place of Plenty’.
This is Wilderness’s palatial flagship camp, which was recently named one of the best resorts in Africa by Condé Nast Traveler. Here, no comfort is spared, no detail disregarded: from my private deck with plunge pool overlooking grasslands grazed by buffalo to the state-of-the art gym, high-speed WiFi and in-room amenities like iPads and yoga mats.
Meals are à la carte, and afternoon tea looks like it’s been crafted by a top pâtissier. There’s a walk-in wine cellar, and even a pizza oven available all day.
“This feels like a magical place, where magical things happen,” says my friend Amanda, as we leave for our first afternoon drive, every vivid green blade of grass sparkling after the rain.
Sure enough, moments later we see five painted wild dogs make a kill. Later we sip G&Ts by the firepit while the sun sinks in an incandescent blaze. Wilderness can’t control the weather or the wildlife we see, but it doesn’t feel like much of a stretch to say they might.
The lion we saw is the father and we watch him settle down with his family – the happy ending we were praying for.
BOOK IT
Wilderness offers three nights at Tubu Tree and three nights at Mombo on a fully-inclusive basis from £11,239pp sharing. wildernessdestinations.com
Bush Ways offers three nights at Deception Valley Lodge and three nights at Sango Safari Camp, from £4,133pp sharing. bushways.com
Pictures by Bella Falk
BELLA FALK
Bella Falk is a travel writer, photographer and documentary director. She writes the award-winning travel blog Passport and Pixels.
