Rhino Africa Travel Expert Claudia Silva has spent years exploring Africa's wild places. Yet Botswana managed to do something few destinations can: it completely changed the way she experienced safari. Over the course of a single trip, she found herself standing on what felt like another planet, cruising through entirely different worlds, and gliding high above them. This is the story of Claudia’s safari of firsts.
It Didn't Begin As Expected
Like many of our guests travelling to Botswana for the first time, Claudia expected wildlife to define her first impressions. A herd of elephants on the horizon, perhaps, or a lion lounging beneath an acacia tree.
Instead, Botswana introduced itself in a way she never could have predicted.
Her time in Botswana began at Leroo La Tau, perched high above the Boteti River on the western edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. From the lodge's elevated position, the dry river below drew wildlife to its banks, offering an enticing first glimpse of Botswana's remarkable abundance.
Even before reaching the lodge, however, Botswana had already delivered its first surprise. While driving from the airstrip, Claudia and her group found themselves alongside thousands of zebra and wildebeest moving steadily across the plains.
Following the seasonal rains, this vast, little-known natural phenomenon – the second-largest zebra migration in Africa – draws tens of thousands of animals onto the nutrient-rich grasslands of the Makgadikgadi before they return to the Okavango Delta months later.
No one had promised the migration. Claudia had simply arrived at exactly the right moment. It was an unforgettable introduction to Botswana, where nature always dictates the schedule.
But wildlife wasn't the only extraordinary thing Botswana had in store. In fact, it was what appeared to be nothing at all that left the deepest impression - the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Endless white salt crusts stretched towards the horizon in every direction, so vast that it became almost impossible to tell where the earth ended and the sky began. There were no trees, no rivers, no landmarks to anchor the eye. Just an immense, ancient terrain that felt untouched by time.
"It looks like you're walking on the moon." – Claudia.
The contrast was striking. Moments earlier, she'd been surrounded by one of Africa's greatest wildlife spectacles. Now, she stood in a place where silence felt tangible.
Here, Claudia realised Botswana wasn't defined by dramatic wildlife encounters alone. It was also a place of immense stillness, inviting her to slow down and connect with a landscape far older than she could ever imagine.
Along The River Banks
And from the salt pans of silence to a flood of life, Claudia ventured to the renowned, water-filled Okavango Delta. To say the contrast couldn't have been more striking is an understatement. Here, white salt gave way to emerald floodplains, winding waterways, and leaning papyrus, where every bend seems to reveal something new.
"Coming from the pans, it was such a dramatic change. Suddenly, everything was so green, so full of life." – Claudia.
Her first introduction to the Delta was Camp Xakanaxa, where elevated wooden walkways and stilted suites looked out across the floodplains. Mornings unfolded peacefully as the Delta slowly came to life, the water beyond glistening in the soft light of dawn. As the day drew to a close, the floodplains took on an entirely different character. Sunsets painted the channels in warm shades of gold and amber, transforming the landscape into something almost dreamlike.
Even walking to dinner became an adventure in itself. Guides escorted guests between the suites and the main lodge because Oscar, the camp's resident hippo, had claimed the surrounding waterways as his territory. Dinnertime was something of a shared ritual, with Oscar grazing peacefully nearby as guests settled in for the evening.
Before long, Claudia was stepping aboard a boat for her first water-based safari in the Okavango Delta, where the intimate channels gradually opened into wide lagoons carpeted with water lilies.
Above, African fish eagles called from the treetops, and beside her, elephants waded confidently between islands, their reflections rippling beneath them, while pods of hippos surfaced with curious snorts before disappearing below the surface once more.
"You realise just how many different ways there are to explore the Delta." – Claudia.
As the boat drifted back towards camp, Claudia found herself looking over her shoulder, reluctant for the day to end. Her first day on the Delta had already shown her a completely different side of Botswana, and she had a feeling the adventure was only just beginning.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
After drifting through the Okavango Delta's winding channels by boat, Claudia thought she had begun to understand it. But arriving at Atzaró Okavango Camp, there was yet another side to the Delta waiting to be discovered.
Built beneath a canopy of towering leadwood and ebony trees, the camp felt wonderfully alive. Red lechwe grazed beside the lagoon, birds darted between the branches, elephants wandered past the decks, and hippos surfaced in the water beyond. There was always something happening, no matter which direction she happened to look.
"It was like a movie.” – Claudia.
It was the perfect setting for yet another safari surprise. Here, she stepped into a mokoro for the very first time – a traditional dugout canoe gently poled through the Delta by an expert local guide using a long wooden pole.
She'll admit she was nervous before climbing aboard. The stillness of the water brought a new vulnerability, and with nothing separating her from the reeds, she couldn't help but wonder what might be waiting around the next bend. But as her guide gently led them along and through the narrow channels, that apprehension quickly gave way to a profound sense of calm.
"It felt like we were just floating, appreciating every little thing.” – Claudia.
Without the hum of an engine, the Delta became more apparent. Dragonflies hovered just above the water, tiny flowers floated between the reeds, and frogs clung to papyrus stems. Along the banks, elephants browsed undisturbed, seemingly unaware of her quiet presence.
On Nature's Terms
By now, Claudia had seen the Delta from the water. Now it was time to experience it from the ground. So, she stepped out into the bush for her very first walking safari.
From the outset, her guide Noah set the tone. Instead of scanning the horizon for wildlife, he encouraged the group to pay attention to what lay beneath their feet.
It began with a set of tiny tracks pressed into the dusty earth. Following them led to a large termite mound, which became an unexpected lesson in engineering, revealing how these remarkable structures enrich the soil and support entire ecosystems.
From there, the bush seemed to come alive with stories. Thorn trees spoke of an evolutionary arms race with hungry browsers, while even weathered bones scattered across the landscape had a purpose, slowly returning nutrients to the earth long after an animal's life had ended.
The walk became less about finding wildlife and more about understanding the bush itself.
"It puts everything back into perspective. We are very, very small.” – Claudia.
That instinct came into its own later that afternoon. Back in the game-drive vehicle, Noah spotted a pack of African wild dogs moving with unusual purpose. He watched them for only a brief moment before making a call.
"He made the right decision in that split second.” – Claudia.
The vehicle followed as the pack fanned out through the bush, each dog slipping silently into position. Within moments, the hunt was over.
It was the first time Claudia had witnessed a pack of African wild dogs bringing down their prey.
"It was traumatic and thrilling at the same time," – Claudia.
Yet after everything Noah had taught her that morning about balance, adaptation, and the intricate connections holding the ecosystem together, the hunt no longer felt like an isolated act of predation. It became another chapter in the same story.
Life and death weren't separate forces here. They were part of the same ancient rhythm that fed the termite mounds, enriched the soil, shaped the trees, nourished the antelope, sustained the predators, and ultimately kept the Delta alive.
Up, Up, and Away
By the time Claudia arrived at Camp Qorokwe, she'd explored Botswana by vehicle, by boat, by mokoro, and on foot. There was only one perspective left to discover.
And, ironically, it was the experience she had been dreading most.
Claudia has never particularly enjoyed flying. Even the light aircraft transfers between camps had nudged her well beyond her comfort zone. So when the opportunity arose to take a scenic helicopter flight over the Delta, Claudia arrived with more than a little concern.
But as Claudia approached the helicopter, the pilot began undoing something she had assumed would remain firmly attached…
"I never in a million years thought he was going to take the doors off.” – Claudia.
Yes... the scenic flight was about to become considerably more scenic. With the doors evidently absent, Claudia suddenly found herself facing the Delta with nothing but a seatbelt between her and the view. But once they lifted off, fear quickly gave way to awe. Fresh air rushed through the cabin as the Delta stretched uninterrupted beneath her. Any apprehension disappeared, replaced by complete exhilaration.
"To see where the water channels are actually going... it was mind-blowing.” – Claudia.
From the air, the Delta looked nothing like it had from the water. The channels she'd followed by mokoro and boat now branched across the floodplains, linking islands, lagoons, and pockets of woodland in every direction.
The dry salt pans she'd explored just days earlier felt a world away. Below, elephants wandered between islands, while birds drifted effortlessly on rising thermals above the waterways.
"I actually developed a love for it.” – Claudia.
Before returning to camp, the helicopter descended onto a tiny island in the middle of the Delta. Waiting beneath the trees was a beautifully laid bush lunch, with floodplains extending far beyond the table in every direction.
"It couldn't get any better." – Claudia.
Until Next Time
The trip came to an end, but Claudia's thoughts were already on the next visit.
She still wants to spend a night beneath the stars on the Makgadikgadi Pans after unexpected rain brought the sleep-out to an early end. She'd climb back into a mokoro without hesitation, and she no longer needs convincing to take the helicopter flight (with or without doors).
As a Travel Expert, she'll also recommend Botswana a little differently. The best luxury Botswana safari isn't built around game drives alone. It's about embracing the country's remarkable variety, whether that's drifting through the Delta by mokoro, exploring on foot with an expert guide, or seeing the floodplains from the air.
"It feels like you're entering into their world instead of it being shared. It's not just another safari... it's the next level." – Claudia.
With the excitement still simmering, Claudia is eager to go back and explore more of the country. Because, quite frankly, one visit was never going to be enough.
Experience Botswana Your Way
Inspired by Claudia's adventure? Our Travel Experts have explored Botswana first-hand and know how to combine its many landscapes, luxury lodges, and experiences into one unforgettable safari. Get in touch to start planning your own journey through one of Africa's last great wildernesses.
