Self-drive safari in Botswana and southern Africa

We transform your Botswana safari into a unique experience

Venture into the wilderness.
Observe vibrant wildlife.
Experience invaluable moments.
Be the hero of your adventure.

Self-drive safari in southern Africa: Botswana, Namibie, Zimbabwe
Self-drive safari in southern Africa: Botswana, Namibie, Zimbabwe

We transform your Botswana safari into a unique experience

Self-drive safari in Botswana : fully equipped 4x4 rental
self-drive safari in Botswana: our customized itineraries

Let the adventure begin!

Self-drive safaris in Botswana are our area of excellence. Fully customisable, they are designed for camping or lodge stays and can be perfectly combined with a guided mobile safari, a luxury fly-in safari package, or with any plans you may have to explore further into Southern Africa.

Travel with confidence, backed by our proven expertise and genuine local knowledge.

4×4 rentals

On a self-drive safari, choosing the right 4×4 is crucial. We select your adventure companion with care and provide support seven days a week.

Tailor-made itineraries

Not sure where to go? How long to stay? Whether the journey will be difficult? We’ll help you make the right choices and share our most valuable secrets with you.

Self-drive safaris

Self-drive safaris in Botswana are our area of excellence. Fully customisable, they are designed for camping or lodge stays and can be perfectly combined with a guided mobile safari, a luxury fly-in safari package, or with any plans you may have to explore further into Southern Africa.

Travel with confidence, backed by our proven expertise and genuine local knowledge.

On a self-drive safari, choosing the right 4×4 is strategic. Whether you prefer a Hilux or a Land Cruiser, traveling solo, as a couple, or with 3 or 4 people, we carefully select your adventure companion and provide assistance along the way.

Not sure where to go? How long to stay? Will the road be difficult? We guide you in your choices and share our most valuable secrets with you. Start imagining your safari with our customizable itinerary ideas.

Start planning with us

Our ideas have style

From Botswana to Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, we cover many regions of Southern Africa and are always keen to create unique, bespoke itineraries tailored to our clients’ individual preferences. Because the possibilities are endless, and we don’t all have the same idea of what travel should be.

100% BOTSWANA

The Water Route

CHOBE • KHWAI • MOREMI • BOTETI • NXAI PAN • GWETA • NATA • VICTORIA FALLS • OPTIONAL OKAVANGO DELTA

BOTSWANA + NAMIBIA + ZIMBABWE

THE ELEPHANT ROUTE

BWABWATA KWANDO • MUDUMU • NKASA RUPARA • CHOBE • HWANGE • KAZUMA • VICTORIA FALLS

BOTSWANA + SOUTH AFRICA

The Big Five Route

WATERBERG • MAPUNGUBWE • TULI • RHINO SANCTUARY • BOTETI • MOREMI • CHOBE • VICTORIA FALLS

Our ideas have style

From Botswana to Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, we cover many regions of Southern Africa and are always keen to create unique, bespoke itineraries tailored to our clients’ individual preferences. Because the possibilities are endless, and we don’t all have the same idea of what travel should be.

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Meet Tawana’s happy self-drivers!

They experienced a self-drive safari in Botswana or in sourthern Africa and they just loved it!

All the testimonials

Christian, Françoise, Christina & Thomas

Our third adventure with Tawana in Southern Africa, and it’s been just as much fun as ever.

10 September 2026

Florence, Thomas, Anouk and Jules

Thank you for the excellent organisation, your advice and for listening to us. We’ll carry Botswana in our hearts.

5 September 2026

Delphine, Yannick and Leon

This is the third trip, and watching the animals is still just as moving as ever.

28 August 2026

Valérie and Olivier

An unforgettable self-drive safari in Botswana, arranged with passion by Tawana Self Drive.

11 August 2026

Our happy selfdrivers

They experienced a self-drive safari in Botswana or in sourthern Africa and they just loved it!

Christian, Françoise, Christina & Thomas

Our third adventure with Tawana in Southern Africa, and it’s been just as much fun as ever.

10 September 2026

Florence, Thomas, Anouk and Jules

Thank you for the excellent organisation, your advice and for listening to us. We’ll carry Botswana in our hearts.

5 September 2026

Delphine, Yannick and Leon

This is the third trip, and watching the animals is still just as moving as ever.

28 August 2026

Valérie and Olivier

An unforgettable self-drive safari in Botswana, arranged with passion by Tawana Self Drive.

11 August 2026

Isabelle and Bernard

An unforgettable trip, a unique experience, hundreds of photos ranging from Namibian landscapes to Botswana’s wildlife.

4 August 2026

All the testimonials

YOUR questions

OUR answers

Thankfully, there is no absolute answer, and the right time to travel in Botswana varies depending on your personality, your expectations, and a few criteria related to the destination, which we have listed in an infographic. If you are still unsure, we will help you determine the best moment during our initial discussions.

In the national parks and reserves, animals roam freely and happily. Sometimes they want to show themselves off. Sometimes they prefer to stay hidden. Sometimes they are where you least expect them and absent from the places where you hope to find them. Nature does as it pleases, but in Botswana, the density of animals remains exceptional. Our Instagram feed bears witness to our own experience, as do the testimonials of our self-drivers.

No two safaris are ever the same, and that’s what makes them so magical!

The essence of a self-drive safari is to drive a rental vehicle in complete autonomy. That is why we do not offer a driver with this option.

If you do not wish to drive in the reserves or if you prefer to travel with a guide, you can consider other safari options, particularly the mobile safari, which offers an excellent alternative.

Botswana is not always a suitable safari destination for young children, as the tourist facilities located in national parks are not fenced off. For safety reasons, lodges generally do not accept children under the age of 7-8, depending on their location. We have also chosen to open our self-drive safaris to children over the age of 6 only, unless your trip does not include Botswana’s reserves.

On the other hand, Namibia is a much more family-friendly destination with travel conditions, infrastructure, and a wide range of activities that will delight both young children and parents. Please contact us to discuss this further.

Sure, we only offer tailor-made safaris in which we can combine all the experiences you would like to have: self-drive safari with camping or lodging, guided safari in a bush camp, fly-in safari in a luxury lodge…

Feel free to let us know all your travel dreams!

People are often worried about things they don’t know much about. Not all tourism professionals are comfortable with self-drive safaris in Botswana, and some prefer to be discouraging for the wrong reasons.

At Tawana, trust and sincerity are part of our commitment. For 10 years, we have been supporting novice and experienced self-drivers with honest and serious advice. Things will not always go as planned, but we will be there to support you in difficult moments and help you gain the incomparable feeling of freedom that all our clients talk about when they return.

No, but you might well become one as the days go by! Just bring along a good dose of humor and a pinch of courage. For the rest, you’re in good hands.

TAWANA ON SOCIAL MEDIAS

Tag us, like us, join us and
go on an instagram safari with us!

Our stairway to heaven 💛 A room in the bush with two beds: one inside, one under the stars. Which one will you choose? For us, there was no hesitation. And it was a marvellous experience to fall asleep peacefully, in the fresh air, surrounded by the sounds of nature and a sky filled with more stars than you’ve ever seen in one place. Ask us for the moon, and your wish will be fulfilled! 📍Tumani, Mababe Private Reserve @theokavangocollection #sleepout #stargazing #natureretreat #hiddengem #botswana
Did you know that you can identify a male giraffe from a female simply by looking at their horns? 🦒 ♀️ Female giraffes’ horns are almost always topped with a small tuft of dark hair, like adorable little pom-poms. ♂️ Male giraffes’ horns bear the marks of years of fighting. During spectacular clashes, they swing their necks and gradually wear away the hair on their horns, causing the tips to become bald. Next time you spot a giraffe, take a look at its horns and you’ll know exactly who you’re dealing with! 📍 Chobe National Park, Botswana 🇧🇼 #Giraffe #WildlifeFacts #Botswana #SelfDriveSafari #AfricanWildlife
Hippo Show 💦 We’d parked by the banks of the Zambezi at Mana Pools, the engine switched off, scanning the horizon without really expecting much. And then a hippo surfaced in the golden light of late afternoon, spraying a jet of water which, in the sun’s rays, looked like miniature fireworks. Mana Pools has a way of giving you this sort of gift, rewarding those who wait, who observe, who linger just a little longer in front of landscapes that seem uninhabited. 📍 Zambezi River — Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 #ManaPools #ZambeziRiver #Zimbabwe #Hippo #SelfDriveSafari
A little bat-eared fox, spotted in the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans 💛 Here’s what nobody ever tells you about self-drive safari in Botswana : it’s not always the lions or the elephants that leave a lasting impression. Sometimes, it’s a tiny fox cub in the middle of nowhere that reminds you just how extraordinary ordinary moments can be. Don't you think? 📍 Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana 🇧🇼 #BotswanaSafari #MakgadikgadiPans #SelfDriveSafari #WildlifeBotswana #BatEaredFox
Think a buffalo is just a big cow? Think again 🐃 African Buffalo is one of the most underestimated animals on the continent, and a key member of the famous Big Five. Here's why it deserves way more attention than it gets: 🔸 Strength in numbers: Buffaloes live in herds that can reach thousands of individuals. And when one is threatened, the whole herd responds. No lion takes that lightly. 🔸 They never truly sleep: Buffaloes only sleep around 90 minutes per day, in short bursts. The rest of the time, at least part of the herd stays alert. Predators don't get many chances. 🔸 Lions fear them too: Despite being prey, buffaloes regularly turn the tables on lions, chasing them away or even killing them to protect the herd. 🔸 Unpredictable by nature: Unlike many animals, buffaloes show very few warning signs before charging. Experienced guides consider them the most dangerous of the Big Five. Not bad for just a "cow" 😅 📍 Chobe National Park, Botswana #WildlifePhotography #ChobeNationalPark #Safari #SelfDriveSafari #TravelwithTawana
At Tawana, we don't just book you a campsite. We always try to get you the perfect spot. The one where you fall asleep to the sounds of the bush and wake up to a view that makes you forget the rest of the world exists. Your adventure, our expertise 🇧🇼 📍 Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana #TravelWithTawana #Botswana #MoremiGameReserve #SelfDriveSafari #Camping #BushCamping #AfricaCamping #WildBotswana #SafariLife #NatureLovers #OkavangoDelta #BotswanaSafari #AfricanWilderness #CampingAfrica
In Setswana, Tawana means lion cub. And long before it became a company, it was the name of a travel blog born from our own self-drive adventures in Africa. So when the time came to build something bigger, the choice was simple. The lion cub that had followed us across the continent became our name, our logo, and our soul. That is why spotting a lion in the wild will always be a special moment for us. It is much more than just an observation: it reminds us of every mile we have travelled, every decision we have made and every reason that has brought us here 🦁 #TravelWithTawana #Botswana #SelfDriveSafari #LionCub #BotswanaSafari #OkavangoDelta #WildAfrica #AfricaLovers #RoadToAfrica #BushLife #WildlifePhotography #Lion
A young jackal, full of curiosity, pausing for just a moment in the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Wild is beautiful. 📍 Kalahari Desert, Botswana 🇧🇼 #Kalahari #Botswana #WildJackal #AfricanWildlife #NatureLovers #WildAfrica #BushLife #DesertLife #OkavangoDelta #africansafari #wildlifephotography #selfdrivesafari
To us, less will always be everything. A simple track cutting across a vast emerald-green plain in Hwange National Park. A palm tree. A dramatic sky. Nothing but this infinite expanse that makes you forget everything. There is truly a particular magic to this kind of African wilderness landscape. Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park. It is home to over 45,000 elephants, vast herds of buffalo, plenty of predators. But it also offers this: tracks leading to a solitary palm tree standing proudly in the midst of this vast emptiness. This is what a self-drive safari in Zimbabwe feels like: raw and deeply personal. 📍 Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 🔹 Self-drive Safari 🔹 Wilderness 🔹 Untamed Africa #HwangeNationalPark #Zimbabwe #SafariInZimbabwe #AfricanLandscapes #SafariLife #WildAfrica #TravelInAfrica #NaturePhotography #OpenRoad #AfricanSafari #HwangeZimbabwe #UntamedAfrica #LessIsMore