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.

Aucun résultat

Meet Tawana’s happy self-drivers!

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

Corrado, Isabella and Francesco

I will carry in my heart the colours, the scent of the air, the myriad animals, the wonderful people with their infectious smiles, and the stunning landscapes we encountered along the way.

19 July 2026

Sophie and Elise

We are absolutely blown away by our stay in Botswana.

14 July 2026

Vanessa and Nicolas

This road trip gave us unforgettable memories, intense emotions and a genuine sense of freedom.

26 June 2026

Charline, Stephane, Baptiste and Jules

Botswana lived up to its reputation: wild and unspoilt.

20 May 2026

Our happy selfdrivers

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

Corrado, Isabella and Francesco

I will carry in my heart the colours, the scent of the air, the myriad animals, the wonderful people with their infectious smiles, and the stunning landscapes we encountered along the way.

19 July 2026

Sophie and Elise

We are absolutely blown away by our stay in Botswana.

14 July 2026

Vanessa and Nicolas

This road trip gave us unforgettable memories, intense emotions and a genuine sense of freedom.

26 June 2026

Charline, Stephane, Baptiste and Jules

Botswana lived up to its reputation: wild and unspoilt.

20 May 2026

Florent

We covered 2,800 km of tracks, dust and a huge amount of mud. But above all, memories etched in our minds forever.

11 April 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!

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
A small herd of elephants crosses one of the countless channels of the Okavango Delta. Silent, determined. The youngest cling close to their mothers, their trunks barely protruding from the water. The older ones move forward with the quiet authority of those who have made this crossing thousands of times before. No wildlife documentary can prepare you for this. For the sheer scale of the spectacle. For the silence that surrounds it. For the emotion you feel every time you watch these gentle giants. 📍 Okavango Delta, Botswana 🇧🇼 📸 Wildlife Photography | Self-drive Safari | Untamed Africa #OkavangoDelta #Botswana #BotswanaSafari #AfricanElephants #WildlifePhotography #SafariLife #AfricaWildlife #OkavangoBotswana #UNESCOWorldHeritage #AfricaTravel #WildAfrica #ElephantHerd
Black rhino or white rhino? This magnificent creature was photographed in Etosha National Park which is one of the last strongholds of the critically endangered black rhinoceros. And if you think all rhinos look the same, look closer an spot the difference: 1️⃣ The lip is the giveaway. The black rhino has a hooked, pointed upper lip, perfectly designed for grasping branches and leaves from shrubs and trees. The white rhino, by contrast, has a wide, flat lip built for grazing grass. 2️⃣ The head hangs lower. Black rhinos tend to carry their head higher than white rhinos, which hold theirs close to the ground while grazing. 3️⃣ The body is smaller. Black rhinos are noticeably more compact and lighter than their white cousins. 4️⃣ The attitude is different. Black rhinos are famously more solitary and more temperamental. They are browsers, not grazers, moving alone through dense vegetation, relying on their extraordinary sense of smell to navigate a world their poor eyesight can barely distinguish. 5️⃣ The numbers are heartbreaking. Fewer than 6,000 black rhinos remain in the wild today. Etosha National Park is one of the few places on Earth where you still stand a genuine chance of encountering one, a privilege that should never be taken for granted. Next time you spot a rhino on safari, take a second to identify if it's a black or a white one! 📍 Etosha National Park, Namibia 📸 Wildlife Photography | Namibia Safari | Wildlife Conservation #Etosha #EtoshaNationalPark #BlackRhino #RhinoConservation #Namibia #NamibiaSafari #AfricaWildlife #WildlifePhotography #SaveTheRhino #BigFive #AfricanSafari #RhinoAwareness #WildAfrica #NaturePhotography #SafariLife #AfricaTravel #Rhino #UntamedAfrica
A safari isn’t just about large mammals. Small animals are everywhere too, and some are incredibly cute 🥰 Meet one of Botswana's most beloved wildlife icons: the meerkat. These highly social animals live in family groups, in a complex and fascinating social structure where survival depends on cooperation. Pups are born underground and emerge after just three weeks, instantly curious, instantly adorable. Botswana's Kalahari is not the arid desert its name might suggest. It is a living, breathing ecosystem, home to an astonishing diversity of wildlife, from the very big cats to the smallest, most captivating creatures. Sometimes, the most unforgettable encounter on a safari fits in the palm of your hand 💛 📍 Kalahari Desert, Botswana 🇧🇼 📸 Wildlife Photography | Botswana Safari | Meerkat Encounter #Botswana #KalahariDesert #Meerkat #UntamedAfrica #BabyAnimals #SafariLife #WildBotswana #AfricaWildlife #AfricanSafari #WildlifePhotography #Kalahari #BotswanaSafari #NatureLovers #AfricaGeographic
The water is back in the Boteti River and the zebras are now on their way 🦓 No one sends them an invitation. No one marks the date. Yet every year, without fail, the zebras arrive. Nature's punctuality is something else entirely. The best part? No guided tour needed to witness the zebra migration. The Makgadikgadi National Park is a prime selfdrive area: just pack your camping gear, load your GPS, and let the tracks lead you there! 👇 Have you ever witnessed a wildlife migration? Drop a 🦓 in the comments! 📍 Boteti River, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana 🇧🇼 ✦ Botswana trip ✦ Local knowledge ✦ Unforgettable wildlife #travel #nature #onsafari #selfdrive #africawildlife #wildbotswana #selfdriveafrica #wildlifephotography #zebras
Strength. Focus. Purpose. In this stark and seemingly empty landscape, survival demands resilience. Lions here walk great distances between water and prey, perfectly adapted to one of Botswana’s most dramatic environments. In the Makgadikgadi, every step matters. In Botswana, every self-drive safari is unforgettable. #Botswana #Lion #SafariMoments #WildAfrica #wildlifephotography #exploringafrica #onsafari