August 2025: tracking lions in the Kalahari
It was with some trepidation that I embarked on a three-week solo self-drive safari in Botswana.
The itinerary created by Tawana (Julie and Vincent) took me across the country, passing through Moremi, Khwai Concession and Chobe before heading down the Makgadikdadi Pans then ending up in the Kalahari.
This intense self-drive trip will remain among my favourite memories of Africa.
Julie’s road book is extraordinary and I let myself be completely guided by their itinerary, tips and advice. This allowed me to focus on the
game drives and searching for the lion prides I wanted to photograph. Luck was on my side, and as they say, sometimes you have to make your own luck. There’s no doubt that Tawana’s excellent organisation played a part in this.
In the end, these three weeks went by without a hitch – everything is relative, though, as I did crash the 4×4 into the river on the first day; luckily, a big truck that was passing by pulled me out :-)
Botswana is still a gem waiting to be discovered. Let’s enjoy it!
Published on: 10 September 2025
More stories from our self-drivers
9 September 2018
We highly recommend Tawana Self Drive: Julie & Vincent will guide you and advise you to make your trip a memorable one!
20 September 2023
After several safaris, there are still first-time experiences and many emotional moments...
7 August 2025
Witnessing our first lions in the wild, up close – what an overwhelming sense of awe that was.
20 May 2019
What beautiful emotions and what a great sensation of freedom!
30 September 2022
What a patchwork of colours and emotions for this route between Kasane and Cape Town!
8 February 2020
Every time I leave Africa, I leave a little piece of my heart behind!
4 November 2017
Vincent, Julie, you will appear in the background of all these videos and photos that we brought back from this great country.
11 January 2020
Very well organized and a superb experience, would do it again...
15 August 2019
We will surely return to Botswana and we will go again with a camping fully equipped vehicle which has a real taste of adventure!
23 September 2024
We felt like the new explorers on the deep sandy tracks....
18 August 2022
To say the least, it was an adventurous holiday!
21 October 2021
Starry nights like nowhere else, blazing sunsets, a 4x4 that has become our home, and a superb animal life that flourishes without fences or barriers...
7 May 2022
We had the chance to disconnect from our busy lives in Europe and connect to nature
3 November 2018
We were amazed and delighted by everything we saw and experienced!
25 November 2019
We returned home with just one thing on our minds: TO GO AGAIN! With Julie and Vincent, of course!
15 December 2018
We couldn't be more happy with our wildlife experiences and with the service from Tawana Self Drive. It was truly an experience we will never forget and I could not recommend self-driving more!
26 August 2021
A formidable adventure, filled with unforgettable and incredible moments!
5 July 2019
A big thank you for this perfect trip for our 60th and 30th anniversaries!
30 July 2023
A self-drive safari appeared to us as a great way to discover Botswana, providing an exhilarating sense of freedom!
25 June 2025
We had an excellent trip where everything was truly perfect.
20 October 2017
The assistance of Julie and Vincent was extremely valuable to organize this trip
15 July 2023
No more wildlife documentaries on TV, Dumela Botswana!
31 August 2022
The trip was AMAZING!!! We've only just got back, and we're already dreaming of going back to Botswana.
18 August 2024
Observation conditions remain as exceptional as ever!
18 May 2024
It was the most beautiful trip we have ever experienced!
9 December 2025
We loved every moment of our holiday and would return in a heartbeat!
27 April 2022
A big thank you to Tawana Self Drive for making this trip possible!
1 March 2023
We thank Tawana Self Drive for this unique trip and hope to return one day!
5 May 2023
Experiencing the beauty of Botswana cannot be improvised, thanks to Julie and Vincent!
26 June 2022
Botswana is a place of constant wonder and a paradise for wild animals...
15 June 2025
We experienced an extraordinary personal adventure with magical moments surrounded by nature and animals.
14 January 2025
Animals reign supreme, humans remain discreet, nature is untouched... what a delight!
25 February 2026
Thank you once again for this wonderful safari in a wonderful country...
31 January 2019
Nous avons passé des vacances fantastiques au Botswana ! Notre 4x4 équipé était un excellent moyen de découvrir les merveilleux parcs du pays.
15 May 2018
It was a sensational trip, beyond our expectations, with unforgettable encounters and a concentration of wild nature.
30 May 2022
Thank you so much for allowing us to enjoy this wonderful trip and for this complete escape from everyday life!
7 November 2018
This trip will remain in our memories and in our hearts as the most beautiful and the most magical ever!
21 August 2024
It was an incredible and truly emotional journey!
31 July 2022
Different landscapes one after another, animals everywhere... It's a complete change of scenery, and we'll definitely do this trip again!
10 June 2023
“We became the ones who had seen the leopard.”
26 August 2022
A total break from our daily lives, idyllic places, a nomadic life, a total disconnection, and wonderful moments spent with family.
29 August 2025
Thank you for the excellent planning of our tour through the wilderness of Botswana.
10 September 2025
This intense self-drive trip will remain among my favourite memories of Africa.
16 May 2021
What a delight to experience a family adventure like this in Botswana!
30 November 2019
We're going home with some wonderful memories and photos. A huge thank you for everything
26 June 2022
This trip will remain in our memories forever, as it was so exceptional.
2 November 2021
It was a wonderful trip, rich in emotions. It's a real pleasure to work with an agency as competent and friendly as yours!
12 April 2021
Each corner of Namibia is a treasure and the possibilities are endless. We can't wait to return!
28 October 2016
We highly recommend using Tawana Self Drive for all your rental needs!
4 January 2026
An unforgettable journey in harmony with Mother Nature
17 August 2023
We leave feeling inspired and with our heads filled with memories.
21 August 2022
Botswana has pristine wildlife reserves with beautiful landscapes and stunning sunrises and sunsets every day.
1 November 2024
A fantastic trip with unforgettable moments!
30 July 2023
Finding ourselves alone in the African bush behind the wheel of a Land Cruiser was like a childhood dream come true.
13 November 2017
Botswana is an exceptional destination by its landscapes and the wildlife diversity
18 June 2025
Nature, tranquillity, simplicity and lots of emotions!
16 December 2022
A big thank you to both of you for all your advice, your patience and your kindness which allowed us to make our trip a success from the beginning to the end.
28 May 2021
An authentic experience, in which the true wilderness impose its rules and its rhythm.
25 August 2024
A self-drive safari gives you a real sense of freedom, excitement, and adventure... This trip will remain in our hearts forever!
25 September 2019
We dreamed about it. We did it. Thank you Julie and Vincent. Thank you Tawana. You're the best
20 August 2025
We highly recommend this experience to all nature and adventure lovers. For us, it was not just a trip, but a waking dream.
12 August 2022
Botswana is a real wild paradise where animals roam free...
4 June 2019
If we come back one day, we will definitely choose Tawana!
28 February 2023
The trip of a lifetime! Thank you again for these exceptional moments.
8 September 2019
On a self-drive safari, you travel with the essentials, which gives you even more freedom.
21 April 2021
We return in France with fantastic images in our heads. Thank you Tawana Self Drive for making our need for freedom a reality!
22 May 2024
Unforgettable images and memories shared with my daughters...
2 October 2021
A destination rich in emotions, a lovely people, memories full of head and lenses!
11 January 2024
We feed our minds with the sounds of the animal world: birdsong, the sound of the wind in the trees, lions roaring...
5 September 2019
Zambia and all its super smiling people has been an unexpected discovery!
3 May 2021
A superb journey through the varied landscapes of northern Bostwana, in total symbiosis with nature, with its many animals and adventurous tone!
1 April 2021
We had the adventure of a lifetime, camping in the parks in the middle of the African wilderness. Thank you Julie and Vincent for making our dream come true!
20 June 2019
This experience will remain etched in our hearts and memories as a beautiful breeze from the end of the world...
30 April 2022
Thanks once again for being a part of our wonderful time in Botswana!
9 August 2018
Everything was wonderfull! Thank you for your excellent service!
20 November 2018
This experience allows you to forget the everyday life and the connected world. We certainly empty our head and we take full advantage of this simple life in the middle of nature and exceptional wildlife.
12 November 2021
The self-drive experience, which seemed unattainable, turned out to be a total pleasure and will inevitably influence our future travel choices...
25 July 2019
Watching the African wildlife at close range without a mass of tourists around is a unique privilege still accessible in Botswana!
25 November 2019
Our 10-day self-drive adventure took us to different landscapes and atmospheres every day, and will leave us with some intense family memories!
25 May 2025
After a four-year absence, we had an even more memorable stay.
24 October 2023
Three countries, 4,000 km, an extraordinary adventure, magnificent landscapes, and flawless organization by Tawana!
30 August 2024
This experience was unforgettable, and it is largely thanks to you!
11 June 2025
We are always amazed by all that nature has to offer.
24 December 2023
Thank you for this trip, which will remain etched in our memories!
9 June 2019
An unforgettable honeymoon thanks to Julie and Vincent!
5 July 2024
What a beautiful trip and what memories!
23 September 2019
We are really delighted with our 4x4 self drive experience!
22 October 2018
We will keep for long lots of memories in our head and tons of pictures in our eyes.
12 May 2025
This adventure was everything we hoped for, and much more!
30 April 2024
We recommend Tawana's professionalism and responsiveness.
30 June 2018
We had the chance to travel to many places around the world and the Botswana self drive experience is currently at the top of the list. Go ahead, you won't regret it!
29 June 2018
This experience of the bush, by our own, in the middle of nowhere, was awesome! The atmosphere is unique and , for sure, we will be back!
1 September 2022
Botswana is really an animal paradise. The light on the African bush is magnificent in August and the sunrises and sunsets are magical.
14 July 2022
Namibia and Botswana complement each other very well, with beautiful landscapes in Namibia and wild adventures in Botswana, culminating in the majestic Victoria Falls.
9 August 2024
Two weeks after my return, I am only now beginning to realize the emotional intensity that this adventure brought me...
9 August 2024
This adventure was an intense and special experience. If only all trips were like this!
15 September 2019
A feeling of solitude in the midst of nature and its impressive sounds!
30 June 2025
A trip of a lifetime, perfectly coordinated. Thank you, Tawana!
28 October 2022
Our 21 days in the legendary Land Cruiser covering over 2,600 km were simply magnificent!
12 May 2018
With Tawana you count on a strong sense of service and a real consideration for other people.
30 August 2017
This trip is an experience that will remain engraved in our hearts!
27 December 2021
A total reconnection, a unique feeling of freedom, unforgettable memories and surprising encounters...
12 April 2025
Thank you very much for everything you did to make this safari memorable.
18 September 2017
Botswana is a country of wilderness, of which we are the humble but privileged guests.
28 October 2025
So many magical moments! So many encounters! So many memories!
29 November 2018
What we will remember the most about our self-drive experience is this feeling of space, the freedom and the total communion with nature. We will do it again without hesitation!
20 July 2024
Thanks to Julie and Vincent for their impeccable organisation and helpful advice, which made this trip idyllic!
31 December 2021
An irrepressible desire to get back behind the wheel of our Land Cruiser and continue exploring the endless trails of these exceptional.
10 January 2023
The advice and organization were just perfect. We enjoyed every step of the way...
15 October 2018
A self-drive trip in Botswana is a unique immersion in an untouched nature. We come back with so many memories and the desire to relive such moments as soon as possible!
5 April 2023
The most incredible and fascinating trip we have ever experienced.
13 August 2025
A huge thank you to Tawana for all their advice and assistance.
3 October 2025
This trip offered us exceptional encounters every day. The change of scenery is everywhere, and magic awaits around every corner!
20 July 2019
During this trip, we relearned to live in the moment, to marvel at simple things, not to try to do everything, but to seek to do it more intensely...
7 August 2025
Tawana Self Drive offers tremendous added value, and we are infinitely grateful to them!
20 April 2019
We really loved the trip, all claim to come back as soon as possible!
14 November 2023
A self-drive safari is an incredible experience that allows you to travel at your own pace and take as much time as you want to observe this exceptional wilderness.
6 May 2019
It was an amazing experience to explore Chobe by ourselves!
9 December 2022
The game viewing in Botswana is phenomenal. This self-drive safari gave us a great feeling of freedom and happiness. We only have one wish: to go back!
22 December 2022
A dream come true: exploring the tracks of southern Africa, from Victoria Falls to the Okavango Delta!
6 June 2019
A big thank you to Julie and Vincent for their welcome, their availability and their valuable advice. We will come back!
15 August 2023
A huge thank you to you for the excellent preparation and communication, these holidays were unique!
30 September 2018
We had an incredible adventure! We have never felt as free as in Botswana.
20 July 2019
Peaceful silence, sparkling starry skies and of course the diversity of African fauna awaits you!
21 August 2023
I had been waiting for this trip for 20 years! ... and I was not disappointed. Those 17 days exceeded my wildest expectations.
8 August 2023
Thank you for your valuable advice. We are enchanted by Botswana and will definitely return!
28 June 2024
In a nutshell: we fell in love with Southern Africa...
12 October 2022
A big thank you to Julie and Vincent for their excellent organization!
2 October 2017
Discovering Botswana and Namibia Caprivi strip was amazing! Thank you again for making our trip so unique!
6 August 2022
Thank you again for the wonderful itinerary that you have designed for us! The family has only one word to say: let’s do it again!
15 June 2021
An immersion in the heart of the bush and wildlife that offers absolute pleasure and enriches you forever!
31 July 2019
A self-drive safari is an exceptional adventure and we felt reassured thanks to Tawana. Don’t wait anymore, go for it!
28 April 2021
We were able to spend 3 delightful weeks in Namibia. A huge thank you to Julie and Vincent without whom this would not have been possible
30 April 2024
We recommend Tawana's professionalism and responsiveness.
14 November 2023
A self-drive safari is an incredible experience that allows you to travel at your own pace and take as much time as you want to observe this exceptional wilderness.