Walking Safari; Botswana - with Botswana Odyssey

There is no better way to feel part of the bush than being on foot; it is a simply fascinating experience to be a part of nature, sharing the same surroundings and experience that the animals have themselves.

Hearing, smelling and being part of the bush is what makes walking safaris so exciting. The eagerness to see what's around each corner edged by the adrenaline that pumps through your body keeps your focus sharp and enhances every walk you take.

Botswana is home to some of the best walking safaris throughout the continent, be it a 14 day walking safari or simply a walk out from one of the camps, it is on a walking safari that you learn the finer details of the bush and can have truly breathtaking encounters with game.

There is no denying it, game runs when it sees you but this sets the challenge; not letting the game know you are there is the key to a successful walk and it is this that challenges most guides as they take groups to within metres of game.

There is simply nothing quite like watching a herd of elephants you've tracked for half a day cross a river within feet of you because you have positioned yourselves and anticipated where they are going. Seeing cats on foot may be someones nightmare but a walkers dream, we suggest you try it to find out!

Below is a short itinerary showing a Walking Safari in the South West of Botswana's Okavango Delta, in the Chitabe Reserve. The reserve is regarded as one of Botswana's finest areas for walking safaris.

The Chitabe Reserve is a superb base for a walking safari; home to two outdoor hides, both of which are raised upon wooden platforms roughly two metres from the bush floor, the area provides for some of the most authentic and original walking opportunities in Botswana.

Day 1

Setting off from camp, guests walk through the reserve, taking in the dramatric diversity of habitat that Chitabe is so well known for and end up at the first of the two hides, on the edge of a vast floodplain. The camp consists of wooden platforms and 'rooms' made from Mosquito netting only, offering night time views all around- if ever sleeping under the stars could be more appropriate!

Day 2

The second day consists of a walk through the reserve and overnight at the second hide, located within dense woodland on the edge of an extensive pan system. The camp is designed very similarly to the previous camp and in our view provides one of the most exhilerating ways to spend a night in the Delta.