Ellie Ball

So, you’re planning your bucket list safari. Exciting. But when it comes to a toss-up between Botswana or Zimbabwe – two vastly different neighbouring countries in southern Africa – which reigns supreme?

THE LOWDOWN

Botswana: Long seen as the Holy Grail of luxury safari destinations, Botswana is a natural phenomenon in its own right. With its diverse landscapes, from sweeping waterways of the Okavango Delta to the arid plains of the Kalahari Desert, you’re practically living out your best David Attenborough Planet Earth fantasies. Each year, intrepid travellers flock to the nation to witness the unbelievably beautiful vistas of the delta flooding, which is not only a magnet for wildlife but provides the unique opportunity to hit the waters on a mokoro safari – a traditional mode of transport (a dugout canoe) historically used by locals to get from village to village.

It’s definitely your highest end big game safari destination in Africa with a diverse range of high-end camps to take your fancy which offer low-volume tourism and a capped safari system with a distinct focus on conservation. The result? You’ll pay for the levels of exclusivity on offer here with some pretty hefty price tags.

Zimbabwe: The time to breathe deep and book that dreamy Zimbabwe safari? It could be now. While the nation is often associated with its deeply troubled political past, Forbes recently named it the world’s top country to visit in 2025, with the tourism sector in Zimbabwe having experienced a 56% rise this past year. In fact, according to Forbes, cities like Bulawayo have seen over an 80% increase in flight searches on Kayak, with its capital Harare increasing by 56% this past summer alone.

Zimbabwe’s largest park Hwange is the most popular safari destination for a reason – the main being its famously enormous population of elephant herds that reside in the area. Tick off the big five, but with its proximity to Victoria Falls, it’s also incredibly easy to tag on a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site and see the thundering spectacle in the flesh (highly, highly recommended). Walking safaris are huge in Zimbabwe. In fact, it’s kind of the speciality here. Therefore, the country is perfect for thrill-seekers looking to put in a bit of shoe leather to get up close and personal with the wildlife.

If not, Mana Pools National Park, Gonarezhou National Park, and Matobo Hills National Park are all fantastic options – all offering something a little bit different.

THE WILDLIFE

Botswana: Big five? You can tick ’em all. I’m talking lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinos. There are of course your classic herbivores like wildebeest and giraffe, plus wild dog sightings, cheetahs, and hyenas. In the Okavango Delta, don’t be surprised to find yourself rubbing shoulders with a snoozing leopard one minute and a pride of lions feasting on their latest kill the next. The abundance of antelope species, zebra, warthogs, and birds (over 600 species!) is truly breathtaking. The lucky ones may even have a run-in with the shier guys like aardvarks, aardwolves, mongooses, and pangolins.

On my first night in the Delta, the commotion of a leopard leaping on our tent to kill a monkey, was a pretty unique alarm clock in the early hours. Later on in the day, we even managed to catch up with it chilling on a tree stump on our morning game drive. Pretty cool. I also saw lion prides feasting, as well as an elephant casually sauntering past our camp as we ate dinner. Meanwhile, over in the Kalahari Desert, although it’s sparser in its game viewing, it brings with it a whole other array of bugs and beasts, including, brace yourself, meerkats!

Zimbabwe:

As already mentioned, Hwange in particular is famous for its huge swathes of elephant herds. At certain times of year, you could literally sit and watch thousands of them converge around a watering hole which is an absolute sight to be seen. Again, you have a pretty good chance of seeing the Big Five when you’re here. But that being said, in my experience, the game viewing is a lot more sparse when compared to Botswana. I saw lions (including four ridiculously cute cubs playing), hippos, elephants, rare antelope, and cool birds, but I can’t honestly say it compares to the volume of sightings in its neighbouring nation.

The landscape with its high grasses at the time of year I visited (May) did make game viewing a bit more difficult, although when we did see something cool, it was all the sweeter for it. Like all these things though, this is Mother Nature. You never know what you are going to see and that’s the beauty and excitement of it all.

SAFARI CAMPS

Botswana: From all-out luxury lodges to bush camps and mobile safaris, there are options for most budgets, although you will find that many dabble in the higher end. I stayed at Pom Pom Camp – currently closed for a big refurb until April 2026 – which is a lovely camp with unreal views over a water hole. Pull up a chair and watch as hyenas, hippos, elephants, and baboons pootle by and grab a drink. Although, nothing beats converging for sundown cocktails on the sweeping plains after your last game drive of the day as the last of the day’s light zaps from the sky.

In Botswana, you could be paying anywhere upwards of £1,500 a night for the higher end camps, but for mid-range, you’re looking at around the £700 mark. With all safaris, it’s worth finding out what type of reserve your camp is on (private concession or public), the type of safari experiences on offer, and its proximity to wildlife hotspots. If there’s a particular animal you want to see, do your research.

Zimbabwe: You’ll get much better bang for your buck here. I stayed at Camp Hwange which offered beautiful, tented accommodation (think glamping) and again, overlooks a natural watering hole which at certain times of the year, will see hundreds upon hundreds of elephants quenching their thirst. On its own private reserve, don’t expect to fight off hordes of tourists when a cool sighting comes along. This is a huge factor for me when it comes to choosing a camp. Again, research is important and there’s a range of accommodation and ways to safari here that won’t totally obliterate the bank, including more options for self-catering and campsites.

UNIQUE DIFFERENCES

Botswana: The waterways of the Okavango Delta of course. It’s the world’s largest inland delta, a UNESCO site, and as you fly into your camp, offers views you wouldn’t get anywhere else in the world. Fun fact: Botswana is also home to the highest population of elephants globally.

Zimbabwe: The level of guiding is second-to-none. In fact, the process of securing your guiding qualification is practically the hardest in Africa and is regarded as the Gold Standard. Honestly, it’s brutal and takes years and years to nail. Zimbabwe is particularly renowned for its top tier walking safaris, and I think you’d be hard pressed to get much better when it comes to the level of knowledge, ability to track, and infectious enthusiasm the guides have here.

WHEN TO VISIT

Seasonally, both countries are divided into wet and dry periods – the dry being April to October, and wet November to March. For most, the dry season is considered the peak when conditions are milder (although colder at night), and animals converge around the sparser watering holes, aka, they are easier to spot. That being said, the longer grasses around May and June mean wildlife can be tricky to sight at times too. For a good insider money saving tip, aim to book in the last few weeks of May for peak conditions and cheaper prices. Once June comes knocking, they literally skyrocket – especially in Botswana.

HOW LONG TO GO FOR

That’s totally personal. Whenever I’ve done safaris, I’ve always gone for about three nights per camp and have never gone for more than a week – tagging on other experiences like beach or cities into the itinerary to mix it up. The expense of the trip is obviously a huge factor, but also, not going to lie, safaris are no spa retreat. They can be knackering. You’re up at the crack of dawn for your first drive (around 6am) and you’re out until after dark – especially if you opt for a night drive.

That being said, I’ve met people who safari every year and go for a few weeks at a time. Equally, some who opt for a long weekend (although more Kenya rather than Botswana or Zimbabwe) and are happy with a few days of sightseeing. For Botswana or Zimbabwe, I’d highly recommend working in a visit to Victoria Falls and Cape Town while you’re at it.

FLIGHTS

For my trip, I visited at the tail end of May, flying BA from London Heathrow to Johannesburg (I stayed a night), before getting a smaller plane into Maun Airport in Botswana. A similar route could also be taken for Zimbabwe by flying into Victoria Falls. From there, you take an even smaller aircraft (around 12 people) to fly directly into your camp where you are picked up by your guide.

THE COST

When it comes to value for money, Zimbabwe has to take the crown here. For a guided safari in a private concession, you’re looking at a third of the cost of what you’d be splashing in Botswana. But let’s be real. With the latter, you’re kinda getting what you pay for: diverse game viewing, spectacularly unique topography, and the profound exclusivity on offer. Botswana is also the safest and most politically stable country in mainland Africa according to the Global Peace Index (GPI), and that peace of mind for travellers comes at a premium.

THE WINNER

Sitting at vastly different price points and with varying geographical landforms, it’s a tough one. If you’ve got the budget, Botswana is a no-brainer. It’s the kind of the place that makes you feel like you’re not even on planet earth – an arresting beauty, unreal game viewing, strong conservation focus, and a lap of luxury when it comes to the choice of high-end camps.

That being said, Zimbabwe remains an up-and-coming safari destination which is only continuing to soar in popularity year on year. The level of guiding is second-to-none, and if walking safaris are high on your priority, I’d book here in a heartbeat.