It can be tricky to book public campsites in Botswana’s national parks and reserves. Private operators run some campsites, some by the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), and some parks have a combination of both so that a single visit requires some juggling between the two to get the bookings you want. If you’re planning a trip to any of Botswana’s national parks, this is what you need to know.
Please note: this article was originally posted on 15 November 2012, but was updated in August 2022 with new contact information and prices.
The Mmamagwa Baobab in Botswana’s Mashatu Game Reserve juts out of a sandstone koppie like a rhino horn.
Also read: how to book your stay at Namibia’s national parks
Booking steps
Decide your ideal route and pick some backup campsites in the same area. Buy a map of Botswana or go online and get a general idea of where individual campsites are – if a campsite is booked for the dates you want, it can save a lot of time to immediately be able to ask for availability at a nearby alternative.
Know which operators manage each site. If an operator’s campsite is full there’s no point asking them for a booking at a nearby campsite that they do not manage. If you can rattle off a list of their camps it makes the process a lot smoother. Happily we’ve done that for you. All the relevant information can be found below.
If you’re staying at a mix of private and DWNP campsites, check availability at the DWNP sites first. Don’t pay until you have the full trip confirmed, but once you have the DWNP camps provisionally reserved you can contact the private operators and check availability there. If the dates work, book and pay for the private camps and then return to the DWNP to pay for those bookings. The advantage of going this way round is that you can then send the DWNP your private camp vouchers at the same time and pay them for DWNP camping and park fees together. Park fees can only be paid to the DWNP once all camping fees – for both private and DWNP sites – have been settled.
If you’re staying at DWNP camps only (a visit to the Kgalagadi for example) then camping and park fees can be paid at the same time.
If you’re only camping at privately run sites then you will need to book them first and then send your booking vouchers to the DWNP. Only then will the DWNP invoice you for the park fees.
3. Do all this before you leave home. It is possible to sort everything out in Maun, and there are regional DWNP offices in many of Botswana’s major towns if you need to make last minute changes to your bookings, but it’s unwise to arrive at a park gate without a camp booking confirmed and paid for. If there is availability and the phone lines are working, it is possible to book everything at the gate, but you may just as easily be turned away, especially on Saturday afternoons and Sundays when booking facilities are usually closed.
The exception is park fees which can generally be paid in cash at the gate providing you have a paid-up campsite booking voucher. Some gates now also have credit card machines, but they do not always work so carry cash to be safe. Rands, and major foreign currencies are also accepted at most park gates.
A lioness prowls along deep pathways carved into the golden Moremi grasslands by herds of plains game and hippo (Botswana).
The Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks
The DWNP handles all park entrance fees and also operates campsites in some of the parks.
Camps run by the DWNP
All campsites on the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Eight campsites in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve: the three gate camps (Matswere Gate, Tsau Gate and Xade Gate), as well as Xaka, Kori, Deception, San and Phokoje Pans
Two campsites in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park: Njuca Hills and Tree Island
For the Kgalagadi, park fees are P20 per person, plus P4 per vehicle. For the Central Kalahari and Makgadikgadi, park fees are P120 per person, plus P50 per vehicle. Camping is P30 per person at all DWNP campsites across Botswana.
Contact DWNP central reservations: Tel +267 318 0774, [email protected].DWNP office Maun: S19.98433 E23.42992
Private camps and community concessions
1. Bigfoot Tours
Khutse: All five campsites in KhutseCentral Kalahari: Piper Pan, Letiahau, Lekhubu, Kukama, Sunday Pan, Passarge Valley and MotopiContact: Tel +267 395 3360, [email protected], www.bigfoottours.co.bw
2. Gaing-O Community Trust
Kubu Island campsiteContact: Tel +267 297 9612
3. Kwalate Safaris
Chobe: Ihaha CampMoremi: South Gate and XakanaxaContact: Tel +267 686 1448, [email protected]Maun office: S19.9778667 E23.4314333
4. Xomae Group
Moremi: Third Bridge and Gcodikwe 1 Island CampNxai Pan: Baines’ Baobabs and South CampContact: Tel +267 686 2221, [email protected], www.xomaesites.comMaun office: S19.9769167 E23.4305
5. SKL
Chobe: Savuti and LinyantiMoremi: North GateMakgadikgadi: KhumagaContact: Tel +267 686 5365, [email protected], www.sklcamps.comMaun office: S19.9664833 E23.4506167Cost: Camping is P210 per person.
6. Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Campsite and chalets near SeroweContact: Tel +267 463 0713, [email protected], www.khamarhinosanctuary.org.bwCost: Camping is P93.50 per person and chalets from P600 per unit. Park entrance fees are P71.50 per person and P88 per vehicle.
7. Khwai Development Trust
Khwai community concession: Magotho Camp (for self-drives), Matswere Camp and Sable Alley (usually reserved for operators)Contact: Tel +267 680 1211Maun office: S19.9782667 E23.4243333Cost: P300 per person for Magotho and P410 for Matswere and Sable Alley.
8. Leap/Mababe Safaris
Tshaa CampContact: Tel +267 7386 3058, www.mababesafaris.comCost: Camping is P220 per person.
9. Tuli Wilderness
Molema Bush CampContact: Tel +2778 391 4220, www.tulitrails.comCost: Camping is P140 per person including P40 community levy.
A powerful lioness looks for dinner in Moremi National Park.
A brief note on money
Credit cards are widely accepted across Botswana, but facilities are unreliable in remote areas so don’t rely on them. Small-town ATMs can also run out of cash so carry enough hard currency for padkos and emergency fuel. Fuel prices vary slightly and are cheaper in the south, getting gradually more expensive as you travel further north. Fuel is cheaper than in South Africa, but booze is more expensive. Rands are often accepted near the SA border (border permits can be paid in rands), but further north you’ll need pula or, on the Zimbabwean border, US dollars.
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