Things to do in Botswana

Horseback and heli-rides from Eagle Island Lodge

The wildlife here is undeterred by the presence of horses so you can tune into the unspoiled nature like an invisible bystander….

By Cindy Boshoff

Director of Sales and Marketing for Belmond Safaris

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities don’t come around often. Horse riding in the Okavango Delta is one of those.

From Eagle Island Lodge, it’s a ten-minute riveting heli-ride to the stables. The helicopter doors are completely removed so you can take in unrestricted views of the Okavango’s legendary wetlands. After savouring the intricate networks of channels and lagoons, you land and meet your well-groomed horses from glossy Arabians to home bred Botswana Warm Bloods.

The saddles are really comfortable and your new vantage point offers a whole new perspective of Botswana’s extraordinary wilderness. The wildlife here is undeterred by the presence of horses so you can tune into the unspoiled nature like an invisible bystander. Your guide, who’s happiest when in the saddle, will take you through the flooded grasslands and islets while regaling a story or two about the delta’s days gone by.

You may hear the haunting cry of a circling fish eagle or the light splash of long legged lechwe sprinting along the golden floodplains. You can cover great distance galloping at speed, water spraying from under drumming hooves. You might see grazing wildebeest, lumbering elephants trawling through the forest or large herds of zebra, a hazy vision of black and white shimmying through the grass. You may not even think about stopping for lunch but it’s a chance to feast and soak up the scenery which proves to be just as nourishing.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Special Offer

Unsurpassed Botswana and Cape Town
by Daniel Heatly

Length8 Days

Price range£6,895 - £7,750pp

Alfred & Cindy Boshoff

Originally from Johannesburg, Cindy Boshoff moved to London to embark on a career in hospitality. After 10 years of experience abroad she returned to Africa where she has lived for eight years in Cape Town working in the luxury hospitality industry. She is an avid birdwatcher, keen photographer and conservationist. Most of all she loves creating bucket-list Botswana travel experiences for her clients, one dream trip at a time.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Louise, who's travelled extensively in Botswana. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the rangers who'll ensure you'll spot the best wildlife in Chobe, the village chiefs who'll give you an insight into local life and the helicopter pilots who can land you on an island in the Delta never visited by humans before.

Louise Dean

Africa Expert for Alfred&

When it comes to Africa, Louise is well versed. She’s flown into an empty Namibian beach to eat lunch on the aircraft wing, experienced Tanzania’s Great Wildebeest migration and listened to stories of the Anglo-Zulu War on the battlefields where it happened over a centennial ago. While she’s witnessed vast, incredible game including the last two northern white rhinos, it’s the people who she finds most inspiring; the native Maasai women whose lives are deeply rooted within the Olare Motorogi Conservancy and the local guides - resilient, highly knowledgeable, and ever smiling.
Harrison Mangwegape

Guide at Camp Xakanaxa

Harry was born in the Botswanan village of Thamaga, near capital Gaborone. He loved wildlife growing up and trained at the Okavango Guiding School in Maun to pursue his passion. He started working as a guide at Desert & Delta’s Savute Safari Lodge in 2010 and later joined Leroo La Tau in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, before moving to Camp Xakanaxa.
Keitumetse 'KT' Mogale

Guide at Camp Okavango

Keitumetse has been guiding for 12 years. He grew up in the village of Mogotho in the Okavango Delta and began his career as a tracker. He now leads walking safaris and game drives at Camp Okavango and enjoys sharing his stories with guests from all over the world.
Florence Kagiso

Senior Guide at Chobe Game Lodge

Florence grew up in a farming family in the Okavango Delta and has been a guide at Chobe Game Lodge for 17 years. When she joined in 2004, she was the first female guide at the camp - she now mentors a team of 17 women. Her work was recognised in National Geographic Traveller’s recent Reader Awards 2021, where she won The Innovator award.
Andrew Baker

Founder and Managing Director of Helicopter Horizons

Andrew grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to the US to train as a pilot. Botswana had always held a place in his heart, so he began his aviation career as a fixed wing pilot in the Okavango Delta. He founded Helicopter Horizons in 2004, offering photographic flights - without doors - for organisations such as the BBC and National Geographic. The company now offer scenic flights for tourists in the Okavango Delta, Linyanti region and the Makgadikgadi Pans, as well as transfers between safari camps.
Ollie Maitapiso

Guide at Leroo La Tau

Ollie grew up in the village of Xaxaba in the Okavango Delta and began his career as a trainee poler in 1999, taking guests out on mokoro trips. He started guiding in 2004 and joined Camp Xakanaxa in the Moremi Game Reserve in 2007, before moving to Leroo La Tau in 2014.