Africa Driven Reviews 

As first-time 4x4 adventurers, and not familiar with much of Botswana and Namibia, we wanted a little help. Drive Botswana was a pleasure to deal with and gave us exactly what we were looking for. We discussed our requirements with Andy, and he quickly tailored the program. The online trip information helped us with our choices.

The trip was from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls via Botswana, then across the Caprivi and down through Namibia, finishing in Windhoek. It all went extremely smoothly! The vehicle was almost new and very capable and comfortable. The trip guides and maps provided all the information that was needed.

We had a wonderful holiday, seeing the Big 5 and much more in the various parks that we visited. The beautiful weather and wide open spaces added to the experience. I would highly recommend Drive Botswana.

Fantastic!
A fabulous holiday and very well organized trip.
First of all we wish to thank you Phil that has been so patient before and during our first experience in Namibia. He answerd to any question – always very fast ;) - and support us completely in a few changes that better suited our needs and wishes. Really tailor made.
Our choice was for a mixed lodges and camping self-drive tour and everything had been planned perfectly. The car company was qualified and eager to give us a perfect equipment and we had zero problem, also when we had to change our windscreen they assisted us at the best. All lodges and camp reservations went perfectly as well.
We found Namibia a beautiful country, with nice and kind people and many different stunning sceneries... but animals played the starring role, and every national park or game drive offered a different experience.
We would recommend it with no hesitation and definitely go again with Drive Botswana in the future, and this should speak for itself.

I was looking into some ways to organize and book our botswana trip and I decided to book with Drive Botswana.
Phil gave us a Itinerary with the places we wanted to visit and also changed it I think twice until it was perfect for us! He responded so fast to my email before and also during the trip, this was just so important and helpful! Everything was planned and put together perfectly and we never had any problem with a reservation or whatever!
We saw so many elephants, antilopes, giraffs, hippos, crocs and even lions and a leopard! We had this 4x4 car with a tent ob the roof but also about 4 nights in lodges after some camping days which is nice and I can recommend!
So all in all: book with Drive Botswana, you won’t regret it!

We really enjoyed our self drive safari in Botswana and Namibia. We were 2 families with kids between 11 and 13. Phil from Drive Botswana was great throughout the whole process of organizing our trip and providing very useful information prior to our departure ... and everything went very well during our trip!

We recently did a 48 day drive through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It truly was a trip of a lifetime and exceeded all expectations. The itineray was so well planned and everything went so smooth. Notes provided by Drive Botswana were very detailed , even small details on where to go and do you shopping was such a help. We got caught in a dessert storm in Namibia and Phil helped us to find a lodge as camping was not really comfortable ! He also gave us ample warning when certain roads were closed due to floods and provided alternative options. The communication has been clear and swift from the beginning. Highly recommend this company!

Phil arranged a camping self drive safari for us across Botswana. It took away all the challenges of making bookings. Everything worked to plan and the locations were amazing. We had huge numbers of animal sightings and wonderful camps and lodges. Phil communicated well with lots of backup information.

Our first time in Africa and Drive Botswana put together an amazing self drive trip for us. Six weeks and all hits, no misses. From deserts to deltas, we had a varied and wonderful time and cannot thank them enough.

Absolutely Brilliant trip of a lifetime. Two Couples, Two Toyota Land Cruisers and Two weeks of Adventure. Drive Botswana organised a personal itinerary, with a well planned route, clear instructions on how to reach each location, and where to stock up on fuel and provisions. When we had a slight problem with one of the vehicles, support staff in Maun were exceptionally helpful, fixed it immediately and soon sent us on our way, with a cheery smile and wave goodbye. The vehicle facilities were excellent. Sleeping quarters were clean and comfortable (and safe, being on top of vehicle!) and all equipment was well thought out. We saw so much of this beautiful country and enjoyed being so close to the animals. Where else could you share your supper with an elephant that decided to sleep in your camp site?Moremi. Hear a lion roar on his morning stroll ?Kalahari. Or see wild dogs running at dawn? Or find a leopard sunbathing Savuti. Unforgettable trip, great adventure and we will be back

Andy helped us organise a 5 week self- driving trip across Namibia, Botswana and to Victoria falls. From the beginning, the communication was very easy and fast. After hearing about our interests and which places we would like to visit, Andy came back with an interactive intenary proposal. After some adjustments, we had our plan and Andy booked all acommodation and some activities for us. We are experienced travellers but this was the first time we trusted someone to plan holidays for us. It turned out to be a great decision to work with Andy. We would not be able to make the best of this trip without his help.

During our preparation, Andy gave us a lot of advice on practical aspects and shipped us guidebooks and day-by-day instructions he wrote for us. Especially the later was extremely helpful with directions, places of interest and practical advice such as "make sure you fill up here. There will be no gas stations for a week now" or "it is best to pay park fees here. Credit cards are accepted". Once travelling, everything went very smoothly and we did not face any problems. Andy was also very responsive when we had practical questions along the way. In many places we went, the camp and lodge managers would say they really enjoy working with Andy and that he does a really good job. We are now lucky to be abke to attest to this. A solid 5-star service. Thanks for a truly amazing trip Andy!

We couldn't have asked for better organisation of our 17-night honeymoon trip in Botswana - DriveBotswana's expertise is clearly evident in the planning and guidance we received. Andy and team were very responsive, the guide book and materials provided gave us lots of local hints and tips and we had a great mix of camping and lodges. All in all this was a fantastic introduction to self-drive safari and we're looking forward to the next time!

We had a great four-week self-drive safari with DriveBotswana in June 2023, starting in Joburg, then visiting Kgalagadi, Fish River Canyon, Damaraland, Etosha, Caprivi, Moremi, Savuti, Chobe, and ending at River Front. It was our second self-drive safari with DriveBotswana and there will for sure be more! The safari was a complete success. We loved the itinerary and saw tons of game and amazing landscapes. Accomodation was excellent and the arrangements to assist us along the way all went as planned.

The car was almost brand new and in perfect condition. We had two brand new spare tyres and kit for helping us out if we got stuck in sand, but the vehicle powered through without incident.

There were many highlights on the safari itself. As this was our second trip we had been to many of the places before, but Southern Namibia was all new for us and we loved it. The Fish River Canyon was spectacular. We took the southern route from Canyon Lodge to Klein Aus vista, that is, via Aussenkehr, and then north on the western side of the canyon. This was a spectacular route and avoided covering the same road twice on the first bit of the way to Klein Aus Vista after leaving Canyon Lodge. We also loved visiting the coast, including Diaz Point south of Luderitz. The great bit about self drive is the ability to improvise!

As for lodges, we thought Rooiputs lodge in Kgalagadi was fantastic. Quite rustic but so relaxing and friendly. Location is also beautiful and the area is extremely rich in game. Desert Homestead Lodge and Etusis were both really good experiences. Klein Aus Vista and Canyon Lodge were bigger places, so less intimate but located in gorgeous places with amazing views. River Dance Lodge had become even better since we were last there, under new management. Ghoha Hills was fantastic, with seriously good game drives. Kubu Lodge was great. We also stayed in self catering camps, which made for variety and can highly be recommended.

The main objectives of our trip was to experience big nature. Namibia is simply awesome in terms of landscapes and game viewing was awesome in both Botswana and Namibia. Nossob River in Kgalagadi delivered lions and cheetah and honey badgers plus loads of raptors. We saw a cheetah take down a hartebeest right in-front of our eyes. We saw a crazy fight between tawny eagles and a verraux eagle owl. Etosha delivered many rhinos, elephant, lions, leopard. Moremi/Chobe gave us Roan, wild dogs, lions, including a fantastic episode where four wild dogs chased a hyena off a kill. Basically, we saw everything except Sable antelope.

Kgalagadi was the main focus of our trip and no disappointment. We saw many huge black-maned lions and many cheetahs. We also saw tons of honeybadgers and a great variety of raptors. In general, we saw more game in Nossob than in Aoub but this probably changes with the seasons etc. we also had a great stay at !Xaus which was beautiful and different from the typical game park experience. There is less game, but the desert landscape and the remoteness are unmatched. We enjoyed mixing up self catering with lodges. The whole Kgalagadi experience worked extremely well.

In short, we had an amazing four-week trip with DriveBotswana. The company has a really good reputation and everyone knows Phil and Andy!

Andy was a pleasure to work with throughout. He worked with us to help us identify our priorities and adapt the itinerary as our thinking changed. In the end, we settled on a 4 person, 4 week self-drive trip covering Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana in June and July of 2023. We elected to stay all but two nights at lodges, as my mother and our 14 year old traveled with us.

Being based in the US, we turned to Andy to organize accommodations, pick routes, suggest additions to the itinerary to add to the places we knew we wanted to see and to help us pick the place to go in a region (like the Okavango or Makgadigadi).

We had an incredible trip, with Sossusvlei, Etosha, Western Okavango, Chobe River/Kasane, Victoria Falls, and Hwange National Park being stand outs.

The truck and camping equipment worked well for the two nights of camping we did. All our stays were good to excellent. And some of the places were outstanding, like Sable Valley Lodge in Hwange.

DriveBotswana's directions were accurate and helpful. We always felt secure even when we were going through rough roads and remote territory. I will note that we didn't end up using the GPS system that came with the truck rental. It was clunky to use. Instead, we relied on Google maps (downloaded when necessary) and the excellent physical map for Namibia by National Geographic, and DriveBotswana's excellent directions.

There were a couple of minor hiccups as is inevitable in a 4 week journey, but Andy was responsive throughout. There were a couple of small places where the info on the detailed directions could be updated, but that's inevitable as well given the amount of info covered.

Overall, a highly satisfactory experience for a special holiday for us. Thanks, Andy!

Great experience with Drive Botswana. Booked a trip pretty last minute and they were very willing to make it happen when other companies told me they couldn't. Everything ran smoothly. The itinerary was well thought out and instructions easy to follow. I got a good vehicle and great accommodation. The trip was amazing!

Our experience with Drive Botswana was absolutely flawless. From the planning to the execution everything on our trip worked perfectly (which is not always a given in Africa). They really know the best spots and I can highly recommend them for a self drive Safari!

Planning a trip to Africa is always a nightmare because of the lack of information on the internet. That's why I decided to go to an agent. I found Dive Botswana from Trustpilot. I dropped them an email and told them my 'must-go' places in Botswana and my dates. Phil responded within 24 hours with a brilliant itinerary. He always responds within 24 hours during working days. It just took us less than five days to finalize all the itineraries.

They booked everything for us, from car rental to accommodations and activities. Our 14-day self-driving trip was perfect and without any trouble. They provided a roadbook 1 week before our departure. It listed all the details, such as road conditions and where for groceries/fuel. Their roadbook was our bible. It would be hassle-free if you follow it.

We met another family from the UK on a day trip to Victoria Falls who also booked with Drive Botswana. We were all very happy with their brilliant services.

We had seen all of the Big Five. Thanks to Phil for recommending us to go to Rhino Sanctuary, otherwise it would be impossible to see them all. We even saw a pack of African Wild Dogs and cheetahs in the Okanvango Delta which was a highlight of our trip.

Overall, I highly recommend Drive Botswana to anyone who is interested in self-driving or camping in Africa. I will book with them again for sure in the future!!

Phil is amazing. Interested in every detail of your trip and what you want to do. His advice is down to earth, wise, based on enormous experience so you know your trip will be perfect. Have used a few times. Trip went perfectly.

Botswana is just an amazing country to go to!

Thanks to Andy and the Drive Botswana team for creating our holiday of a lifetime.

Andy was brilliant from start to finish in helping to understand what sort of holiday we were looking for, then tailor and refine the perfect itinerary for us

From arrival in Botswana our holiday can only be described as stress free. This was because of the wonderful arrangements made by Drive Botswana – booking our vehicle, our campsites, our lodges and our transfers.

The map and Drive Botswana produced guidebook which came through our letter box a few weeks before departure was brilliant – in essence it became our bible. The daily driving directions and associated timings were spot on

The only think we had left to worry about was how long it would take to edit the thousands of photos we took in the Chobe and Nxai Pan!

I am not the sort of person who is in the habit of writes gushing reviews – but from start to finish Drive Botswana were faultless

Thanks again!

Andy and his team at Drive Botswana were fantastic - great local knowledge of both Namibia and Botswana and they were very happy to provide a tailored itinerary for us - including advice on what do include and skip based on our preferences. From advice and helping to book the right car and accommodation to providing incredibly clear and accurate driving instructions (including tips on where to stop for scenic shots etc), it was very well thought through. I would highly recommend.

Really wonderful experience all around. Drive Botswana catered our plans to exactly what we wanted, which was to focus around traditional music, doing mostly car camping with a couple lodge nights scattered in. Their communication is quick and precise, and when we had a last minute issue on the road they went above and beyond to step in and help us.

We had a great trip, booked in 2019 and eventually taken in 2022. DB organised it all and postponed everything smoothly as COVID continued. As with 2 previous 2 trips, this one turned out better than we could have hoped - fantastic lodges, game and travel arrangements all spot-on.