Things to do in Botswana

Fly over “the last true wilderness” in a helicopter without doors

We land on an island where literally no humans have ever been before, and shut the helicopter down so it’s pure silence…

By Andrew Baker

Founder and Managing Director of Helicopter Horizons

People talk about Botswana as the last true wilderness – of course there are other places in the world that are equally remote, but there aren’t many other safari destinations that feel this wild and cut off. So that’s really what we want visitors to see when we fly them over the Okavango Delta in our helicopters – the sheer remoteness of it all.

We have a helicopter based at Xugana Island Lodge, so we offer flights from there and also Camp Okavango, which is close by. That’s a stunning place to do a flight from. You’ve got three or four different ecosystems all within a 30-minute flight, so you see lots of different wildlife – crocodile and hippo in the wet areas, zebra, giraffe and herds of buffalo in the dry floodplain areas, and then the rare black sable antelope in the woodlands.

I’d say probably up to 60% or 70% of the delta is totally unreachable, so what we try and do is get guests into those unreachable areas. We land on an island where literally no humans have ever been before, and shut the helicopter down so it’s pure silence, apart from the odd fish eagle in the background. We spend about half an hour on the island, open up the champagne, and then start up the helicopter to come back. That always blows guests away.

To make it a little more adventurous, we give them the option of taking the doors off! I’d say nine out of 10 guests do it – you get unrestricted views, so it’s amazing for photography. It’s also a lot of fun, and it beats an air-conditioned cabin! You’re very much strapped in and we fly quite low, so you feel safe, but you get all the smells and sights of the bush, which is a real highlight.

What’s really special about flying here is that every day is different. I’ve seen some incredible things – we’ve seen lion kills from the air, and with Botswana’s elephant population being the biggest on the planet, we’ve seen herds of over a thousand elephants traversing the delta. That aerial perspective is just phenomenal – it puts tears in guests’ eyes, and just seeing their excitement is one of my favourite parts of the day.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Best of Botswana and Victoria Falls
by Adele Jones

Length11 Days

Price range£6,895 - £9,675pp

Alfred & Andrew Baker

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.

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.