2026 - Lion King Safari - Botswana Under Canvas

April 10-18, 2026 Lion King Safari – Botswana Under Canvas.

Go Wild in the Company of Elephants! Embark on an 8-day mobile safari through Botswana’s top regions—Xakanaxa Lagoon, Moremi Game Reserve, and Khwai Concession. Experience authentic glamping in a mobile tented camp, close to elephants and lions, guided by expert rangers. Enjoy all comforts while immersed in nature’s rhythms. Discover why this is Africa’s most loved safari adventure, perfected over 38 years.Lion King Safari – Botswana Under Canvas

Go Wild in the Company of Elephants!

April 10-18, 2026 New AFS Small Group

There’s something magical about falling asleep to the distant rumble of elephants, knowing only canvas separates you from Africa’s untamed wilderness. This isn’t your average camping trip—it is safari living in the wild bush at its finest, where adventure meets elegance under the African skies. This is the land of lions and 134,000 ellies. You’ll get incredible photos of these, as well as the Big Five.

Our 8-day journey through Botswana’s best regions reads like a love letter to the wild in the Xakanaxa Lagoon, Moremi Game Reserve, and Khwai Concession.

Imagine yourself in a mobile camp that follows nature’s rhythms, not the other way around. From the moment you leave Maun’s dusty roads, you’re stepping into a world where elephants have the right of way and sunsets come with a gin and tonic, along with an echo from the roar of lions. Over 38 years, we do Africa right. It’s our first AFS mobile tented safari, which is the ultimate way Africans prefer to connect with nature. Everything is arranged for you to enjoy this unique glamping experience, complete with all the comforts you need, and rangers on guard to protect the wildlife for you.

First stop: The stunning Losika Elephant Camp, your home for three nights in the southern Okavango. Here, the giants gather at a natural pan as they’ve done for generations, turning your private deck into front-row seats at nature’s finest show. By day, track leopards through the mopane forests. By night, swap stories around a crackling fire under stars so bright they seem close enough to touch.

Then it’s on to Moremi Island Mobile Camp, where the Delta channels become your highways. Glide past hippo pods in traditional mokoro canoes, watch fish eagles dive for their breakfast, and lose count of the lechwe through crystal-clear waters. This is Okavango as it should be experienced—intimate and utterly unforgettable. Your grand finale? The legendary Khwai region, where your luxury forest tents at Saguni Safari Lodge overlook the life-giving Sable River. No roughing it here. Here, the boundary between wilderness and comfort blurs beautifully. Wake to the call of Africa’s birdlife, spend your days tracking predators through pristine bushland, and drift off to sleep to the nocturnal symphony playing on in the wilderness.

You may have been here, but no Safari is ever the same. April is the season when scenery pops with verdant foliage. The zebras are on migration, and it’s birthing time when many animals give birth to their young. Experience walking safaris, village visits, and all meals included. This is a perfect combination of adventure and comfort, ensuring a seamless and immersive experience.

This isn’t just a safari—it’s your extraordinary front-row ticket to one of Earth’s last great wild places. Pack light, dream big, and prepare to fall head over heels for our new AFS Botswana!

Safari Highlights:

Experience Botswana’s diverse landscapes, from floodplains to woodlands
Visit the craft village of Shorobe, famous for its handwoven baskets
Stay at Losika Elephant Camp, offering an immersive Okavango Delta experience
Explore Moremi Game Reserve and cruise through the Xakanaxa Channel
Discover the magic of Moremi Island Mobile Camp, set in a remote Delta paradise
Witness abundant wildlife in Khwai, including predators and riverine species
Enjoy a mokoro excursion, gliding silently through the Delta’s waterways
Luxury tented accommodations with en-suite facilities and stunning wilderness view

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Our Glorious AFS Itinerary

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⚠️ Web content is continuously updated, whereas PDF versions may contain outdated details due to their static nature.

April 9 or 10 – Depart USA to arrive at Maun Airport by the 10th

Round-trip air to Maun, you usually connect through a major international hub. Most travelers route through Johannesburg, Cape Town or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and add a fun stopover along the way. Or consider DL, UA, AA, QR, LH, EK and TK flying from USA to Johannesburg. Then connect using Airlink for the direct flight to Maun. More details on air will come in your trip tips.

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April 11 — Arrival in Maun & Journey to Losika Elephant Camp

Welcome to Botswana! Your adventure begins the moment you touch down at Maun Airport, where you’ll be greeted by our attentive local team. They’ll help with your luggage and introduce you to your guide, who’ll be with you every step of the way.

With your guide behind the wheel, you’ll get your first real look at life on the edge of the Okavango Delta. The drive out of Maun moves quickly from the bustle of town to the quiet rhythm of rural Botswana—mud-walled homesteads, cattle wandering the roadside, and children waving as you pass by. After about half an hour, we pause in Shorobe, a village famous for its basket-weaving traditions. Here, women work with palm leaves to create pieces of art, each one unique. At this community-run shop, you’ll have a chance to browse and support their craft. Your guide will introduce you to the people and stories that make this village special.

The main lodge is the heart of camp, with its open lounge, dining area, lively bar, and a refreshing swimming pool, all facing the water. There’s an observation deck for wildlife viewing and a boma where evenings are spent around the fire, the air filled with the sounds of the African night. On arrival, our staff will give you a warm welcome, a quick orientation to camp, and time to settle in. Unpack, breathe, and let the Okavango set the pace. Later, join us on the deck for an afternoon Game Drive—your first taste of the wild—ending with sundowners in the bush before heading back for a memorable dinner under the stars.

The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most endangered species like cheetahs, white rhinos, black rhinos, wild dogs and lions. It includes the big five: African bush elephant, leopard, Cape buffalo, lion, and rhino. Also in this lush region of waterways, you can spot hippos and crocs as well as the rarest antelope species like red lechwe.

Travel distance: Maun to Losika Elephant Camp — 100 km (about 2–3 hours)

Overnight: Losika Elephant Camp

Losika Elephant Camp is nestled in the southern Okavango, offering an intimate and luxurious retreat overlooking a large natural pan that attracts an abundance of wildlife, including elephants. The camp features 12 elevated, spacious en-suite tents with panoramic views of the surrounding wilderness. Each tent is well-equipped with showers, toilets, and his-and-hers basins, ensuring comfort and privacy. The camp includes a lounge, dining area, bar, swimming pool, and an observation deck, all overlooking the pan, providing guests with an immersive experience in the African bush. Evenings at Losika are magical, with guests gathering around the boma fire to listen to the sounds of the wild. It offers a fully inclusive experience with local drinks, ensuring a relaxed and immersive stay in the heart of Botswana.

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April 12 & 13 — Safari Rhythm at Losika Elephant Camp

Wake up to the soft knock of an early morning call, the sky still tinged with the last traces of night. There’s fresh tea, coffee, or hot chocolate waiting in the main guest area, alongside light bites to fuel you for the day’s first adventure. As the sun rises, you’ll head out with your guide for a morning game drive in the NG33 concession. This is the prime place for wildlife sightings—huge elephants at the water’s edge, antelope moving through the grass, and maybe a predator on the prowl.

Mid-morning brings a welcome break, snacks and cool drinks served in the bush as you take in the sounds and colors of the glorious landscapes, followed by breakfast. By late morning, you return to camp. The rest of the morning is yours: take a dip in the pool, sprawl out with a book, or just soak in the view from your tent’s private deck.

From Shorobe, the adventure ramps up. Pavement gives way to gravel, and soon you’re bumping along a two-track road into the heart of Botswana’s wild country —the landscape shifts, the air feels different, and you’ll know you’ve left the everyday behind. By late afternoon, you arrive at Losika Elephant Camp, perched on the edge of a broad, wildlife-rich pan in the southern Okavango. This is home for the next three nights. Losika’s 12 elevated tents each offer sweeping views of the plains and its parade of elephants and antelopes. Your beautiful tent comes with a bathroom and all the comfortable amenities you can imagine.

Lunch is served in the shade of the main lodge, a relaxed affair with fresh ingredients and local flavors. The hottest part of the day is made for leisure when animals are least active, watch them laze from your deck.

High tea is offered in the late afternoon, with sweet and savory treats. Then it’s back into the bush for an afternoon game drive. As the sun dips low, your guide will stop at a scenic spot for sundowners—gin and tonic, a cold beer, or whatever you fancy—as the sky turns gold. You can also enhance your game drive followed by a Walking Safari for a deeper connection into the wild Bush.

Return to camp in time to freshen up before dinner, a convivial meal served under the stars or in the open Boma. Share stories from the day, listen for lions in the distance, and let the sounds of the Okavango be your evening soundtrack. Each night, settle into your tent at Losika Elephant Camp, where everything—meals, drinks are included.

Overnight: Losika Elephant Camp

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April 14 — Crossing the Delta: Losika to Moremi Island Mobile Camp

The day begins early with a light breakfast as the bush stirs to life. We set out on a journey that showcases some of the Okavango’s finest wilderness. Bags packed, we travel north towards the legendary Khwai region, passing through the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve. The Moremi Game Reserve offers both a diverse array of species, including the big five as well as spotted hyenas, black jackals and the rare African wild dog. Cheetahs are often shy, but they can also be spotted, like the big cats, which are readily seen.

Our first stop is South Gate, where a picnic breakfast awaits under the shade of acacia trees. It’s the perfect spot to listen to the morning chorus—hornbills, and maybe distant baboons. After breakfast, we continue deeper into Moremi, following tracks towards Xakanaxa. This drive offers fantastic game viewing: primates, elephant herds, grazing buffalo, and, if luck is on our side, predators moving through the reserve in search of prey.

Around midday, we break for a picnic lunch in a scenic spot, before the adventure takes a new turn—boarding boats at Xakanaxa Lagoon. Here, the Okavango Delta reveals its watery heart. Glide through winding channels and past floating islands on the way to Gcodikwe Lagoon. Keep your camera ready: the area is teeming with birdlife—kingfishers, herons, fish eagles—and the call of African jacanas echoes over the reeds.

By late afternoon, we arrive at the Moremi Island Mobile Camp, tucked onto a small island across from the lagoon. Everything is perfectly set up for you for a clamping experience in the bush. Your tent for the night is a classic 3m x 3m dome, complete with twin stretcher beds and a surprisingly spacious 2m x 3m en-suite bathroom area. There’s lighting both inside and outside, so you’ll never be far from comfort.

The main guest area is centered around the firepit—a gathering place for swapping stories, sharing drinks, and soaking up the sounds of the wild. Meals here are crafted by our camp chef and served under canvas, with the stars overhead and the lagoon just beyond. As the sun sinks behind the papyrus, raise a glass to a day well-traveled. Sundowners on the water’s edge are the perfect end to your Okavango crossing.

Travel distance: Losika to Xakanaxa — 100 km through a beautiful scenic bushveld.

Overnight at Moremi Island Mobile Camp, fully inclusive with limited local brand drinks. Moremi Island Mobile Camp is an authentic and immersive safari experience set on a small island in the Okavango Delta, offering guests a true connection with nature.

What’s A Mobile Safari?…

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April 15 — Life on the Water: Moremi Island Mobile Camp

Wake to the sounds of the Delta—maybe a distant fish eagle, a pack of wild dogs or the splash of a hippo offshore. After tea, coffee, and a light snack, we set off by boat to explore the labyrinth of channels, lagoons, and islands that define this corner of the Okavango. This area is famed for its herons and beautiful nesting storks—watch the sky for squadrons of birds lifting off from the papyrus and reeds.

There’s time to step onto some of the smaller islands to discover hidden gems the boats can’t reach. We return to camp for a hearty brunch, then the midday hours are yours to spend as you please—read, rest, or simply soak in the peacefulness of your island home.

High tea is served in the late afternoon, before we head out for more boating, with plenty of chances to spot wildlife from the water. The day ends with sundowners and a freshly prepared dinner, shared around the fire or beneath the stars. Listen for the cacophony of the lions, hyenas and nocturnal wildlife that surrounds you.

April 16 — From Water to Wilderness: Moremi Island Mobile Camp to Saguni Safari Lodge

Enjoy a full breakfast at camp before boarding the boats back to Xakanaxa. The journey winds through the channels one last time, offering a final look at this watery paradise. At Xakanaxa, we switch back to safari vehicles and travel east along the northern edge of Moremi, a route known for both its beauty and abundant wildlife. The Kwai region is renowned for its rich wildlife, including predators and large concentrations of mammals such as kudu, elephants, sables, giraffes, and zebras.

After a 2-hour drive, passing through Khwai Village, we arrive at Saguni Safari Lodge, nestled on the banks of the Sable River in the NG19 Khwai Community Trust area. Saguni’s guest areas are designed for relaxation and stunning views, featuring a formal lounge and bar, a pool with shaded seating, a dining area, and a rooftop bar perfect for enjoying the sunset.

Settle into your spacious Forest Tent, complete with your private deck, en-suite bath and surrounded by natural vegetation. Take the afternoon to unwind—rest in your tent, swim in the pool, or sip a drink while watching the river where animals gather.

High tea is served mid-afternoon, then we’re off for an afternoon game drive in the Khwai region. (You can also book a Bush Walk with a ranger for some real drama). The meandering Khwai Channel makes for exceptional wildlife sightings, and as always, we pause for sundowners in the bush before heading back for dinner.

Overnight at Saguni Safari Lodge in a Forest Unit. Fully Inclusive with local brand drinks.

Welcome to Saguni Lodge, where off-the-grid luxury meets unparalleled wilderness experience. Tucked away in the heart of nature’s embrace, Saguni is more than just a lodge – it’s a sanctuary of serenity. Our amazing staff, comprised of dedicated individuals who are passionate about hospitality and conservation, work tirelessly to ensure that every moment of your stay is truly extraordinary. But our commitment doesn’t end there. We believe in giving back to the local community that has embraced us as its own. Through various initiatives, we strive to empower and uplift the communities around us, fostering a symbiotic relationship that enriches both our guests and the local community alike.

April 16 & 17— Khwai Magic: Game Drives and Mokoro Excursion

Start with an early morning wake-up call and a light snack before heading out for a game drive in Khwai. This region is a wildlife hotspot, and mornings are full of activity—keep an eye out for lions, leopards, wild dogs, and elephants crossing the floodplains.

After mid-morning refreshments, return to camp for some downtime—relax in camp, take a swim, or just enjoy the view. Lunch is served in the dining area, followed by leisure time.

High tea sets the stage for a special experience: a Mokoro Excursion. Gliding silently along the waterways in a traditional dugout canoe, you’ll see the Delta from a whole new perspective! Your mokoro crew will be sure to keep a safe distance from any hippos or crocs. Afterwards, there’s time for a final game drive, ending with sundowners in the bush and another delicious dinner back at camp.

Overnight at Saguni Safari Lodge in a Forest Unit, Fully Inclusive with local brand drinks.

April 18 — Farewell to Khwai

Your last morning in the bush begins with an early wake-up, tea, coffee, and a light snack, before one final game drive through Khwai’s remarkable landscapes. After a leisurely breakfast back at camp, it’s time to pack up and say goodbye.

We transfer you to the Khwai airstrip for our private charter flight back to Maun airport and then on to your onward journey, carrying with you the sights, sounds, and memories of Botswana’s wild heart.

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Deposit: $500

LAND PRICE: $5185 per person twin share

Price based on 23 participants. Please note, personal gratuities est. at $100 are not included and should be handled separately. See details in trip tips. 50% payment due Dec 15 and Jan 15 final payment

Safari Inclusions:

All accommodation as specified in the itinerary, including fully inclusive stays at Losika Elephant Camp, Moremi Island Mobile Camp, and Saguni Safari Lodge.
All meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as tea, coffee, and snacks during game activities.
All game drives and activities as outlined in the itinerary, including boat trips, mokoro excursions, and visits to wildlife reserves and parks.
Sundowners and refreshments during game drives.
Local brand drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at Losika Elephant Camp, Moremi Island Mobile Camp, and Saguni Safari Lodge.
Experienced and knowledgeable guides for all game drives, excursions, and activities.
Transfers between camps and activities, as specified in the itinerary.
National park and reserve entrance fees, where applicable.
Camp-based activities such as evening storytelling and boma experiences at the camps.

Have you read the Trip Tips yet? Scroll to the top of the page and click the link.

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