Things to do in Botswana

A thrilling heli-ride over the Okavango Delta

Just hop on, strap in and did we mention there are no doors?…

By Cindy Boshoff

Director of Sales and Marketing for Belmond Safaris

There are helicopter rides and then there are helicopter rides. The latter you can find here at Eagle Island Lodge in the watery wilderness of the Okavango Delta. The lodge is one of the first camps in the whole of the delta to have a helicopter just for our guests and it’s so exclusive, you don’t even need to pre-book. Just hop on, strap in and did we mention there are no doors?

Your ride is a Bell 206 four-seater helicopter or a roomier one if you’re a large family or a group of up to five. The wind in your hair and the whirring sound of beating wings inject a rush of adrenaline as you head towards the sky. An early morning flight reveals the waking wildlife. With unhindered views you can marvel at mighty oxbow rivers and vast networks of channels and lagoons without the presence of mankind. Ask the pilot to fly low and you can virtually skim the fig canopies to get a closer look at the Okavango’s exquisite game. This could include huge crocodile basking on the sun-drenched banks, hippo wallowing in the shallows and spectacular birdlife from great white pelican to diverse species of long necked herons. You’ll often hear the call of a lion roar over the wetlands. Your pilot, a top safari guide will point out where a pride might be roaming or where to capture the best panoramic picture.

We’re owned by luxury goods mogul, LVMH, so expect the unexpected like landing on a remote island only to be greeted with canapés and flutes of Moet. It may be a 35-minute ride but it’ll be a memory that will last forever.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

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.