20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Botswana • The Blonde Abroad

River Cruise at Meno a Kwena

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Sable Alley Lodge

Khoi San Bushwalk

Jack's Camp

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Jack's Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Okavango River Cruise

Sable Alley Lodge

Planet Baobab

River Cruise at Meno a Kwena

Jack's Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Jack's Camp

Jacks Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Game Drive at Sable Alley

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Sable Alley Lodge

Botswana is one of the top safari destinations in Africa and is one of my favorite countries for safari! It’s home to incredible wildlife, beautiful game lodges, and stunning landscapes.

The best part? It’s only a short flight from South Africa, making it easy to country hop while you’re traveling through Southern Africa.

Start your journey at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, and stay at the vintage-inspired Jack’s Camp. With no Wi-Fi or electricity, it’s the perfect safari destination for those who want to disconnect from the online world and go on a digital detox.

Go on morning safaris along the Okavango Delta, meet the curious meerkats and learn the secrets of the bush from the Khoi San.

If you have the time, make your way to Khwai Private Reserve and stay at Sable Alley. It’s nestled in one of Botswana’s most diverse habitats, and you’ll see monkeys and hippos from your window – it’s an absolute dream!

One of the things that made my stay at Sable Alley stand out from the rest of the safari lodges I visited in Botswana was their sky beds. Built on three-story raised platforms, you can spend the night sleeping underneath the stars! Back at the main camp, the luxury tents are cozy, and the main lodge sits right next to a small lake home to herds of hippos.

We also stayed at Meno a Kwena which was a no-frills game lodge located on a clifftop above the Boteti River. It was my first time doing a game viewing along a river, and we saw tons of wildlife and lots of elephants drinking along the water’s edge.

Though I haven’t done it yet, a safari cruise in Chobe National Park on the Zambezi Queen is still on my Botswana bucket list!

While there is no bad time to visit Botswana, if you want unparalleled game viewing, plan your trip during the dry season (April to October). If you’re a bird lover visit Botswana between December and March and experience the country’s beautiful emerald season! Don’t miss my breakdown on the best time to visit Botswana!

Have you traveled to Botswana before? What was your favorite travel experience? Let me know in the comments below!

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18083248064243187

My favorite smart features of my old home! 🏠
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
I put a lot of thought and design into my home, so I knew I had to get curated, high-tech window shades to match.

Enter @rollishades — sleek, custom motorized shades that actually elevate the space while solving the very real sunlight problem. From light-filtering to blackout options, everything is tailored to fit perfectly and controlled with the touch of a button (or app). It’s the kind of smart, intentional design that makes a home feel finished. 🪟🤍

I easily installed these in my guest bedroom and let me just say, when guests come over, they’re getting what feels like a hotel experience in my home (minus the room service).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••⁠
#gifted #homedesign #interiorinspo #smarthome #rollishades

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Nicoline

These photos are amazing and make me want to go back to Botswana so bad. You definitely need to visit Chobe one day, there are elephants everywhere!

January 21, 2019 at 3:33 am · Reply

John Vega

Hi Kiki,

When I saw photos that you shared, It really inspired me to visit Botswana. What a beautiful scenes of National Park and River cruise!

I love watching your more photos in different destinations on upcoming months.

which season do you think is the best time to visit in Botswana and how costly it is?

January 21, 2019 at 4:45 am · Reply

Newer

River Cruise at Meno a Kwena

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Sable Alley Lodge

Khoi San Bushwalk

Jack's Camp

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Jack's Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Okavango River Cruise

Sable Alley Lodge

Planet Baobab

River Cruise at Meno a Kwena

Jack's Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Jack's Camp

Jacks Camp

Sable Alley Lodge

Game Drive at Sable Alley

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Sable Alley Lodge

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