Catholic Safaris, Botswana, Africa, services provided

Catholic Safaris

Tour organiser for Botswana

Catholic Safaris project is run by two licensed companies in Botswana, specifically established for the project: Bona Safari Services and Birding Botswana. Their trading names are officially registered in Botswana and have all the permits required. We can, therefore, organise the whole range of safari operations available in Botswana, including such exclusive adventures as elephant back and horseback safaris. You can tell us what are you interests, budget, wishes and we will try to organise a holiday trip in Botswana, taking into account all aspects: flights, transport, accommodation, food, booking etc. You just book your airline ticket to Johannesburg in South Africa or (better) directly, via Johannesburg, to Maun in Botswana. From there we take over, so, you don't need to worry about anything. Of course, all must be arranged and agreed with you beforehand.

Catholic Safaris are opened to all but especially for Catholic Travelers and offer the following services (some of the links below will take you to the websites of Bona Safari Services or Birding Botswana - our official safari companies working for the Catholic Safaris self-reliance project):

SERVICES PROVIDED:

Elephants at Chobe River in the famous Chobe National Park, with the largest elephant population on earth. It is the only place on our planet where you may see hundreds or even thousands of elephants in the same place at the same time - one of the greatest nature spectacles (during the dry season - from April till October).

Special Interest Safaris

MOKORO TRIPS - Explore the exquisitely beautiful waterways of the world-famous Okavango Delta by mokoro, the Setswana name for a canoe.

GUIDED WALKS - One of the most enjoyable ways to experience nature, and to really feel at one with it, is to see it by foot.

BOATING - Viewing game by boat is a thoroughly enjoyable experience and a motorboat trip on the Chobe River is a must.

QUAD BIKES -Travel across the massive open expanse of the Kalahari adjacent to the Makgadikgadi Pans in 4-wheel motor-bikes known as “quad bikes”.

SCENIC FLIGHTS OVER THE OKAVANGO DELTA - The best way to really appreciate how the channels, lagoons, islands and floodplains of the 15 000 km² Okavango Delta fit together in one breathtaking mosaic is from the air.

FROGS - There is a growing interest in frogs in southern Africa, and this is often combined with an interest in other aspects of wildlife.

REPTILES - Many (more than 150 species) of these fascinating animals occur in Botswana: snake species, tortoises and terrapins, crocodiles, lizards. At least 7 snake species in Botswana can be deadly to humans, a few are non-lethally venomous; the majority, however, are harmless.

PLANTS - From the succulent plants and desert-adapted acacias of the Kalahari Desert to the palms and ebonies of the Okavango Delta and the endless teak and mopane forests and the giant, prehistoric baobabs of the far north, Botswana’s vegetation is varied, sometimes bizarre, always fascinating.

STARS - Botswana has crystal clear skies over the Kalahari Desert, a perfect opportunity to look at the stars and planets. Great naked-eye and binocular views may be had of the nocturnal southern sky which is richer in celestial objects than the northern sky.

FISHING - Botswana is an exciting destination for the fresh-water angler at two main destinations: the upper reaches (“Pan Handle”) of the Okavango Delta and along the Chobe River with its link to the mighty Zambezi River.

General Booking Services

Most of the places in Botswana require booking to visit them. Because more and more people visit the country it is not always easy to book, especially on a short notice. It is important to plan ahead, several months before the trip. Many places have a limit of visitors, so it is absolutely essential to book in time and later enjoy in the peace of mind what Botswana has to offer. We can help you to plan you trip to Botswana, to book available destinations and services, accommodation and transport and all what is needed for traveling in this wilderness.

You may be interested to book equipment, vehicles or other items as well

We also offer a possibility to book air tickets for Botswana and for international connections. One of our befriended companies is specialising in this kind of service. Let us know, what you need and we will see what could be done.

Private Safaris

There are some people who would like to be alone on a trip to Botswana, or in an exclusive group. Botswana offers many possibilities to be far away from other human activities and disturbance, where you can have the privilege of nearly perfect privacy in the vast open spaces of the wilderness.

Elephant-sunset at the famous Chobe River on the Northern border of Botswana. Chobe River front has the largest concentration of elephants in the world.

Botswana has the biggest elephant herd in the world, currently estimated at more than 130.000. Almost all of them are living in the vast wildlife areas of the Northern parts of Botswana, especially in the Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta.

Catholic Considerations

Most of the safari companies do not consider the religious or spiritual needs of the visitors. Sunday is just another business day in the bush. We believe it does not need to be like that. As Catholics we respect Sunday as a special day - the day of the resurrection of the Lord. Therefore, we plan our itineraries in such a way so as to enable those who wish to attend the Sunday Eucharist. In all major towns in Botswana there is a Catholic mission and church. It provides also opportunities to meet the local people and see how they celebrate and live, and to learn about their culture, struggles and joys.

We respect and encourage our visitors to pray even on safari trip, in the bush, in the wilderness. In this way your visit to Botswana will have that important spiritual dimension.

Of course, we respect and welcome people who do not wish to do that, who just come on normal safari.

Sometimes we may offer some special creative spiritual ventures for those who wish:

- Safari as religious experience - minimum 4 people

- Kalahari Desert spiritual experience - minimum 4 people

- Integrity of creation experience - minimum 4 people

- Sabbatical in the African wilderness - special private arrangements

Connecting to other destinations, Air tickets

You may be interested to combine your visit to Botswana with some other destinations in Southern Africa. Countries bordering Botswana have a lot to offer: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and a little further Angola, Mozambique, Malawi ...

One of the must places to visit is the famous Victoria Falls, only 100km from Botswana on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border - one of the most spectacular and 2nd longest falls in the world. Zimbabwe has also good national parks. Presently the economic situation in Zimbabwe is not good but visits to this country (even for one day to Victoria Falls from Botswana) are very rewarding.

Namibia offers many fascinating destinations - the Namib Desert at the Atlantic coast, sea-lions colonies, famous Etosha Pan and so on.

South Africa has a lot to offer to potential visitors - very diverse culturally, ecologically - the whole range of options related to every aspect of tourism.

We might be able to help you to organise some connections, to advice you on the most spectacular destinations outside Botswana.

We co-operate with a specialised company (considered by many the best in Botswana) arranging local and international air-tickets to and from Botswana. You can also book your whole ticket from the USA to Botswana via internet using this company. Let us know and we will provide you with contact. This company will also pay us a commission if you contact them trough us.

Get to know the Missionary Church

You might be interested to see the work of our missionaries in Botswana, to visit the Catholic Missions, mission stations and our people sharing the same faith in Jesus Christ. We could arrange to meet them. Let us know and we will try to include your request in the itinerary of your trip.

Info & Assistance on Car Rentals

Car rentals in Botswana are available at the main Airports in Gaborone and Maun and in some other places.

Most of the visitors want to visit the bush where a 4x4 vehicle is a must! The rentals are generally expensive and not always available immediately. It is important to make reservations before so that the vehicle is ready upon your arrival.

Important note:

The wilderness of Botswana is vast and can be dangerous for people not familiar with the African Bush. Driving a 4x4 vehicle requires some skills and experience, especially if you go to extreme destinations of the Kalahari Desert and other remote areas. People died there because they were not prepared well and lacked the survival skills, and most of the time made silly mistakes that could be avoided. Using maps and GPS in the wilderness does not help if you are not familiar with the area, especially during floods in the Okavango Delta. It is easy to get lost, most of the roads are not marked. We strongly advice that your first trip to Botswana (most of the people come back) should be with an experienced safari operator and guide. You will maximize the time, see more, learn more and relax more. Botswana is really wild with many spectacular wild animals, but they must be respected, we are encroaching their domain. Many of them can be very dangerous to humans and one has to know how to behave in their presence. Professional safari operators and guides will make your trip safe and enjoyable, sharing with you a lot of first-hand information on the creatures seen.

Read this note as well

Info & Assistance on Equipment rentals

It is possible to rent safari, camping equipment in Maun. Generally it is expensive but if you need any help in this regard we can help you to make the necessary arrangements.

Info & Assistance on Accommodation

There is the whole range of facilities on offer, from very simple to very exclusive, from relatively cheap to very expensive.

We can help you to find the right accommodation for you if you need it in Maun, Kasane and other places in Botswana.

Info on telephone, fax, e-mail, internet ...

In major towns and tourism establishments the modern means of communication are available. Telephone network is extensive, both traditional and mobile. E-mail and internet are available in Maun and Kasane and other towns. There are special places where you can connect having your laptop or using the provided PC. During the safari trip the telecommunication is limited, no coverage for mobile phones and no internet connections. In case of emergency the safari operators use the satellite phones or radio equipment.

Books, Maps, Video films, DV tapes, CDs, DVDs ...

There is quite a collection of books on Botswana, especially on wildlife, Okavango Delta, Chobe River, Kalahari, Bushmen and other topics available in Botswana. We can find and purchase for you the material you wish to have. Maps could be bought in every tourist shop. There are few good guides for visitors to Botswana.

Botswana has become one of the main wildlife film production centres in the world. All major producers like National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, BBC and others are filming in Botswana. There are also some independent wildlife film-makers living in Botswana, some of them considered the best in the business like Tim and June Liversedge or Derek and Beverly Joubert. Some of their magnificent work could be purchased in Botswana as well or even in other countries. We can advise you on what is there and how good it is.

In many place in Botswana you can buy empty DV tapes, CDs and DVDs but often they are overpriced.

Feel free to ask us about those and other things you might need on you trip in Botswana.

Transfer of photos, films to tapes, CDs, DVDs ...

The cards in the modern digital cameras have limited capacity and often the visitors are running short of them. It is very useful to transfer the images from your camera card to a CD or DVD and continue to take new pictures of your adventure. Let us know and we can organise transfer of your images to other digital media. Remember to take the transfer cable of your camera (every camera has a different one).

Scientific & Research

If you are a scientist, naturalist or hobby scientist wishing to do some work in Botswana, you may need assistance in obtaining permits, finding the right habitats, subject, places, facilities, equipment and other things necessary. contact us and might be able to help you, advise you or accompany you on your trip.

Note that all research conducted in Botswana must be permitted by the special office of the president. In some cases fees must be paid before proceeding.

Limited number of trips

Minimum 4 people in a booking group!

Best number is 6.

Please contact us

for more info.