Thamalakane Guest House
Included in your trip2 Nights, Plot 941 Exit 7 Disaneng Ward, Maun

Self-drive road trip · Botswana
A relaxed Maun loop combining the Makgadikgadi region, Chobe wildlife and flexible safari time at your own pace.
Per person, estimatedUS$656
Experience Botswana independently on a practical self-drive loop from Maun. Break the journey in Nata, spend three nights near Chobe and return to Maun with time for optional Delta activities.
Drive at your own pace with no fixed group schedule
A well-planned loop — all legs under 400 km
Three iconic Botswana regions in one trip
Flexible safari time in Chobe — guided or solo
Optional Okavango Delta excursions on free days
Wide choice of lodges to suit your budget
Start and finish at Maun Airport — no logistics headaches
Every stop has a hotel already chosen for you. Open a stop to swap the hotel, add activities or stay longer. The price updates as you go.
Want more time somewhere? Open any stop and tap Add a night. Every day after it moves back, and your dates and price update automatically.
Stay longer or shorter in Maun, Botswana
Your stay in Maun, BotswanaDays 1–3
Each night you add pushes the rest of the trip back by a day. Your dates, hotels, car and price all update for you, and you can undo it anytime.
Pick up your car at Maun (MUB), from 10:00. It's yours for all 10 days.
Your Botswana self-drive adventure kicks off in Maun, the gateway to some of the country's most iconic wilderness. You'll spend 2 nights here, giving you time to get your bearings, pick up your vehicle, and soak up the relaxed, dusty charm of a town that sits right on the edge of the Okavango Delta. It's a proper bush town — small, friendly, and full of travellers heading in every direction.
Take a mokoro (dugout canoe) excursion into the channels and papyrus beds of the Okavango Delta — a classic Botswana experience.
Hop on a scenic flight over the Delta to get a sense of its vast, watery landscape from above.
Visit the Nhabe Museum for a grounding introduction to the culture and history of the Ngamiland people.
Walk along the Thamalakane River at dusk and watch for hippos and a huge variety of waterbirds.
Overnight: Thamalakane Guest House, night 1 of 2
Included in your trip2 Nights, Plot 941 Exit 7 Disaneng Ward, Maun
No set plans here. Wander, linger over dinner and let Maun, Botswana surprise you.
Stay longer or shorter in Nata
Your stay in NataDays 3–4
Each night you add pushes the rest of the trip back by a day. Your dates, hotels, car and price all update for you, and you can undo it anytime.
Nata is a small crossroads town in northeastern Botswana, and it's the perfect overnight stop on the drive between Maun and Kasane. You'll spend just 1 night here, but the area has a quiet, off-the-beaten-track feel that makes it more than just a place to break a journey. The main draw is the nearby Sua Pan, the southern arm of the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans — one of the largest salt flats on earth.
Head to the Nata Bird Sanctuary on the edge of Sua Pan, where flamingos and pelicans gather in spectacular numbers during the wetter months.
Drive out onto the edge of the salt pan at sunset for a surreal, mirror-flat horizon that's unlike anywhere else in Africa.
Keep an eye out for brown hyenas, jackals, and raptors around the pan fringes — the wildlife here is understated but fascinating.
Overnight: Nata Lodge
Included in your trip1 night, Lot 2 Didibkwe, Nata
No set plans here. Wander, linger over dinner and let Nata surprise you.
Stay longer or shorter in Kasane, Botswana
Your stay in Kasane, BotswanaDays 4–7
Each night you add pushes the rest of the trip back by a day. Your dates, hotels, car and price all update for you, and you can undo it anytime.
Kasane is where things really get wild. This small town sits at the meeting point of four countries — Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia — and it's the gateway to Chobe National Park, home to one of Africa's largest elephant populations. With 3 nights here, you've got plenty of time to explore properly and go at your own pace.
Self-drive through Chobe National Park's Chobe Riverfront area, where elephants, buffalo, and predators congregate in huge numbers, especially around the river.
Take a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River — one of the best wildlife-viewing experiences in southern Africa, with elephants swimming across right in front of you.
Spot lions, leopards, wild dogs, and the park's iconic herds of buffalo on a full-day game drive into the Savuti or Linyanti areas.
Visit the quad-border point at Kazungula, where four countries meet at a single point on the Zambezi River.
Take a day trip across to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Zambia — the falls are within easy striking distance from Kasane.
Overnight: Ramatie Guest Palace, night 1 of 3
“This charming guesthouse offers a peaceful retreat in Kasane with beautifully designed rooms, ideal for relaxation and convenient access to Chobe National Park. Guests appreciate its serene atmosphere and picturesque riverside location near the Zambezi.”
Included in your trip3 Nights, 5463, Flowertown
No set plans here. Wander, linger over dinner and let Kasane, Botswana surprise you.
Stay longer or shorter in Nata
Your stay in NataDays 7–8
Each night you add pushes the rest of the trip back by a day. Your dates, hotels, car and price all update for you, and you can undo it anytime.
You're back in Nata for a second night, this time travelling in the opposite direction. After the intensity of Chobe, this quiet stopover is a welcome chance to slow down, reflect on what you've seen, and rest up before the final leg of your self-drive back to Maun. The Makgadikgadi Pans are just as striking the second time around — and the light can be completely different depending on the time of day.
Revisit Sua Pan at a different time of day for a fresh perspective — early morning light on the salt flats is something special.
Relax at the lodge, swap stories with other travellers, and enjoy a cold beer in the shade.
Look out for meerkats and ground squirrels around the lodge grounds — they're usually happy to put on a show.
Overnight: Nata Lodge
Included in your trip1 night, Lot 2 Didibkwe, Nata
No set plans here. Wander, linger over dinner and let Nata surprise you.
Stay longer or shorter in Maun, Botswana
Your stay in Maun, BotswanaDays 8–10
Each night you add pushes the rest of the trip back by a day. Your dates, hotels, car and price all update for you, and you can undo it anytime.
You return to Maun for your final 2 nights, completing the loop. Coming back here after everything you've seen and driven feels satisfying — the town looks a little different when you know the country a bit better. These last couple of days are ideal for tying up loose ends, doing anything you missed at the start of the trip, or simply unwinding before your journey home.
Book a final mokoro trip or guided nature walk in the Delta if you didn't get one at the start — there's always something new to see.
Browse the craft stalls and local shops in town for Botswana-made souvenirs and gifts to take home.
Enjoy a leisurely sundowner along the Thamalakane River, raising a glass to a genuinely memorable road trip.
Return your self-drive vehicle and spend your last evening relaxing over a good meal — you've earned it.
Overnight: Thamalakane Guest House, night 1 of 2
Included in your trip2 Nights, Plot 941 Exit 7 Disaneng Ward, Maun
No set plans here. Wander, linger over dinner and let Maun, Botswana surprise you.
A rental car is included for all 10 days. Want more room or comfort? Upgrade below.
Pick up, day 1Maun (MUB), from 10:00
Return, day 9Maun, by 10:00
Good to knowRates assume a driver aged 30 or over.
Operated by Avia Travel & Tours.
Download this tour's PDF brochure and plan offline: every day, your hotels, the car and our phone numbers.
Our travel experts know these roads. Call and we'll tailor the trip with you.
Estimated total, 2 travelersUS$1,312
How this road trip stacks up against similar self-drive tours, side by side.
"From" prices are per person for 2 travelers sharing, at the cheapest hotels. Driving is estimated from the stop locations.