Wilderness Dawning is a privately-owned safari company based in Maun, Botswana and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Authentic Safaris with Exceptional Guides!
Who We Are
Wilderness Dawning is born from a deep and enduring love for Botswana’s wild places. For us, a safari is more than a journey — it is an immersion into landscapes that shape perspective, guided by people who know and understand the wilderness intimately.
We believe the greatest adventures happen far from the crowds, where authentic encounters with wildlife, culture and nature unfold naturally. With exceptional guides, thoughtfully tailored journeys and a passion for sharing the Africa we call home, we create safaris that are personal, meaningful and grounded in a genuine connection to place, people and wilderness.
For many, a safari is the trip of a lifetime and Botswana is the pinnacle. We don’t take this responsibility lightly and strive to make your adventure through the wilderness as memorable and impactful as it can possibly be.
Ours are journeys through Botswana’s wildest places, and we use only the best guides to ensure that every moment counts.
We’re happy to tailor your trip to ensure it fits like a glove – just ask us.
Botswana is best known for the iconic waterways of the Okavango Delta, and our freshly spruced houseboat gives guests unparalleled access to them.
Okavango Spirit is moored in the northern Okavango on an especially beautiful stretch known as the ‘Panhandle’, giving easy access to this pristine place and cultural sites such as Tsodilo Hills. A stay here might feel like the ultimate adventure, but with en-suite cabins, private decks and a living space with panoramic views of your wonderland surroundings, it’s
surprisingly comfortable too!
To us a safari should be about the wildest places, the best guides and the greatest adventure.
Never mind the road less travelled, we like the routes no one else has discovered yet, so we’re well kitted out to reach the furthest flung areas. We use specifically modified Land Cruisers with open roof and sides and the option to enclose should the weather take a turn.
Each vehicle has a first aid kit and fire extinguisher in case things get a little too exciting, along with that all important cooler box for safari sundowners.
Why Choose Wilderness Dawning Safaris?
We Know The Best Places...
And that’s where we take you. We use properties that we know will deliver and private campsites, so you’ll be far from the usual tourism crowds. We also stick to unfenced sites, so the safari begins as soon as you unzip the canvas.
It's An Adventure...
Because that’s why you’re here. No one comes to Africa for the caviar or pool loungers. We like comfort rather than extravagance so we opt for privacy, en-suites and good food, but our focus will always be on the safari experience. We take our guests on the trip that’s right for them to the places they’ve longed to visit and we spend as much time as possible around the wildlife there, immersing Travellers completely in the wilderness.
We Invest In Our Guides...
And have built a reputation for developing and working with outstanding guides. We know that a guide can make or break a trip and our mobile guides are a breed apart, with encyclopaedic knowledge and a passion for sharing it with guests and helping them discover true wilderness.
Our safaris instil a deep and abiding love for our continent.
Our People
No amount of money can cover the cost of what we are selling…simply because no price tag can be placed on people. At Wilderness Dawning not just any people-the RIGHT people, the RIGHT back-up, the RIGHT management and most importantly…the RIGHT guides. The kind of guides that will spend all day finding that special “something”, the type of management that will spend the extra effort making sure an itinerary is as unique as it is different…the type of people who strive to find solutions to our guests needs. We are the type of people who value partnerships, and value the opportunity this dynamic industry has afforded us…and believe in running safaris that instill a deep and abiding love for our continent. If you value people like us, and the company we strive to be…then we are the people and company for you!
Responsible Tourism
The people, who make Wilderness Dawning the company it is, all share a common passion – a distinct and undeniable love for Botswana. We realise that it is this region, this area, this ‘place’ that has shaped us, given us our unique lifestyle and allowed us the enthusiasm to do something that is challenging, different and extremely inspiring.
It has been this ‘place’ that has enabled Wilderness Dawning to operate, to a degree, with a specific sense of success… success that can be derived from, and indeed, be defined as an absolute belief in our purpose on this planet. This belief results in passion, and passion drives tenacity, perseverance, resolve, commitment and a fundamental understanding of people, the environment and the wildlife that make up this ‘place’… this ‘place’ we are privileged to call home.
We are a Botswana based company and contribute directly to conservation through park entrance fees, taxes, and accommodation costs. We employ only from Botswana. Income generated remains in Botswana .
It is our belief that all things are connected, that things become ‘one’ … be they people, land, oceans or animals … that the success of one cannot be at the expense of another … that land or people are not to be marginalized, denuded and made less … that we have an undeniable responsibility to all things… to all people… to all of this ‘place’.
It is to this ideal that Wilderness Dawning do the following … visits to the San Villages at Tsodilo Hills, resulting in direct income for these first-peoples. The local San people believe Tsodilo is the birthplace of all life, art there made by the descendants of the first people. Tsodilo’s geography, trails and grooves in the earth are known as the trails and footprints of the first animals, making their way to the first watering hole. A natural water spring at Tsodilo, near the Female Hill, is used as both a water collection site and a ritual site. It is seen as sacred, and used by countless peoples to cleanse, heal, and protect.
Thari-E-Ntsho Storytellers
We sponsor and support Thari-E-Ntsho Storytellers who write and publish stories based in Botswana, with the aim of recording, sharing and reflecting aspects of the country’s rich culture. As is the case for all African nations, history, folklore and a wealth of wisdom have always been passed down the generations through storytelling and Thari-E-Ntsho continue this tradition.
The storytellers safeguard this dying art for future generations and encourage a reading culture amongst young Batswana. They keep Botswana’s heritage alive.
Turnover
We also donate 1.5% of turnover to Natural Selection’s ongoing conservation and community efforts
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Wilderness Dawning WhatsApp (+267) 7179 1225
Craig Nesbitt WhatsApp (27) 84 805 4459 & (267) 73 893 671