Wilderness Dawning is a privately-owned safari company based in Maun, Botswana and Johannesburg, South Africa.
2023 SEASON
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!
Robust 4WD vehicles are essential for travel in Botswana due to the variable conditions of the tracks within protected areas. Wilderness Dawning operates specially-modified Toyota Landcruisers that accommodate either 8-9 guests on our scheduled departures (up to 12 guests for families & tailormade departures)
All vehicles have an open roof and sides (with roll-down weatherproof canvas, or in some cases, windows that fold down) and thus offer the best game-viewing opportunities.
They also come equipped with first aid kits, a fire extinguisher, individual bucket seats with seat belts and a cooler box for beverages.
Why Choose Wilderness Dawning Safaris?
We use only private campsites
So your guests will not be camping anywhere near noisy groups and lots of other people. In some cases, the nearest “other people” might be as much as 20-25km away. These campsites are unfenced and are in the middle of wilderness areas-so our game drives literally start at the sites. Although guests are a little apprehensive the first couple of nights, we have found that once guests get back home, they realise how special and different it is to have been so close to nature-the camping turns out to be a unique and memorable aspect of our safaris.
The standard and style of Camping
We have been fortunate enough to be involved in the safari lifestyle, in some manner, since 1986. In all these years, we have had a strong belief that the wilderness & wildlife is the single biggest factor that influences why someone will endure a 12-15 hour flight (and pay a fair bit of money!). Too often, many operators have spent too much time with interior decorators and architects, and have perhaps forgotten this single reason. This is why a bathroom or a wine cellar or even thread-count have seemingly being put on parr with trees, wildlife, plants and bushvelt. Too much luxury and opulence actually insulates guests from the very things they have come to see. Our style of camping is comfortable, with en-suite showers and toilets. Comfortable mattresses and linen, vehicle specifically designed for game viewing…. and good food. If guests expect to be pampered and amused for 8,10,11 or 14 days, then perhaps they are not the guests for us-but if they want something different and perhaps life changing, then we are the company for these guests !
Guiding…guiding…guides!
Over the years we have built a strong reputation for working with and developing outstanding guides. For us, the guide will always be the most important factor in delivering an outstanding safari experience. We do not have the arrogance to imply our guides are the “best”.. But we do know that there is a vast difference between guiding in a lodge and guiding a mobile. The former needs to know 20 to 30 species of bird, 5 species of tree and some 100km of game drives route. Someone else takes care of the meals, the cooler box, the vehicle…and a lodge guide is only with the same guests for 2 or 3 days. When a guide decides to make mobiles his or her specialty, they are knowingly choosing to do a much more difficult job…one that entails having to know some 200 birds, 50-60 tree species and 600 km of drives. Our guides are responsible for all the buying and planning of safaris, they are responsible for 3-4 staff, and 2-3 vehicles and most importantly, our guides need to have knowledge, patience, tolerance and humor for 8,10,11 or 14 days -with the same guests. They might not be the best, but they are certainly amongst the best…and an outstanding guide will deliver an outstanding safari
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!
Office Hours: Mon – Fri: 08h00 – 17h00 / Sat: 08h00 – 13h00
Email: reservations@wildernessdawning.com or craig@wildernessdawning.com
reservations@naturalselection.travel
Call: Chrisna: +(27) 72 879 2947 / Craig: +(27) 84 805 4459 or +(267) 73 893 617