Vegan Safari in Botswana & Cape TownWith Wildlife Photographer Jennifer Hadley
Tour dates: December 14-22, 2027
Maximum group size: 21 people Price per person (double occupancy): US$12,645* Single supplement: US$1600
This trip is not yet confirmed. The deadline to confirm is February 14th, 2027. |
Experience Botswana and Cape Town on a once-in-a-lifetime vegan safari, where extraordinary wildlife encounters, the waterways of the Okavango Delta, and expert photography guidance bring Southern Africa into focus.
This 8-night vegan journey combines Cape Town with an immersive Botswana safari, including five nights at two remote deluxe bush camps. You’ll explore Chobe National Park and the UNESCO-listed Okavango Delta on game drives, motorboat safaris, mokoro canoe rides, and guided walks, with opportunities to see elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos, zebras, leopards, and an incredible variety of birdlife in their natural habitat. The trip also includes a Cape Peninsula excursion and a visit to the penguins at Boulders Beach. Award-winning wildlife photographer Jennifer Hadley joins this small group tour to photograph the experience and help travelers with their own animal photography. Throughout the journey, you’ll enjoy 100% plant-based meals and plenty of time to relax at the secluded safari camps between wildlife outings.
If you’ve dreamed of experiencing Africa’s wildlife up close while enjoying the comfort of an all-inclusive vegan accomodations, this safari adventure brings together remarkable animal encounters, remote landscapes, and the expert guidance of a professional wildlife photographer. Highlights
Is this trip right for you?We want to ensure this unique adventure is the perfect fit for your travel style. Because of the remote nature of this safari and our highly specialized menu, please review the following realities of the African bush before booking:
Crafting a fully vegan experience in the remote African bush is a massive logistical feat. While South Africa offers abundant produce, our wilderness camps in Botswana operate far from standard supply chains and face strict national agricultural import bans. Our kitchens must adapt entirely to what is legally and locally accessible.
Our game drives take us deep into the untamed wilderness and typically last around four hours. There are no public facilities out in the parks, meaning you will need to be comfortable stepping behind a bush or the vehicle when nature calls. We stay in spectacular, deluxe lodges, but they are fully immersed in the natural environment. The lodges are highly secure against dangerous wildlife—you will not have lions, elephants, or venomous snakes wandering into your room. However, you might occasionally spot a harmless visitor like insects, spiders, or a stray bat or squirrel. It doesn’t happen in every room or all the time, but you do need to be at peace with the realities of staying in an untamed ecosystem. Reaching our remote camps requires taking three small “bush planes” (typically 12-seaters or smaller). These flights are exceptionally safe, flown by highly trained bush pilots, and offer stunning aerial views. However, light aircraft feel the air currents more than commercial jets and can be a bit bumpy. The longest flight is about 50 minutes, and the other two are roughly 25 minutes each. If you are a nervous flyer, please factor this into your decision. |
|
All meals included, all 100% plant-based. Here's your chance to try local favorites! Deluxe accommodation with a focus on location and comfort |
Two tour leaders per trip for ultimate attention & service during your adventure Travel the world with fellow vegans and create life-lasting friendships |
Hand-picked tours & activities specifically by vegans, catered for vegans Emphasis on wildlife with visits to sanctuaries, refuges & shelters |
Travel with Award-Winning Wildlife Photographer Jennifer Hadley
Award-winning wildlife photographer Jennifer Hadley will be joining us for the entirety of this safari. Jennifer left a career in corporate finance to focus full-time on ethical, behavior-based wildlife photography. She was the Grand Prize winner of the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards and works extensively to protect vulnerable species and their habitats.
Having Jennifer on the team elevates the safari experience, whether you shoot with a high-end DSLR or simply your smartphone. Participating in the photography focus is completely optional, but for those interested, here is what she brings to the trip:
Having Jennifer on the team elevates the safari experience, whether you shoot with a high-end DSLR or simply your smartphone. Participating in the photography focus is completely optional, but for those interested, here is what she brings to the trip:
- Dedicated Photography Vehicle: Jennifer will helm one of the Land Cruisers on our game drives. This vehicle is focused on patience—staying longer at sightings to observe and predict animal behavior, waiting for the perfect light, and positioning the vehicle for the best possible angle.
- Expert Guidance: She will give two practical photography talks during the trip, offering one-on-one tips and hands-on help in the field to improve your technique.
- Professional Photos to Keep: You can put your camera down and simply enjoy the moment knowing Jennifer is capturing it. At the end of the trip, she provides a small collection of her professional wildlife photos for you to keep, along with a high-quality personal safari portrait of you out in the bush.
- Ethical Wildlife Focus: Jennifer’s approach perfectly aligns with our values. She prioritizes respectful observation, ensuring that capturing an image never disrupts the animals or their natural habitat.
ItineraryPlease note that the itinerary below is subject to change. Some activities, times and even days may get switched around, but once you sign up you will be kept updated. Please rest assured that if anything does change, it will be for the best and make the trip even better.
DAY 1: Cape Town- First meeting & dinner
Welcome to South Africa! Our adventure begins in beautiful Cape Town. Your trip includes an airport pickup, regardless of what day or what time you arrive. If you arrive one or more days before the trip and decide to stay in your own accommodation, no worries — we’ll drive you there too! There are no planned activities during the day, up until our first meeting (at around 2pm), where you’ll first get to meet your tour leaders, fellow travelers and our photographer Jennifer Hadley. A few glasses of bubbly and all-around introductions later, and we’re off to our first dinner. It’s a World Vegan Travel tradition by now that our first meal together is often an event in itself. You shouldn’t expect anything less this time around. Oh, and make sure to come hungry Once we’re all fed, we’ll head back to our hotel for an “early” night. We’re off on an adventure tomorrow! Accommodation: TBC (4 stars) Included:
|
|
DAY 2: Cape Town- Cape Peninsula & Boulders Beach Penguins Our second day takes us down the spectacular Cape Peninsula, one of the most scenic coastal stretches in the world. We will explore the rugged, windswept landscapes of the Cape of Good Hope, taking in the dramatic cliffs and keeping an eye out for local wildlife like wild ostriches and baboons in their natural habitat. Midday, we will head to Boulders Beach to enjoy a lunch before the afternoon’s highlight: visiting the famous African penguin colony. Because these penguins roam completely free, this is a wonderful opportunity to observe them behaving naturally among the granite boulders. If the weather is right and you are feeling adventurous, you might even have the chance to step into the ocean and swim in the very same waters they call home! Accommodation: TBC (4 stars) Included:
DAY 3: Botswana- to camp #1 Today is a day of travel. After our vegan breakfast, we’ll pack up our bags and head to Cape Town airport for our 2h45 flight to Maun, Botswana. Of important note: While in Botswana, we will be taking small planes in order to reach our remote bush accommodation. As such, the following luggage restrictions are strictly enforced:
Back to our trip: Once in Maun, we’ll transfer over to our small planes which will take us to our 1st camp. The flight time will be around 20-40 minutes. Depending on the day, we may be on a 8 or 12-person plane. We will therefore need a few planes, and the group as a whole will therefore get to the camps at slightly different times. Depending on our time of arrival today — which is only confirmed a few weeks before our arrival as it’s tied to the bush plane schedules — we may have time for a safari activity before dinner. We also have 2 more full days to explore this awesome region, so settle in, unpack your bags, grab a cold beer, enjoy a sunset by the campfire and get hungry for our first vegan dinner surrounded by the sounds of the African bush! Accommodation: Luxurious chalets with full en-suite bathrooms, fans, indoor/outdoor dining, campfire area, swimming pool, private and public viewing decks and a fully stocked bar Included:
DAY 4: Botswana - Safari Waking up in the heart of Africa is something that can only be experienced. And experienced early! We set off at the crack of dawn. That’s when the animals are at their most active! Following a light vegan breakfast, you’ll head off on your first safari activity. We’ll be back at the lodge for brunch and a rest before setting out again in mid-afternoon. If you prefer to sleep in, no worries at all! We have 2 full days at this location and you can build your own adventure. Your tour leaders will be on-hand to help out with any decision-making tips. The morning activity will lead to lunch and an afternoon rest period where you can enjoy your room or go for a swim in the camp’s own swimming pool! Once the midday heat subsides a bit, the animals will start getting active again, and so we’re off on another safari activity. This is the perfect time to sit back and watch some lions nap or stroll about with a glass of wine in-hand. We’ll be back at the lodge in time for sun-downer drinks, maybe a campfire if the weather cooperates, and a dinner under the stars. Below is an example of a daily schedule, though please note that it serves only as an example. The daily program is flexible based on the guests’ interests, travel times and availability of activities.
Luxurious chalets with full en-suite bathrooms, fans, indoor/outdoor dining, campfire area, swimming pool, private and public viewing decks and a fully stocked bar Included:
|
DAY 5: Botswana - Safari Today are more game drives, and our guides will make sure to take you to different areas. Don’t forget to rest and enjoy the lodge and a good book! Accommodation: Luxurious chalets with full en-suite bathrooms, fans, indoor/outdoor dining, campfire area, swimming pool, private and public viewing decks and a fully stocked bar Included:
DAY 6: Botswana - to camp #2 Today we leave our first camp and head to the second one, and our home for the next 3 nights. Depending on our time of arrival today, we may only have time for a safari drive on the way to the lodge, and perhaps a short one before dinner. No worries — we have 2 more full days to explore this awesome region, so settle in, unpack your bags, grab a cold beer, enjoy a sunset by the campfire and get hungry for our vegan dinner surrounded by the sounds of the African bush! Seriously, can life get any better than this? Accommodation: Luxurious chalets with full en-suite bathrooms, fans, indoor/outdoor dining, campfire area, swimming pool, private and public viewing decks and a fully stocked bar Included:
DAY 7: Botswana - Safari Good morning! How about some coffee/tea/orange juice… and a game drive to start the day? Whatever you choose, you’ll be taken along by our expert local guides who can truly answer any questions you may come up with. Seriously, we’ve never been able to stump them! They are a walking Wikipedia/Google page! Accommodation: Luxurious chalets with full en-suite bathrooms, fans, indoor/outdoor dining, campfire area, swimming pool, private and public viewing decks and a fully stocked bar Included:
DAY 8: Return to South Africa - Cape Town After our last breakfast in the bush, we’re off to the airfield (once again, expect to see animals along the way!!) to catch our 20-minute bush-plane flight to the small city of Maun, where we’ll transfer over to our international flight back to Cape Town (2h45). Once back in South Africa, we’ll head back to our Cape Town hotel where we’ll be able to freshen up before our final last dinner together. This will be the chance to say goodbye to each other, share some photos, friending ourselves on Facebook, and toast to a successful trip, and hopefully to the next one! Accommodation: TBC (4 stars) Included:
DAY 9: Departure Day Today is sadly our departure day. After our last breakfast we will offer airport transfers to the airport or your next hotel if you choose to spend extra days in beautiful Cape Town. Included:
|
|
Our Botswana Safari Camps
|
To ensure that our vegan safaris are the best holiday you can have, we’ve partnered with an amazing lodge company to ensure your downtime in between activities is as memorable as your time spent wildlife spotting! We will be staying at these two camps:
Savute Safari camp (3 nights) is located in the Savute marsh region, renowned for its intense predator encounters and exceptional animal viewing. The camp is located right by a watering hole, where many animals — including elephants!!!! — come for a drink. Perhaps some will join us for sun-downers? Savute Camp offers game drives only. Camp Xugana (2 nights) is a peaceful island sanctuary set overlooking the spectacular, lily-dotted waters of the Xugana Lagoon. Recently completely rebuilt, the lodge is hidden beneath a canopy of mature ebony and mangosteen trees, offering a perfect blend of modern elegance and classic safari soul. From the camp, we’ll head out on tranquil mokoro (traditional canoe) and motorboat safaris to explore the permanent waterways, or embark on guided walking safaris on nearby islands to experience the incredible wildlife up close! Back at the lodge, you can relax on the brand-new multi-level viewing decks or step out onto the unique Overwater Fire-Deck to watch the resident animals and take in panoramic views of the lagoon. Activities here include motorized boat safaris, mokoro (dug-out canoe) rides and walking safaris. In both camps, the rooms are big with private terraces, while the public spaces are amazing. Expect a dining area with a view, a campfire spot to meet up after a day of wildlife spotting and even a pool! |
We’ve worked very hard with the chefs to create an amazing menu comprising of veganized local dishes and specialties, as well as some of your favorites. Come hungry!
Check out the camps’ videos below and start dreaming! CAMP SAVUTE
|
