Imagine a remote paradise linking ancient waterways, filled with lush wetlands, spectacular wildlife and some of the best, most remote safari camps and wilderness experiences we know. We call it Botswana's Great North... 

The North... There's no wall, snow (Jon, or otherwise) or whitewalkers, but like Game of Thrones' most distant and wild kingdom, Botswana's northern reaches are remote and filled with near-mythical beasts and jaw-dropping landscapes. Bordering Namibia, this is a land of rivers, and one in particular with many names - the Kwando, which becomes the Linyanti, flowing into a vast swampland before emerging as the Chobe, a tributary of the mighty Zambezi.

All of which invites another GoT reference, because there are so many rivers, channels, marshes and other important stretches of water here that listing them reads like the cast of this epic TV legend. There's the Savute Channel, Selinda Spillway, Savute marshes, Khwai River, Kavango/Okavango River... Remembering them all and how they're related to one another is daunting! 

Some flow all the time, others don't. Some flow in different directions at the same time! Whatever the course of the water, you're guaranteed one thing - an incredible abundance of African wildlife all year round and outstanding safari experiences as a result. All of which makes it easy to love the north, with a passion. Which we do. Here's some of the reasons why...

More game than you can throw a stick at...

We don't, of course, advocate throwing sticks at anything or anyone, but there is a shedload of wildlife in Botswana's Great North! A large shedload at that! Expect the usual Big Five suspects, but what we love is the more unusual sightings that you just won't find anywhere else. We've experienced astounding things on transfers between lodges... Like six separate cat species in a two-hour stretch (lion, cheetah, leopard, caracal, serval and African wild cat. All in daylight. All up-close and personal!) In the summer (December to March) you get pythons hunting spring hares at night and aardvark aplenty. 

Expect the unexpected in the Great North - lions taking on hippos by the light of the full moon, elephants surrounding your vehicle and sniffing you and wild dogs joining you for a walk. We kid you not. Of course, we can't guarantee experiences like this, but the chances of them happening in this amazing destination are hugely increased. 

We've been having post evening game drive drinks in a camp bar and had an African wild cat run past us, closely followed by a hyena. It's that kind of place - where anything can happen, and often does! Think wild west. In the north. And that touch of madness in the air. 

Amazing ways to explore

By boat, mokoro (in season), kayak, on foot, in a helicopter and the usual open game vehicle. You won't get bored, even if you do the same thing twice a day because there's no two activities alike up here. You can drive the same stretch of road in the morning and evening and have vastly different experiences! But we recommend shaking things up a bit with how you explore this utterly brilliant place - do a walking trail. Or canoe the Selinda Spillway. Or take to the skies in a chopper to do the Star Trek thing and go to places no one has gone before... 

Don't forget that sometimes the best form of activity is no activity at all - stay in camp with a pair of binoculars and just watch wild Africa pass you by. There are no fences here, just wilderness as far as the eye can see, and with vast concessions like Kwando, the Selinda Reserve and Linyanti, you're probably one of a lucky few humans in hundreds of square kilometres of wild Africa. That's what we call exclusivity. 

Authentic safari experiences

The camps we use in the Great North are some of the best in Southern Africa, if not the whole continent. Small, off-grid, intimate and (in some cases) uber luxurious, they offer completely immersive wilderness experiences that connect you directly to nature. They're also champions of sustainability, keeping footprints to a minimum while directly benefitting the communities that live on the fringes of this vast wilderness. 

They're also pioneers of conservation and help to protect the wild fauna and flora that call this region home. 

Even with all the bells and whistles you expect from luxury accommodation, the overall experience is one of contemplative understatement, with deliberate effort made to not go over the top and keep everything real. And grounded. There's no ostentatious froth, just amazing levels of service and bona fide safari experiences.

So... What are you waiting for? You've got our number. And our email. Let's talk the Great North and get you packing for your next safari adventure!