South to North Off-Grid: The Trip Everyone Says You Can’t Do Anymore

What started as a simple idea quickly turned into one big question — and maybe even a challenge to the way Botswana is travelled today: Can you still cross Botswana from south to north… without booking a single campsite? No permits lined up. No fixed itinerary. No predetermined overnight spots. Just cutlines, wild camping, and the freedom to let the bush decide. In this episode, Theo and Danny, driving their 200-Series Land Cruisers, set off from McCarthy’s Rest with their families, joined by friends in a Hilux and Defender. What follows is the first half of a raw, unfiltered journey: • Breaking dawn at McCarthy’s Rest — the last night of planned accommodation • Crossing the border and heading 200 km into deep Kalahari sand • Lunch cooked barefoot in the dust, settling into the rhythm of old-school Botswana travel • Repairing a flat tire on the roadside and pushing further north • Wild camels drifting across the plains — relics of the British South African Police patrol days • Managing fuel, combining breakfast with jerry cans in hand • Reaching Lake Zao, a rare waterbody east of the CKGR • Magical nights under winter skies in the dry bed of the Butete River • A convoy falling into harmony — every night a surprise, every day a new experience This adventure takes us back to a time before bookings, fees, and overcrowded routes. To a time when Botswana was travelled freely — and every stop was a story. Part 1 ends here. Part 2 continues all the way to Kazungula. If you enjoy raw overlanding, wild camping, remote travel, and the old ways of moving through Africa, this series is for you. 👇 Drop a comment if you’d still attempt Botswana with zero bookings — we’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and join the Sunset Tribe for more African overlanding adventures.