Welcome to Botswana
Your Premier Safari Destination
Thank you for choosing Botswana for your safari adventure.
If you are travelling to the Okavango Delta or the Kalahari, you are entering one of the world’s last truly untouched wilderness areas — over 20,000 km² of pristine habitat and home to Africa’s highest concentration of wildlife.
Why Emergency Support Matters in the Okavango Delta
When travelling in such remote regions, it is important to understand that traditional travel insurance providers do not have on-site evacuation capabilities.
They rely entirely on local emergency services — and in the Okavango Delta and Kalahari, Okavango Air Rescue (OAR) is the only medically staffed Helicopter Rescue Service operating in these wilderness areas.
However, insurance coverage does not automatically guarantee access to our helicopter and medical teams.
Why Use the Patronage System
In 2024, Okavango Air Rescue flew an average of five helicopter rescues per month in the Okavango Delta. Each mission cost approximately USD 3,000, totalling USD 72,000 per year — far from enough to maintain:
- A Fully equipped rescue helicopter
- Professional Pilots
- Emergency Doctors
- 24/7 Operational Readiness
To remain available for life-saving missions, we follow the proven “Patronage System”, created and successfully used by REGA Switzerland for over 60 years. This model acknowledges that air rescue operations in remote regions cannot survive on a “fee-for-service” basis.