The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Tour

Our journey begins in Gaborone, Botswana's capital. On arrival at Gaborone Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Avani Gaborone, a drive of around 40 minutes. Formerly the Gaborone Sun, the hotel is a location straight from the novels.

The afternoon is free to unwind after your journey, perhaps by the pool or simply relaxing in your room. Later, we gather for drinks and a welcome dinner, where you will meet your hosts, Mats and Mother, and your fellow travellers. It is our first chance to get to know one another and look ahead to the journey to come.

We begin our exploration of Gaborone with a choice. For those who enjoy an early start and would like to stretch their legs, Mats will lead a pre-breakfast hike up Kgale Hill, where Mma Ramotswe frequently enjoys relaxing. The hill offers sweeping views across the city and towards the South African hills beyond. Alternatively, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel with Mother.

By 9.30am, the group regathers and we set off to explore the Gaborone of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. We take in familiar landmarks, from Zebra Drive to the African Mall, where we visit Mma Ramotswe's famous tea corner at President hotel, and browse Mma Ramotswe's favourite bookshop.

We then visit the studio of artist Ann Gollifer to hear about her work and how she uses natural pigments collected from the landscape around Mma Ramotswe's home village. From here, we continue to Sanitas Plant Nursery and Tea Garden, where we wander through the gardens and meet its founders, two Swedish brothers whose ambition was to “make the Kalahari bloom”, before enjoying lunch in the tea garden.

This afternoon, we travel to the charming village of Gabane, set beneath low hills just outside Gaborone. We spend some time exploring the village before visiting Gabane Pottery, part of a long-established local craft initiative created to provide employment within the community. Here, traditional Botswana patterns and designs are still used in the pottery made on site- and we will have the opportunity to make our very own tea mugs. We end the day with dinner before returning to our hotel in Gaborone.

This morning, we travel to Mochudi, around an hour from Gaborone and the home village of Mma Ramotswe. Our first stop is the Phuthadikobo Museum, set on a hilltop overlooking the village and surrounding hills. Here, we are welcomed by a local choir before exploring the museum, which features in the novels as Mma Ramotswe's school.

We learn more about the history and traditions of the Bakgatla people before enjoying lunch in this wonderfully scenic setting, with views across Mochudi.

We then continue to the kgotla, the traditional meeting place at the heart of village life, where local matters are discussed under the leadership of the elders. The kgotla remains a fundamental part of Botswana's culture and offers a fascinating insight into the country's deeply rooted tradition of discussion and consensus.

This evening, we return to Gaborone for dinner in a lovely local setting, joined by some of the city's most interesting residents for a relaxed evening of good food and conversation.

Today, we travel to Tlokweng and the SOS Children's Village, the real-life inspiration for the orphan farm in the books. Here, we meet the dedicated staff and learn more about their work, hear the children play the marimba and, over tea, enjoy a taste of the matron's famous fruitcake. Mother Masire will lead the “No. 1 Fruitcake Award” ceremony.

After lunch, we head into Old Naledi, Botswana's only township and a place often mentioned in the novels. Exploring on foot and by vehicle, we experience its bustling streets. Old Naledi is alive with small car washes, hair salons, street kitchens, snooker bars and much more.
Along the way, we sample freshly made fat cakes and visit a local preschool before ending the day with music and dance at the Mafitlhakgosi Cultural Café, where the “No. 1 Dance Award” celebrates talented local performers.

This morning we leave the city and begin our journey north towards Ghanzi, travelling around 700km along the paved Trans-Kalahari Highway. The drive takes approximately eight hours, with a stop for lunch along the way, and we will travel in a comfortable, spacious, air-conditioned bus.

The road is long and remote, passing through the flat scrubland of the Kalahari and scattered small villages. It is a relaxing drive and a chance to appreciate the sheer scale and emptiness of Botswana, one of the least populated countries in the world. Along the way there are small glimpses of rural life: vegetable sellers beside the road, donkey carts and little tuck shops, separated by long stretches of open country.

We arrive in Ghanzi in the mid-afternoon and settle into our simple but comfortable hotel, with time to rest before dinner.

This morning, we visit one of Ghanzi's important cattle ranches, run by the same family for generations. Readers of the books will be familiar with the importance of cattle in Botswana, and here we have the opportunity to learn more about an industry that has long been a pillar of the country's economy. We hear about ranching in the semi-arid Kalahari and gain an insight into rural life in this remote part of Botswana.

We then continue to the Kuru Art Project, a wonderful place full of colour, creativity and heart. The gallery showcases bold contemporary San art, with paintings and lithographs that draw on the artists' lives, stories and connection to the Kalahari. We also visit the D'Kar Museum to learn more about local San culture and history, with time to browse original artworks and handicrafts in the shop. Proceeds go directly back to the community.

We enjoy lunch at the café and meet some of the artists before continuing to Maun, a drive of around three hours.

Our home in Maun is the Sedia Hotel, an oasis of lush gardens and birdsong. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax after our journey: settle beside the pool, explore the gardens, visit the spa or simply take some time to rest.

In the early evening, Sir Alexander McCall Smith joins us for drinks and dinner. Over dinner, we share tales from the journey so far and welcome Sir Alexander as we prepare for the next chapter of our Botswana adventure.

This morning, we make an early start, leaving the hotel at around 7.30am for Elephant Havens. Set on the edge of the Okavango Delta, the sanctuary rescues and cares for orphaned and abandoned young elephants, with the ultimate aim of returning them to the wild.

On arrival, we are introduced to the work of Elephant Havens and the stories of some of the young elephants in their care. At 9am, the calves arrive for their morning feed – usually with considerable excitement. Together with their devoted handlers, we help feed the elephants and spend time alongside them, discovering their very different personalities and gaining a closer understanding of elephant behaviour.

Afterwards, the elephants are free to roam through the large sanctuary, while we retreat to the shade for brunch. We may still catch sight of them in the distance, perhaps cooling off in a mud bath or exploring the bush.

We are joined for brunch by the founders of Elephant Havens, a wonderful opportunity to hear the story behind the organisation and discuss the complex challenges facing both people and elephants in this part of Botswana. Today is also a special occasion as we celebrate the Botswana launch of Sir Alexander's latest book, The Big Cats Dance Party, in which Elephant Havens itself is featured.

We return to the hotel after lunch, with a few hours to relax at leisure. This evening, we head out to a popular local dining spot, where we are joined by some of Maun's interesting residents for dinner and conversation about wildlife, conservation and the communities who live alongside it.

This morning, we set out to explore Maun and discover more about life in this small but fascinating Botswana town. Much of daily life plays out along the roadside: barbecue stands fill the air with smoke, pool tables sit beneath trees, and small hair salons, car washes and colourful tuck shops line the sandy streets. We wander through local markets, learn about traditional foods and fabrics, and venture into some of the quieter residential areas.

Along the way, we hear more about Maun's history and its transformation from a small rural settlement into the busy gateway to the Okavango Delta. Despite its growth, Maun retains a very distinctive character. Cattle and donkeys still wander the sandy roads, traditional compounds sit alongside safari offices and lodges, and the town remains closely connected to both the Delta and the rural communities that surround it.

We also visit a local library to hear about the important role libraries play in Botswana and some of the challenges they face. Guests are encouraged to bring a few books from home should they wish to make a donation.

We enjoy lunch at The Duck, one of Maun's most popular cafés, before heading to the airport for our flight into the Okavango Delta.

Our light aircraft flight takes around forty minutes, carrying us over the extraordinary landscapes of the Delta and into its remote northern reaches. Our first safari camp is Mapula, one of the Okavango's long-established camps and newly rebuilt by one of Botswana's most respected safari operators.

Comfortable and relaxed, Mapula occupies a beautiful corner of the Delta and offers excellent game viewing. Wild dogs, lions, leopards, hyenas, buffalo and elephants are all found in this area, and the next few days give us the chance to experience the wild Botswana that has provided the backdrop to so much of Sir Alexander's writing.

On arrival, we enjoy refreshments and settle into camp. For those interested, a late afternoon game drive will be available, while others may prefer to relax beside the pool and simply soak up the atmosphere. This evening, we gather around the fire for drinks before dining under the stars.

For the next three days, we settle into the gentle rhythm of safari life, with activities in the cooler early mornings and late afternoons. Game drives are a focus at Mapula, although boating and mokoro excursions may also be possible when water levels allow. Walking safaris offer another way to explore, slowing the pace and revealing the smaller details of the bush that are so easily missed from a vehicle.

These days are deliberately flexible. Guests are free to choose which safari activities they would like to join and when they might prefer to remain at the lodge and relax. All meals will be shared together, bringing the group back together around the table to exchange stories and sightings from the day.

Mornings begin with a gentle wake-up call and a light breakfast before setting out across Mapula's vast private concession. We spend the morning tracking elephants, lions, wild dogs and other wildlife, while also taking time to enjoy the landscape, stopping along the way for coffee and snacks in the bush.

By late morning, we return to camp for brunch. The middle of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure: swim in the pool, book a spa treatment or simply settle on the deck and watch the wildlife and birdlife around camp.

In the afternoon, we head out once again, by vehicle, boat or on foot depending on conditions and your chosen activity. We stop in a scenic spot for sundowners before returning to camp after dark, using a spotlight to search for some of the Delta's nocturnal wildlife.

Back at camp, we gather for dinner beneath the stars and evenings around the fire.

With Sir Alexander travelling with us, there will be plenty of opportunity for lively discussion about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency – sharing favourite characters and moments.

This morning, there is the opportunity for one final safari activity for those keen to savour every last moment in the bush. Others may prefer a leisurely breakfast and a quiet morning at camp, overlooking the lagoon.

We then fly back to Maun in good time to connect with onward flights home. Here, we bid farewell to Sir Alexander, Mats, Mother and our fellow travellers after a journey that has taken us from the world of Mma Ramotswe into the wild landscapes of the Okavango Delta.

Tsamaya sentle – go well.