Botswana

Why

Botswana is a fascinating world that is defined by its diverse landscape of desert, grasslands, and waterways. Botswana offers an unforgettable safari experience in some of Africa’s most pristine and remote game areas. It’s renowned for its migrating mammals, endangered wild dog and rhino, and some unique species of antelope. The Okavango Delta affords travelers the opportunity to experience unparalleled game viewing in a hot air balloon, motorized boat and mokoro (traditional dugout canoe). From a water wonderland to the sand dunes of the Kalahari, one can view century-old Baobabs, interact with San Bushmen to discover incredible survival secrets, and turn into a land post for a family of habituated meerkats that are scouting the area for predators.

Botswana promises a safari unlike anything else you could have imagined.  

When

The best time to travel to Botswana depends on what you wish to experience.

The cooler, drier winter months from May to October are excellent for game-viewing as herds of animals flock to decreasing water sources and the vegetation thins out. Days are warm; nights can be cold, especially in the desert. This is also the period when floodwaters reach the Delta making for excellent water-based activities such as boating and mokoro rides.

The hot, wet summer months from November to March are good for bird watching when migrants abound. Although game viewing is more challenging, these months draw fewer crowds and have plenty to offer. Many reserves are at their most beautiful, as the vegetation is lush and green, providing an ideal background for wildlife photography. This is also the animals’ calving season, so it’s perfect for seeing gamboling babies.

Where

Chobe National Park

This is an integral part of the Botswana safari experience. Chobe National Park takes its name from the Chobe River which forms the northern boundary of the park and a river safari - or cruise - is one of the best options to explore the area.  It's known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, which converge along the Chobe Riverfront in the dry months. Lions, antelopes, and hippos inhabit the woods and lagoons around the Linyanti Marsh. The floodable grasslands of the Savuti Marsh attract numerous bird species, plus migrating zebras.

Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland river delta located in northern Botswana. It's known for its sprawling grassy plains, which flood seasonally, becoming a lush animal habitat. The Moremi Game Reserve occupies the east and central areas of the region. Here, dugout canoes are used to navigate past hippos, elephants and crocodiles. On dry land, game drives allow you to explore the pristine wilderness and experience Africa’s wildlife, including lions, leopards, giraffes and rhinos.

Linyanti, Selinda & Kwando

The vast open plains of northern Botswana teem with predators, elephants and buffalos and with very few lodges in the large private concessions of Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando – the result is an extremely private safari experience. The area is fed by the Kwando and Linyanti Rivers, which converge into the Selinda Spillway.

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for 900,000 square kilometers (350,000 square miles), covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and regions of South Africa. Activities in the Kalahari Desert includes game drives, Kalahari Desert walking safaris, cultural tours and much more.

Tsodilo Hills

The Tsodilo Hills has a special significance to the Bushmen who have been living there for thousands of years. The Tsodilo Hills consist of four large pieces of rock, rising unexpectedly from the dry expanse of desert. The Bushmen referred to the bigger rock as the 'male', the smaller one was known as the 'female', and the smallest one was the 'child'. There is a small Bushmen habitat nearby as well as a village inhabited by the Hambukushu people. The thousands of rock paintings can be found by following different trails leading to over 350 sites.

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

With an area of 3 900 sq. km, Makgadikgadi is situated in the middle of the dry savanna of north-eastern Botswana. It is one of the largest salt flats in the world. Among the many things to do in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park are safari rides, game drives, bird watching, a tour of the Gweta, and bush walks. Wildlife includes eland, lions, zebras, cheetah, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, bushbuck, giraffe, steenbok, elephants and many more.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a vast wildlife preserve in the Kalahari Desert region of Botswana and South Africa, bordering Namibia to the west. It’s characterized by red dunes and dry rivers. Wildlife includes migrating herds of wildebeest and springbok, plus predators like raptors and black-maned Kalahari lions. Various lodges and wilderness camps offer game-viewing drives and guided walks with park rangers.

Tuli Block

Known as “the land of the giants”, the 12 000 hectare Tuli Block is a narrow fringe of land at Botswana's eastern border. Tuli Block is set in a landscape of enormous trees on the banks of the Limpopo River, beautiful riverine forests of lime-green fever trees, and rocky landscapes carved from ancient granite and basalt rocks over millions of years. A variety of activities offer an all-rounded experience including fantastic game viewing opportunities, spectacular bird watching, and the famous leopards of Tuli.

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