Botswana delivers an unmatched safari experience from the thriving waterways of the Okavango Delta to the Kalahari Desert’s ancient baobabs and meerkats, topped off by the Chobe National Park, where the elephant reigns supreme. Here you’ll witness stunning landscapes, along with magnificent sunsets and amazing stargazing.
Botswana is considered by many to be the benchmark when it comes to sustainable ecotourism practice in Africa. The government’s proactive low-volume tourism restrictions make it one of the most exclusive safari choices.
The Okavango, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to several endangered species, such as cheetah’s rhinoceros, African wild dogs and lions. These can be viewed on walks and on day and night game drives in open safari vehicles. For fantastic birding, explore the Okavango’s endless waterways with your expert rangers by slow motorboat or being poled in traditional mokor (canoe). Look out for hippos, crocodiles and malachite kingfishers.
Moremi Game Reserve, which includes Chief’s Island, boasts one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems in all of Africa. Arguably one of the best big game viewing areas, the reserve is known for its predators and plains animals, elephant and buffalo.
The wild and secluded Linyanti is famous for its huge concentrations of elephants in the dry season and big game year-round. The Savute Channel, which periodically floods and then dries up, is one of the area’s great mysteries.
The Kalahari Desert region offers a unique contrasting experience. Here you will find incredible desert-adapted wildlife including black-maned lions, brown hyenas and honey badgers. Far from any light pollution, this is one of the best places to enjoy clear and endless starry skies.
The Makgadikgadi Pans, once a huge prehistoric lake, is littered with stone tools and artifacts. Get up close to the curious meerkat or spend a morning with the Bushmen. During the wet season, the desert comes to life. Witness the last surviving zebra and wildebeest migration in Southern Africa, closely followed by lions, cheetahs and other predators.