Botswana

BOTSWANA

One of the greatest safari destinations in Africa, Botswana has set aside almost 40% of the country for national parks, reserves and wildlife concessions. Botswana is well known for having some of the best wilderness and wildlife areas on the African continent. Roughly the same size as France or Texas, the country only has about 2 million inhabitants, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Botswana has encouraged a low volume and high revenue tourism policy ensuring that most safari travellers enjoy exclusivity. This is true of the many concessions that are found in the far northern reaches of the country.

At the epicentre of Botswana’s wildlife attractions is the Okavango Delta. This pristine wetland is a unique ecosystem and is one of the largest inland deltas in the world. It provides some of the best game viewing and prolific birdlife. The Chobe National Park is renowned for its huge populations of elephants but is also home to many other animals, lots of birds and other aquatic life on the Chobe River.Chobe National Park also includes the Linyanti Marshes as well as the Savuti Channel both renowned for great predator interactions and huge concentrations of animals in the dry season.The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the largest reserve in Southern Africa and the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park offer wildlife in a different and exciting setting- open grassland and empty salt pans

Okavango Delta

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango delta is like a magnificent entrance into the magical spectacle of wild Africa. At 15000 square kilometres,it is one of the biggest inland deltas in the world. The Okavango Delta is situated in the arid Kalahari basin ensuring that it attracts large concentrations of both animals and birdlife.The diversity and numbers of animals and birds can be astounding.The Okavango Delta is home to 122 mammals, over 440 bird species, over 60 reptile species, over 70 fish species and 1300 species of flowering plants.

Major species of animals to be seen in the Delta include: elephant,lion,leopard, buffalo, rhino, hippo, giraffe, African wild dogs, cheetah,eland,kudu,sable,roan, red lechwe, waterbuck, tsessebe,hartebeest,wildebeest,honey badger, serval and caracal among others.

The Delta also offers spectacular bird watching with specials like the Pel’s fishing owl, African Finfoot, African Skimmer, black coucal and black egret often seen. The fishing is also great and species often caught include tiger, bream, catfish, African pike and bass.

Elephants, elephants and more elephants. One of the highlights of the Chobe National park is the elephant population that is reputed to be around 120 000, making it the largest concentration of elephants in the world. Breeding herds of up 300 have been recorded. The Chobe elephant are migratory, making seasonal movements of up to 200 km from the Chobe and Linyanti rivers, where they concentrate in the dry season, to the pans in the southeast of the park, to which they disperse in the rains.Huge herds of buffalo are regularly seen and the park provides excellent sightings of lion and leopard as well as kudu,zebra, giraffe, sable,hippo and crocodiles among others. With over 500 bird species, Chobe is a birder’s paradise and many can be seen on the Chobe River aboard one of the boats that offer cruises on the river.

The mysterious Savute Channel and the Linyanti River which are part of the Chobe ecosystem help augment the Chobe experience, making it one of the most sought after safari destinations. The Savute Channel is renowned for its lion and hyena populations whose skirmishes and hunting exploits are well documented.

Chobe National Park’s close proximity to the borders with Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe, makes it a popular destination that can be easily combined with great attractions like the Victoria Falls, The Okavango Delta and Livingstone town.

Elephants along chobe river Botswana Safari Holiday

Lions along Savute channel Safari Holiday Destination

Zebras on Chobe river flood plain Bostwana Safari Destination

Cubs on Makgadikgadi Pans National park Bostwana Safari Holiday Destination

The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park consists of several pans with the largest ones being Sua, Nwetwe and Nxai Pans. While there is little wildlife around the pans during the dry season, the pans come alive after the rains, attracting migratory herds of zebra and wildebeest.This zebra migration is reputed to be the second largest in the world and the longest mammal migration in the world.Other animals seen around the pans include lion,cheetah,hyena, elephant, eland, giraffe, hartebeest, springbok and gemsbok among others.

The water also attracts lots of migratory birds including great white pelicans, geese, ducks, greater flamingos, lesser flamingos and pink backed pelicans among others.The pans also boast of one of only two breeding populations of greater flamingos in Southern Africa.

sky viewing Makgadikgadi Pans Botswana Safari

zebras in Makgadikgadi pans Safari Destination

elephants at waterhole in Makgadikgadi Pans Bostwana Safari Holiday

Meerkats on makgadikgadi safari holiday Destination

Cheetah on Central Kalahari Game reserve Safari Holiday Destination

At nearly 53000 square kilometres, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the world’s second largest game reserve. This immense and untouched wilderness with sand dunes, fossilized rivers, salt pans and flat grasslandsis a nature lover’s paradise. Some of the highlights of this reserve include the Deception Valley and the Passarge Valley. Animals found in the reserve include elephant,lion,leopard,rhino,buffalo,spotted hyena,brown hyena,giraffe,cheetah,eland,sable,zebra, kudu, red hartebeest, honey badger, bat-eared fox and Cape fox among others.More than 250of bird species have been recorded.

lions drinking water at central-kalahari reserve safari holiday destination

hyena at waterhole kalahari game reserve Bostwana Safari

wildebeest at kalahari game reserve Safari

central-kalahari reserve Safari Destination natives

Where To Go

BOTSWANA

Okavango Delta

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