Botswana has several world-famous safari destinations from the life-giving waterways of the Okavango Delta and the wildlife-rich Chobe National Park, adjacent to the magnificent Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, to the Central Kalahari National Park amongst many more unique locations. Each one is a unique and a distinct experience.
By flying between them, you have plenty of time to explore and catch sight of Botswana’s wildlife rich area.
Explore the Okavango Delta by mokoro or motorised boat cruises (seasonal)*, on foot or on game drive. A maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands teeming with wildlife, Botswana’s Okavango Delta lies like a sparkling jewel at the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Known as “the river that never finds the sea”, crystal clear channels spread over the thirstlands of the Kalahari with their papyrus-fringed banks and fertile floating islands. Adapted for a life in and out of water, the elegant red lechwe and shy sitatunga are found in this watery wilderness. Lion, cheetah, leopard and African wild dog share the floodplains with large herds of elephant and buffalo.
Chobe National Park boasts the largest concentration of elephant in Africa along with countless other game and bird life. All of the areas are pristine and under strict conservation policies to ensure the continuation of wildlife here.
If the word ‘Kalahari’ makes you think of an empty red desert then it’s time you tried a safari to one of Botswana’s three Kalahari parks. Visitors to Nxai Pan National Park, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Makgadikgadi Pans National Park go on guided game drives through woodland, seasonally flooded pans and rolling grasslands – the scenery is beautiful, the illuminated night sky staggering… and then there’s the wildlife.
The Moremi Game Reserve is home to the most endangered species of large mammals: the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion. Over 500 bird species (from water birds to forest dwellers) and over a 1.000 species of plants are also recognized in the Moremi. This ecosystem is amongst the richest in Africa. And thanks to effective protection, the flora and fauna is relatively undisturbed.
Chief’s Island, in the heart of Moremi Game Reserve, is a massive sand island or “sandveld tongue” that covers 1,000 km2 of the central Delta region. On the northwestern tip of Chief’s Island lies one of the Okavango’s most famous game viewing areas, the Mombo Concession. Mombo is located just below where the Okavango River splits into three primary channels and supports a diversity of wildlife hard to find anywhere else in Africa. When the water levels of the Okavango rise during winter floods, many animals move to find dry land on the island.Chief’s Island is particularly famous for its predators. Its far-reaching floodplains and diverse habitats attract high concentrations of prime prey species including buffalo, lechwe, impala, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, tsessebe and warthog.
These are only a few locations to explore in this beautiful country. Why not contact a Travel Specialist to tailor-make your itinerary!
