Botswana is a land of stark contrasts, the Kalahari Desert in the southwest of the country, is a remote wilderness where rust-coloured valleys & sand dunes are home to the iconic Black-Maned Lions, while the Okavango Delta stands out as a thriving oasis with its serpentine waterways, jewel-toned marshlands and vast open floodplains teeming with pods of hippos, while lions stalk their prey, and elephants amble through the lush grasslands. Between these, in the north-central area are the Makgadikgadi Pans, once an ancient super-lake which today is characterised by vast lunar-like layers of shimmering chalky white clay. The incredible wildlife, majestic landscapes and the warmth of its people make Botswana an exceptional holiday destination. Popular with the British Royals and described by Oprah Winfrey as ‘Africa’s best kept secret’ – you’ll find luxury safaris here are popular for a good reason.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa and is comprised of four areas: Ngwenzumba Pans, Linyanti, Savute and the Chobe Riverfront. Named after the dazzling, deep blue Chobe River, which winds its way through sandy terrain, small towns, lush floodplains, dense forests of cathedral mopane trees, and endless broadleaf woodlands, Chobe is also famed for its massive elephant populations, big herds of buffalo (matched only by some large lion prides) and incredible birdlife.
Kalahari Desert
One of the remotest places on the continent, the Kalahari is a spectacular sweeping blanket of red sandy savannah interspersed with bushes, fossils, and ancient salt pans, with crystal-clear skies that are superb for stargazing. Although seemingly inhospitable, this semi-desert supports animals and plants as well as the nomadic hunter-gatherer San Bushmen who have walked the sands of the Kalahari for thousands of years. At the heart of it all is the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which comes to life during the rainy season attracting large herds of springbok, gemsbok and wildebeest as well as predators like hyena and cheetah hot on their hooves. It’s also the hunting ground of the famous black-maned Kalahari lion.
Okavango Delta
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta is an enormous inland delta located, rather bizarrely, within the arid Kalahari Desert. This watery wonderland spreads out over the north-western reaches of the country in a wide fan of meandering floodplains dotted with islands and laced with an intricate web of waterways. The result is a diverse ecosystem, which includes wetlands, grasslands, and savannahs teeming with Lion, buffalo, leopard, wild dog, hippo, crocodiles and huge herds of elephants and over 400 recorded species of birds.
Makgadigadi Pans
Scattered with prehistoric fossils and ancient baobabs the Makgadikgadi salt pans are the remains of a super lake that once covered Africa many millennia ago. Visible from the moon this chalky white and lunar-like expanse is so vast you can actually see the curvature of the earth and results in some spectacular star-filled skies at night. By contrast, the brief wet summer months transform the dry pans into an oasis filled with pink flamingos and lush grassy plains that attract migrating blue wildebeest and Burchell’s zebra, closely followed by the predators who hunt them.
A fantastic stay
Myself and my girlfriend recently returned from a fantastic stay at the Mhondoro Game lodge in the Welgevonden game reserve in South Africa.
Ash from Best Of South Africa travel organized our pick up and drop off and helped us plan our stay in this fantastic lodge.
I would highly recommend anyone looking to book a safari holiday or indeed …
