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Photograph by Michael Poliza
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Botswana is an arid land, with a relatively small population of one and a half million people concentrated in the south-east. Botswana is one of the few countries in Africa which can offer great wildlife viewing away from crowds of tourists. Two main geographic features dominate the country and are of great interest to travelers and wildlife enthusiasts - the Kalahari Desert, which covers about 85% of the country and the Okavango Delta, a huge wetland system of up to 15,000 square kilometers. Fed by the Okavango River, which originates in central Africa, the Delta is one of the most prolific wildlife areas in Africa; unique by virtue of the fact that it is a wetland system surrounded by desert. Its diverse and pristine habitats, together with unmatched scenic beauty, make it one of Africa's most spectacular wilderness destinations.
Where possible, we recommend combining a camp in the heart of the Delta on one of the islands in the permanent water area, a second camp on the fringes of the Delta where great herds of plains game attract spectacular predators such as lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog, and a third camp in the Linyanti/Chobe area famous for hosting the largest concentration of elephant on the continent.
Most camps in the Delta offer both water activities and land activities but some can be classified as "pure water camps" or "pure land camps". In the water camps, activities center around peaceful trips in dugout canoes called "mekoro", fishing excursions for african Tiger Fish and evening "sundowner" cruises. The waterways of the Okavango do not support huge concentrations of mammals although elephant, buffalo, lechwe, sitatunga and other animals occur on many of the islands and some camps do offer good game drives. A highlight of a visit to this area is the incredible profusion of birdlife - Pel's Fishing Owl, Wattled Cranes, Slaty Egrets, Rufous-Bellied Heron, Swamp Boubous, and a host of eagles, vultures and other raptors will keep the bird lover in heaven and can't fail to intrigue even a steadfast "Big-Five only" traveler.
The Moremi Game Reserve, which includes Chief's Island and much of the central Okavango, is one of Botswana's oldest reserves and the animals in and near the reserve have become more accustomed to vehicles than in some other areas. This is the place to view the Okavango's big game including large numbers of buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion, as well as the plains game. It is a particularly good area to see the rare African wild dog. The main activity at most camps is game drives in open 4x4 vehicles but some of these camps may also offer water-based options, night drives and walks. Activities are more restricted inside the reserve than in the private concessions on its borders.
The Savuti Channel area, which borders the Delta to the west and Chobe National Park to the east, is one of Africa's most famous big game areas. At times it has amazing concentrations of game, with an atmosphere all of its own. Savuti is famous for its predators, particularly its resident lion and spotted hyena populations. Only 38 kilometers northwest of Savuti and off the main tourist track lies Botswana's best kept secret: Linyanti and the western reaches of the Savuti Channel. The Linyanti and upper Savuti areas rank among the most beautiful in Botswana. The game-viewing can be exceptional, and the full range of activities (game drives, night drives, walks and boating) make this an area not be missed. Linyanti hosts large herds of buffalo, zebra and elephant. Because this area is a private game reserve, the vehicle concentrations are exceptionally low and the wilderness experience is one of the best in Africa.
Chobe National Park has a wonderful concentration of animals but has become very crowded due to the number of camps and lodges in the area. For those who have limited time or a tight budget, we recommend Muchenje or Chilwero camps both of which are just outside Chobe but we prefer to send travelers to one of the camps in the Linyanti area which will give them access to the same game as Chobe but with fewer people and the added attraction that night drives and walking are allowed.
South of Maun and the Okavango Delta, lies the huge open expanse of the Kalahari Desert. The desert is beautiful all year round but is particularly spectacular in March and April when the Kalahari blossoms with life and huge open spaces of the Makgadikgadi pans fill with water, attracting huge migrating herds.
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