Travel to Botswana

Author: 

Anuja Pradhan

 

Home to an abundance of wildlife and nature, it’s no wonder Botswana is our Destination of the Month for July. The country hosts one of the world’s largest inland deltas and one of the largest salt pans as well, leading to an extraordinarily complex and beautiful ecosystem of varied flora and fauna. It is said that Botswana holds lions that are so huge that they hunt elephants! It is also famed to have one of the largest populations of the fascinating African wild dogs.

 

 

Tourists travelling to Botswana usually start with a trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe where you can marvel at world’s largest sheet of falling water. You can also partake in activities like bungee jumping, white water rafting, cruising, and souvenir shopping here. We recommend spending two days here before travelling into Botswana. You can choose to either fly into Okavango Delta from the Falls, or drive to Chobe National Park. The advantage of visiting Chobe first is being present in an area that has the highest density of elephants in the world! The Park is famous for huge herds travelling together, making for fantastic sighting and photography.

Then move on to Okavango Delta, where you can see zebras, wildebeests, impalas, giraffes, lechwes, waterbucks, sitatungas, and even Big Cats. The Delta gives you unique opportunities to go on mokoro (boat) safaris for close encounters with wildlife. Imagine sailing past tall grass and beautiful water flowers, and spotting hippos at eye level, it’s quite an experience! You can also go on walking safaris with experienced guides here for another close wildlife viewing experience.

If you have more time to travel we recommend an extension to the Kalahari Desert where you can meet the Bushmen, Southern Africa’s legendary hunter-gatherer people. Alternatively, travel to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans that are spread across a 12,000 square feet stark, dry area fringed by grasslands hosting incredible wildlife.

Following the rains, the grasslands are home to large populations of zebras, wildebeests, and their predators. Also see gemsbok, elands, red hartebeests, kudus, bushbucks, duikers, and giraffes here. A tourist highlight of this area is going quad biking to meet friendly meerkats and spotting rare brown hyenas.

Straying from the traditional safari experience, a unique way to experience Botswana is to go on a mobile safari. Wildlife enthusiasts like you will be driven around areas of interest with your very own personal guide and camping staff. Camp tents are en suite and a personal chef is part of your entourage for the perfect al fresco dining experience.

A few things to remember:

  • High tourist season is July to October when Botswana experiences winter.
  • The local language is Tswana. You may be greeted by local staff with a friendly “dumela”, this means “hello”.
  • Connections in Botswana will be via flight, as most of the land is covered in wilderness. This generally ensures shorter travel times and gives you gorgeous aerial views of the land.
  • If you’re looking for something different, we can arrange for a houseboat safari across the Zambezi River in Chobe.

If we’ve piqued your interest, check out these recommended tours to Botswana:

If you have any questions or queries, contact our Travel Team for answers. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for wildlife travel discussions and deals!