Botswana

Is the premier wildlife destination in Southern Africa. The rustic, remote atmosphere of  Botswana's wildlife areas offer real adventure. Open 4 wheel drive game drives in Moremi game reserve, Savuti and Chobe National Parks are the experience of a lifetime. The fabled Kalahari Desert covers roughly two-thirds of the country. At the northern edge of the Kalahari lies the Okavango Delta known as the “Jewel of the Kalahari”, a secret oasis in an otherwise water-starved land. Some of the largest herds in Southern Africa roam free in this unspoiled wilderness, the wildlife is spectacular and varied.

OKAVANGO DELTA – The experience of being polled into the Okavango Delta is unrivalled. You polers will interpret birdlife as you pass through tranquil waterlily covered lagoons to your camp. Your professional guide will lead you on game walks getting you close to nature. If your passion in camping close to the wildlife or the comfort of a luxury lodge safari, Botswana has something to offer you.

CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE – The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) is one of the largest game reserves in the world (52,800 square kilometre). Made famous by Mark and Delia Owen in the book Cry of the Kalahari, its remoteness, unforgiving climate and harsh terrain have kept it pristine and untamed. This reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds. During the summer months, when the rains fall, the Kalahari grasslands turn green and lush and the good grazing attracts large herds of zebra, wildebeest springbok and gemsbok (oryx). Following the herds we hope to find the Kalahari lions. Khutse National Park is an annex to the south of CKGR and encompasses several beautiful pans.

MOREMI GAME RESERVE – The Moremi Game Reserve is considered to be one of the first reserves in Africa to be formed by the local indigenous population. The Reserve covers the land that traditionally belonged to the Batawana people. In the 1960s the widow of Chief Moremi III was concerned about the toll that hunting and the encroachment of cattle were having on the animals within their hunting grounds. After negotiations the Moremi Game Reserve was officially declared on the 15th of March 1963. In the 1970’s after more negotiations Chief Moremi’s royal hunting ground was also included in the reserve. The reserve now protects about twenty percent of the heart of the Okavango Delta. It is home to over 30 percent of the world’s remaining Wild Dog population and is one of the few places in Botswana that is a sanctuary for the highly endangered White Rhino. To the northeast lies the Chobe National Park. Although just under 5,000 km² in extent, it is a surprisingly diverse Reserve combining mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. Only about 30% of the Reserve is mainland, with the bulk being within the Okavango Delta itself.

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK – Chobe National Park is famous for large herds of elephants. Herds numbering hundreds come down the Chobe River each afternoon to quench their thirst. A cruise on the Chobe River, is a brilliant wildlife experience where where it is possible to get close to the hippopotamus, crocodiles and elephants. Keep an eye out for the endemic Chobe puku as well as over 400 hundred species of birds. Chobe provides exceptional photographic opportunities.

SAVUTI – an area in the centre of the Chobe National Park is famous for predators including large prides of lions and packs of hyenas. The waterhole attracts large bull elephants, buffalo and zebra. In 2010 the water flowed again in the “lost river” – after 25 years the waters have again pushed through the Salinda Spillway and arrived on the Savuti marsh, flooding an area which has been dry for so long. This is going to be a fascinating time and the impact on the wildlife is going to be amazing to witness.

NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK – A national park to the north of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the focal point of which is the “pan” or open grassland, at the centre of which there is a permanent water hole. This water is a magnet for wildlife and attracts vast springbok populations, large herds of giraffe, zebra, gemsbok (oryx), which in turn attract predators. Nxai Pan is an excellent place to find lion and cheetah. The national park also includes the group of massive Baobab trees named after Thomas Baines.

MAKGADIKGADI NATIONAL PARK & THE KALAHARI – The grasslands of the Kalahari together with the lunar expanse of the Makgadikgadi saltpans complement and are in total contrast to the verdant, game-rich Okavango.