Botswana
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This wild
and very beautiful country is one of the few places in
Africa which remains completely unspoilt. This is the
true African wilderness, where animals roam freely, and
visitors have to go to great lengths - either in
four-wheel drive vehicles, or by flying - to get to the
lodges from which they can explore. Botswana is home to
the bafflingly beautiful and mysterious Okavango Delta,
the only inland waterway in the world. Its existence is
a contradiction, making it completely unique - not a
drop of the over 27 000-million litres of water that
reaches this part of the Kalahari desert ever leaves it;
instead it’s devoured into the Delta. And the river
that has formed is unusual in another respect too: it
flows one way this year, another the next.
The Delta is
a most unusual and very beautiful environment comprising
diverse habitats where 36 species of larger mammals,
over 80 species of fish and 200 species of birds,
including the majestic Fish Eagle, reside. On the
eastern fringe of the Delta lies the Moremi Game
Reserve, famous for its beauty and diversity of
wildlife, including herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe
and many species of antelope. The area has many
different habitats including floodplains, reed beds and
permanent wetland, mopane forest and dry savanna
woodland. Another most unusual area is Linyanti Region,
part of the Chobe National Park.
Here,
in the dry season, the concentration of game can
be so vast that you can see up to 3 000 buffalo
at one time, and a pride of lion 20-strong following
them, not to mention zebra and wildebeest in their
thousands. Chobe itself is right in the north
of the country and is famous for an abundance
of game concentrated in quite small areas. It’s
a magnificent place, full of a variety of terrain
only matched by the incredible diversity of its
wildlife, which ranges from hippo and crocodile,
otter and fish to great numbers of wild animals,
including lion, cheetah, leopard, zebra, buffalo
and giraffe. Chobe is most famous for its elephants,
who make their way to drink at the Chobe River.
Time to Travel
Most of the Okavango lodges close for
Jan/ Feb and March for rest and renovation. This
is the wet season, but travel is not unduly discouraged.
The remainder of the year is fine, with Nov/Dec
being very hot. The peak tourist season is Aug/Sept.
Botswana at a Glance
| Language: |
Setswana
- English is widely spoken |
| Currency: |
Local
- Pula (BWP) |
| Visa: |
Not
required for South African Passport Holders
All other passport holders to confirm with
the Local Authority |
| Airport
Tax: |
Pre-paid
and included on your airticket |
| Time
Difference: |
GMT
+ 2 |
| Health
Requirements: |
No
inoculations required
Anti-malaria precautions are recommeded |
Botswana Highlights
- Watch
thousands of elephants converge on the
Chobe River
- See
wild dog while game viewing in the Moremi
Reserve
- Take
a mokoro trip on the okavango
- See
lions in abundance in Savuti
- Enjoy
a sunset cruise on the Linyanti River
- Go
on game/nature walks in the Delta
- See
the famous Tuli Elephant area at Mashatu
- In
certain areas enjoy night game drives
» Click here to request a Tailor-Made trip to Botswana
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