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Botswana

is equal in size to France or Kenya and is striking in that vast flat deserts, like the Kalahari, cover most of the land. What makes the country even more spectacular is the "inland sea" called the Okavango Delta. The water that flows into the Delta comes from thousands of miles away in central Africa and creates an ever-changing oasis for wildlife. Lagoons, winding waterways, reed beds, and mopane and acacia woodlands make up a diverse and rich landscape where one never knows what may be around the next stand of trees.

Botswana is well-known as a forerunner in wildlife conservation in Africa. The country has chosen a sustainable strategy to generate jobs and income from conserved land. They offer low volume, high quality tourism, which takes place on large private concessions with strict limits on development and the number of guests allowed. Wildlife and tourism employs 45% of all the people in northern Botswana. They have one of the most sensible land plans ever devised where much of the country's best wildlife land is outside the parks!

The private concessions in Botswana and strict government control of development help create proper incentives for sustainable use and make Botswana one of the last best places to see wild dog, leopard, incredible bird life and some of the largest populations of elephants in Africa.

ACTIVITIES IN BOTSWANA

One of the special things about Botswana is that there are so many ways to explore and observe wildlife. Depending on the level of the floodwaters, one may have the chance to view wildlife as you peacefully glide by in mokoros(canoes) or venture out on some of the rivers in small motorized boats to search for animals coming down to drink. Other activities include game drives in 4 x 4 vehicles, walks in the bush with professional safari guides, and perhaps most memorably, a day spent with a group of semi-habituated African elephants as they move about their daily activities.
There is much to learn from these social giants		Mokoro rides are possible year round in some camps.

One of the most incredible experiences we have ever had in Africa was spending time with the orphaned elephants that Doug and Sandy Groves care for in the middle of the Delta. One can spend a 2-hour introduction into the lives of these three semi-habituated African elephants, or the whole day. We recommend spending the full day with these orphaned elephants and their caretakers. It takes a few hours to adjust our fast paced human lives and short attention spans to become in tune with the lives of other intelligent creatures. The peace and security that one feels when walking with the three elephants through the bush and being welcomed into their group is well worth taking the time.

THE ACCOMMODATIONS IN BOTSWANA

Tented Camp Interior

We have scouted out and selected the best camps in Botswana. These range from the classic fully mobile-tented safari camps to luxurious lodges featured in Architectural Digest. Most of the camps in Botswana are very small in size accommodating 4 - 20 people and often only accessible by air charter. This low volume high quality approach to tourism has encouraged many safari operators to carefully protect their surrounding concessions.

Some of the camps in Botswana are utilizing the latest environmental technologies and creating accommodations of supreme luxury that truly blend in with the surrounding habitat. One of the most luxurious properties features rooms with antique Dogon statues, Somali headrests and Makonde combs set in alcoves beside the bed. The rooms are air-conditioned with indoor baths and showers, but there is also a small private garden and outdoor shower for those seeking more of the night air. Over 35,000 elephants visit the nearby park ensuring exciting boat and vehicle game drive experiences.

POSSIBLE SAFARI COMBINATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

We highly recommend a 3-day extension to see Victoria Falls. For those who have an extra week or more, it is also possible to combine trips to see the deserts in Namibia, go on a walking safari in Tanzania, Zambia or Zimbabwe, or explore the various different activities in South Africa, from the Kalahari Desert to the Vineyards on the Cape.

For more information or questions, please contact us.

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