Читать книгу Africa's Top Wildlife Countries - Mark W. Nolting - Страница 9
ОглавлениеVast, wild and pristine, Botswana is home to a staggering number of elephants and its incredibly diverse landscape and wildlife represents the ultimate adventure. Safari to the far reaches of the country to explore mighty rivers, dry semi-desert and the gnarled watery fingers of the Okavango Delta. Welcome to Botswana!
View large elephant herds in Chobe and the Linyanti/Selinda/Kwando region, which at times may be seen in the hundreds.
Zip across floodplains and channels of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Swamps to approach and photograph elephants and other wildlife.
Photograph the breeding colonies of carmine bee-eaters at Linyanti and Chobe in August and September.
Marvel at the mysteries of the arid Kalahari. Spend time with the delightful habituated meerkats and explore the ways of the intriguing San Bushmen.
Much of Botswana remains little developed. For a country roughly the size of the state of Texas (224,606-square-miles or 581,730- km2) the population of just over two million people is tiny. Most people occupy the southeastern part of the country, which leaves the rest of the country relatively pristine.
Nearly 40% of the country has been set aside for wildlife, and with national parks and game reserves covering 17% of the land area (one of the highest percentages of any country in the world), one can appreciate how truly wild Botswana really is.
Topographically flat, an astounding four-fifths of the entire country is covered by Kalahari sands, scrub savannah and grasslands; the highest elevation point is 3,280 feet (1,000 m). However, unlike its name suggests, the Kalahari is far from the barren desert as one might imagine—rather it is comprised of sweeping grasslands, bush, shrub and tree savannah, dry riverbeds and occasional rocky outcrops.
Botswana’s unit of currency is the “Pula.” Meaning ‘rain’ in Setswana, the word effectively points to the critical importance of rainfall to this country’s wealth and survival. The wet season generally falls between December and March, with heaviest downpours usually occurring in January and February. Winters are bright and dry with cloudless skies. In January (summer) temperatures range from an average maximum of 92°F (33°C) to an average minimum of 64°F (18°C). July (winter) temperatures range from an average maximum of 72°F (22°C) to an average minimum of 42°F (6°C). Frost sometimes occurs in midwinter.
Leopard cubs emerge from the den after 6 weeks
Northern Botswana is a stronghold for the endangered African wild dog
The people of Botswana are known as Batswana. Everyone speaks Setswana, although most people have good use of English, particularly the younger generation. Cattle constitutes the most important symbol of wealth and prestige. Up until 1816, when missionaries arrived in the country and converted large numbers of Batswana to Christianity, ancestor worship was the main form of religion.
The San, also known as Basawara or Bushmen, are the indigenous people of Botswana. They have occupied Botswana, their ancestral land, for many tens of thousands of years.
On March 31, 1885 the country became the Crown Colony of the British Bechuanaland Protectorate. Botswana reached independence a little over 80 years later when, on September 30, 1966, the Republic of Botswana was hailed as a self-governing state under the leadership of its first president, Seretse Khama.
Following the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in 1867, Botswana yielded its own diamonds later that same year in the small mining town of Orapa, located at the periphery of the Kalahari Desert. The mining of these precious stones has significantly contributed to the country’s wealth and stable economic state.
Although in many ways still revering old customs, very few Batswana people still dress in traditional costume, except during festivities or special celebrations. However, for many Batswana, tribal customs are still important in day-to-day life.
Botswana has a multi-party democracy and is one of the most economically successful and politically stable countries on earth. Botswana’s greatest foreign exchange earners are diamonds, tourism, copper-nickel matte and cattle, of which there are three times as many as there are people.
Botswana’s Wildlife Areas
Beautiful wild Botswana has earned a reputation as one of the finest safari destinations in Africa, if not the very finest. And it’s easy to understand why. Numerous wildlife documentaries depicting massive herds of elephants traversing the Okavango Delta’s wetlands, along with lions, leopards and African wild dogs engaging in a daily struggle for survival, have helped ensure international recognition for Botswana as a top safari destination.
The combination of superb game watching, parks that are well maintained and run in excellent manner, pristine, uncrowded conservation areas, numerous exclusive, private concessions with their exquisite safari camps and lodges – most of which cater to 24 or fewer guests – along with the use of open vehicles for game viewing all add to a safari experience that is difficult to beat.
And the adventure doesn’t stop there. Apart from the traditional day and night game drives, activities also include game viewing by boat, mokoro (canoe) excursions, balloon trips, helicopter rides and the chance to explore Botswana on foot with highly professional and experienced guides.
The private concessions contribute a great deal to the superior safari destination for which Botswana has become famous. Since guest numbers are strictly regulated, visitors are not exposed to huge crowds as they journey through wild areas of unparalleled beauty. Plus, owing to the low density of vehicles, drivers are allowed to venture off-road in order to obtain a closer view if they come across a particularly special animal.
Apart from all of this, Botswana represents one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories. Protecting and conserving wildlife has become one of the country’s primary concerns. The Botswana Defense Force is extremely active and particularly effective in preventing the poaching of game, perhaps more so than any other African country. One example is the rhino, previously extinct in Botswana. From 2001, rhino have been translocated to Botswana thanks to the country’s high security and, as a result, their numbers have expanded to more than 150 white and black rhino. Owing to this remarkable success, visitors are once again in a position to see all of Botswana’s “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) while on safari.
Some lion prides specialize in hunting buffalo
With a growing rhino population, it is now possible to see the “Big Five” in Botswana
The highly endangered African wild (painted) dog is another special highlight. Since Botswana’s northern regions represent one of Africa’s last refuges for this beautiful and rare animal, chances of seeing these extraordinary animals are fairly good.
The famous Okavango Delta, declared a World Heritage Site in 2014 – Botswana’s first site to have been included – is a landmark of such extreme size and importance that it is, in fact, visible from space. With its lush marshlands and open floodplains, the delta is arguably one of the most beautiful sites on the planet. This “water in the desert” oasis constitutes a uniquely fascinating ecosystem that has a myriad of wild animals relying on its fertile soils and grasses. The area is an absolute must-see, and one that every visitor will find very rewarding to explore. Moremi Game Reserve, located on the central and eastern side of the delta, and the Linyanti/Selinda/Kwando region further northeast toward the Namibian border, rank among the best wildlife areas in Africa. Feeling part of the vast open spaces and being surrounded by numerous wild animals – without many other tourists around – is an unparalleled experience.
The five main areas most often visited by international tourists are all found in the far northern reaches of the country. They are the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve (within the Okavango Delta), Linyanti/Selinda/Kwando region, the Savute (southwestern part of Chobe National Park), and the Chobe River region in the northeastern part of Chobe National Park near Kasane. Chobe National Park (northeastern section) is the only one of these regions that may draw in some crowds as there are numerous lodges that operate on the river just outside of the actual park.
Hippos consume up to 130 lbs of grass daily
Because each region is exquisitely distinct in character, a well-rounded wildlife safari to Botswana really ought to include at least two to three days each in three or more of these areas. It is also worth considering spending a few days in the stunning Makgadikgadi Pans, Nxai Pan or Central Kalahari Game Reserve if time permits.
Game viewing in Botswana’s northern areas is good year-round, although it must be said that particularly large numbers of elephant concentrate around waterways and marshlands in the dryer months of May through November.
December to March is the rainy season when days are typically charcterized by short thundershowers. Interestingly, marketing research reveals that nowadays there is a marked increase in the numbers of travelers who actually appear to prefer to visit the country during the wet season, during which the bush has typically turned luxuriantly lush and green. The other perk is that there is little dust in the air. It may be a little harder to find game in some areas, but there is still so much going on that this fact is somewhat negligible. The vibrant green grasses and contrasting dark skies provide a dramatic backdrop for wildlife photography and since safari camps and lodges offer significantly lower rates during the rainy season, visitors can afford to stay a lot longer.
Another advantage is that there are yet fewer travelers in most of the camps than during the peak season, which allows for an even more exclusive experience.
Game viewing in Nxai Pan, Makgadikgadi Pans and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is generally considered best from December to April. Calving season throughout the country is November to February. The abundance of young animals make for wonderful photographic opportunities. The sight of warthog piglets and impala lambs, only a few days to a few months old, will ultimately charm even the most stoic safarier. The rut, the season during which impala rams fight for dominance, provides an interesting insight into this animal’s natural behavior as well as ensuring plenty of action from April to May.
Fishing for tigerfish, bream, barbel and pike is very good, especially September to December. (Fishing is not allowed in the Moremi Game Reserve and is not allowed anywhere in Botswana from January until the end of February.)
Many camps are accessed only by small aircraft. Game activities are conducted by resident guides in the camps. Specialist guides may be booked to travel with you throughout your safari, which may add a consistent high level of guiding from start to finish.
Most scheduled charter flights have baggage limits of 44 pounds (20 kg) per person (unless you decide to “purchase” an extra seat on the plane for your extra luggage), so bring only what you need, and pack it in only soft-sided bags. Free laundry service and amenities are available at all of the better camps.
Group mobile tented safaris are generally less expensive per day than flying safaris, and they are another excellent way to experience the reserves.
The Wildlife Department runs the parks. Driving in the parks is not allowed at night, but it is allowed in the private concession areas.
Southern giraffe are commonly seen on game drives
Covering more than 6,000-square-miles (15,000-km2), the Okavango is a stunningly beautiful natural mosaic of palm-fringed islands, open savannah, flowing rivers and crystal-clear lagoons and floodplains sprinkled with water lilies. With giant baobab and jackalberry trees dominating the landscape, this, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful natural places on earth.
The Okavango River originates in the central African highlands in Angola, which is about 600 miles (1,000 km) northwest of Botswana before it fans out into the Kalahari Desert where it creates a vast system of thousands of waterways that are separated by innumerable islands. The river eventually vanishes into the Kalahari sands.
Large herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe and a variety of antelope are often seen, as are lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and other, smaller predators. As might be expected of an inland delta, the Okavango is a haven for birds and a huge attraction for birdwatchers from around the world. There is a bewildering variety of aquatic and terrestrial species, and the Okavango boasts the highest concentration of African fish eagles on the continent. There are good numbers of the elusive and awe-inspiring Pel’s fishing owl and the seasonally breeding African skimmers.
Large, mixed aggregations of waterfowl are common during the dry winter months, when the Angolan floodwaters fill up the seasonal wetlands. It is not uncommon to see five or six species of heron alongside four or five varieties of stork, with ducks, waders, cormorants and kingfishers, all gathered in the shallows or surrounding vegetation. The beautiful African pygmy goose, Pel’s fishing owl, lesser jacana, slaty egret, wattled crane and the goliath heron are among the most sought-after birds.
Elephant concentrate around the waterways of the delta
The sparkling, watery paradise of Little Vumbura
Not only waterfowl populate the Okavango Delta, for the surrounding savannah and riverine woodlands provide ideal habitats for a host of hornbills, parrots, woodpeckers, rollers, shrikes, plovers, waxbills, weavers and bee-eaters, among others. Northern Botswana, and indeed the whole country, is renowned as a stronghold for birds of prey, with substantial populations of martial eagle, bateleur, tawny eagle, white-headed vulture, to name just a few.
Mother Nature must have smiled on this region, for the waters are highest during the peak of the dry season. It takes six months for the rainy season’s floodwaters to journey from its source high up in the Angolan highlands down to the delta. Calling the Okavango a “swamp” is a misnomer, since the waters are very clear and are continually moving.
Activities in the delta include day and night vehicle game drives, motorized boat safaris, mokoro (canoe) and modern canoe excursions, walking safaris with professional armed guides, balloon safaris, scenic helicopter flights and, on request, fishing. Vehicle-based game drives and motorized boat safaris are probably the best way to see game in the Okavango Delta. Mokoro trips tend to focus more on exploring the delta’s channels and waterways, which provide an excellent opportunity for birdwatching, observing the general ecology and smaller creatures in the area.
Fishing is best in the northwestern part of the delta. The optimal time of year for catching tigerfish is September to November. For barbel, the best time is from the end of September through October, when the fish are running (a feeding frenzy). Overall, the best time for fishing is September to December.
Horseback safaris, possibly the finest in Africa, may last from one to ten days; four to six hours a day are spent in the saddle. Afternoons are often spent walking, swimming, fishing or going out on mokoro trips. Only experienced riders can take part since riders are expected to confidently canter alongside herds of game, including zebra, giraffe and antelope.
At Abu Camp, guests are able to walk with and feed the elephants. For those who want to spend a little more time with the herd after the day’s activities, the camp offers a beautiful sleep out option just above the elephant boma, under the star-filled African sky. Another great option is The Elephant Experience near Stanley’s Camp, where guests spend a morning or afternoon walking with and learning an immense amount about these amazing mammals.
ACCOMMODATION
PREMIUM
Duba Plains has been recently rebuilt and accommodates a maximum of 14 guests in luxury tents in the northern delta. The camp consists of 5 traditional tents as well as a separate 2-bedroom family suite all on raised decking. The main area consists of a large raised dining room, wine cellar, library and a fire place on a deck that extends out over the surrounding marsh. Duba has a strong lion and red lechwe population, as well as other sought-after species. Game drives in specially adapted land cruisers, walks, motorized boating (seasonal) and catch-and-release fishing (seasonal) are offered. Each guest tent offers a set 8×42 Binoculars and Canon 5D cameras and lenses for guest use during their stay. Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, situated adjacent to the Moremi Game Reserve, features 12 elegant air-conditioned suites (including a family suite) with private plunge pools and fireplaces. Activities include day and night game drives as well as bush walks. The property has a massage sala, gym and interactive kitchen. Vumbura Plains Camp is a premier luxury camp located in the northern part of the delta. Vumbura North features 8 tents and its sister camp, Vumbura South, has 6 tents with private plunge pools and huge decks, linked by raised boardwalks to the dining, lounge and bar areas. The family suites feature 2 separate rooms connected by a private deck. Day and night game viewing by vehicle, motorboat and mokoro excursions, escorted walks, fishing and massages are offered. Ballooning is offered between mid-April and September. Abu Camp is a luxury camp with 6 tents featuring private decks, stylish interiors and indoor-outdoor showers. The camp has a strong focus on elephant conservation. Mokoro rides, guided walks and day and night game drives are offered. The elephant experience and interaction with the on-site elephant researchers is a highlight. Jao Camp, located in a private concession area west of the Moremi Game Reserve, has 9 large tented rooms (including 1 family tent) with lounge areas under thatched roofs. Each room has an outdoor shower and a sala with mattresses under thatch, for great midday siestas. Jao has 2 plunge pools, an exercise room and spa. Activities include day and night game drives, motor boat excursions (usually May to October, depending on water levels) and mokoro trips. Eagle Island Camp is situated west of Chief’s Island and has 11 air-conditioned luxury tents set on raised wooden decks with thatched roofs. April through October, activities include mokoro rides, motorized boats, and sundowner cruises; day and night game drives are offered.
Experience Abu Camp’s sleep out deck
Vumbura Plains offers breathtaking views across the delta
Lounge and dining area at Duba Expedition camp
CLASSIC
Chitabe Camp, located on a private concession and bordered by the Moremi Game Reserve on 3 sides, has 8 luxury tents set on wooden decks. Day and night game drives and some walks are offered. Chitabe Lediba, located in the same private concession area as Chitabe Camp, features 5 luxury tents including 2 family tents. Activities include day and night game drives and limited walks. Little Vumbura Camp, located on an island in the northern area of the delta, offers 6 tented rooms (including 1 family tent), each with private decks. The main dining area has a decked lounge and a pool. It offers year-round motorboat and mokoro excursions, day and night game drives, and limited walks. Ballooning is offered between mid-April and September. Seba Camp, located in the west of the Okavango, is a family-friendly camp overlooking a pristine lagoon, and features 8 tents including 2 of the best family suites in the delta. Activities include day and night game drives, boating, mokoros, seasonal fishing, walks and general birding around the camp. Tubu Tree Camp is located on Hunda Island, within the Jao Concession. This treehouse-style tented safari camp is built on raised wooden platforms and consists of 8 large, comfortable tents, each with small, private decks including an outdoor shower. Activities include day and night game drives. When the Okavango’s annual flood is at its highest (normally May to late September), boating, fishing and mokoro trips are also offered. Little Tubu is a small, intimate camp that is located adjacent to Tubu Tree Camp. The camp consists of 3 tents and offers the same safari activities as Tubu Tree camp. Kwetsani Camp, located in the Jao Concession, is a 10-bed luxury tented camp raised on stilts beneath the shady canopy that overlooks the expansive plains. The 5 spacious tented “tree-house” chalets are built under thatch roofs. Day and night game drives, motorboat and mokoro excursions (water levels permitting) are offered.
VINTAGE
Duba Expedition, located in the northern delta, has 6 expedition-style tents of light airy canvas on slightly raised decking, each with views of the surrounding floodplain. The main area is under canvas with an open-concept dining and lounge area which is open on all sides. Game drives in specially adapted land cruisers, walks, motorized boating (seasonal) and catch-and-release fishing (seasonal) are offered. Camp Okavango is a tented camp in the eastern delta accommodating 24 guests in East African-style tents each with a private sun deck. Shinde, located on a palm island on the edge of the Shinde Lagoon, has 8 tents and a multi-tiered lounge area built under a canopy of ebony and mangosteen trees. Activities include mokoro trips, boat rides, fishing, guided walks and game drives. Xugana Island Lodge has 8 reed chalets (16 beds) built on stilts and a swimming pool. Xugana offers boat rides, mokoro trips, guided walks and fishing. Kwara Camp (8 tents) and Little Kwara (5 tents) are located just north of the Moremi Game Reserve. Both camps offer day and night game drives, guided walks, mokoro rides, fishing and evening boat cruises. Stanley’s Camp, located in the southern part of the delta, consists of 8 tents raised up on a boardwalk and offers day and night game drives, guided walks and mokoro excursions (water levels permitting). For an additional fee, guests may spend time walking with elephants. Pelo Camp is situated on a heart-shaped island in the Jao Concession. This seasonal camp is open from March to November each year and consists of 5 tents. No game drives are offered at Pelo Camp and the focus here is on exploring the channels and islands of the delta by motorized boat, mokoro and on foot. Khwai Tented Camp is located on the eastern border of Moremi Reserve on the banks of a lagoon flowing into the Khwai River. The 6 canvas tents overlooking the lagoon feature both indoor and outdoor showers. Khwai Leadwood Camp is a family-oriented camp with 2 dedicated family tents as well as 2 standard tents. Activities at both camps include morning and night game drives and guided walks. Machaba Camp is located in the Khwai Concession on the periphery of the Moremi Reserve. There are 10 tents including 2 family tents that have been built in classic 1950s style. Little Machaba is the sister camp to Machaba, and has 4 tents – also reverberating the 1950s. Activities at both camps include morning and night game drives, walking safaris and mokoro excursions (water levels permitting). Gomoti Plains features 10 tents and offers game drives, guided walk and mokoro and boating trips.
Kwetsani’s tented rooms are set on raised platforms
Moremi is the most diverse of all the Botswana parks in terms of wildlife and scenery. Located in the central and eastern areas of the Okavango Delta, Moremi contains more than 1,160-square-miles (3,000-km2) of permanent swamps, islands, floodplains, forests and dry land. Proclaimed a game reserve in 1962 by the Batswana people, Moremi lies at the heart of extensive wild wetlands and its surrounding areas and reserves provide an open system to the many wild animals that call this park home.
The stunning open floodplains are a haven for reedbuck, common waterbuck, red lechwe, tsessebe, ostrich, sable and roan antelope as well as crocodile, hippo and otter. In the riparian forest, you may spot elephant, greater kudu, southern giraffe, impala, buffalo and Burchell’s zebra, along with such predators as lion, leopard, ratel (honey badger), spotted hyena and cheetah. Bat-eared fox, black-backed and side-striped jackals are common residents both in the riparian forest and on the floodplains. The reserve also boasts a healthy population of African wild dogs.
Game viewing throughout Moremi is excellent during the drier months of May to November when the bush has thinned out, allowing for clearer wildlife sightings. Chief’s Island is the jewel in Moremi’s crown, with excellent year-round game viewing opportunities. Elephant and buffalo are the only large mammals known to migrate. Following the onset of the rains, they start moving northward to the area between Moremi and the Kwando-Linyanti River systems. Other wildlife may move to the periphery of, or just outside, the reserve.
Moremi’s birdlife consist of a delightful array of colorful species; fish eagles, kingfishers and bee-eaters abound. Other birds commonly seen include parrots, shrikes, egrets, jacanas, pelicans, bateleurs, hornbills, herons, saddle-billed storks, yellow-billed oxpeckers, wattled cranes, reed cormorants, spur-winged geese, magpie shrikes, and flocks of thousands of red-billed queleas, which group together sphere-like in flight.
Moremi is open year-round; however, some public areas may be temporarily closed due to heavy rains or floods. Off-road driving, night game drives and escorted walks are not permitted. This is an excellent reserve for mobile tenting. The South Gate is about 62 miles (100 km) north of Maun.
THE SEASONAL OKAVANGO FLOODS
When planning a visit to the Okavango Delta, the time of year is vitally important, as the extent of flooding affects the safari camps and the activities they are able to offer. Each year the Okavango presents a slightly different scenario to both its inhabitants and its visitors, but there is a seasonal pattern. The annual “flood” usually arrives in April or May, and subsides in September or October. If the flood is below average then a safari camp may be surrounded by vast, open grassland. The next year, that same camp may be surrounded by water as the result of an above average “high flood,” and the game viewing areas will change. This is all part of the fun of traveling to the Okavango. It’s a dynamic and constantly changing ecosystem.
When the seasonal floods arrive, much of the savannah is submerged, forcing wildlife to concentrate on fewer and smaller islands. The area covered by game drives may be reduced, but the drives are still productive. Safari camps have built numerous wooden bridges to allow access to more dry areas (islands) during the height of the floods, thereby ensuring the quality of the game viewing experience.
The level of the seasonal floods in the Okavango Delta are dependent on three main factors:
Firstly, new flood waters arriving in the delta via the Okavango River and its tributaries; this level is primarily dependent on the amount of rainfall that took place in the Angolan highlands approximately 6 months earlier. Secondly, the level of the water still present in the delta. And, finally, the amount of rainfall actually falling in the delta between November and April.
FLOODING OF LINYANTI, SAVUTE CHANNEL, SELINDA SPILLWAY AND SAVUTI MARSH
The increase in floodwaters, or the return of the wet cycle, is responsible for water movement in the Savute Channel, the re-flooding of the Linyanti Swamps, the filling of Lake Liambezi in the Caprivi and the flow of water into the Selinda Spillway and the Savuti Marsh.
These cyclic changes are of massive importance to the overall health and diversity of the entire ecosystem. In the case of the Savute Channel and the adjacent Linyanti Swamps, the spatial distribution of elephants is hugely affected. The Linyanti region has been the center of some of the densest numbers of elephant during the months of August, September and October each year. In the past decade, the onset of the “wet cycle” caused the Savute Channel and the nearby Selinda Spillway to carry major water flows across hundreds of miles, reaching areas that had not received water in more than 20 years. Both these channels enabled the previously concentrated elephants to spread out and thus reduce the pressure on the vegetation along the Linyanti Swamps.
The flow of water from the Savute Channel into the Savute Marsh equals fantastic game and bird viewing along a beautiful thread of water, although the channel is prone to dry up, depending on the patterns described above. However, even when this happens pools of water remain in the sandy riverbed and elephants and other wildlife is again concentrated.
Written in association with Map Ives, Environmentalist for Wilderness Safaris
ACCOMMODATION
PREMIUM
Chief’s Camp, located on the western side of Chief’s Island, features 12 air-conditioned tents and one 2-bedroom suite with private plunge pools overlooking the seasonal floodplains, a swimming pool, beauty treatment room and Zen garden. Day game drives and mokoro excursions (seasonal) are offered. Little Mombo and Mombo Camp are situated within the reserve, close to the northern tip of Chief’s Island where the savannah meets the Okavango. This is considered by many to be the best game viewing area in Southern Africa. Big game is plentiful year-round in this area. Mombo, numbering 9 luxurious tents, and Little Mombo’s 3 luxurious tents are built on raised decks each with a sala, verandah and lounge area overlooking the floodplains. Each camp has its own dining tent, lounge, and plunge pool. Mombo and Little Mombo are connected by a raised walkway. They share a gym. Activities include day and early evening game drives (up to a half hour after sunset).
CLASSIC
Khwai River Lodge, overlooking the Khwai floodplains, consists of 14 air-conditioned tents (28 beds) under thatch. Amenities include mini-bars and private viewing decks with hammocks. The camp has a gym and spa facility plus swimming pool. Day and night game drives, guided walks along the Khwai River and cultural visits to the village are offered. Camp Moremi, a 22-bed tented camp located overlooking Xakanaxa Lagoon, offers day game drives and motorboat excursions. Xakanaxa Camp features 12 tents overlooking the Xakanaxa Lagoon. Game drives and boat trips are offered. Camp Okuti has 5 unique curved chalets with private balconies and river views. This family-friendly camp welcomes children from 7 years and up. Primary activities are centered around game drives and boat rides. Xigera Camp is located on a large island. Access is via a short bridge that doubles as a morning newspaper, as each morning, guests can view animal prints in the sand that reveal who has left the island and who arrived during the night. The camp has 10 luxury tented rooms on raised platforms. Activities include mokoro rides, seasonal boating and fishing as well as game viewing by vehicle (when water levels are low).
Mombo and Little Mombo offer incredible big cat sightings
Exquisite lounge area at Chief’s Camp
Camp Okuti’s unique curved chalets
Linyanti, Selinda, Kwando and Chobe Forest Reserve
The Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando concession areas, along with the Chobe Forest Reserve, are situated northeast of the Okavango Delta and northwest of the Savute area of the Chobe National Park. Set against spectacular natural beauty, the opportunity to view wildlife is superb. Elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, wild dog, cheetah, spotted hyena, crocodile, hippo, lechwe and southern giraffe exist here in good numbers, along with numerous antelope and other species.
The region is, in essence, a mini “Okavango Delta” with lots of big game. Northern Botswana is truly big elephant country, with literally thousands in the region, especially in the dry season. The Chobe Forest Reserve, a massive area itself, is bordered on the west by the Linyanti Concession and on the east by Chobe National Park.
Day and night game drives, off-road driving, escorted walks and game viewing by motorboat are offered by most safari camps.
The Kwando and Linyanti Rivers form the region’s natural border with neighboring Namibia, with the Kwando flowing southeast before it meets the southern end of the Great Rift Valley. Forced here to flow northeast, it is at this point that its name changes to the Linyanti and, further downstream to the Chobe River. Ultimately the waters meet with the Zambezi River.
Big game is mostly concentrated during the dry season between May and November, although game viewing is generally good year-round. The majority of elephants, no longer dependent on the river’s water, disperse during the rainy season, starting in November. Other game, including predators, tend to remain in the area.
Game view by boat at DumaTau
Cheetah spotted during a game drive in the Selinda Reserve
PREMIUM
Zarafa Camp, located in the Selinda Concession, is a luxurious 8-bed tented camp with sumptuous 1,000-square-foot (93-m2) heated tents featuring private plunge pools, outdoor showers and expansive decks overlooking the floodplains of the Zibadianja Lagoon. The Dhow Suite has 2 bedrooms, a large lounge and deck along with a private swimming pool, chef, and guide. Zarafa also has a pontoon boat used for birdwatching and sundowner cruises (pontoon boat operational depending on water levels). Each guest tent offers a set 8×42 Binoculars and Canon 5D cameras and lenses for guest use during their stay. Kings Pool Camp, located on the Linyanti Concession overlooking a lagoon, has 9 luxurious tents set on raised decks with indoor-outdoor showers, a gym and a plunge pool. The camp is set on a small lagoon that is often full of hippo. Day and night game drives, boating on the double-decker “Queen Sylvia” houseboat in the luxury of an old style colonial barge (water levels permitting), and walks are offered. There is a hide within the camp and also a number of hides in the bush.
CLASSIC
DumaTau consists of 10 luxury tents, 2 of which are family tents. The camp features a floating deck on the river, giving guests a chance to enjoy sundowners in camp. Day and night game drives, boat game viewing excursions and guided walks are offered. Selinda Camp is an 18-bed tented camp with unique open-air bathrooms that are fully screened and include large bathtubs. The private decks overlook the Selinda Spillway. Activities include day and night game drives, boating (water levels permitting – usually July to October) and guided walks. The Selinda Adventure Trail (ADVENTURER) is a 5 day/4 night walking safari (or a combination walking and canoeing based on water levels) for up to 8 guests along the Selinda Spillway. Set departures are offered from mid-May to mid-September annually. Accommodations consist of walk-in square Kodiak tents (more space than the previous dome tents) with separate shower and toilet tents. Savuti Camp, located on the Savute Channel about 10 miles (17 km) from its source within the Linyanti Concession, has 7 standard tents including a family tent. A number of hides are located along the channel. There is a log-pile hide in front of the camp which is extremely productive in the dry season when there is no water in the Savute Channel. Day and night game drives are offered, and boating excursions (water levels permitting).
Family safaris are popular throughout Botswana
DumaTau’s spacious tented rooms overlook the lagoon
VINTAGE
Kwando Lagoon Camp is set on the banks of the Kwando River within the Kwando Concession and has 8 tents (16 beds) under thatch. Day and night vehicle game drives, boat excursions, escorted walks and fishing are offered. Kwando Lebala Camp, located in the Kwando Concession, is situated on vast open plains and has 8 luxury tents (16 beds) under thatch. Activities include day and night game drives and escorted walks. Selinda Explorers Camp, set on the banks of the Selinda Spillway, is an intimate 4-tent camp built in the style of a classic mobile safari camp. The camp focuses primarily on walking and canoeing (seasonal activity when the spillway is flooded). Game drives are offered but they supplement other activities, rather than being the primary focus. Linyanti Tented Camp, located within the private Linyanti Concession, has 4 tents and is sold on a sole use basis. Activities offered include day and night game drives as well as walks. Linyanti Ebony Camp, located in a private concession within the Chobe Forest Reserve, has 4 raised tents with private decks and views of the marshes. Activities include day and night game drives, visits to hides, walks and mokoro rides (water levels permitting). Linyanti Bush Camp has 6 Meru-style tents located in a concession area within the Chobe Forest Reserve. The main area of the camp is elevated on a wooden decking overlooking the Linyanti Swamp. Activities include day and night game drives, guided walks, visits to hides, mokoro excursions and fishing (water levels permitting).
Linyanti Tented Camp
Savute Region of Chobe National Park
The mainly arid Savute region is located in the southern part of famous Chobe National Park. The landscape ranges from sandveld to mopane forest, acacia savannah, and marshlands to beautiful rocky outcrops. Connecting the grasslands, or marshlands, of the interior with the Linyanti River is the Savuti Channel. Although the Savute River was in flow over the last few years, it dried up and remains dry at the time of writing.
Similar to the northern part of Chobe National Park, the Savute is famous for its abundant lions and bull elephant herds. The area is also home to eland, kudu, roan antelope, sable antelope, waterbuck, tsessebe, giraffe, wildebeest, impala and many other species of antelope, along with numerous predators including leopard, cheetah, wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox.
Birdwatching is best during the Green Season (November to April). Large flocks of dazzling carmine bee-eaters may be seen hawking insects, and large gatherings of white and Abdim’s storks patrol the plains for grasshoppers. The world’s heaviest flying bird, the sturdy kori bustard, is a common and conspicuous inhabitant. Rollers, kestrels, plovers, sandgrouse, coursers, queleas and doves are among the other prominent bird species.
A few San paintings may be found in this region. Four-wheel drive vehicles are necessary for the Savute. Off-road driving, night drives and walks are not permitted as this is part of Chobe National Park.
ACCOMMODATION
CLASSIC
Savute Safari Lodge, situated on the banks of the Savute Channel, features 12 Swedish-style wood-and-thatch chalets. The lounge, dining area and plunge pool overlook the channel. Day game drives are conducted. Savute Elephant Lodge is comprised of 12 luxury air-conditioned tents built on raised wooden decks that overlook the Savute Channel. The camp has a fireplace and lounge area, library and a swimming pool that overlooks a waterhole. Activities include morning and afternoon game drives.
The massive martial eagle is one of Africa’s most powerful birds of prey. The diet of these impressive raptors includes small antelope, mongooses, monitor lizards and guineafowl.
Pools in the Savute riverbed attract a constant procession of thirsty elephants and other wildlife
Savute is renowned for its magnificent male lions
Northern Region of Chobe National Park
Famous for its large herds of elephant and buffalo, which number in the thousands, Chobe National Park covers about 4,250-square-miles (11,000-km2) and is located only about 50 miles (80 km) from Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and Livingstone (Zambia). Forming the natural border with Namibia’s Caprivi to the north, the Chobe River flows along the park’s northern and northwestern boundaries. Birdlife is prolific, especially in the riverine areas.
The overall game viewing is excellent. Lion are seen fairly often, especially during cooler days when a pride lies lazily scattered on the floodplain. One of the most exciting ways of experiencing game viewing is by boat along the Chobe River, especially during the dry season from May to November when huge herds of elephant, as well as many other wild animals, make their way to the river to drink. Mothers and sisters, along with aunts and small calves, are often seen excitedly tumbling down the banks to the edge of the river, while herds of 50 to 100 elephant frequently enter the river at sunset for a splash of swimming and playing. Sipping a sundowner during an afternoon boat cruise and watching the elephants frolicking in the water close by is an experience most visitors will likely never forget.
This is the only park in Botswana that receives large numbers of tourists, as day visitors have access to the park and many safari lodges and camps operate on the eastern side of the park’s entrance. The western side of the park, the only side that is dotted by a small number of baobab trees, tends to be a lot less crowded.
Other wildlife includes leopard, spotted hyena, jackal, hippo, crocodile, giraffe, red lechwe, puku, common waterbuck, warthog, giraffe, impala, zebra, kudu, eland, roan and sable antelope, ostrich, steenbok, oribi, bushbuck and water monitor lizards.
Another spectacular highlight of the Chobe River area are the breeding colonies of Southern carmine bee-eaters, which are active during September and early October. These magnificent birds, numbering up to 1,000 birds per colony, beautifully clad in pink and turquoise feathers, provide a truly breathtaking sight as they swoop, swerve and dive to feed on emerging flying termites during the onset of the rainy season. Other species found along the river are the rare rock pratincoles, African skimmer, white fronted bee-eaters and large, mobile flocks of open-billed stork and spur-winged geese.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are necessary for most of the park. Vehicles are restricted to the roads. Night drives and walks are not allowed in the park, however, some camps and lodges adjacent to the reserve offer them.
Muchenje Safari Lodge overlooks the Chobe floodplain
ACCOMMODATION
PREMIUM
Ngoma Safari Lodge, located just outside the western boundary of Chobe National Park, features 8 river-facing suites with spacious interior and exterior living areas. The swimming pool, sundeck, dining and bar area have expansive views of the river. Activities include day and night game drives, guided walks, village visits and game viewing by boat. This area is not crowded, making it all the more attractive. Chobe Chilwero Camp has 15 luxurious air-conditioned cottages with a mini-bar, balcony and outdoor shower. The property has a wine cellar, business center, library, wood burning pizza oven and full-fledged spa. Located on an escarpment, the views extend all the way to the Chobe River and Namibia’s Zambezi Region (formerly known as the Caprivi Strip). Game viewing is by vehicle and boat. Chobe Water Villas is a boutique lodge located in Namibia’s Caprivi on the banks of the Chobe River and opposite Chobe National Park. The 16 luxurious water villas have unobstructed views of Chobe and Sedudu Island. Two activities a day are offered such as game drives and sunset boat cruises. Wild animals also often roam around the lodge at night.
CLASSIC
Muchenje Safari Lodge is situated in the quiet Ngoma region, high up on an escarpment outside the park’s western boundary. The lodge consists of 11 charming thatched chalets, lounge/dining room, viewing deck overlooking the Chobe floodplain and a swimming pool. Activities include morning and night game drives, boat trips, bush walks and cultural visits to a nearby village. When leaving the park after an afternoon game drive, the tarred road and junction just outside the park often has its own wildlife activity. Chobe Game Lodge is a Moorish-style lodge with 96 beds set on the banks of the Chobe River. It is the only permanent lodge within the park and has its own jetty with boats. The lodge also has a large swimming pool and spacious grounds. All rooms are air-conditioned and the 4 luxury suites have private plunge pools. Sundowner cruises and day game drives are offered. The Zambezi Queen, a luxury houseboat that cruises the Chobe River, features 14 suites with private balconies and upscale furnishings. Of the 14 suites, 4 are master suites, some with their own private outdoor area. Smaller boats enable guests to get up close to the game. Tiger and bream fishing are available in season.
Springbok roam the Kalahari plains
This massive 20,000-square-mile (52,000-km2) reserve, one of the largest in the world, is an area of epic landscapes, wooded dunes and petrified river valleys. Covering part of the Kalahari Desert, the park’s wildlife is not very abundant in the dry season, but comes alive after brief rain showers from December through April as herbivores and their newborn young (followed by predators) gravitate into the petrified river systems. This is one of the best parks in Southern Africa to visit during this period.
With arguably the best cheetah population within Botswana, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is also home to the black-maned lions, good populations of meerkats, brown hyena, caracal, leopard, African wild cat, Cape fox, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackals, red hartebeest, eland, steenbuck, oryx, springbok, blue wildebeest and honey badger. Even wild dogs are resident in the Kalahari, albeit at lower concentrations than the Okavango Delta and Linyanti.
Perhaps the best part of this gigantic reserve, from a visitor’s perspective, is Deception Valley, where American researchers Mark and Delia Owens were based to study brown hyena, beautifully told in their sweeping book Cry of the Kalahari.
The drainage line lies in a hauntingly remote and beautifully stark location. Characterized by sparse vegetation, the area supports mostly nomadic wildlife. Animals are attracted en masse to the Valley and surrounding pan systems once significant rain has fallen to promote nutritious grazing.
Bushman under the Milky Way at Kalahari Plains Camp
ACCOMMODATION
VINTAGE
Kalahari Plains Camp features 8 tents with unique sleep-out decks that enable guests to sleep under the stars, and a small plunge pool near the main lounge and dining area. Activities include guided walks with San and game drives as well as access to the famous Deception Valley. Tau Pan Camp, situated within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, features 8 desert rooms under thatch with views of the Tau Pan waterhole. Walks with the San and game drives are offered.
Gemsbok thrive in the Kalahari
Kalahari Plains Camp
Nxai Pan National Park, well known for its huge springbok herds and healthy cheetah population, covers more than 810-square-miles (2,100-km2) and is located north of the Maun-Nata road in Northern Botswana. About 15-square-miles (40-km2) in size, the Pan is, in fact, a fossilized lakebed that is carpeted by grassland during the rains. The epic landscape is brushed by acacia trees and dotted by burley baobab trees. Kgama-Kgama Pan is second to Nxai Pan in size.
In addition to springbok and cheetah, wildlife includes gemsbok, eland, greater kudu, southern giraffe, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, steenbok, brown and spotted hyena, lion and other smaller predators. After the first rains have fallen, game viewing is excellent, and elephant and buffalo may also be seen (December through April). Birdlife is excellent during the rains.
Inside the park, not far from the Maun-Nata road, a cluster of ancient baobab trees can be found that were discovered and immortalized by the famous painter Thomas Baines in 1862. His painting, titled “The Sleeping Five” depicts five baobabs, one of which is growing on its side. Seldom are baobab trees found growing so closely together. The scene has become known as Baines’ Baobabs.
Game viewing is best from December to April. Off-road driving and night drives are not permitted.
ACCOMMODATION
VINTAGE
Nxai Pan Camp, built into a tree line, features 9 tents (including a family suite) with private viewing decks. Activities offered include game drives, guided walks with the San and excursions to Baines’ Baobabs.
Explore the Kalahari in the company of the ultimate hunter-gatherers
Baobab trees may live for thousands of years
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
The Makgadikgadi Pans are nearly devoid of human habitation. The National Park includes a portion of the 4,600-square-mile (12,000-km2) Makgadikgadi Pans, which span the size of Portugal. The stark pans, give the visitor a somewhat haunting feeling of freedom and isolation.
The second largest zebra migration in Africa occurs here. During the dry season, the herds are concentrated on the western side near the Boteli River, a source of permanent water during the dry season. Once the rains come (usually in November or December) the herds migrate to the eastern part of the reserve where they are often seen until April. Game viewing is therefore best on the western side in the dry season and the eastern side during the rainy season.
The reserve itself covers about 1,550-square-miles (3,900-km2). It is located south of the Maun-Nata road in northern Botswana and borders Nxai Pan National Park to the north. Large herds of blue wildebeest, zebra, springbok, gemsbok and thousands of flamingos may be seen December to May. The charming little meerkat (also called suricate) makes its home here; this is also one of the best places to see the elusive nocturnal brown hyena.
Quad bike excursions are offered during the dry season (usually May to November) and are a fun way to experience the vastness of these pans. On evening excursions deep into the pans, once you turn off the engines, you may experience the most “deafening” silence and brightest stars imaginable. Once one of the world’s largest prehistoric lakes, this is one of the places on earth where one can truly feel part of the planet’s extraordinary history and evolution. Most of the Makgadikgadi Pans are now barren salt plains fringed with grasslands and isolated “land islands” of vegetation, baobab and palm trees. Scattered Stone Age tools have been found. Engravings left by explorers David Livingstone and Frederick Selous in the trunks of ancient baobab trees mark their passage through the region so many years ago.
A highlight for many visitors is spending time with a troop of habituated meerkats – voted by the British as the cutest animal species on earth. Guided by one of the researchers, you sit closely to them, and walk with them as they hunt for food.
Meerkats are among the most entertaining and photogenic of African animals
The remote San Camp is set among stately palms
ACCOMMODATION
CLASSIC
Jack’s Camp is a classic camp that features 20 beds in the ’40s safari style. The pool has been built under a tent, guaranteeing a cool respite from the hot sun. Activities include day and night game drives, riding quad motorbikes on the pans (in the dry season), walks with San trackers, visiting habituated troops of meerkats and lectures by resident researchers.
VINTAGE
Leroo La Tau overlooks the newly flowing Boteti River on the western border of the park, and consists of 12 thatched chalets on raised decks, bar, dining room and plunge pool. One of the main activities is watching the wildlife dramas that unfold right in front of the lodge. Activities include guided walks, day and night game drives and cultural excursions to the nearby village. San Camp, a 12-bed tented camp set right on the edge of the pans, offers the same activities as Jack’s Camp. The camp features large airy tents with day beds on the verandahs. The guides at both Jack’s and San Camp have university degrees in zoology, biology, anthropology or similar subjects. Adventurous 5-night/6-day Kubu Island quad bike trips are also offered, which include 3 nights at San Camp and 2 nights fly camping at Kubu Island. Meno a Kwena is a 9-tented camp that is located on the banks of the Boteti River. Activities offered here include game drives and walking tours with the indigenous locals.
ADVENTURER
Camp Kalahari, nestled among acacias and palms, features 10 canvas tents (including a family tent), a thatched library, lounge and dining area. Activities include visiting a family of meerkats and Chapman’s Baobab, walking safaris with San, quad biking and optional sleep-outs under the pans. A special horseback riding itinerary is offered with expert guide David Foot.
Tucked in the remote southeastern corner of Botswana at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers, and at the junction of the borders of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, lies an area of approximately 180,000 acres (72,000 hectares). It is known historically as the Tuli enclave; a diverse wilderness of open grassland, mopane veld, riverine forest, semi-arid bush savannah, marshland, and sandstone outcrops. The Tuli is home to large herds of elephant, as well as lion, cheetah, eland, impala, wildebeest, giraffe and zebra. Leopard, bat-eared fox, African wild cat and jackal may be seen searching for prey.
This reserve has to be one of the best kept secrets in Africa for game viewing; a real “sleeper.” Activities include off-road driving, walking with armed rangers, night game drives, horseback riding, mountain biking, and spending time in photographic hides. Easiest access is by private or scheduled charter flight from Johannesburg.
ACCOMMODATION
CLASSIC
Mashatu Lodge is the most diverse of the properties within the reserve that comprises 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) of privately owned land. Up to 28 guests are comfortably accommodated in 14 air-conditioned suites. The property has a floodlit waterhole and a swimming pool. A number of hides offer spectacular photographic opportunities. Game viewing is conducted in open 4wd vehicles, on mountain bikes, on foot and on horseback. Fly camping is also offered.
VINTAGE
Mashatu Tented Camp, set in the remote northern area of the Mashatu Game Reserve, accommodates up to 16 guests in 8 fan-cooled tents. There is also a small swimming pool. Guests explore the reserve in 4wd vehicles, on foot, with mountain bikes and on horseback.
Mashatu Tented Camp
Mashatu Lodge is set on a permanent waterhole
Gaborone
Gaborone, phonetically pronounced “Hab oh roni,” is Botswana’s capital. The main shopping area and commercial center, the Mall, is found in the center of town. Other than shopping and visiting some of the landmarks mentioned in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency book and film series, along with the National Museum, there is little of interest for the international traveler. The Caravela Portuguese Restaurant has a Mediterranean atmosphere and offers great ambience and customer service. The Mokolodi Restaurant is a hidden gem just outside of town with an African flavor and great pizza. Dine and watch animals drink from a waterhole within 30 feet (10m) of your table.
ACCOMMODATION
FIRST CLASS
Grand Palm Hotel has 152 air-conditioned rooms, 3 restaurants, outdoor heated pool, fitness center, lighted tennis courts and business center. The Gaborone Sun is located 1.5 miles (2 km) from the city center. This 203-room, air-conditioned hotel has a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts and casino.
Maun
Maun is the safari center of the country’s most important tourist region. Many travelers fly into Maun to join their safari; others begin their safari at Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Livingstone (Zambia) or Kasane (Botswana), and end up in Maun. Very few international travelers actually stay in Maun; instead they fly in and connect directly to a safari camp.
TOURIST CLASS
Thamalakane River Lodge is set along the banks of the Thamalakane River 12 miles (19km) outside of Maun and consists of 18 stone chalets, some with private splash pools. Cresta Riley’s Hotel was the first hotel established in Maun, and has been a landmark since the early 1900s. The hotel overlooks the Thamalakane River, and facilities include a swimming pool and fitness center.
