| A Botswana safari is an excellent trip to undertake | | | | which visit in June and July. The distinctive call of the |
| because the setting is as unique as you will find | | | | Fish Eagle is a common sound as they thrive in this |
| anywhere in Africa, the game viewing is exceptional | | | | water rich area. |
| and the accommodation is top notch. | | | | There are over twenty species of edible fish that |
| By using travel journals submitted at the African | | | | you can catch in the Chobe river. |
| Safari Journals website, my personal experience of | | | | 3. Mashatu GR |
| over twenty years, forums, magazines and the | | | | This is the largest privately owned game reserve in |
| general consensus in the travel industry this is the list | | | | Southern Africa and it is situated in the remote |
| of the five best national parks and game reserves to | | | | eastern part of Botswana at the confluence of the |
| go on a Botswana safari in... | | | | Limpopo and Shashe rivers. |
| 1. Okavango Delta and Moremi GR | | | | A Botswana safari here will reveal no less than seven |
| The Okavango Delta must qualify as the most unique | | | | of Africa's giants: the African elephant, the lion, |
| and varied safari area in Africa. | | | | giraffe, the baobab tree, the eland, the ostrich, and |
| The delta lies in the North of Botswana and it | | | | the kori bustard. |
| consists of narrow water channels lined by papyrus, | | | | Night drives are available which will allow you to see |
| floodplains covered knee deep in water, hippo filled | | | | leopard, genet, serval, caracal, aardwolf, aardvark and |
| lagoons, forest glades and savannah grassland. | | | | springhares and because this is a private reserve |
| You can go on outstanding wildlife viewing | | | | off-road riding is allowed which gets you much closer |
| expeditions here on foot, using a 4x4 vehicle, a | | | | to the animals and helps in tracking them. |
| mokoro (dug-out canoe) or a motorised boat. | | | | You are almost guaranteed of seeing the big five |
| Vast herds of buffalo, elephant, gazelle and zebra | | | | here and a large variety of birdlife too such as the |
| roam this rich ecosystem which is fed by the | | | | martial and black eagles, kingfishers, rollers and the |
| Okavango river which has its source in the Angolan | | | | strange looking ground hornbill. |
| highlands and floods the delta every year. | | | | 4. Linyanti GR |
| This treasure trove of available prey attracts the | | | | The Linyanti river forms a natural border between |
| predators too and lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog | | | | Botswana and Namibia and on its southern banks the |
| thrive here. The dry season is the best for game | | | | Linyanti reserve contains marshland and lagoons |
| viewing because the animals are drawn to the | | | | similar to the Okavango farther south. |
| permanent water sources. | | | | This is a private reserve so off road and night drives |
| The Moremi game reserve consists of strictly | | | | are the order of the day and some fantastic game |
| controlled, privately managed concessions and it falls | | | | viewing is on offer with a proliferation of birdlife too. |
| within the Okavango delta area and has no fences | | | | The wildlife here lives in a world of floodplain |
| which leaves the animals free to roam around as | | | | grassland-- dotted with islands of ivory palms and |
| they please. | | | | other trees-- savannah, scrub and woodland. |
| There are a number of upmarket Botswana safari | | | | Rare and beautiful antelope like the sable, roan, red |
| lodges in Moremi such as the Vumbura concession | | | | lechwe and the aquatic sitatunga which submerges |
| which contains both wetland and savannah areas for | | | | itself under the water when it feels threatened make |
| the best of both worlds. | | | | their home here. The main predators are lion, hyena, |
| The Delta is at its most impressive in August when | | | | leopard, cheetah, wild dog, serval and bat eared |
| the water is at its deepest and most of the young | | | | foxes. |
| are born between November and March when the | | | | If you are very lucky on your Botswana safari, you |
| vegetation is lush and dense so it might be a good | | | | might catch a glimpse of the multi colored Narina |
| idea to plan any botswana safari to coincide with | | | | Trogon bird which is quite rare in this area. |
| these events. | | | | 5. Makgadikgadi NP |
| 2. Chobe NP | | | | For a Botswana safari with a difference, the |
| One of the defining activities of a Botswana safari in | | | | Makgadikgadi National park is hard to beat. |
| the Chobe National Park is to take a cruise on a river | | | | Standing in this vast expanse which was once a |
| boat just before sunset on the stretch of the Chobe | | | | superlake but has dried up to form a huge salt pan |
| river from Kasane town to Serondela campsite and | | | | which is flat as far as the eye can see with an |
| watch masses of hippo, crocodile and elephant along | | | | occasional rocky outcrop and sand dune dotting the |
| the banks as the fiery orb dips slowly beneath the | | | | landscape is an amazing experience. |
| horizon with a glass of champagne in your hand. | | | | And the contrast with the wet season when the |
| But you shouldn't restrict yourself to only this area | | | | park is transformed into a water wonderland is simply |
| because a deeper exploration of the park will reveal | | | | breathtaking. Wildebeest, zebra, springbok and |
| a great variety of habitats, wildlife and birds. | | | | gemsbok migrate here during the rainy season to |
| The area is rich in plant life and contains floodplain, | | | | take advantage of the temporary pans that form |
| grassland, baobab, mopane woodland and sandveld | | | | and then leave again once they start drying up in the |
| habitats. This is elephant country and there are so | | | | searing heat of the dry season and if the rains are |
| many of them that they cause considerable damage | | | | good thousands of migratory flamingos arrive to |
| to the vegetation in the park. | | | | breed. |
| It also has big buffalo herds (which attract lion and | | | | The primary objective in visiting this reserve is not to |
| hyena), zebra, lechwe, the chobe bushbuck and the | | | | view game because the areas they frequent during |
| rare puku antelope. Leopard and cheetah also avail | | | | the rainy season are virtually inaccessible, but to |
| themselves of the big gazelle herds and the Savuti | | | | experience the magnificent solitude and true isolation |
| channel which bisects the park is a good place to see | | | | of this location. |
| the predators. | | | | You will experience millions of stars in the night sky |
| Over 440 species of bird have been recorded here | | | | and absolute unremitting silence which is a rare thing |
| including the rare Pels fishing owl which can be | | | | in the modern world. |
| spotted at dusk and small flocks of African skimmers | | | | |