Botswana

PARADISE FOUND...

This UNESCO World Heritage Site has become legendary the world over for being an African paradise filled with wildlife. Formed by the Okavango River emptying its waters into the vast thirstlands of the Kalahari Desert, this 5,800 square mile wetland is home to some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, among them the iconic Big Five - leopard, lion, buffalo, rhino and elephant.

The waters of the Delta are seasonal and its annual inundation, fed by rains in Angola, takes place between March and June each year, peaking in July - the height of Botswana's dry, winter season. The flood brings with it huge herds of elephant and buffalo as well as plains game, all of which migrate to take advantage of the life-bringing water.

This is how what would otherwise be a parched desert becomes one of the most biodiverse wetlands in Africa, filled to the brim with life, its huge skies, lush and verdant islands and endless channels, lagoons and waterways a haven for animal species of every kind. 

The Delta is also where you'll find some of the most luxurious and renowned safari camps and lodges in Africa, putting it top of safari bucket lists the world over.



DESERT DREAMING

The world's largest salt pans, covering a vast area of some 6,200 square miles, the Makgadikgadi Pans are a sight to behold, especially when the wet season fills them with rain, attracting huge flocks of flamingos and pelicans and enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra who migrate here each summer during the annual rains. 

Interrupted by swathes of sandy desert, rocky islands strewn with gigantic, twisted baobab trees and patches of sparsely vegetated scrub, the Makgadikgadi is quite simply breathtaking. The dry, winter season (May to September) brings with it the chance to explore on horseback and quadbikes and enjoy sleepouts under the velvet African night sky dotted with a billion stars. 

This is the home of specially adapted desert species like meerkats, brown hyena, aardvarks and gemsbok to name but a few, with elephant, lion, leopard and spotted hyena occasionally seen too.

A WETLAND WONDER

Where the Chobe River rushes to meet the mighty Zambezi lays one of southern Africa's most legendary national parks with some of the highest densities of game on the continent. 

Chobe is quite simply breathtaking, with the river it's named after forming its northern border - a wide, snaking perennial waterway that brings life to the north of Botswana, creating swamplands, marshes and wide, lush river banks and islands. 

The Chobe begins its life in the highlands of Angola where it is called the Kwando, running through the Kalahari sands before reaching Botswana where it becomes known as the Linyanti, before finally transitioning into the Chobe at Ngoma, the border post with neighbouring Namibia. 

Renowned for its river activities, from sundowner cruises to boat-based birding and photographic safaris, Chobe is home to Africa's largest elephant and buffalo herds and an abundance of birdlife. Its proximity to Zimbabwe and Zambia and the Victoria Falls makes it a pivotal point for southern African safaris.

ANCIENT FLOODPLAINS

The marshlands, swamps and waterways created as the Linyanti/Chobe river passes through the far north of Botswana have become legends in their own right, thanks to their abundant wildlife and beautiful landscapes. This is where you'll find the Linyanti swamps and Savute marshes and the awe-inspiring Selinda Spillway, an ancient waterway linking the Okavango Delta with the Linyanti.

The floodplains around this area are some of the most game-rich in Africa with some of the lowest numbers of visitors to match, creating an exclusivity which adds to the incredible experience offered by these remote and wonderfully wild wilderness areas.

This is the home of legendary lion prides, exceptional packs of painted wolves (African wild dogs), leopard and cheetah, hyena, jackal and caracal. Add to these iconic species a spectacular array of plains game, hippo, crocodile and exceptional birdlife and some truly world-class safari lodges and camps and you begin to understand why the "Great North" has its own, unique appeal.