Botswana

Defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta that are largely unspoiled animal habitats during the seasonal floods. Botswana is home to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes and extraordinary wildlife in Africa. With one of the lowest population densities on the planet, Botswana is one of the leading luxury safari destinations to witness the Big Five. It provides every ingredient for the perfect classic African Safari experience.

This is a destination that offers exceptional adventures for every generation and age, romantic breaks for honeymooners or private couples, or just pure safari enthusiasts that are in search for the best wildlife viewing on the African continent. In Botswana, visitor numbers are strictly regulated to ensure that vast tracts of the protected wilderness which collectively account for 20% of the country’s landmass, remain in pristine condition. This provides you with the most authentic safari experience and a promise of real adventure. Botswana is primarily made up of the harsh salt pans and the luscious inland delta system of the Okavango River. This delta system creates unique individual ecosystems, or concessions, that allow for some of the best wildlife holidays in Africa.

Get a bird’s eye view of the Okavango by helicopter - one of the best ways to view this spectacular landscape and get pictures from the ample wildlife or landscapes. Water is life in Botswana. As the floodwaters ebb and flow, they provide unforgettable opportunities to discover the wilderness from an entirely new perspective. An experience unique to the Delta is a morning spent gliding along flooded channels by mokoro, the dugout canoe used by generations for transport in a region where there are many more rivers than roads. Experience Africa at its most raw, and most remarkable, ascend to the top of the “baobab” for an unforgettable night’s sleep in the tree house of your dreams.

Head to the Makgadikgadi Pans which is full of elusive species and desert-adapted animals and the perfect complement to Botswana’s traditionally game-rich areas, like the Khwai Private Reserve and the Okavango Delta. Throughout Botswana’s parks and reserves you can find nearly every mammal species that resides in southern Africa. Huge elephant herds reside in Chobe National Park and beyond, healthy prides of lions, lonesome leopards and slender cheetahs inhabit a plethora of private reserves, cheeky meerkats scatter playfully in the Makgadikgadi Pans, and herds of wildebeest and zebra graze the grasslands. The brown hyena is a symbol of what’s to come in the Makgadikgadi. There are only 8000 of these special hunters left in the world, and there are not many other places you will encounter one.

Botswana combines perfectly with other destinations on the continent such as Namibia, South Africa or Zimbabwe, or alternatively similarly high profile beach getaways such as the Seychelles.