Botswana

SPECIAL OFFER - 33% DISCOUNT

3 nights in the Kalahari Desert, 2 nights in the Okavango Delta (Xigera or Jacana), 2 nights near Kwando (Nambia), 1 night near Victoria Falls (Zambia) - includes all local flights, all accommodation, and all game viewing

VALID for travel until 31 May 09 and in November 2009

Botswana lies landlocked at the heart of Southern Africa, bordering Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its 600,000 square kilometres consist mainly of the Kalahari Desert and are home to just 1.8 million people. And yet, despite the predominance of arid land, Botswana offers visitors a chance to see one of the most amazing phenomenon on the African continent; the Okavango Delta – the jewel of the Kalahari.

A shimmering green and blue wetland, the Okavango Delta, considered by many to be Africa’s most incredible wildlife and wilderness sanctuary, is the result of a subtle shift in tectonics, which has created the only delta in the world that does not flow into the sea, instead draining into the desert many hundreds of kilometres from the coast.  Every year, beginning in May, the floodwaters from Angola flow into Botswana, bringing new life to the region.

Flying over the delta is a surreal experience. Flat as far as the eye can see, the shimmering blue of the waterlogged plains is broken by raised tree covered islands banded by thick green reeds, creating artistic swirls and circles. The water is so clear that it is possible to see all the way through to the white sands of the Kalahari on the bottom.

But Botswana is more than just the Okavango Delta, for there are also many other varied habitats ranging from marshes and riverine forests to dry woodlands and grassland of the Linyanti and Selinda regions to the well known Chobe National Park, which stretches north-eastwards to the junction of Zambia and Zimbabwe and one of the greatest natural wonders of the world; Victoria Falls.

Safaris in Botswana
If you head south from the Okavango Delta a wilderness experience that will truly stun you awaits, as you head into the heart of the Kalahari Desert. From above its flat, featureless surface appears in places as a barren moonscape but in fact it is not truly a desert but an arid savannah with diverse ecosystems at its edge, home to a diverse range of plants and animals that have successfully adapted to the harsh environment.

To the north-east, grass and palm covered islands and isolated baobab trees bound the shores of an ancient “superlake” covering some 80,000 square kilometres in extent that dried up some 20,000 years ago, leaving behind a sun-baked, salt laden sandy crust, now known as the Makgadigadi Pans. These stretch endlessly, blinding white and as flat as a board to the ruler straight horizon. Not a creature lives here in the dry season, but the pans come to life in February as the rains arrive transforming the region into one of the most important wetland sites in Africa, as huge herds of zebra and gigantic flocks of greater and less flamingos arrive.

Botswana can be combined with Mozambique

Climate and When to Go
Temperature (ºC). These are the average lows and highs

Rainfall (mm)
Average rainfall but will vary according to where you are in Botswana

Botswana is an excellent all year round destination with superb game viewing to be had. The Kalahari Desert comes alive in February and March, whilst the Okavango Delta floods annually between May and August, which coincides with Botswana’s winter, so nights can be cold. November can see some huge herds of elephants moving towards the Chobe National Park.

Travel Tips
Botswana is a year round safari destination although April to October is arguably the best time.

The Kalahari Desert blossoms in February to April when some exceptional wildlife viewing can be had.

The flood waters in the Okavango Delta usually peak in late July although the flood starts as early as May.

The best birding is from December to May.

Botswana is an excellent destination for a family safari and combines easily with Namibia and South Africa.

Further reading
Okavango: Wetland Wilderness - Adrian Bailey
Chobe: Africa’s Untamed Wilderness - Daryl Balfour
This is Botswana - Daryl Balfour
Botswana: A Brush with the Wild - Paul Augustinus.
Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa & Common Birds of Botswana - Ken Newman
The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals - Jonathan Kingdon
Guide to the Trees & Shrubs of the Okavango Delta - Veronica Roodt
Guide to the Wildflowers of the Okavango Delta - Veronica Roodt
Wild About the Okavango - Duncan Butchart
Botswana - The Bradt Travel Guide - Christ McIntyre