Destinations
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park in northern Botswana, has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. It borders the Chobe River in the north down to the Savute Channel and beyond, to the far western reaches of the Moremi Game Reserve and the Delta itself.
Chobe is best known for its concentrations of elephant – estimated to be over 120,000 and it comprises of elements of what is widely believed to the 'largest surviving continuous elephant population'.
The Chobe Riverfront is the most popular area of the Chobe National Park; it stretches for miles, along the Caprivi Strip. The Chobe River is home to countless numbers of Hippo's and Crocodiles, and a boat cruise down this stretch offers excellent game viewing as animals come down to drink at the water's edge.
The Chobe National Park in Botswana is not far from Victoria Falls, so safaris between Chobe and Vic Falls are easily combined.
Wildlife:
Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena
Giraffe, hippo, crocs, zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog, eland, jackal, bat-eared fox, African wild dog.
Birdlife:
Specials of Chobe include: Western banded snake eagle, pennant-winged nightjar, racket-tailed roller, collared palm thrush, swamp boubou, coppery sunbird, brown firefinch, broad-tailed paradise whydah, golden-backed pytilia, slaty egret, rufous-bellied heron, pink-throated longclaw, chirping cisticola, luapula cisticola, greater swamp warbler, white-crowned plover, African skimmer, pygmy goose, rock pratincole, African finfoot, half-collared kingfisher and white-backed night heron.
Savuti :
Situated along the Savuti Channel and in the Chobe National Park, Savuti is well renowned for its majestic pride of lions that can be seen near water holes in the marshland areas where they are known to hunt and stalk prey. Preying on anything from Giraffes, Buffalo, Zebras and even Elephants these fearless predators are one of the main attractions in the Savuti area.
Not to be outdone are the Leopards that can also be seen concealed in the rocky outcrops of Savuti as well as the surrounding marshy bushes where their stealth and keen stalking sense has earned them the title of the ultimate stealth stalkers of the African Wilderness.
Apart from these natural predators, and other wildlife in the area, a feature is the extraordinary dolomite rock outcrops of the Gubatsa Hills that feature scattered rock paintings
Wildlife: An abundance of birdlife, old elephant bulls, lions and hyenas, leopards and numerous grazing animals including zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, tsessebe and kudu. Honey badgers are also common around the campsites.
Moremi Wildlife Reserve
Moremi Wildlife reserve is situated in the eastern reaches of Okavongo (close to Maun) and has become known as a prime destination in Botswana and regarded as the most beautiful.
Comprising of an area of 5000 sq km and featuring stunning landscape of forests, lagoons, floodplains and islands, it occupies a third of one of Africa’s most famous deltas - the Okavango Delta.
The canopy of woodland area created by the Mopane trees lends itself to a unique atmosphere in this area.
Wildlife: Elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion, eland, kudu, roan antelope, red lechwe, jackal, cheetah, leopard, African wild dog, over 400 species of birds including the famous fish eagle
Khwai Concession
The Khwai Concession is a large area dominated by Mopane forests on the north eastern edge of the Okavango Delta.
As a privately managed concession Khwai gives you access to unrestricted game viewing, night drives that will give you a glimpse into the marvels of wildlife at might. This surely has to be among the destinations of choice due to the flexibility of its tours. It is totally undeveloped and is Africa “as it was”. There are camps situated along the wet lands adjacent to the Khwai River that also offers breathtaking sunsets. Campsites that we frequent are: Xaxanaxa, Third Bridge, Mboma and Khwai.
Wildlife:
Roan and Sable Antelope which are relatively rare. You may possibly see Kudu, Tsessebe, Wildebeest and Zebra. Huge herds of migrating Elephants, Lion, Spotted Hyena and African Wild Dogs
Good variety of birds and during the summer months migratory birds also come through. You may see Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Senegal Coucals and Long Toed Lapwings.
Tsodilo Hills
Over 4500 rock paintings, many executed by the San people. One of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, now a World Heritage Site.
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Situated in the north east of Botswana are huge salt pans visible from space – the remnants of the super lake dried up thousands of years ago, leaving crystalline salts glittering on the pans.
It is a national park because of the uniqueness of the landscape rather than its wildlife and is a chance to experience the sheer scale and vastness of the Kalahari.
One of the most popular destinations on the Makgadikgadi is Kubu island, a rocky outcrop near the south-western shore of Sowa pan.
This crescent-shaped island is about one kilometre long, and its slopes are littered with fossil beaches of rounded pebbles, an indication of the prehistoric lake’s former water levels. Many rocks on the island are covered in fossilised guano, from the water birds that once perched here.
Fantastically shaped baobabs perch on the island, and they are surrounded by the white salt surface of the pan, making for a unique otherworldly atmosphere
Very little wildlife can exist here during the harsh dry season of strong hot winds and only salt water, but following a rain the pan becomes an important habitat for migrating animals including wildebeest and one of Africa’s biggest zebra populations, and the large predators that prey on them. The wet season also brings migratory birds such as ducks, geese and Great White Pelicans. The pan is home of one of only two breeding populations of Greater Flamingos in southern Africa, and only on the Soa pan, which is part of the Makgadikgadi pans.
Wildlife: Eland, lions, zebras, cheetah, gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest, bushbuck, giraffe, steenbok, elephants and migratory birds
Nxai Pan National Park
Linked to Makgadigadi Pan National Park and as its name suggests, a large salt pan
Wildlife: Zebra, wildebeest, springbok, impala, gemsbok, hartebeest, giraffe, lion, cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, bateared fox, and sometimes elephant and buffalo.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve:
The world’s second largest reserve in the world, covering 52,800sqkm, characterized by salt pans, vast open plains, shrubs, and other species of trees.
Herds of springbok, gemsbok, eland, giraffe, wildebeest, hartebeest, lions, are found here.
Deception Valley, in its northern reaches, is an ancient riverbed which, after good rains, attracts sizeable wildlife populations.
Experience the ancient culture of the Sans Bushmen
Wildlife: oryx, springbok, Lions, Leopards, Jackals and Cheetahs
Khutse Game Reserve
This is popular with visitors because it is close to Gaborone (210km), but the wildlife viewing is underwhelming.
Well positioned on the southern tip of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
It is renowned for its vast savannah area where there is water in 3 designated areas, which are manmade waterholes. Home to predators such as Lion, Cheetah, Leopard and Wild Dogs. The dessert antelope namely the magnificent Gemsbok and Springbok amongst other species are abundantly inhabiting this region. Summer rainy month’s sees this area transform into an oasis with pans filled with water bring abundance bird life.
Kgakaladi Frontier Park
The first of the new ‘peace parks’. It straddles the Botswana and South African frontiers in the extreme southwest of Botswana. Famous for its red sands and black maned lions, amongst all other predators and antelopes surviving on the waterless region.
Other places include: Xakanaka, Linyanti, Nxai Pan (Baines Baobabs), Lekhubu Island, Kasane, Maun, Mabuasehube Game Reserve,Tsodilo Hills, Lake Ngami, Kubu Island, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Nata Bird Sanctuary, Victoria Falls, Kuru Dance, Khawa, etc
Getting Here
Fly into Gaborone airport