5 June 2024
Botswana is one of the most desirable safari destinations in Africa, and in this article we highlight seven reasons you should choose the country for such a vacation.
Waterways, vast desert pans, and dense forests are alive with wildlife, presenting an opportunity to discover Botswana’s fascinating topography and treasures. The diverse landscape lends itself to drama and the range of options means the Botswana safari circuit is ideal for mix-and-match game escapes.
Here, explore the reasons to consider Botswana for a safari.
1. Land camps versus water camps
Botswana offers visitors the opportunity to stay in land-only or water-only camps, providing the chance to enhance your overall experience by combining both options.
Some parts of Botswana are more suited to land-only safaris, during which game-viewing activities take place in a 4×4 vehicle as you traverse savannahs and forests. Discover lodges and camps that offer walking safaris or night drives in their private concession, adding to the thrill of any safari.
Water camps, located along the Okavango Delta, are accessible only by plane or tender boat. Game viewing is by mokoro, a dug-out canoe, or tender boats warbling down the river.
2. Fly-in Safaris
A fly-in safari is a luxurious way in which to conduct an African wildlife adventure and Botswana’s topography and dramatic destinations lend themselves perfectly to this style of trip.
Imagine moving from one exquisite lodge or camp to another in a short flight, your day on safari seemingly uninterrupted as your wildlife adventure soars above open plains, forests, and water.
The moment you land, your pilot will whisk you away to your first destination. Lodge hops may have you stopping at various airstrips along the way, an opportunity to experience so much more of this incredible country than if you were transferring on long, dusty roads every couple of days.
3. A diverse Safari landscape
Botswana is renowned for the Okavango Delta, the dramatic dry salt pans of the Makgadigadi, and the famous Chobe National Park along the river of the same name.
Add to the mix the lush swamps of the Linyanti and the grasslands of the Savute, and you have an irresistible safari destination. Open Savannahs roll into forested swampland and dusty game reserves turn muddy from nearby waters.
Game-viewing activities can be conducted on water or land, as the diverse landscape presents breathtaking scenery, adventurous terrain, and exceptional sunsets.
The diverse landscapes of Botswana directly create and affect the wildlife found in each area.
4. Mobile camping experience
Whether your accommodation is in the form of luxury tents or modest canvas dome rooms, a mobile camping experience is a unique way to explore the national parks and reserves of Botswana.
Get up close and personal with wildlife in parks such as Chobe National Park or the Moremi Game Reserve, as you set yourself up for a night of under-the-stars dining in a remote location.
Enjoy exploring Botswana in simple style and comfort, moving every few days to ensure your footprints are the only thing you leave behind. Your tented accommodation is minimally furnished, which makes packing up and moving easy.
5. Wildlife by Waterways
Discover the magic of the Okavango Delta as you glide across the water in a mokoro or enjoy a small boat adventure along the Chobe River, your lush surroundings opening a world of adventure to you.
As the water below and around you gives way to reeds and rocky banks, wildlife can be spotted standing tall above the greenery or crouched behind a tree. Smaller creatures such as frogs and birds fill the space as you pass by, providing up-close-and-personal encounters.
Viewing animals from the water gives you the chance to navigate through areas that may not necessarily be accessible to those visitors traveling in 4×4 vehicles.
6. A Photographer’s dream
It is said that Botswana’s colourful and contoured landscape provides the ultimate backdrop for photographers to create magic.
The combination of huge wildlife numbers, especially elephants, and because the region is less crowded than other well-known safari destinations, makes embarking on a photographic safari here popular.
Photographers have the option to take snapshots from specially-fitted 4×4 game-drive vehicles or adapted tender boats along the rivers, channels, or salt pans of national parks and reserves.
7. Wonderful extension options
Botswana’s safari circuit combines well with bordering Southern African destinations and nearby island escapes, enhancing one’s overall adventure with breathtaking scenery, thrilling adventure activities, and culture.
You can include Botswana in any Southern African itinerary. The famous Victoria Falls lie just over the border, while Maun is the gateway to many vacation highlights.
In just over two hours, Cape Town is yours to explore, or compare color and texture with a visit to Namibia, connecting two very different worlds and experiences.
An island getaway is easily added to your Botswana safari, perhaps with a night in Johannesburg first, making it an excellent destination for a beach and bush combination.
Source: https://www.zicasso.com/a/africa/botswana/reasons-to-choose-for-your-safari
