"Our time in the Okavango was magnificent ... we saw a great range of wildlife: zebra, giraffe, elephant, leopard, cheetah, wildebeast, warthogs, impala, kudu, hyena, hippos, wild cat, cervil, cave buffalo, mongoose, fox to name the notables.
The bird life was also amazing ...
Comment from Lise & Geof, USA
Botswana, though a relatively small country, has an exotic and diverse landscape and virtually all varieties of african wildlife. Lions, elephants, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles share the space with many antelope species, as well as many other smaller animals, including warthogs, mongooses, spotted genets, monkeys, bush babies and tree squirrels.
It has a low population and it's wilderness areas are relatively unmarred by development, yet it has tourist destinations ranging from world-class luxury to "down-to-earth" camping sites.
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is the Earth's largest freshwater delta. Instead of flowing into the sea, the annual flood flows inland, spreading over 15 000km² of the Kalahari sand, forming a maze of lagoons and channels.
The countless beautiful islands that are created by its waterways give rise to several diverse ecosystems, which in turn are home to vast numbers of game and a myriad of bird species. The crystal clear waters support many kinds of fish and the area is a birder’s paradise.
The heart of the delta can be accessed only by air or Mokoro. Since it is an exclusive destination, it remains wild and relatively unpopulated.
Depending on the time of the year and your priorities, African Essence will advise and book the most suitable journey into the Okavango area.
LOW SEASON: Dec, January & February. Prices are at their lowest and so are the numbers of other tourists! Some rain can be expected.
SHOULDER SEASON: Sept - Nov and March - May. Prices are reasonable, temperatures are moderate to hot and there is less rain.
HIGH SEASON: During Botswana's dry winter months of June, July and August, when the delta swells to three times its normal size and attracts animals from miles around, creating one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. nights are cool to cold, days are generally warm to hot
Makgadikgadi Pans
To the south east of the Okavango Delta is an area of desert with several large salt pans covering 6,200 sq mi (16,057.9 km2). The largest being the Sua (Sowa), Ntwetwe and Nxai Pans.
Highlights of a visit could include getting upclose & friendly with habituated meerkats in the wild, prehistoric stone implements, beautiful baobabs, incredible sunsets, sunrises, full moons, luxury sleep-outs under the stars (dry season) and the migration of wildebeest, Africa's largest zebra population and the predators that follow them (after rain).
It is possible to visit this unusual and fascinating part of the world in some surprising and comfortable yet surreal ways... from camping to luxury sleep-outs, luxury tents or Bakalanga huts.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park, in northwest Botswana, has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. It is the most diverse park comprising the Chobe riverfront. Savuti and Linyanti marsh areas.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 km² making it the second largest game reserve in the world.
The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu and red hartebeest.
The land is mostly flat, and gently undulating covered with bush and grasses covering the sand dunes, and areas of larger trees. Many of the river valleys are fossilized with salt pans. Four fossilized rivers meander through the reserve including Deception Valley which began to form around 16,000 years ago.
The Bushmen, or San, have inhabited the lands for thousands of years since they roamed the area as nomadic hunters.
However, since the mid-1990s the Botswanan government has tried to relocate the Bushmen from the reserve claiming it is a drain on financial resources despite revenues increasing by tourism to the reserve. In 1997, three quarters of the entire San population were relocated from the reserve, and in October 2005 the government had resumed the forced relocation into resettlement camps outside of the park leaving only about 250 permanent occupiers. But in 2006 a Botswanan court proclaimed the eviction illegal by allowing people to return in Central Kalahari Game Reserve. (Information from Wikipedia.)
San/Bushmen of Botswana
It is possible to visit the San/Bushmen of the Kalahari and their sacred areas in western Botswana in a meaningful and respectful way. The areas visited include - Ghansi & D'Kar,
Tsodillo hills and
Xai-xai.
This page is still under construction.