Botswana is a landlocked African country, almost the size of Texas. Yet it has the Kalahari Desert, one of the largest inland delta regions in the Okavango Delta and the Savannah, not to mention the Makgadikgadi Pan, the salt flats. It enjoys one of the highest numbers of tourists in Africa due to its diverse landscape and some of the best game in its world class reserves and national parks. The camps available in the Botswana Game Reserves can range from the ultimate in luxury, the comfortably classic camps, the rugged conditions of an adventurer’s camp and the truly exciting Wilderness camps where you can experience raw nature at its best. Unlike many other game reserves, the Botswana game reserves offer the tourist the choice of enjoying the great wilderness from the land, water – in a dugout canoe in the Okavango Delta during the rains – or by air.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Situated in the Ghanzi District, right in the heart of the Great Kalahari Desert, this game reserve is the second largest in the world in sheer size. It offers visitors big game like cheetah, leopard, lion, giraffe, hyena, wild dog, warthog, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, gemsbok and kudu. If you just want to enjoy the wildlife, you can take the photographic safari. The salt flats of Botswana were immortalized by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and his cohorts.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (Creative Commons)
The Chobe National Park
Located in the north-western part of the country, the Chobe National Park is the first national park of Botswana and although it’s smaller than the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Gemsbok National Park, it has the largest population of the African elephant in the world. It is also one of the few places where you can see the endangered African Wild Dog in its natural habitat.
An elephant safari in Botswana (Creative Commons)
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The KgalagadiTransfrontier Park is situated in the shared border between Botswana and South Africa, and it’s actually called the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. It is a wildlife preserve and conservation area, for endangered flora and fauna. Botswana safaris are one of the best ways for you to take advantage of these incredible parks!
The Okavango Delta
During the rains, the Chobe River turns the entire region into a delta area, full of waterways and canals. Tourists can enjoy the lush greenery and the wildlife, including many species of birds, from a dugout canoe during the rains in the Okavango Delta. There are also separate sanctuaries for rhinoceros and flamingos, which you can visit, while on a safari in Botswana.
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