Top Botswana Safari Attractions

There is much to see and do in Botswana and tourism mainly centres around its numerous national parks and natural vistas.

The Republic of Botswana is a relatively small landlocked country of around two million people and most of its area is taken up by the Kalahari Desert. This is worth seeing in itself as it is the oldest desert on the planet and has seen many incredible geological shifts over the centuries. The Kalahari Desert is part of a wider area of the Kalahari Basin which is more than five times the size of Texas and spreads across the neighbouring African countries. The fact that the area is so old and has been unchanged for many millennia accounts for the great array of wildlife. In fact you can find more species of tree in Botswana alone than in the whole of Europe. Even the desert comes alive with all sorts of grasses and wild flowers after the rains.

The five best Botswana Safari destinations

1)  The Okavango Delta is one of the most diverse natural areas in Botswana. This vast area of inland water can be transversed during your safari using the traditional boats made by the Mokoros tribe. Within the Okavango Delta is Lake Makgadikgadi. It was once served by numerous different rivers but eventually began to shrink. After the Okavango Delta was blocked a huge delta was created and this in turn led to a giant area of salt pans the size of Switzerland.

2)  The Moremi Game Reserve is located to the east of the Okavango Delta. It has lagoons which are great for bird watching and areas of savannah which you can drive through with a four by four vehicle. If you are really lucky you may see a leopard in one of the shady areas of forest which lie nearby. The national park was named after a tribal chief. The sense of local pride is important here and one of the main attractions is Chief’s Island.

3)  The Chobe national park is the third largest game park in Botswana and has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife on the continent. To the northwest is an area of marshland by the Linyanti River which attracts many animals such as hippopotamuses and crocodiles. The Nogatsaa grass woodland area nearby is home to elands, the largest of the African antelopes. The Sauvti marsh attracts migratory animals and predators and is the place to see everything from packs of lions to herds of zebras. The Serondela area is excellent for seeing birds as well as large animals such as elephants and giraffes.

4)  To find out more about the culture and ancestry of Botswana see more than four and a half thousand cave paintings at Tsodilo Hills. The importance of preserving the area was recognised by granting it UNESCO World Heritage status.

5)  The Central Kalahari Game reserve is the second biggest game reserve in the world and no trip to Botswana would be complete without seeing it. It contains a kaleidoscope of wild animal varieties from the Red hartebeest to the Brown hyena and the Blue wildebeest.

Combine your honeymoon with a Botswana Safari

You can combine a trip to the wildlife reserves on a Botswana safari with some of the world’s most romantic activities. Just a short plane flight away is the Victoria Falls, the Seychelles and the Maldives, all of which are considered top honeymoon destinations. For an unforgettable memory in Botswana itself why not take a hot air balloon across the game reserves? Ask your safari organiser about various honeymoon packages.