A Botswana Safari Holiday - See the Greatest Wildlife Sanctuary on Earth

Botswana is bordered by Namibia to the west and north and Zimbabwe to the northeast. The most magnificent feature about Botswana is the Okavango Delta which is a lush beautiful oasis which lies right in the midst of this sun-baked, arid land and is considered to be the greatest wildlife sanctuary on the face of the earth.

On a Botswana safari holiday, looking down from above the Okavango Delta you would see a mosaic of water-lily lagoons, beautiful clear waterways, lakes, hidden channels, lush green islands and islets of various sizes. The waters, open grasslands and forest glades are teeming with many varieties of wildlife including over 400 species of birds and over 70 species of fish. The Delta is a permanent and seasonal home to an estimated 200,000 species of large mammals such as the African bush elephant, African buffalo, hippopotamus, giraffe, lion, cheetah, blue wildebeest, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros, warthog, zebra, cheetah, spotted hyena, endangered African wild dog and many more. The lechwe antelope abundantly populates the Delta in numbers exceeding 60,000.

Beautiful accommodations from very modest and simple to the most luxurious camps and lodges await you in this unique and mystical place where you can find many different tours and safaris which cater to many different budgets and will provide you with an experience of a lifetime. Adventure filled activities such as game drives, bush walks tracking big game on foot, poled rides on a mokoro (dugout canoe) through lagoons crammed with hippos, relaxing fishing excursions and much more will give you an up close and personal view of this spectacular ecosystem and safari paradise.

Botswana is not a self-guided destination as you will need experienced guides due to the raw natural surroundings and the hundreds of wild animals that grace this land. Big game safaris can be short intensive safari experiences or much longer slow-paced safaris. During your Botswana Safari holiday you won't want to miss an Elephant Encounter. Chobe National Park, located in northwest Botswana, contains the hugest population of Kalahari elephants. This is an incredible place to witness first hand how remarkable these creatures truly are. In addition to the Delta you won't want to miss all of the other magnificent features that Botswana offers such as the Moremi Game Reserve, Kalahari Desert, and one of the most important wetland sites in Africa, the Makgadikgadi.

In addition to spectacular sightseeing, shopping in Botswana offers handcrafted jewellery, textiles, woodcarvings and baskets. Villages in the Okavango Delta are famous for their Ngamiland-style baskets. Modern bushman art and ostrich-eggshell jewellery is also popular among tourists.

A Botswana Safari holiday will provide you with the greatest experience imaginable. Just seeing this wildlife sanctuary in all of its raw beauty and the magnificence of its inhabitants will give you an adventure that you will talk about for years to come and want to share with family and friends. You will love the Botswana Safari holiday so much that it's almost certain you will want to come back again.

Elliott Fraser is passionate about adventure travel tours and writes about the most fascinating and exotic locations to visit around the globe at activetravellers.com. Assimilating local travel information to help visitors find and choose the adventure travel tours that will exceed their expectations, he provides a priceless resource for active travellers of all ages. So whether you are booking your first adventure or you're a season adventure travel junkie, great information and insightful recommendations can really help you plan a trip. To learn more about Botswana or to book your Botswana safari holiday visit http://www.activetravellers.com/

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Botswana - Top 5 Things to See

Following on from my other 'Top things to See' features, here's the shortlist for the top 5 things to see in Botswana. It's a fascinating country and whilst most of the attractions listed below are focused predominantly around wildlife, there is plenty more to this stunning country if you've got the time to explore.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, home to the San Bushmen, is the largest game reserve in Botswana. It's arid conditions are often considered inhospitable; however, when the summer rains arrive in Deception Valley the plains come to life and offer visitors a fantastic safari experience. Grazing species such as gemsbok, sprinkbok and other antelope, predators such as lion and cheetah and a plethora of other wildlife are all to be found here. Some consider the game viewing in the Central Kalahari during this time to offer an experience similar to that of the migrations in nearby Tanzania and Kenya. The habitat is also a favourite for reptiles, scorpions and insects as they have been able to adapt to the erratic conditions of the area.

Learning more about the traditional San people of the Kalahari is an incredibly interesting experience and allows the visitor to find out more about how these nomadic people live side by side with their environment.

Chobe National Park

The second largest national park in Botswana, Chobe has some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife found in Africa. Probably, most famous for its huge migratory elephant population (somewhere in the region of 120,000 individuals!), the park also boasts good numbers of other animals and is also popular with migrating birds.

The Chobe National Park is diverse and has much to appeal to all visitors, with four distinct ecosystems being apparent within its boundaries. You can experience, the lush and dense forests of the Serondela by the banks of the Chobe river, the marshlands around the Savute Channel, the swamps of the Linyanti and the hot dry plains in between.

The park is a great destination all year round, although game concentrations are particularly high during the drier month, generally between April and October.

Makgadikgadi Pan

Makgadikgadi Pan started life as a large lake, but many years ago the water evaporated and left behind a glistening salt-encrusted pan. Today, this striking natural feature made up of two large salt pans, Sowa and Ntwetwe and a number of smaller pans, is thought to be the largest salt pan in the world. The Makgadikgadi Pan and surrounding nutritious grasslands are home to a large number of predators and antelope species. Huge flocks of breeding flamingos flock to the pan as do many other bird species.

Whilst the wildlife here is fascinating, it is the remoteness and uniqueness of the pan itself that is the main attraction. Sunset over the Makgadkigadi Pan is not to be missed as the changing light casts wonderful shadows against the shimmering surface of the pan and makes for some startling photographs and images to treasure.

Moremi Game Reserve

Covering the eastern side of the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve offers visitors a great mix of floodplains, forested areas and open savannah plains. Such habitat provides refuge for around 500 bird species as well as other wildlife species including leopard, giraffe, lion, cheetah, hippo, hyena and red lechwe. In addition the reserve is home to a large percentage of Africa's population of wild dogs - catching a glimpse of these endangered beautiful 'painted' creatures is certainly something special.

Taking a mokoro trip is a must here and it allows the visitor to observe wildlife from a slightly different perspective as you traverse the lagoons and channels. You can also explore in a vehicle or on foot. Visit during July to October for peak game viewing when the pan starts to dry up and wildlife focuses its attention around the permanent water.

Okavango Delta

One of the world's largest inland water systems, the Okavango Delta is a highlight for many visitors to Botswana. The deltas famous floods are created by the Angolan rains and a number of other tributaries which flow down through Namibia and into Botswana to create the watermass for which this area is famous. At peak flow, the Delta covers an area of around 16,000 km shrinking to less than 9,000km in the dry season.

The Delta is home to great animal and birdlife, including large numbers of crocodile, sitatunga, elephant and wattled crane to name but a few. Ornithologists should time their visit during the rainy season (November to May) for best bird viewing, whilst animal life is at its most prolific along the flooded areas during the May to October period when the vegetation has started to dry out.

Choose to explore the Okavango Delta in a vehicle, on foot, on elephant back or in a mokoro (a traditional type of canoe)!

Joanna French is a conservation scientist, founder of http://www.ecotravelafrica.co.uk/ and supporter of conservation and development initiatives across the world. ecoTravel Africa promotes and supports responsible travel to natural areas that helps to conserve the environment and improves the well-being of local people. ecoTravel Africa creates tailor-made itineraries for either self drive, guided or small group travel that allow the traveller to be sure that they are travelling responsibly on any budget, whilst benefiting the environment and communities that they visit.

Check out our blog at http://www.ecotravelafrica.co.uk/#/eta-blog/4553148039

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Botswana Safari for Families

Choosing a Botswana Safari for Families

Heading on a Botswana safari is an out of this world experience. Botswana is one of the most beautiful and captivating countries on the continent. Close your eyes and imagine the spell of water lilies permeating the air, the rare and elusive Sitatunga Antelope and learning the culture and custom of trance dancing. Track down wild dog on your safari, lion and the leopard and listen to them calling at night. Imagine yourself walking with habituated elephants, allowing their trunks to fall in the palm of your hand or even riding them, looking down across the Okavango Delta. Take your family on a Canoe Safaris and spend a couple of nights on an island, sleeping in a tent and spending the days walking. Or perhaps you would like to go on a private Botswana safari with the comfort of just your family and your guide in the best national parks and private concessions.

Wonderful Wildlife on Safari

The national parks in Botswana have a unique blend of magnificent wildlife, from the searing mirages of the Kalahari Desert to the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta. The Chobe National Park covers 7,270 square miles and contains an interesting variety of habitats. Chobe is notable for huge herds of buffalo and zebras, lechwe, Chobe bushbuck and being the southernmost point where puku antelope can be seen. Where there are buffalo, lions are never far away and there is a good chance of seeing large prides who laze around in the shade all day. The dry season is from May to October and the rainy season is November to March. The Moremi Game Reserve is situated north-east of Maun in the Okavango Delta and covers nearly 5000 square Kilometres. The reserve is the perfect animal kingdom and is known for animals including Buffalo, Zebra and Wildebeest. It is also home to many predators including lion, leopard, chetah and hyenas. Your Botswana safari is the perfect family destination.

Where to Stay on a Botswana safari

Your Botswana safari wouldn't be complete without the luxury accommodation. Take time to explore your options when choosing your dream stay at one of the camps or lodges. With modern designs infused with a wild edge, city and beach accommodation and fantastic food, it will feel as though your options are simply endless. Your stay in Africa will be like a stay in paradise, with the most popular national parks and reserves close by, this is your time to be amongst the wild. Home to the most beautiful creatures known to man, your Botswana safari ticks every box.

Book your Botswana Safari holiday today.

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Planning a Luxury Safari in Botswana

A Luxury Safari in Botswana

Booking a luxury safari to Botswana is the perfect setting for a romantic honeymoon or family safari. There is so much variety here, hence why so many safari enthusiasts return to Botswana year after year. Filled with some amazing opportunities including the fresh waters of the Okavango Delta, the game rich Moremi Game Reserve or the fabulous scenery of the Chobe National Park, there is so much to see on a luxury safari holiday. Nearly three quarters of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert while in the north you can find the largest wetland in the world, Okavango Delta. As well as the variety in landscapes, you can enjoy close up wildlife views of elephant, giraffe, lion, buffalo and zebra. The best way to see all the highlights of Botswana is to allow enough time for your trip and combine the different areas, depending on your interests.

Safari Regions in Botswana

The Chobe National Park is a great place to enjoy a luxury safari in Botswana thanks to the huge variety of scenery and wildlife. This park was Botswana's first national park and is most famous for its elephant population currently estimated at around 120,000. Chobe is split into four distinct eco- systems - Serondela area, Linyanti Swamps, the Savuti Marsh and a hot and dry hinterland. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in the Kalahari Desert. A permanent and seasonal home to a diversity of wildlife, the delta welcomes thousands of elephant, buffalo, giraffe and zebra as well as the big cats including lion, leopard and cheetah. The Moremi Game Reserve covers almost 20% of the Delta and supports habitats from dry woodlands and savannah to permanent wetland and lagoons. Buffalo, giraffe, lion, wild dog, hyena and jackal can all be spotted on the floodplains as well as an abundance of birdlife with almost 500 species. Other key safari regions include the Makgadikgadi Saltplans, the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and Nxai Pan National Park.

Accommodation on a Luxury Safari in Botswana

There are all types of accommodation in Botswana catering for couples on honeymoons to large groups and families. A luxury safari brings with it a number of exclusive lodges and unique camps with fantastic game viewing areas in beautiful surroundings. These luxury and private settings offer everything from modern and spacious bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, hand crafted furniture and swimming pools. With comfortable and quality accommodation in Botswana, you'll find everything you need for a memorable luxury safari holiday.

Plan your Luxury Safari in Botswana here.

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