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Botswana
Riding tours:
Okavango Delta Safari
Mashatu Riding Safari
Explorer Big Five Safari
Great game herds still roam here in tremendous numbers. The country has not
been touched by the political problems and poaching, which have plagued so much
of the continent. Botswana is a country the size of Kenya with only 5 % the
population and a prosperous economy.
The Okavango River is the third largest of Africa. It rises in Angola and
empties - not into the ocean, but into the Kalahari Desert, turning a huge area
into an amazingly prolific wildlife sanctuary.
You will be able to see most of the incomparable animals Africa is so famous
for: hippopotamus, elephant, giraffe, zebra, antelope, impala, cape buffalo,
hyena, and over 600 different types of birds.
The Okavango Delta is Africa's last frontier
It is possible to spot 100-200 different birds within a few days. After the
rainy season, when the delta is flooded, you will wade across river channels
from island to island. There are some good opportunities for trots and canters
in the drier areas around the flood plain. Your hosts are exceptionally
accommodating and knowledgeable. You will stay at very comfortable British-style
safari camps and begin each day with a sunrise ride to the animals' favorite
resting-places.
 Botswana
... we intend to conserve our resources wisely and not destroy them. Those of us
who happen to live in Botswana in the 20th century are no more important than
our descendants in centuries to come.
--- Hon Sir QKI Masire, President of Botswana.
Botswana is one of the few
remaining destinations in Africa that still provides a good sense of the
adventure of safari. Its expansive game parks and preserves, while offering
wildlife as diverse and abundant as that found anywhere else, are still largely
undeveloped and untamed.
Location,
Geography & Climate
Botswana lies immediately to the north of South Africa. It is bordered on the
north and west by Namibia, on the north and east by Zimbabwe, and is connected
by a narrow strip of land on the northern border to Zambia. Its territory
consists almost entirely of a broad, flat, arid subtropical plateau, though
there are hills in the eastern part of the country.
In the northwest, the Okavango River empties into the Kalahari sands,
creating the largest inland river delta in the world. While the Okavango Delta
is home to relatively few large game animals in comparison to other areas of
Botswana, its clear waters and myriad small islands are home to an astounding
variety of birds, plants, and smaller species of animals. Nearby is Chobe
National Park, a beautiful grassland reserve that has gained international fame
for its abundant elephant population. Southeast of Chobe are Botswana's enormous
Makgadikgadi salt pans, home to large herds of blue wildebeest, several antelope
species, and those international lovers of salt pans, flamingos.
Almost the entire remaining portion of the country is covered by the Kalahari
Desert--a varied environment of sand, savanna, and grassland. Although this area
of Botswana is only sparsely inhabited by humans, it is one of the richest
wildlife regions in all of Africa. Botswana's two largest parks, the Central
Kalahari Game reserve and Gemsbok National Park, are found in this region.
Botswana's climate can get rather cool, particularly during the dry winter
months of June-August when night occasionally brings frost. The rainy summer
months (December through March) are best avoided for those interested in
enjoying the best game viewing conditions.
History & People
The aboriginal inhabitants of Botswana, who have made the Kalahari their home
for at least 30,000 years, are the San, or bushmen. The San number about 60,000
today, constituting a small but fascinating cultural minority in the country.
Almost two millennia ago, a Bantu people known as the Tswana arrived,
supplanting the San and now constituting the great majority of the population.
The discovery of gold in Botswana in the late 19th century attracted the
interest of the Boers, leading the fiercely independent but desperate Tswana
nations to petition the British for protection.
Botswana was granted protectorate status (as Bechuanaland) in 1885, though
local authority was maintained with determination by the Tswana chiefs. In 1966,
in the same wave of change that brought independence to much of the continent,
Bechuanaland became the independent Republic of Botswana.
The very next year, the discovery of enormous diamond reserves in Botswana
transformed the poor country's economic prospects. Today it enjoys one of the
highest economic growth rates of any country in the world, although its national
wealth has not solved the problem of widespread unemployment.
Exploring Botswana
Okavango Delta
This extensive inland river delta is one of the most pleasurable sites on
the continent for safari. Travel is typically by small boats or even dugout
canoe, providing a level of tranquility that is difficult to attain in a
landrover. Okavango is home to elephant, zebra, giraffe, and other large game
species, but the park's true strength is in its abundance of birds, plant life,
and sheer poetic beauty. Hippos and crocodiles are quite common in Okavango, as
one might expect. The fishing is also excellent, particularly in the
northwestern section.
Moremi Wildlife
Reserve
Located in the northeastern portion of the Okavango
Delta, Moremi combines the attractions of the delta with more solid terrain. The
result is an outstanding reserve that includes a wide variety of ecosystems and
a commensurate diversity of wildlife.
Chobe National Park
Chobe is Botswana's best big game park. Located conveniently to Victoria Falls,
it covers an area of over 4000 sq. miles (10,000 sq. km) and is positively
packed with creatures. Chobe is especially well-known for its immense elephant
population (over 70,000), and it is not uncommon to encounter herds in excess of
a hundred. The park's north and northwest border is marked by the Chobe River,
and the river's popularity as a water source has made game viewing by boat a
particular attraction.
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