BOTSWANA SAFARI

Shaped like a fan, the Okavango delta is a large inland delta, fed by the Okavango (Kavango) River, the third largest river in Africa, which flows from the Angolan highlands, across Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and into the harsh Kalahari Desert.
The delta covers over 15,000 square kilometers of Kalahari Desert in Northern Botswana.
Produced by seasonal flooding, just as the waters from Botswana’s summer rains disappear during April and May, the floodwaters begin their journey through Kalahari sands.
The floods peak during Botswana’s winter months between June and August, and the delta swells up to three times its size. This attracts animals from nearby creating the delta one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
Okavango is divided in three geographical areas, the Panhandle, Delta and the dryland.
The Panhandle, begins at the Okavango’s northern side of the delta, extending for approximately 80 kilometres. The tourist attractions here are bird watching and fishing.
The Delta region can vary from 15,000 square kilometres during dry season up to an overwhelming 22,000 square kilometres in wet season.
Dryland, is the region in the southeast which has three major landmasses. The large number of mammals retreat during the dry winter months.
Tourist activities in Delta and the dryland areas are game viewing, birding and boating in a traditional mokoro.

Best time to visit:
June – August – High waters – Best time for boating and canoeing safaris
September – October – Hot and Dry – Best time for game viewing
November – April – Rainy (Green) season – Best time for bird watching

Named after the local Batwana tribe’s Chief Moremi, the Moremi Game Reserve is situated in central and eastern Okavango delta and includes the Moremi Tongue and Chief’s Island.
It is the first reserve in Africa that was established by local residents, the Batwana people.
Less than 5,000 square kilometres, Moremi is a diverse game reserve, it covers about 40 percent of the Okavango.
Home to the big five, the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant, the game reserve has other predators like cheetah, wild dog and hyena. Also found in the reserve are the antelopes; springbok, impala, tsessebe and the rare lechwe.
The Game reserve also has an amazing number of over 500 bird species recorded, which includes endangered and migratory birds as well.

Best time to visit:
May – November – Dry Seasosn – Best time for boating and canoeing safaris
December – April – Rainy (Green) season – Best time for bird watching

Covering an area of approximately 11,700 square kilometres, Chobe National park is Botswana’s third largest conservation area. Located in the northern Botswana, the park is bordered by the Chobe River on the southwest it is bordered by the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. The nearest town to the park is called Kasane.
From its north-east entry gate, it is less than 100 km to the Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
The park can be divided into 4 areas: Serondela area or Chobe Riverfront, the Ngwezumba Pans, Savuti and Linyanti.
The Chobe Forest Reserve runs run parallel to the Zimbabwe border in the east. When in flood the Zambezi River pushes the Chobe River back on itself and links with the Linyanti River. During the dry seasons, the small pans all over Chobe dry up and large herds of animals migrate towards the Chobe River and Linyanti River. Famous for the elephants and buffalos, the game is at its best during this time at the Chobe Riverfront.
With an estimated 50,000 elephants, Chobe is widely known for its highest concentration of elephant population in Africa. Other animals found in the park include giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, lechwe, puku, roan and sable antelope, monkeys, bushbuck and baboons.
Over 460 bird species have been recorded in the park including the Egyptian geese, carmine bee-eater, sacred ibis and spur-winged geese.
Chobe National Park is the ideal location for any visitor interested in a combination of the natural wonder of the Victoria Falls and magnificent wildlife sightings.
Best time to visit:
May – November – Dry Seasosn – Best time for boating, canoeing and game drive
December – April – Rainy (Green) season – Best time for bird watching

The Makgadikgadi pans, is a series of salt pans situated in the middle of the dry savanna of northeast of Botswana. These salt pans cover 16,058 square kilometers in the Kalahari Basin and form the bed of Lake Makgadikgadi, which dried up thousands of years ago.
The Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve covers an area of 3,900 square kilometres. The national park is situated roughly halfway between the towns of Maun and Nata, on the Francistown road and is bordered by the dry Boteti river on the west.
For most of the year, the salt pans are vast areas of dry salt but during and after the torrential rains from mid-November until April or May, the pans fill up with water and grass becoming an important habitat for migrating animals including the wildebeest, zebras and the predators as well.
Activities on the pans range from Safari rides, game drives, bird watching, bush walks guided by Bushmen and quad biking excursions.
Wildlife found in the park include lion, cheetah, eland, elephant, zebra, hartebeest, bushbuck, springbok, giraffe, gemsbok, steenbok and wildebeest.
Best time to visit:
April – November – Dry Season – Best time for bush walks
November – March – Rainy season – Best time for game viewing

Covering an area of 52,800 square kilometres, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is located in the centre of Botswana. It is the second largest wildlife reserve in the world and the largest in Southern Africa. The African Bushmen or the San People, the hunter-gatherers lived in the area for thousands of years. Until recently, the reserve was closed to the public.
The Reserve’s wildlife includes leopard, lion, white rhino, cheetah, buffalo, hyena, meerkat, honey badger, warthog, giraffe, wild dog, caracal, wildebeest, bat-eared fox, eland, sable antelope, springbok, gemsbok, steenbok, kudu, impala and baboon.
It is not recommended to travel alone in the Central Kalahari. A guided safari with a knowledgeable safari guide is the best way to explore this part of Botswana.
Best time to visit:
April – November – Dry Season – Wildlife disperses
November – March – Rainy season – Best time for game viewing

Northern Tuli has spectacular landscapes, rich and varied wildlife, and a host of historical, cultural and natural history attractions which define this unique and very striking corner of North Eastern Botswana.

Straddling the Shashe, Motloutse and Limpopo Rivers, which serve as natural boundaries with Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve comprises 71,000 hectares of remarkably diverse habitat, including Mophane Bushland, Riverine Woodland, and Marshland, punctuated by towering Sandstone Cliffs, Basalt formations and unusually shaped kopjes – making for truly breathtaking scenery.

One of the largest privately owned game reserves in Southern Africa and incorporating three major private concessions (Tuli Safari Lodge, Nitani Private Game Reserve, and Mashatu Game Reserve), the Northern Tuli Game Reserve is home to 48 species of mammals and over 350 species of birds, with an estimated 20 000 animals residing in the reserve.
Most naturally occurring wildlife species are present, including elephant, kudu, zebra, impala, duiker, wildebeest, waterbuck, steenbok, and warthog. Large herds of eland – often not seen elsewhere in Botswana – are present, and these are indeed an awesome sight.
All major predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena including brown hyena, are present, and the birdlife is prolific.

Travellers can hike the reserve, bike the reserve, horse-ride the reserve, and even hot air balloon the reserve!
At Mashatu Game Reserve, guests can accompany elephant or predator researchers, to gain first-hand insights into the behaviour, feeding habits, territories, demography, and social structure of these animals, as well as critical wildlife conservation issues. A similar experience awaits guests at Nitani – where they can understand the complexities of a long-term hyena research project.
Archaeological sites provide an important historical perspective to the region. Iron Age sites demonstrate the skills in pottery, mining, and smelting of the Zhizo, Leopard’s Kopje and Mapungubwe peoples, who practised agriculture and animal husbandry in the area.
Artifacts from the Mapungubwe Kingdom (1220-1290AD), a precursor to the Great Zimbabwe civilisation, reveal the sophistication of the technology and society of its people, and their extensive trade networks.
The NTGR will form the heart of the proposed Shashe/Limpopo Trans- Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA), its signatories – Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa – agreeing to cooperate to conserve and manage shared natural resources. Rich in biodiversity, the proposed TFCA will cover approximately 4,872 square kilometres and will be one of the largest wildlife conservation areas in Southern Africa.

Mapungubwe Hill
Mapungubwe was a prosperous Iron Age metropolis situated on the banks of the Limpopo River that thrived nearly a thousand years ago. It was ruled by a king of the Leopard Kopje people, and its extensive trade networks reached as far as Egypt, India and China.
The kingdom’s capital was situated at the 300 metre long Mapungubwe Hill, which today is only accessible through two very steep and narrow paths that twist their way to the top.
The civilisation of Mapungubwe was highly developed; its unique arts were of a superior craftsmanship and quality. One of the most famous pieces unearthed by archaeologists is a superbly crafted golden rhino. Other pieces include beautiful pottery and jewellery.
Mophane woodlands, riverine forests and sandstone formations create a breathtaking backdrop for Mapungubwe Hill. The area is rich in wildlife, including white rhino, elephant, giraffe, gemsbok, eland, lion, leopard and hyenas, as well as over 400 species of birds.

Motlhabaneng
Local village tours often become a highlight of a trip to Tuli. A delightful morning’s outing to the quaint village of Motlhabaneng consists of a visit to the kgotla for a chat with the village chief or headman, a visit to the local primary school where children don traditional clothing and dance, and a visit to a basket-maker’s home where guests interact with villagers, learn something of their traditional way of life and watch hand-woven baskets in the making.
Ancient rock paintings, almost certainly done by Southern Africa’s original inhabitants, the San, can also be seen at the outskirts of Motlhabaneng. The paintings depict people, animals, hunting scenes and mythological creatures, part of the San’s complex cosmology and belief system.

Solomon’s Wall
This rather amazing natural phenomenon, situated in the Tuli Block, is a 30 metre high basalt dyke that once formed a steep-sided natural dam wall across the Motloutse River.
A full ten metres wide, this ancient dyke once held back a great lake, with waterfalls spilling over the dyke. Evidence of this great lake are the numerous semi-precious stones (e.g. quartz and agate) found along the Motloutse riverbed.
Tall fever trees line the natural beach, making for a shady picnic site. Solomon’s Wall can only be reached with a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Best time to visit:
Jan- October – Best game viewing.