Botswana is an exciting destination, with about 80% of the country is covered by Kalahari Sands. Located in these sands is the Okavango Delta and River systems to the north including Kwando, Linyathi and Chobe River systems. The abundant water offers a haven for both flora and fauna and is renowned for its great beauty and diversity. Botswana has a rich mix of African cultures the largest tribal group being the Botswana forming about 50% of the population. The original inhabitants some 2000 years ago were the San Bushmen.
Climate
Botswana can be visited at any time of the year – summers are generally hot and winters mild with a few cold spells. Seasons: High July 1 to October 31; Shoulder: March 1 to June 30 & November/December 1 to 31.
Places Of Interest To Explore! SAFARI HOTSPOTS!
Chobe National Park – Famous for large herds of elephant along the Chobe river, excellent birding and game viewing. There are a number of lodges in the northern section at Kasane However, service and standards are varied and it tends to be touristy. Traveling into the Savuti region situated in the heart of the park along the Mababe depression is excellent for predators and other game and more of a rugged wilderness experience.
Magadikgadi National Park – 140,000 sq kilometer ancient sea, formed approx. two million years ago is renown for its beauty and incredible vistas. It is a major breeding site for greater and lesser flamingos. The western grasslands are home to huge herds of migrating zebra and wildebeest and lion prides between February and March.
Moremi Game Reserve – Situated on the Eastern edge of the Okavango Delta offers a wide diversity of habitats and species of wild game and has become a popular tourist destination. Best game viewing time is from April to October.
Okavango Delta – a vast 15,000 square kilometer wetland oasis in the heart of the Kalahari sands. A mired of flood plains, lagoons, islands, a tropical paradise with incredible wildlife and bird life viewing. Exclusive camps and lodges in magnificent settings, a must do!
Tsodilo Hills – In the remote northern western part of the Kalahari is a group of four isolated hills. Among these 800 million old hills are more than 4000 rock paintings by the ancestors of the san people and have deep mythological and religious value. Some paintings are older than 2000 years. A unique and fascinating experience to hike up into the hills and exploring the ancient rock art.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park stretches away from the banks of the Boteti River, through its hinterland of scrub and grassland. The river and the nutrient-rich western grasslands supply the essential water and sustenance for the herds that inhabit the park.
The lodge is situated on the western bank of the Boteti River, which forms the boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. The Boteti River provides a lifeline for the wildlife which inhabit the arid national park and is a critical link in the annual zebra migration. The lodge is the perfect base from which to explore this truly unique piece of Botswana paradise.
The Zebra and Wildebeest herds migrate in their thousands to the river at the end of winter to access the water. The Makgadikgadi is a harsh, dry environment, suited to Oryx and Kudu, but the river provides a life-giving source of water for the Zebra and Wildebeest utilising the eastern grass plains. After the start of the rainy season, this desert area teems with wildlife as herds of Zebra and Wildebeest graze to their hearts’ content on the wide-open green grassland plains of the Makgadikgadi. During the wet season there is an influx of migratory bird species, while resident desert species welcome their visitors by showing off their breeding plumage.
WHERE TO STAY?
THE LODGE & ACCOMMODATION The lodge features twelve luxurious thatched and glass-fronted suites with en-suite bathrooms, each unit raised on a wooden platform overlooking the Boteti River Valley below. With the lodges unique location poised on the edge of the Boteti River enjoying the zebra migration and abundant wildlife that access the river is possible from various vantage points including the guest rooms.
The main lounge and dining area, with its inviting wooden and thatch finish, allows you to relax at the bar while listening to the wide variety of night sounds so characteristic of the African bush. Alternatively you can lounge around the swimming pool or enjoy the panoramic river vista from the game-viewing hide built into the bank of the river.
HOW TO GET THERE?
The lodges and camps are located, for the most part, in remote areas and travellers are linked from one camp to the other by means of light aircraft. Ensuring the crucial links from the hubs of Maun and Kasane to the network of lodges and camps is performed with ease; offered is a fully integrated air charter service.
All of the properties are in close proximity to airfields and some of our lodges have their own private airstrips. Unless a private charter is requested and booked as such, your flight transfers have been booked on a ‘seat on plane’ basis. Flight times are arranged according to each day’s requirements to fit in with activities and the movements of all our travellers on any given day. Therefore, aircraft and the day’s scheduling may pick up and drop off other guests en route to your destination. Times will vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure.
Please note: Owing to their remote location within the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, the Makgadikgadi Pans themselves are not visited on daily scheduled activities from Lodge.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
Home to the second largest zebra migration in the world, where over 25,000 zebra migrate to the Boteti River in the dry winter months (May to October) from their summer grazing ground along the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National park includes a portion of the 12000km2 Makgadikgadi Pans, a massive pan which was once believed to be the bed of a massive inland lake. With a three night stay at Leroo La Tau you can enjoy a sleep out on the salt pans for a truly unique Botswana experience.
The Boteti River system is another unique ecosystem in Botswana and like other east flowing water sources in the country has a reputation for drying up for many years before it commences to flow again. Animals in this area are dependent on the Boteti River for their daily sustenance.
Focussed conservation work by the Botswana Government and the private sector partners have seen the successful re-introduction of White Rhino into this region and this has resulted into positive population growth over the past five years.
“Makgadikgadi Pans Landscape are located in the north-east of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and south-east of the Okavango Delta. It is linked to Okavango Delta by the Boteti River and supplied with water from Zimbabwe by the ephemeral Nata River. This makes the area the largest salt pans in the world covering an area of over 30 000 km2 and one of the former largest in land sea in the world.
The geology of the area consists of granite basement, flanked by the Karoo rocks, within the Kalahari Sand. The area comprises relics of paleo-climatic and ecological processes, harbours unique and threatened plant species (Hoodia, baobabs of historical importance). It is a breeding place for flamingos and major habitat for various wildlife species.
Makgadikgadi Pans area is also rich in fossiliferous deposits comprising faunal remains including bones, elephant tusks and mammalian teeth fragments imbedded in calcareous material. The Early Iron Age consists of settlements associated with Toutswe tradition in Lekhubu, Tlapana, and Mmakgama sites. Historical aspect of the area depicts foraging and farming communities at present day Mosu and Kedia Hill. Lekhubu Island, Khama ruins, Xanikaga Pan, Ngxaisini Pan, Baine’s baobabs, Green’s baobabs, Unikae Springs, Mmakgama spring, Thitaba Ruins, Kaitshe Ruins are some of major sites out of about 200 recorded including over 500 individual stone walls of the Sotho-Tswana tradition within Makgadikgadi Pans.
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the largest salt pans in the world and display a unique expanse of landscape with fascinating natural scenic beauty. It has a dramatic geological and climatic history in the sense that in its initial stages of development, it was one of the largest inland sea in the world covering over 275 000 km2. It is one of the most diverse in terms of ecological habitats ranging from the Lesser and Greater Flamingo breeding and feeding area to one of the most spectacular zebra-wildebeest migration on Earth as they move from Boteti River to Chobe during dry season.” UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To find out more about a safari to this region CLICK HERE
Tsodilo Hills, offers an exclusive overnight expedition from an Island Lodge, offering access to one of the world’s most undiscovered Unesco World Heritage Sites, Tsodilo Hills.
The camp features eco-friendly pods inspired by traditional nomadic Bushman dwellings, providing an immersive experience in the region’s cultural heritage and natural beauty. Guests can explore ancient rock art, witness breathtaking sunrises from Botswana’s highest peak, and learn about the local San community.
WHERE TO STAY?
Accommodation includes twin/double pods and a family dwelling, nestled within the Zambezi teak trees. Four comfortable canvas pods on elevated platforms with a maximum capacity of eight adults and two children, provide an eco-friendly retreat, with the majestic Male Hill, the highest peak in Botswana, providing a backdrop. The pods have outdoor showers and toilets and are designed and built in collaboration with the local community.
The camp is available for bookings of three nights or more at an Island Lodge and the bookings will open on September 15.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Guests will be transferred from the Island Lodge via boat along the channel, followed by a closed 4WD vehicle transfer to the Tsodilo Hills, taking 60-80 minutes depending on water levels.
Alternatively, guests can upgrade to a helicopter transfer to witness the hills from above as they descend towards the sleep-out camp, with a total transfer time of 10-15 minutes and an optional 10-minute add-on for a bird’s-eye view of the Okavango Panhandle. This is the only place in Africa where two Unesco World Heritage Sites – the Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills – converge.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
One of very few places in the entire world where two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet.
Tsodilo Hills boasts 4,500 rock paintings located around 400 different sites within the UNESCO Heritage Site.
The Tsodilo Hills are a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of rock art, rock shelters, depressions, and caves in Botswana, Southern Africa. It gained its WHS listing in 2001 because of its unique religious and spiritual significance to local peoples, as well as its unique record of human settlement over many millennia. There are estimated to be over 4500 rock paintings at the site dating back over 100,000 years. The site consists of a few main hills known as the Child Hill, Female Hill, and Male Hill.
The mystical and spiritual Tsodilo Hills rise out of the dry desert landscape, forming the highest point in Botswana. These hills are sacred to the San people of Northern Botswana and are adorned with over 4000 ancient San paintings. A visit to these hills affords one the privilege of being able to see and feel, however briefly, the essence of an ancient culture, fragile and increasingly threatened in the face of pressure from the Western world.
To find out more about a safari to this region CLICK HERE
