Botswana - great hunting safari in Africa!
In Botswana you'll find a few of the most interesting mammals: elephant, buffalo, red lechwe, lion and cheetah. A hunting safari in Botswana, Africa, offers an excellent experience because the setting in this African country is really unique, the wildlife is exceptional and the accommodations are very good. From the massive, dry desert Kalahari to the splendid Okavango delta, a maze of waterways coursing through the desert sands - safaris in Botswana offer you a breathtaking contrast that will be a feast for your senses...
The five best national parks and game reserves to visit during a luxury or affordable safari in Botswana are:
Okavango Delta & Moremi Game Reserve
Okavango delta lies in the north of Botswana and it consists of narrow water channels lined by papyrus, lagoons filled with hippo, forest glades and savanna grassland. Here you can go on outstanding wildlife viewing expeditions on foot or using a vehicle, canoe or a motorized boat.
Vast herds of buffalo, elephant, gazelle and zebra roam this rich ecosystem, fed by the Okavango river; this river has its source in the Angolan highlands and floods the delta every year. This natural treasure trove of available prey attracts many predators, so lion, leopard and wild dog thrive here. The dry season is the best for game viewing because the animals are drawn to the permanent water sources.
Moremi game reserve consists of strictly controlled & privately managed concessions and it falls within the Okavango delta area. Okavango is most impressive in August when the water is deep, the vegetation is lush and dense - so it might be a good idea to plan any safari in Botswana to coincide with these period.
Chobe National Park
One extraordinary activity of a safari in Chobe National Park is to take a cruise on a river boat just before sunset on the stretch of Chobe river from Kasane town to Serondela campsite and watch masses of hippo, crocodile and elephant along the banks...
But you shouldn't limit to only this area because a deeper exploration of the park will reveal a great variety of habitats, wildlife and birds. The area is rich in plant life and contains floodplain, grassland, baobab, mopane woodland and sanded habitats. This is an elephant country and there are so many of them that they cause considerable damage to the park's vegetation.
It also has big buffalo herds, zebra, lechwe, the chobe bushbuck and the rare puku antelope - all attracting lion and hyena. Leopard can be found close to the big gazelle herds. Savuti channel, which bisects the park, is a good place to see in safe the predators.
Over 450 species of bird have been recorded here, including the rare fishing owl. There are also over 20 species of edible fish that you can catch in Chobe river.
Mashatu Game Reserve
This is the largest privately owned game reserve in the southern area of Africa and it's situated in the remote eastern part of Botswana, at confluence of Limpopo and Shashe rivers. During a safari in Botswana you'll see here a few of Africa's giants: the African elephant, the lion, giraffe, and many, many others...
Night drives are also available in Mashatu - this trips will allow you to see leopard, genet, serval, caracal, and springhares. Because this is a private reserve off-road riding is allowed too - this gets you much closer to the animals and helps in tracking them. Guaranteed you'll see here a large variety of birds such as the martial and black eagles, kingfishers, rollers and the strange looking ground hornbill.
Linyanti Game Reserve
Linyanti river forms a natural border between Botswana and Namibia. On its southern banks Linyanti reserve contains marshland and lagoons, similar to Okavango. Because this is a private game reserve the off-road and night drives are on the order of the day, allowing fantastic game viewing. The wildlife lives here in a world of floodplain grassland dotted with islands of ivory palms and other trees.
Rare and beautiful antelope like sable, roan, red lechwe and the aquatic sitatunga, which submerges itself under the water when it feels threatened, can be seen here. The main predators are lion, hyena, leopard, wild dog, serval and bat eared foxes.
Makgadikgadi National Park
Makgadikgadi National Park is maybe the best if you want a perfect safari in Botswana! Here was once a large lake that dried up and formed a huge salt pan. The contrast with the wet season, when the park is transformed into a water wonderland, is simply breathtaking!
Wildebeest, zebra, springbok and gemsbok migrate here during the rainy season to take advantage of the temporary pans - then leave again once they start drying up in the searing heat of the dry season. In the wet season thousands of migratory flamingos arrive here to breed. Here you can experience a magnificent solitude and true isolation...