Botswana Holidays

One of Africa’s most breathtakingly wild countries, Botswana is a nature lovers dream come true. In Botswana you’ll find a paradise of wild animals – it is the best place on earth to see the Big Five. You’ll explore an untamed land of pure adventure – passing from arid dessert to palm fringed lagoons in search of big cats, endangered African wild dogs and an abundance of elegant birdlife.

Best Better Good

There are numerous ways to explore Botswana, taking elephant back safaris along the Okavango Delta, adventuring along the web of waterways and palm fringed lagoons throughout the country, or indulging in luxurious private safaris through the sandy expanses of the desert as you you hunt for the best place to catch site of the legendary Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and buffalo) in their natural habitats.

Forty percent of Botswana is protected and conserved for wildlife making it the perfect destinations for safaris. The big five roam freely in large numbers, but there’s also zebras, wildebeest and even flamingos to see too. One of the best places to catch sight of these incredible beasts is in the Chobe National Park and its beautifully wild river. If it’s diversity you seek, then the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta has the country’s most diverse animal population in Botswana as well as stunning scenery that quickly passes between sparkling lagoons, lush acacia forests and incredible floodplains.

The Kalahari desert covers some 85% of the country – it is a staggering 900,000 square kilometres in size, and as well as covering most of Botswana, it spreads into Namibia and South Africa. The vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve is here in the middle of the country. It’s the second largest game reserve in the world, teeming with wildlife and home to one of the oldest cultures in the world – the San Bushmen, who still live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle – hunting for food, and living in what is literally the largest sand basin in the entire world. Further north is the Makagadikgadi National Park – which doubles as a game reserve and one of the world’s largest salt flats. Nxai Pan National Park is close by too, and is a great place to see lions, giraffe, springbok and ostrich.

Using a few words of the local Setswana language will go a long way in Botswana. Useful phrases include Dumela (hello), Go Siame (goodbye), Ka tsweetswee (please) and Ke a leboga (thank you). Eye contact can be considered rude so try to greet people with a bow of the head. Pointing is also considered rude, as is using the left hand for gestures and eating.

Try to dress conservatively, avoiding overly revealing clothing – in particular when in social situations such as restaurants and hotels and in more rural areas. When on safari, short shorts are okay – but long trousers are preferred everywhere else.

Tipping is not common in Botswana. Hotel porters might expect a tip of up to 10% but restaurants and taxis will not.

Chobe National Parks

Chobe National Parks

Okavango Delta

Moremi Game Reserve

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Makagadikgadi National Park

Nxai Pan National Park

Nxai Pan National Park