Botswana Safari Guide

Introduction

This new, thoroughly updated sixth edition of Bradt's Botswana Safari Guide remains the only full-blown, standalone guide to one of Africa's most popular and rewarding safari destinations.

Key Safari Locations

This is the sole guide to focus on Botswana's key safari locations: the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and the Northern Kalahari.

Wilderness and Landscapes

Botswana's wilderness is pristine, a virtue underpinned by governmental commitment to sustainable tourism. The Okavango Delta's permanent waters attract year-round wildlife, including all the big five. Outside the Delta, this English-speaking country offers tremendous variety in landscapes, from the arid Kalahari to lush forests. Riverine areas harbour spectacular herds of elephants and buffalo, as well as mighty predator populations. Dusty savannahs attract hardier game such as oryx and springbok. On Makgadikgadi's great salt pans, zebras gather in huge congregations after rain. Birdwatching is brilliant throughout.

History and Culture

Then there's Botswana's rich history, from the ancient rock paintings at the Tsodilo Hills to Stone Age arrowheads on the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Accommodation and Wildlife Viewing

Bradt's Botswana Safari Guide offers detailed descriptions of many lodges, from traditional tented camps to those offering five-star luxury and top-class cuisine, plus detail on what animals occur where, enabling you to select the optimum approach. With this book's comprehensive GPS co-ordinates and detailed maps, independent travellers can drive themselves around. But perhaps you prefer bespoke mobile safaris with a private guide? Either way, take a night drive to see creatures of the dark: genets and hunting leopards.

Activities and Excursions

For a different feel, explore rivers on gentle motorboat cruises, including on multi-day trips, or get closer to the water in a traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe), with a poler escorting you along shallow waterways. Or seek out a specialist walking camp for the excitement of bush walks — when meerkats might even pose atop your head for a great lookout. And why not use this book's advice to book-end trips by visiting Livingstone (Zambia) and the Victoria Falls?

Authors and Conclusion

Written and updated by Chris and Susie McIntyre, experts on all things Africa, Bradt's Botswana Safari Guide is the definitive companion to discovering this thrilling destination.