Unspoilt Wilderness and Unlimited Wildlife Botswana has one of the lowest population densities in the world, and thanks to its careful tourism policies wilderness attractions are largely unspoilt and uncrowded, promising an unparalleled African experience to the lovers of Africa's very essence and safari adventurers. In the quietness that only an untouched environment can offer, tourists can hear every sound of nature and appreciate the majestic landscapes before their eyes, wishing they were able to hold that moment of unparalleled peace and beauty forever.
Unlimited wildlife is a real delight for animal lovers: herds of game can be found throughout the country, both in and outside national parks, as wild animals have been well protected from poaching. During your trip it will not be difficult for you to see, among the others: jackals, hyenas, lions, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, elephants and all sorts of antelopes (springbok, impala, tsessebe, gemsbok, sable antelope, roan antelope, reedbuck, waterbuck, red lechwe, bushbuck, kudu, eland, sitatunga). Indeed, Botswana boasts the largest population of elephants: according to a recent estimate, the country is host to about 125,000 specimens.
Finally, Botswana is a birders' paradise with almost 600 species of birds, including many unique and rare specimens. Some of the species which can be seen throughout the country are: ostrich, flamingo, heron, bateleur eagle, yellow-billed stork, African jacana, black korhaan, vulture, fish eagle, kingfisher, oxpecker, paradise whydah, secretary bird, slaty egret and the rare Pel's fishing owl.
The Largest Inland Delta The huge Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta system in the world, unveils a breathtaking scenery: channels, lagoons and palm-dotted islands seem to be chasing one another, thus giving birth to an astonishing natural labyrinth filled with life and fascination.
The Okavango River has its source in Angola, near the city of Nova Lisboa, and runs through the Caprivi Strip in Namibia before reaching Botswana, where it covers up to 15,000 square kilometres in the Kalahari Desert, thus forming the largest inland delta system in the world. The Delta reveals a unique and spectacular scenery: lagoons, labyrinthine channels, luxuriant islands and fertile floodplains which are host to elephants, hippos, zebras, buffalos, giraffes and a wide range of bird species. Several game reserves and natural parks have been set aside in this unspoilt area (for example, the "Moremi Game Reserve" and the "Chobe National Park") to let you admire the best of different natural worlds. The Delta appeals therefore variously to game-viewers, birdwatchers, sporting fishermen, the explorers of wild nature and, most of all, the lovers of Africa in its loveliest and least spoilt state.
The Kalahari Desert This large sand basin hides varied, ever-changing landscapes of unique beauty, all filled with peace, silence and solitude. Its untamed nature reveals enchanting glimpses and particular sounds, which you can hear thanks to the quiet of the place.
The Kalahari Desert is a vast sand expanse extending for about 520,000 square kilometres. It is the fourth largest desert and the longest continuous sand strip (2,500 km) in the world. The Kalahari covers 84% of the country and extends far beyond Botswana's borders, covering substantial parts of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. If you take into account, besides the real desert, also the semi-arid sand basin containing it, the total surface area of the Kalahari is over 2.5 million square kilometres. This comprises Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Zambia.
Anyway, the Kalahari is not a "desert" in the common sense of the word, since most of this sand strip is semi-arid, rather than completely dry. Unlike other deserts, this enormous sand deposit is covered with shrubs (mainly thorn and scrub bushes) and so-called ephemeral channels ? i.e. waterways which come up only after summer thunderstorms ? run through it. Moreover, the largely unchanging flat terrain is occasionally interrupted by gently descending valleys, sand dunes and isolated hills. No wonder this scenery will take your breath away! But that's not everything: in the Kalahari Desert animal lovers manage to observe predators feeding and the migratory movements of wild ungulates, since human interference has been reduced to the minimum.
One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: the Victoria Falls, easy to reach from Botswana A visit to the impressive Victoria Falls is a must if you are on holiday in Botswana. The actual falls are 1.7 kilometres wide, 108 metres high and average 10 million litres of water per second plummeting over the edge during the rainy season. With regard to this magnificent natural wonder the explorer David Livingstone once wrote that "flying angels must have had a view as enchanting as this". The magic of the Falls can be seen in the towering column of water spray when the river is high, in the thundering sound of the falling water and in the terrifying abyss contrasting with the tranquil lagoons upstream in which hippos and crocodiles lurk.
There are a lot of activities you can enjoy during your stay at Victoria Falls: white water rafting, abseiling, bungee jumping, Zambesi river boarding, canoeing, fishing, hiking, horseback and elephant back safaris, helicopter and microlight flights, river cruises and many more. Leaving on foot from the Zimbabwe side provides you a majestic panoramic view of the surrounding environment, while from the Zambia side you can almost get to the top of the Falls, where anyone gapes at the stunning beauty of nature.
Peace and Quiet Botswana is a safe and secure holiday destination, with little crime and no unrest. Unlike much of Africa, marked by a succession of coups in the last 50 years, Botswana has boasted a position of democracy, stability and harmony since its independence from Britain in 1966.
Not only does Botswana enjoy a stable political situation, but it is one of the least corrupt and best-performing economies of Africa in the past 20 years, where mining and the discovery of commercially exploitable diamonds led to no bloody conflicts and paved the way for economic prosperity: in particular, the diamond sector accounts for 70% of the country's exports and for one third of its gross domestic product.
Finally, the different indigenous communities live peacefully with one another, the locals are content and will welcome you friendly.
Good Infrastructures and Professional Guides Today there is a well developed road network throughout the country. Many of the tourist attractions are located near the camps, all of which are accessible by road or light aircrafts.
Our accommodations, focused on sustainable tourism, are all fully furnished and provide all the necessities for your vacation in the wild. A comfortable stay combined with the most varied, amazing activities that our professional guides will let you experience shall be a solid base for an unforgettable African adventure.
All this, but actually much more, is Botswana. And once you've been there, it will become: "mal d'Afrique".
