Botswana

Reposing quietly beneath the radar of the mainstream safari hotspots, Botswana is arguably the most down-to-earth place for seeing Africa’s Big Five. The Okavanga Delta is truly one of the last great wilderness areas with an abundance of big cats and huge elephants not seen elsewhere in Africa in decades. Words can barely do justice to the unparalleled natural beauty in this abundant wildlife haven. Grab yourself a grandstand seat and prepare to be enthralled. At the other end of nature’s spectrum, and the opposite corner of Botswana, lies the vast Kalahari Desert. “Kalahari” translates as “the great thirst” and its semi-arid tracts of thorn bushes and cacti extend across Southern Africa causing a mass migration of zebra during the rainy season. Sumptuous safari lodges provide home comforts for those in search of primitive rock art in fossil river valleys. See hippos, elephants and leopards going about their daily routine in Chobe National Park. Gather round the camp fire in the shade of an ancient baobab tree and listen to the chilling sounds of these majestic mammals hunting in the wilderness of this impossibly beautiful country.