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Botswana

6

Reasons To
Visit Botswana

  • Wetlands of the Okavango

    The Okavango Delta is a labyrinth of waterways linking secret lagoons and marshlands, where hippo splash in the water and elephants drink at the shallows. Boat trips take you to inaccessible locations and hidden islands for a glorious spot of solitude and wildlife spotting, before a relaxing sundowner drink amongst the reeds.

    Wetlands of the Okavango

  • Big Cats & Safari Wildlife

    On a game drive in the Delta, Linyanti or Chobe, you soon discover Botswana’s phenomenal array of wildlife. Lions are often on the prowl in the morning while night drives increase your chances of spotting leopard and other nocturnal species. As well as the cats there are thriving populations of elephant, hippo, giraffe, buffalo and even wild dog.

    Big Cats & Safari Wildlife

  • Birds

    From the water birds of the Delta to the sand grouse of the Kalahari and flamingos on the Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana is a twitcher’s paradise. Rare species like the Pel’s fishing owl, and African pygmy goose are commonly found, with a trip to Chobe, the Delta and the Kalahari offering an unrivalled level of ornithological interest.

    Birds

  • Bushmen

    Bushman history is an intrinsic element in the evolution of humanity, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Botswana. Bushman communities have survived on the Makgadikgadi Pans and in areas of western Botswana for centuries. A visit there now allows you to interact with them, experiencing first hand how they cook, hunt, eat and live.

    Bushmen

  • Mokoro Trips

    Slipping through the Delta's mazy waterways and tall papyrus in a mokoro is the most relaxing way to view game. Serenely moving along with only the gurgle of the water passing under your craft, you encounter lechwe grazing in the shallows, kingfishers perched on overhanging branches and crocodiles lurking in dark corners.

    Mokoro Trips

  • Salt Pans

    On the Makgadikgadi Pans you experience an ethereal lunar landscape unlike anywhere else in Africa. It is possible to see the curvature of the earth, sleep out under the stars, and at some times of the year watch a great wildlife migration. Although more thickly vegetated, Nxai and Tau Pans also offer unique landscapes and habitats.

    Salt Pans

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Visit The Panhandle, Botswana

The Okavango Panhandle is a 70 kilometres long, deep channel of water, off which branch further side streams, lagoons and swamps. It is ideally suited to those wanting to see areas that most tourists never go to.

Hippo in the Okavango Panhandle
Hippo in the Okavango PanhandleFishing on the Panhandle

The Panhandle

Botswana

When the Okavango River enters Botswana it flows for about 70 kilometres before fanning out into the Okavango Delta.

Wildlife of the Okavango Panhandle

This deep channel, with its side streams, lagoons and swamps is known as the Okavango Panhandle. This is a little known area, but a real gem. There are stretches of open water ways, papyrus, common reeds and carpets of water-lilies.

The area is ideal for animals such as sitatunga, lechwe, crocodile and hippo. It is a birder’s paradise with king fishers, bee-eaters, cormorants, darters, jacanas, herons and skimmers in abundance. It is a particularly good spot to see the Pel’s fishing owl.

Off the beaten track

The Panhandle is not usually reached on a fly-in safari but is ideally suited to a circular self-drive safari combing Namibia and Botswana.

It is ideally suited to those people wanting to see areas that nearly all tourists never go to. You can drive to the lodges where you’ll leave your car and explore the wilderness by 4WD and boats.

More in The Panhandle, Botswana

Further reading:
BotswanaWhen to GoHighlightsItinerary IdeasPlaces to GoAccommodationAbout BotswanaCountry Guides

Other countries in Africa:
KenyaMadagascarMalawiMauritiusMozambiqueNamibiaRwandaSouth AfricaTanzaniaThe SeychellesUgandaZambiaZanzibar ArchipelagoZimbabwe

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