Botswana is the untamed Africa of a bygone era, unblemished by development. Its expansive game parks and preserves remain intact. The country has intentionally avoided mass tourism and chosen to offer a higher quality experience to a lesser number of people. By operating under this this policy of low volume and controlled tourism, Botswana offers a higher quality safari experience to fewer people, making it even more special. National Geographic tapped Botswana as Africa’s last wildlife refuge. This country has recently gained recognition, joining Kenya and Tanzania, as one of the world’s hottest wildlife areas.

Accommodations: Most camps and lodges are tented, restricted in size (usually not more than 24 clients at a time); some Chobe properties are larger.

Gameviewing: Open vehicles, canoes and motor boats at ‘wet’ camps. The ‘dry’ camps focus on finding the large predators and herbivores. Some walking.

Getting Around: Light aircraft transport between camps is a necessity as roads are non-existent.

Other Attractions: The Okavango Delta, a wetland surrounded by desert, features wonderful wildlife viewing, with plenty of hippo, crocodiles and bird species. The Makgadikgadi Pan offers a desert experience and Bushmen interaction. Lying southeast of the Okavango Delta and surrounded by the Kalahari desert, Makgadikgadi is technically not a single pan but many pans with sandy desert in between, the largest being the Sua (Sowa), Nwetwe and Nxai Pans.

Botswana National Parks

Central Kalahari Game Reserve: Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of approx. 32,800 miles making it the second largest game reserve in the world.  The park contains wildlife such as giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu and red hartebeest.

Chobe National Park: Chobe National Park, in northwest Botswana, has one of the largest games concentration in Africa continent. By size, this is the third largest park of the country, after the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Gemsbok National Park, and is the most diverse. This is also the country’s first national park.

African Travel Packages including Botswana:

• Delta, Pans & Falls Adventure
• Wildlife of the Desert and Delta
• The Ultimate Safari
• The Last Refuge
• Wild Kingdoms Of Southern Africa
• African Sensations
• Under the Canopy of Southern Stars
• Footprints of the Bushmen
• Canoe Adventure
• Kalahari Desert

As a guest of Abu Camp, you are invited to walk with and ride elephants, to get a glimpse of their world and learn about their lives. Becoming part of an African elephant herd is an extraordinary privilege that we seek to share with those who visit us.

Pioneered in the early 1990s, and named after a much-mourned bull elephant, Abu Camp has been running for 20 years, and as such is the original elephant safari experience in Africa.

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Zambezi River canoe safaris are an ideal combination of unspoiled wilderness and some of the finest game and birdlife in sub-Saharan Africa. Truly excellent river guides with a great sense of fun and adventure with a capacity to host guests of all abilities and tastes. Aside from the valley’s magical scenery and some of the most spectacular sunsets you’ll see, you’re assured of seeing big game including hippo, buffalo, wild dog and elephant.

The Selinda Spillway is the waterway linking Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Linyanti and Kwando water systems.  This is the ideal setting for Botswana’s leading canoeing and walking safari, hosting a mere eight guests on each departure. The Trail hearkens back to the spirit of safaris of old, when days were spent on impromptu exploration and each night was spent camping along the banks of a river. This area is well known for elephant, buffalo, sable, roan, wild dog and it is possible to encounter predators and a variety of other species en route. The Spillway is also a birding paradise but has relatively few hippos or crocodiles, making for a relaxing journey.

Jennifer’s favorite destination in Botswana is the Okavango Delta as it gives one the opportunity to witness beautiful bird life. “Depending on the water levels,” she says, “there is a chance to take mokoro rides (a dug out canoe) or power boat rides through the dense swamp lands. The combination of land and water gives for wonderful photography opportunities with lighting and reflections.” Jennifer’s favorite property in Botswana is Abu Camp.

Jennifer considers herself an expert when it comes to the fascinating and varied country of Namibia. It is, in fact, her favorite African destination because there are so many different eco-systems to explore. As she explains, “the Sossusvlei has some of the highest sand dunes in the world and there is an opportunity to climb one. Then there is Damaraland, where you can see bushmen engravings at Twyfelfontein. Etosha National Park to the north is interesting as you observe how the animals who have adapted to desert life. It is a very flat area hence the name Etosha which means ‘mirage’. 

Finally the Skeleton coast along the Atlantic Ocean is famous for the ship wrecks left by Portuguese explorers many moons ago. This area is very ethereal, as you drive south with the misty coastline on the right and the huge sand dunes on the left.”

Jennifer’s favorite safari that she likes to recommend to travelers is African Travel’s Wild Kingdoms of Southern Africa. “Perhaps,” she explains, “because I have actually made this journey, it really appeals to me. It’s a real “heart of Africa” experience. There are very comfortable accommodations, small camps and great guiding.” Jennifer feels that this safari has a really good combination of everything – Somalisa Camp, land activities, the spectacular Victoria Falls, and Muncheje in Chobe for the elephant sightings.

What is her best advice for travelers to Africa?” Remember when on safari, it is the Animal Kingdom; they rule and you are a spectator!

Visit Jennifer’s Journal Page for personal entries from her own travels and experiences in Africa!

My short stay at Abu Camp was filled with activity, including riding and walking with the elephants. The herd is currently comprised of 7 elephants: Cathy, Shireni, Kitimetse, Abu, Lorato, Paseka and Warona. They are kept in a boma area (enclosure), not far from the main camp. Their schedule is the following: up at 6 am for feeding time, then the mahouts (guides) prepare them for the ride. After an hour or so, riding through waterways and the bush, we return to camp. The herd is then led out into the wild to mingle with their bush friends.

After siesta, they are rounded up and led back to the boma for the late afternoon  ride or walking safari. Upon returning to the boma, the guests are encouraged to feed their elephant treats as a reward for a job well done.  My elephant was Kitimetse; she was very comfortable and considerate. The walking with the elephants safari was also a  unique experience. There are several mahouts walking with you between the elephants. They stop frequently to eat, and they set the pace.

Have to say a word about the accommodations. Very tasteful, understated luxury and spacious yet intimate. The public areas are very private with different venues for dining. My favorite was dining at the water’s edge with the hippos serenading us. An added attraction at Abu is a Star Bed. It is located between the two elephant boma areas so you can sleep under the stars and listen to the elephants chat about their guests that day! We were invited to sundowners here. What a wonderful way to end the late afternoon with a cool drink surrounded by the elephants. There is also the possibility to take a game drive in a 4×4 open vehicle or a boat cruise through the hippo paths studded with reeds and water lilies.

In a nutshell, Abu Camp for me, encompassed all I could wish for a truly amazing safari experience.

Reading their story brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. It gave me a great joy to know that, despite all the negative sentiments towards the younger generation’s careless and indifferent attitude, that social consciousness is still alive. Young kids do care for the well being of their community, and their charitable hands could reach even to the furthest points of the globe.

IMPUHWE means compassion in Kinyarwanda

Richard’s Rwanda is a group of Seattle students who are working together to support Rwandan girls’ education. The group provides financial support to low-income girls in the rural area of Nyamata to enable them to complete their primary education and 6 years of secondary school.

Richard Rwanda-IMPUHWE was founded by Jessica Markowitz when she was eleven years old to support educational opportunities for girls in Rwanda in the rural village of Nyamata. Jessica’s original inspiration stemmed from a Rwandan man named Richard Kananga, a representative from the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission in Rwanda. Richard stayed with her family in the United States, and he recounted many sad tales about the horrendous 1994 genocide. With his inspiration, Richard’s Rwanda-IMPUHWE is reaching out to 40 girls to help them achieve an education by supplying them with what they need in order to attend school.  Richard’s Rwanda IMPUHWE has established student chapters in several middle and high school across the Unites States working together to support Rwandan girls’ education.

Lisa McLaurin
Supervisor, Leisure Service
BCD Travel 

…I was so excited to send a booking your way.  Mirlin and Nora  (in the air department) have been so helpful.  It was a learning experience for me as this is my first African Safari.  The client walked in with two itineraries from the internet.  With Mirlin’s expertise we found an itinerary that fit for the time of year and maximum animal viewing.

African Travel Rocks! 

Marsha Frame, CTC
travelstore

Just got back from our safari/vacation and just wanted to say “Many and sincere thanks”.  That was the finest vacation we have every had and we’ve taken plenty over the past 20 years.  Very professionally put together and absolutely everything was taken care of for us.  So thank you for all your efforts.  You could not have done more for us.

By the way, Arathusa Lodge was superb in every way.  Highly recommended.  Keep sending folks there.  You cannot go wrong.

Again thanks, 

Pete & Linda Snyder

We took off by boat to Livingstone Island from right behind the Royal Livingstone Hotel.  On arrival at the island, we found a beautiful table set under a canopy tent and had a lunch of salads, couscous, cold chicken, cold beef, scotch eggs, sausages and plenty of drinks!

After lunch, we changed into our swim suits and walked across large rocks to the river and swam to a bank.  Then we walked across more rocks which led to the “Devil’s Pool” on the very edge of the Victoria Falls.  We jumped in the pool and swam to the edge where there is a rock wall which stops you from going over Falls!    The water is lovely and warm (it was December) and we had incredible views of the mass of falling water right next to us!   The roar of the Falls and the feel of the spray off the water were just exhilarating. The guides took pictures while we played in the water. We were as giddy as kids as we took the boat back to the hotel. Wonderful!