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Botswana Tours Sight-Seeing
Some of the chief sight-seeing opportunities that can be found on our Botswana tours include:
The Kalahari Desert:
Known by its earliest travellers as a 'thirstland', most of
the Kalahari (or Kgalagadi - its Setswana name) is covered
with scrub bush, trees and grasslands along with vast areas
of red-brown sand. This largely unchanging flat terrain is
occasionally interrupted by gently descending valleys, sand
dunes, and large numbers of pans. These pans fill with water
during the rainy season. Their hard surface ensures that the
water remains in the pans, which are of great importance to
wildlife and obtain valuable nutrients from the salts and
grasses.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the second largest game
reserve in the world. Situated right in the centre of Botswana,
this reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans
and ancient riverbeds. Terrain varies from sand dunes, trees
and shrubs in the north, to flat bushveld in the central area,
and mophane forests to the south and east. The main wildlife
concentrations of giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, cheetah,
wild dog, leopard, lion, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok,
kudu, red hartebeest and springbok are found in the northern
half of the reserve and best seen between December and April,
when the animals congregate in the pans and valleys.
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park
The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is part of the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park, Africa's first transfrontier park. The
park has huge numbers of large antelope, including gemsbok
and eland, as well as many lion and cheetah.
Makgadigadi National Park
Vast lunar-like salt pan covered with grasses and are especially
attractive to antelope and birds. Accessible only by 4 wheel
drive vehicles, the northeastern region of the Kalahari Basin
contains the Makgadikgadi Pans - an extensive network of salt
pans and ephemeral lakes.
The Okavango Delta
The largest inland delta in the world and home to a huge wildlife
population, best viewed from a mokoro (dugout canoe). In the
north-west, the Okavango River flows in from the highlands
of Angola forming the 15,000 square kilometer network of water
channels, lagoons, swamps and islands. It is a magnet for
the wildlife that depends on the permanent waters of this
unique feature.
Moremi Game Reserve
Where the delta meets the desert, one of Africa's greatest
parks with an abundant of game and birdlife, Moremi is described
as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa.
It reserve contains approximately twenty percent of the Okavango
Delta within its borders.
Chobe National Park
Chobe is Botswana's best big game park located conveniently
to Victoria Falls and home to vast animal herds, and in particular,
elephant. Viewing is best along the Chobe River and in the
Savuti region. The park's north and northwest border is marked
by the Chobe River, and the river's popularity as a water
source has made game viewing by boat a popular attraction.
Mashatu Game Reserve
This is the largest private reserve in Southern Africa. Known
as the Land of Giants, it is home to great baobab trees and
elephant herds, as well as an abundance of game and bird species.
The reserve covers 46,000 hectares of savannah plains, riverine
forests, open marshland and rugged outcrops of sandstone.
Annual Events
The Maitisong Festival
Botswana's biggest annual festival of performing arts takes
place annually around March in several venues around the capital
city of Gaborone. The programme consists of theatre, music
and dance and takes place on stages in four different locations
with an amazing variety of performances. Traditional dance,
choir, marimba music and solo singing are also enjoyed here.
The National Music Eisteddfod
This festival takes place annually in July and is a great
opportunity to hear traditional Botswana music and dance.
Schools, colleges, and choirs travel from all over the country
to perform in Selebi-Phikwe, between Gaborone and Francistown.
For travel tips or more information about our Botswana tours, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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