National Parks of Botswana

But it is the wilder, less visited parts of Botswana that I find the most exciting. Nothing can rival the shimmering image of an elephant, plastered ghostly white in Kalahari dust, emerging from the heat haze at Nxai Pan; or the play of golden light on a herd of springbok skittering away into the desert; or the startling pink flower of a Brunsvigia lily in an area that appears to defy any life or colour. The discovery of a solitary gemsbok lost amidst the empty waste of the Kalahari feels far more rewarding than an easy view of a lion in a game-rich area. To reach the Kalahari's soul, head for the Tsodilo Hills and search for 1000-year-old bushman paintings on the remote rock walls.

Moremi (and the Okavango Delta) Established 1963. 3900km2; the first sanctuary in Southern Africa created on its own land by an indigenous tribe. Combined with the Okavango Delta, the wildlife area now covers about 22,000km2.

Part of the Kalahari; an extension of the Great Rift Valley. Geological faults cause regular tremors. The Okavango Delta becomes flooded from summer rains in Angola, which form a mosaic of channels, lagoons and lakes. Waterways, grasslands and woodlands support a great diversity of fauna and flora. 32 tree species include mopane, mangosteen, rain and sausage trees, varieties of acacia and fig. Over 1000 types of plant - more than any other similarly sized park in Africa. Reed beds and large stands of Phoenix palms are particularly characteristic.

36 species of larger mammals include carnivores, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo and various antelope (notablylechwe and sitatunga). Over 80 species of fish and 400 different birds - raptors, waterbirds, bush and tree dwellers and breeding colonies of Goliath heron.

Game viewing and bird watching by Mokoro (dugout canoe) or boat is unbeatable. Game drives on dry land Moremi and flights over the Delta. Wilderness trails and viewing from hides possible at certain camps.

Maun

Maun, gateway to the Delta has two hotels and four lodges (two with camp sites). Spread throughout the Okavango are about 40 camps and lodges, each individual in character, some extremely upmarket, others catering for backpackers. Many are accessed by air.

Chobe

Proclaimed 1968; 11,700km2, situated in the far north-east of Botswana, bordered to the north by the Chobe River. The Chobe's perennial waters rise in the northern Angolan highlands. Four physically and vegetationally distinctive areas - the barely discernible dry Savuti Channel, Linyati, Serondella and Nogatsaa. These include patches of scrub, grassy savannah plains and woodlands, including three forest reserves.

Each area known for concentrations of specific game. Savuti famous for lion and hyaena, Linyati for hippo and crocodile, and Nogatsaa and Serondella for elephant. Savuti's carnivores follow large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and impala that move through the area. Many types of animals seen including the fairly rare puku and Chobe bushbuck. 460 bird species, including raptors, vultures and inland waterbirds.

Chobe is game-viewing country, particularly in winter (March - July). November - December sees the migration of herbivores between the Chobe River and Savuti Marsh (and back between February and April). Game-viewing and bird-watching cruises on the Chobe River. Horse-riding at Kasane.

Several upmarket camps in Savuti, Linyati, Serondella and Nogatsaa. Camp sites also available. Kasane boasts a couple of top-flight lodges and a popular mid-range motel/lodge - all riverside.

Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan

Combining the 39,000km2 Makgadikgadi and 21,000km2 Nxai pan reserves has created a vast, unfenced park about the size of Portugal. It's 4x4 country that requires cautious driving.

The Makgadikgadi Pans are flat, featureless salt and clay depressions interspersed with sand dunes, islands of rock, grassy plains and patches of Kalahari desert. Good rains cover the pans with shallow waters.

The two main pans of Nxai are large, open grass-covered stretches studded with mopane, acacia and baobab trees (notably the seven known as Baines' Baobabs, first painted by the explorer Thomas Baines in 1862). The whole area was once part of an ancient superlake.

Herds of migratory zebra and wildebeest increase predator numbers (lion, cheetah and hyaena). Giraffe, buffalo, elephant and various antelope, including desert-adapted Gemsbok and Springbok. December - February, the rain-filled pans host thousands of migrant flamingos and other waterbirds, such as pelicans, spoonbills, waders and storks.

The sensation of vast open space, timelessness and complete nothingness. Flamingos on Sowa and other pans, and the variety of easily seen wildlife. Lodges and camp sites at Nata and in Makgadikgadi and Nxai pans, a rest camp/motel and camping ground at Gweta.

Copyright © 2002 Travel Africa. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of the author is prohibited.