Botswana – Wilderness Abounds

This incredible location is once again one of the many spectacular places that we visit at Luxury Women’s Tours.  Botswana, situated in the centre of the southern end of Africa is abound by Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa.  It has no ocean access, that is, it’s landlocked, but when it comes to wildlife, it has plenty! 

As one of the most amazing wilderness areas on our planet, it is the home of many animals.  Most notably, Botswana has the largest population of elephants, with over 130,000.  It’s also known as one of the best places to see Meerkats in the wild.  You can also spot lions, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos, antelopes, hippos and buffalos.  There are many birds also, including flamingoes.  Smaller animals too including the Honey Badger, the rodent like Rock Hyrax and Scrub Hare. 

Over one-third of this country is protected land that is dedicated to game reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.  This ratio is more than any other country in the world, making Botswana one of Africa’s most popular destinations for tourists and visitors.  Having said that though, there are limitations to visitors as the government of Botswana is committed to offering exclusive safari experiences to all its visitors.   

The options for accommodation are wide and varied.  There is everything from luxury lodges and well-appointed rooms, which are both authentic and sustainable, through to canvas tents.  The canvas tents are actually pretty cool; at night you can hear all the animals outside – elephants, hyenas and even lions roaring – pretty close by.  As long as you don’t have food in your tent, the heavy-duty canvas is safe enough.  And another cool tip; if you do absolutely have to leave your tent at night, first pull out your torch and scan the area.  If you see blue/green eyes, they are herbivores; all good.  If you see yellow eyes, they are scavengers … up to you, not sure I would venture out though.  However, if you see red eyes, they are meat hunters – find yourself a bottle to use and stay in your tent!   

Thought I’d share some interesting facts about Botswana:

• This country won its very first Olympic medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 when young Nijel Amos won silver for the 800m run.  What’s interesting is this was the race that David Rudisha (Kenya) broke the world record for; making the silver was a great achievement!    

• From a value perspective, Botswana is the world’s largest diamond-producing country.  The company Debswana operates four of the diamond mines in a joint venture with the Botswana government and the South African De Beers diamond company. 

• The San (or Saan), the world’s oldest tribe, and oldest inhabitants of the world called Botswana their home, dating back over 22,000 years.  They were hunters and gatherers and were often called Bushmen. 

• Another very cool feature of this country is the Salt Pans in the north east of the country.  During the wet season, the Sua Pan has water in it and attract a massive amount of wildlife, particularly the colourful pink flamingoes to migrate there to breed.  From the sky, when it’s the wet season (eg via Google Earth), these salt pans look very similar to the ‘great lakes’ that border the USA and Canada.  However, during the dry reason, they are just rather desolate salt fields that sustain little life.  Most of Botswana’s water comes from Angola to the north, via the Okavango Delta.

This country provides its tourists, visitors and travellers the most amazing wildlife experience.  You’ll be seeing a huge range of animals and with the care taken by the Government to not ‘open the floodgates’ to visitors, it ensures that your visit is spectacular and not overcrowded.  Visitors get to see African wildlife in their natural environment.  Watch a pride of lions roam, laze around, or get serious and do some hunting.  See in person rhinos and hippos which are becoming more and more rare.  The black rhino is critically endangered.  The Botswana government have reintroduced both the white and black rhino to the north in the Okavango Delta – which is one of the few places that you can see the ‘Big Five’.  If you happen to be visiting in spring, then be prepared to see many babies, cubs, calves, whelps and all the other names that are given to the younglings of the African wildlife. 

It’s not just incredible animals that you’ll see on safari; the sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.  Watch the sun emerge, or sink with spectacular colours that will both relax and delight you.   There are a range of interesting and unusual trees in the region, including the majestic baobub trees.

Any trip to an incredible country like Botswana would not be complete without experiencing the local culture.  The people are very friendly and welcoming with huge white smiles.  You can experience their culture, view their dancing and of course you won’t miss out on the foods of this region.  Some of the delicacies include: 

• Dikgobe – a very traditional dish of beans, corn and lamb – cooked over a very low heat 
• Mododu – a strew based on tripe and services with peas, potatoes, chili, garlic and ginger
• Bogobe – a type of porridge
• Seswaa – a meat dish of beef, sheep and goat, again slow cooked and served with beans or rice, or used as a fill for sandwiches and is very popular
• Vetkoek – a ‘fast food’ burger of minced meat – not sure you’ll spot the ‘golden arches’! 
• Phaghatha – a dry pan cooked bread, which can be plain or filled with meat
• Chicken – said to be tastier as they are raised in the wild – again slow-cooked with herbs and spices
• Morongo – which is an African spinach
• Bojalwa – the local beer which is fermented from sorthum
• Madila – a fermented milk that is popular amongst the locals or
• Khadi – made of sugar and mushrooms. 

Getting around in Botswana is often via an open-air jeep, or mini bus, where you get to experience the country fully.  There are multiple seats and a roof to protect you from the sun.  Other vehicles are more closed, with sliding windows and a viewing roof at the top you can see everything, whilst still feeling very safe. 

So, if you’re incredibly lucky enough to take this trip, there are a few pointers for packing.  Ensure you’ve got HEAPS, and heaps of space on your camera or phone for photos.  Internet can be unreliable, so don’t expect to download to the cloud consistently.  Ideally, your camera or phone should have a telescopic lens or zoom function, so that you can really capture some incredible photos to share and view and remember years later.  To pack, don’t forget sunscreen, hats and sunnies.  Clothing is ideally layers and it is suggested that you wear neutral and natural colours, so as not to attract some animals, as can happen with bright colours.  Also, avoid strong perfumes or deodorants for the same reason.  We recommend layering as it can get cooler at night and depending on the region, or season, actually quite cool, or quite warm.   

As with all our trips organised and curated by Luxury Women’s Tours, we do everything.  Well, other than pack your bags, you get that pleasure.  We select the best accommodation, transfers, transport and of course where to go and what to see.  Our guides will give you the best experience possible and remember you’re travelling with like-minded ladies; some of whom might become friends for life – after all, you’ve experienced something incredible together.  

To view our amazing womens group tour of Botswana, Please Click HERE