In this article read about top things to do in Botswana The epic Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, as well as the opportunity to experience them by staying in some pretty opulent luxury lodges, make Botswana one of the top places in Africa for wildlife lovers. The nation offers exciting opportunities for culture-seekers and outdoor explorers, as well as being a special playground for amateur fisherman and birdwatchers.
Much of Botswana is covered by the desolate Kalahari Desert, which offers an unusual backdrop for an African safari. At first glance, the desert may appear lifeless and uninhabited, but the arid plains are home to some unusual attractions that make for a magical travel experience: endless salt pans, transient lakes, islands of baobab trees, amiable meerkat colonies, fascinating Neolithic sites, and the largest inland delta in the world, which serves as an oasis of epic proportions.
Despite being surrounded by extensive sections of desert, what truly makes this country different is the miracle of water. The Okavango Delta is replenished by the life-giving annual floods, which are fueled by rains from Angola’s mountainous watersheds and provide stunning river systems for the region’s incredibly diverse fauna.
Whether your tastes run to wildlife encounters or elemental desert scenery, plan your trip to include these top 8 unmissable things to do in Botswana.
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1.Catch an African tiger on a fishing expedition
A menacing toothy fish with the name “tiger” can be found in the upper reaches of the Okavango Delta, even though real tigers don’t exist in Africa. The Okavango Delta’s upper region, known as the “Panhandle,” is accessible from Maun via a short drive along a tarred but pothole-filled road. Here, the main Okavango River flows south as a single channel before splitting off into separate streams to create the Delta proper. Although this area does not have as much big game as the lower Delta’s swampy floodplains, it is no less alluring.
Even novices will enjoy fishing here. Tough tiger fish are released back into the water safely after performing amazing acrobatics in the air when hooked. The so-called ‘barbel run’ is the optimum period for catching tiger fish; a feeding frenzy happens when the water levels drop after the winter floods, flushing small baitfish from the papyrus beds where they’ve been safely feeding into the jaws of waiting barbels (catfish) and tiger fish. Depending on flood water levels, the run might happen at any time, but it usually takes place between September and October.
2.After a quad riding excursion, spend the night on the salt pans.
A sprawling network of massive salt flats, the Makgadikgadi Pans are so immense they can be seen from space. The most thrilling way to appreciate the vastness of the area, as you drive for miles towards the horizon without ever reaching it, is to quad bike through this amazing white expanse with a guide. If you thought the Makgadikgadi looked big during the day, wait till you see the Milky Way emerge in the dome above your pillow at night. This is a popular way to end a journey.
If visiting Jack’s Camp, the first lodge constructed in this harsh environment, is out of your price range, the quaint village of Gweta makes a suitable starting point for arranging less expensive trips through Planet Baobab or Gweta Lodge.
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3. Meet the meerkats of Makgadikgadi
Meerkat colonies that are accustomed to humans live on the outskirts of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, digging tunnels beneath the emerald grasses. Despite being wild, these animals are incredibly accustomed to humans, and each colony has a dedicated caretaker. To get a better observation position and to better keep an eye out for predators, these curious creatures may climb up onto your head if you get up early. Trips to meet these cute little creatures can be arranged through Planet Baobab or Gweta Lodge, or the operators of San Camp, Jack’s Camp or Camp Kalahari.
4. A fun 4X4 excursion to Kubu Island
Kubu Island is a fitting name for the rock outcrops that protrude through the otherwise flat plain of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, rising like the humps of kubu (hippos) wallowing in water. Operated by the Gaing O Community Trust, a campsite set amidst the baobabs presents breathtaking views of the endless creamy white salt pan landscape.
This enormous area used to be covered by the waters of the Okavango Delta, and humans would occasionally live here because to the abundance of the water. The environment still contains a few visible stone walls and pottery shards dating around 1200 CE.
You must bring everything you’ll need on this adventure, including water, firewood, fuel, and toilet paper. The path is best approached via the settlement of Letlhakane, a route where there’s less possibility of getting stranded in the Makgadikgadi muck.
5. Explore Gaborone with a local
Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, doesn’t seem to have much to do other than admire a few statues or browse through malls at first glance, so it’s not usually on the list for first-time tourists. But an immersive trip with Happy Soul Adventures, a female-run company, uncovers the complex existence of common people.
Riding a bicycle through the pastoral scenery of the surrounding villages will allow you to explore them. You may also interact with the rural populations by making pottery, learning how to prepare regional cuisine, or doing karaoke in the bars of Gaborone.
6. Witness the remarkable zebra migration at Nxai Pan
The national animal of Botswana is the zebra, and you may see them in their hundreds after nutritious rains wash over Nxai Pan National Park between December and March each year. In search of sweet grasses, these herds travel far from the Chobe region, making a safari to this less-frequented park a monochromatic spectacle.
7. On a walking safari, look for rhinos.
Tracking rhinos is a memorable way to see one of the Big Five’s top animals. Between 1967 and 1986, the government reintroduced 138 white rhinos into northern Botswana; however, an aerial count in the early 1990s revealed that the population had fallen by 80%, primarily as a result of poaching. In response, the government moved the remaining rhinos to refuges where they could be closely monitored, including the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe and Mokolodi Game Reserve in Gaborone.
Walking safaris can be booked directly at Mokolodi or the Khama sanctuary, but set aside a full morning. It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to five hours to locate a rhino safely on foot, supported by two professionally experienced field guides. When going on a walking safari, you’ll see a lot more than just endangered rhinos because these modestly sized reserves are also home to giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and kudus.
8. Float under the world’s only quadripoint
The intersection of the four corners of the world is the only place on Earth, but it is more of a theoretical location on a map than a real-world travel destination. The best way for geography nerds, architecture lovers, and travel enthusiasts to check off the quadripoint as visited is to take a tour of the recently finished Kazungula Bridge, which connects Botswana with Zambia and Zimbabwe and overlooks Namibia.
Most riverfront lodgings, including Chobe Safari Lodge, offer boat trips to the confluence of the Chobe River and Zambezi River.
