Botswana’s scenery and wildlife
Botswana is one of the few African countries where nature remains relatively unspoiled. The country’s population of about 1.6 million has 500,000 km2 to enjoy, and fully 17 per cent of that is designated as protected national parks. The Okavango delta in the northwestern corner of Botswana is the largest of its kind in the world and one of Botswana’s most important means of sustaining life. Like gnarled old fingers, the delta spreads its waterways down to the dry landscapes of the Kalahari desert towards the south; a unique ecosystem, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. As well as the Okavango delta, a journey to Botswana should also take in the wonderful landscape of the Kalahari desert with large, golden sand banks, acacia trees, open grassy plains and the nomadic San people. These bushmen have lived in the region for 30,000 years and are masters of the art of hunting.
On safari in Botswana
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve covers an area of almost 53,000 km2 and is the second-largest game reserve in the world. When the grass germinates and waterholes form after the summer rain, thousands of gnus, springboks and gemsboks congregate around Deception Valley. The many kinds of antelope attract large numbers of lions, cheetahs, hyenas and jackals. You should definitely not miss Khama Rhino Sanctuary (which among other things is home to Botswana’s few remaining rhinos) or Chobe National Park which, with the river Chobe, nourishes the most varied fauna in Botswana – in addition to 45,000 elephants, you may also encounter large herds of buffalo, zebras, jackals, warthogs, hyenas, lions, gnus, giraffes, impalas, leopards and baboons, as well as crocodiles and hippos.
Gaborone, capital of Botswana
With its modest population of 200,000 and an annual growth rate of ten per cent, Botswana’s capital Gaborone is one of Africa’s fastest-growing capitals, and is well worth a visit on your journey. The city is named after Chief Gaborone of the Batlokwa tribe, who settled in the area in the 1880s. The city lies protected in the valley between the Kgala and Oodi mountains, where it is bisected by the river Ngotwane and the railway that runs from the old gold-mining town of Francistown to Lobatse. With its restaurants, nightclubs and shopping areas, Gaborone provides and urban break from travelling in the wilderness. Among the exhibits at the National Museum, which also serves as an art museum, you can see paintings by the English artist Thomas Baines, who accompanied the legendary Dr Livingstone on his exploration of the Kalahari desert.