Botswana is the homeland to safari, especially in the area that extends from Chobe to Moremi in the Okavango Delta. There are an impressive number and variety of animals with the sad exception of the rhinoceros whose numbers have declined. The government has implemented some re-population projects which are still in their start-up phase.
Apart from the narrow strip of land on the eastern part where the majority of the population lives, Botswana is nothing more than a large wilderness with few roads, vast areas of savanna, desert, wetlands and salt flats. In order to preserve this natural habitat, the government has decided to focus on top-of-the-range tourism which causes little environmental impact, making it an exclusive destination.
It is not a recommended destination for self-drive itineraries, especially if you are traveling alone or do not have a great experience of Africa. Even during the dry season it is easy to silt up (or sink, in the Delta) if you do not know the tracks or if you are not highly experienced in this kind of driving.
Outside the area of the Okavango and Chobe (where the most feasible types of travel are in luxurious safari lodges or mobile tented camps) in the other parks of the Kalahari, in particular the Kgalagadi and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, one can delve deeper into the spirit of taking part in an expedition that is not a classic African safari.
