In many of Botswana's parks you will need to
consider having a 4 Wheel drive vehicle particularly during the rainy season
(between November and March) with some roads being impassable even with 4 wheel
drive. Some roads and rough and very sandy all year round.
Location: Lying in the
north of the country, the Chobe river borders with Namibia
Best time
to visit: Wildlife viewing and bird watching is good all year round.
October is the hottest month and the peak raining season is during January and
February
Size: approx 11,000 km² (Botswana's second largest
park)
Sights: The park has the most varied wildlife of all of
Botswana's parks with one of the highest populations of Elephant to be found
here. The wide Chobe River is the lifeblood of the area and feeds adjacent
flood plains much
Location: eastern corner of the Okavango Delta in the north west
of Botswana
Best time to visit: July-October
Size: approx 4,870 km²
Sights: Described as
one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane
woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is the great diversity
of plant and animal life that makes Moremi so well known. It is one of the few
places where you may be lucky to see a Red Lechwe antelope, but there are also
many other animals such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards,
cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas and rhinos. The Moremi Game Reserve is also
renowned for its birdlife
For those who want to get close to African wildlife without going on
safari, this park is ideal. It's conveniently close to Gaborone but, once you
enter the park, you really are in the bush. Whether you stay for a day or a
week, Mokolodi offers a magical experience.
Activities include rhino
tracking (yes, you can get really close on foot), giraffe tracking, walking
with the elephants, game drives, and horse trekking. For many visitors, though,
the highlight is the cheetah experience. Once you've been licked by a cheetah
the memory will stay with you for ever.
The Mokolodi Wildlife
Foundation is a charity dedicated to conservation and education projects. All
revenues from visitor activities are used to fund these
projects.
Location: situated in the north-west of the country
Best time to visit: Game viewing is good all year round, but the
best months are May top November
Size: 16000 sq. kms km²
Sights: It is home to an abundance of wildlife including
crocodile, hippo, water bucks and various fish species which can be seen from
safari vans and boats. The delta waters meet the sands of the Kalahari desert
making the whole area very beautiful and scenic which is why it is referred to
as the 'Jewel of the Kalahari'.
Maun is the main town of of the region
and situated on the southern edge of the Delta. It is Botswana's main tourist
capital. having one of the busiest centres in the country as flights from
Gaborone, Victoria Falls, South Africa and Namibia fly there daily.
Best time to visit: November to March - when it may rain. May to
October is hot, dry and dusty in the Kalahari with little water and limited
animals
Size: approx 52,000 km²
Sights: home
to a wide variety of antelopes including eland, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest
and springbok and also has a number of wildebeest, giraffe, lion, cheetah,
leopard, wild dog and brown hyena. The majority of the park is flat, vast open
plains. Deception Pan is the parks most popular spot because it attracts large
numbers of game after the rains from February to April.
Through a cooperation between the Botswana and South
African Governments, the Kgalagadi National Park is the first official
Transfrontier and it managed jointly by both countries. The Botswana section
covers an area of about 28, 105 sq.km with plenty of wild animals, including
wildebeest, eland, hartebeest, gemsbok and springbok. Super predators like
lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena can also be viewed. Camping areas on Botswana
side include the Rooiputs camping grounds, some 25km up the Nossob River Valley
from the entrance gate. Poletswa grounds lie in the northern section of the
Nossob Valley.
