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Eastern Botswana is the most accessible part of the country if you are approaching from South Africa, as many visitors do.
The Tuli Block, which includes the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, where game viewing can be very rewarding as many wildlife species concentrated in a small area, is a mere 5 hours drive away from Johannesburg.
Tuli is strikingly different to anywhere else in Botswana, with rocky outcrops, woodland and seasonal rivers - the Limpopo river forms the border with South Africa. Apart from Mashatu, there are several private game reserves and lodges, which offer game drives, walking safaris and other activities.
The Tswapong Hills which flank the road from the Martin's Drift border to Palapye, are unique in having natural springs and gorges, supporting a rich variety of fauna and flora. The area is also rich in history and there are several sites of archaeological interest in the area.
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a frequent stop-over and popular place for a short break. Nearby Serowe is the largest village in Botswana and the birthplace of the first President - Sir Seretse Khama.
 
Khama Rhino Sanctuary Rocky outcrop, Tuli
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The Chobe National Park is one of Botswana's most popular destinations and famous for its abundance of elephants. In the dry season (May - October), herds up to 200 strong can be seen along the riverfront, and a cruise on the Chobe river is considered the highlight of many a visitor to Botswana.
Kasane is the gateway to Chobe, and offers a wide range of accommodation facilities. Victoria Falls is only 70km away and easily accessible.
Savuti, in the centre of the national park, is famous for its predators and in the rainy season large herds of zebra and wildebeest congregate to feed on the grassy plains. In the dry season the waterholes can yield excellent game viewing. The campsite at Savuti is well known for its nocturnal visitors - notably hyenas, which come to scavenge on the leftovers from campers suppers.
The Linyanti area in the extreme north-west of the reserve, is a picture of Eden, with its lush riverine forests. Several luxurious lodges in the area boast exquisite surroundings.
The Chobe National Park is connected to Moremi Game Reserve in the south-west, and wildlife moves freely between Chobe and the Okavango in the east, and Nxai Pan in the south.
 
Elephant - Chobe River Sable crossing road
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Moremi Game Reserve forms part of the Okavango Delta and offers some of the best birdlife in Africa, as well as large amounts of game and stunning scenery.
There are four campsites in the reserve, each with their own individual qualities and characteristics - Maqwee in the south, Third bridge and Xakanaxa towards the west and Khwai in the north. As with all of the game reserves and national parks, the campsites are unfenced and wildlife roam freely through the campsites. While this is to be treasured, care has to be taken - tents securely zipped, with no food inside, and wild animals, especially
monkeys, must never be fed.
Several lodges operate from within the reserve or in the immediate area, offering the option of staying in Moremi in more luxurious surroundings.
Driving conditions in Moremi can be difficult, especially in the rainy season when the clayey soils turn into mud. In the dry season the loose sand also makes for challenging driving, but the scenery and the wildlife more than make up for it.
Boat trips are possible from inside the reserve, offering the opportunity to enjoy the waterways and view thousands of herons, storks, egrets and other waterbirds nesting in the heronries.
 
Khwai River landscape Impala ewe
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The Okavango Delta is one of Botswana's national treasures, covering 18,000 sq km at full capacity, and is a World Heritage Site.
Most of the Delta itself is largely impassible to the self-drive tourist, the only option being to fly in to one of the many private camps. Several of these are very exclusive, offering 5 star accommodation with all the luxuries that can be expected, deep in the wilderness.
Maun is the gateway to the Okavango, and also a stop on the way to Moremi and Savuti. The town has a distinct tourist feel, and many of its residents find work in the tourist industry. There are several hotels, lodges and camps in and around Maun, and a variety of shops, restaurants, banks and garages.
From Maun it is possible to do mokoro trips into the Delta, as well as game flights by helicopter.
The panhandle (referring to the shape of the delta with the 'handle' at the top) features many picturesque villages, notably Shakawe, where one can do boat and mokoro trips, as well as fishing and birdwatching.
The Tsodilo Hills, in the extreme west of the region, are famous for their well-preserved bushman paintings, dating back several thousand years. There are over 4000 rock art paintings in the hills, and guided tours are available as well as camping at the hills - the tranquility of the sun setting over the hills is a special experience.
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The beauty of the Makgadikgadi Pans lies in the featureless grey-white landscape, with the horizon completely flat in all directions - a vast expanse of nothingness, hard to describe but keenly felt.
In the wet season if the rains have been good, most of the pans fill with water and only certain areas are accessible, but the water attracts vast flocks of flamingoes, which come to feed on the crustaceans which hatch soon after the rains fall. Nata Bird Sanctuary affords the opportunity to see this amazing spectacle.
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is located in the eastern region of the pans. The western boundary is defined by the Boteti river, where there are several permanent pools, attracting large herds of antelope and other wildlife in the dry season. The unusual sound of zebras calling to each other, and the ubiquitous roar of the lion are sounds that campers in the area are familiar with. Organised night drives are possible in the area at Leroo-la-Tau,
and leopard and lion are frequently sighted.
In the east of the park, the lush grasses after the rains attract large herds of zebra and antelope, and camping at Njuca Hills at the right time of year is an experience (the hills themselves are only a few metres in height, but are so called because of the flat landscape!).
Lekhubu island, an island of granite sprouting stunted Baobab trees, in the middle of the pans, is one of the unique features of the area. Lekhubu is managed by a community trust from Mmatshumo village, 40km away, and revenue from camping at Lekhubu funds community projects in the village.
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Gaborone is the capital of Botswana and is the fastest developing city in southern Africa, with new buildings under construction seemingly all the time. It has been made famous by Alexander McCall Smith and his book series "The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency" and there guided tours of the places mentioned in the books are possible.
There are several places of interest around Gaborone. Gaborone and Mochudi's museums, the craft and pottery centre in Thamaga, Oodi Weavers co-operative are worth a visit. Kgale Hill, just outside Gaborone offers a view of the whole city. Mokolodi Nature Reserve, 15km away, offers special activities including elephant walks, horseback safaris and the 'tame cheetah' visit.
For those flying in to Botswana, there are several daily flights connecting Gaborone and Johannesburg, a 3x weekly flight to Cape Town and daily flights between Gaborone and Francistown and Maun. The Sir Seretse Khama airport is a quiet, attractive airport with all the basic facilities (foreign exchange, duty free, car hire, post office, restaurant) that an international airport has.
Gaborone has a well connected road network to surrounding areas, and the Tlokweng border post with South Africa is 15km away and currently open until 10pm.
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Khutse Game Reserve is the closest and most accessible major game reserve from the south of Botswana and is connected to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Khutse covers 2500 sq km and features rolling grasslands, fossil dunes and pans, interspersed with strands of trees. There are several camping areas in the reserve and a good road network offering rewarding game viewing, especially at the pans in the rainy season.
It is possible to travel north from Khutse through the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, but this a remote route and is only permitted if a convoy of at least 2 vehicles is traveling.
Care must be taken in Khutse particularly during the summer months when the grasses are tall. In the middle of the road, grass seeds caught by the vehicle can accumulate and can block the airflow to the radiator causing overheating.
 
Pale Chanting Goshawk Blackbacked Jackal
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Nxai Pan is a large grassy pan with islands of acacia trees, making for an attractive landscape, which gives Nxai Pan its unique character.
The National Park itself covers a wider area encompassing several smaller pans and bushveld, together with Kudiakam Pan in the south. Only the roads around Nxai Pan itself are developed and this is where the game is most abundant.
During years of good rains, herds of antelope and zebra, sometimes hundreds strong migrate into the area to feed on the succulent grasses and drop their young. Giraffe are also common in the area, and there are very good photographic opportunities on the pan. Lion are frequently seen and heard, and in recent years elephant have become frequent visitors as numbers in the north continue to swell.
The campsite in the south of the pan is set under a clump of large shady trees with flush toilets and firewood heated showers.
In the south of the reserve is Kudiakam Pan, more typical of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Baine's Baobabs - a group of huge Baobab tees on the edge of the pan - are little changed since the explorer Thomas Baines painted them in 1862.
 
Camp site, Nxai Pan Baine's Baobabs
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The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the world's second largest protected area, covering some 52800 sq km. The vastness of the reserve is evidenced by the signposts within its boundaries - several hundred kilometres from the northern areas to its southern reaches.
The CKGR is captivating, its wild rugged beauty is breathtaking, the visitor feels a sense of remoteness, with nothing but the sounds of the barking gecko and the distant roar of lion as the sun sets on the horizon. At night there is a brilliant array of stars in a clear sky.
The north of the reserve has been developed for tourism, and the south can only be accessed by those traveling in convoy as some of the roads do not see a vehicle for weeks on end. Camping facilities reflect the reserve's character and campsites are often kilometres apart. There are bush showers and pit toilets but water must be brought into the reserve as there is none available.
The game viewing areas focus on fossil valleys, notably Deception Valley, popularised by Mark and Delia Owen's in their book "Cry of the Kalahari", featuring dry grassland interspersed with tree islands. Sign posts reminding the visitor not to drive off the designated track are reminders
to their fragile nature and must be adhered to if the area is to be sustained for years to come.
 
Cheetah, Deception Tau Pan
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The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a cross-border ecological area, the first of its kind in southern Africa, formed in 1999 with the amalgamation of three protected areas - two in Botswana and one in South Africa.
The main tourist areas in Botswana's side of the park consist of the Nossob river valley, the eco-friendly 4x4 wilderness trails, the Mabuasehube area and the Swartpan area in the east and northwest of the park respectively.
The South African side of the park is more developed, with small shops, chalet accommodation and fuel available.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is known for its gemsbok, springbok, eland and hartebeest - all antelope suited for life in the desert. Predators such as lion and cheetah are frequently sighted, particular in the Nossob valley.
Birdlife in the area is prolific, in particular birds of prey which are abundant. One amazing bird which is not found anywhere else in Botswana is the Sociable Weaver. These remarkable birds build huge nest colonies in which thousands of birds nest together.
 
Gemsbok Ground Squirrel
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