Anyone been to Botswana?
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A little late in answering this, but here goes.
Botswana is a very unique country in Africa and a terrific destination depending on what you are looking for. It's best known for high end safaris (Wilderness Safaris) and diamond mining.
This fabulous country is about the size of France, but has just only 2 million people! The people are very friendly and engaging unlike some other places in Africa. It's primary tourist attraction is the Okavango. It's a 15,000 km2 inland delta, one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, that's packed with wildlife and a few hundred species of birds. You'll see everything up close via jeep. You haven't lived till you've heard a lion roar from 15 feet away. There are few roads in the country so safaris here are done by small bush planes that hold from 6 to 12 people and fly from camp to camp. They have to buzz the dirt airstrips to get the animals off before they land and you can't take much luggage. An outing here is the trip of a lifetime, but could easily run $15-20K for 2 excluding airfare to Africa. But hey, it's only the cost a few high-end audio cables.
Victoria Falls is spectacular, especially following rainy season, but best viewed in Zimbabwe. The beautiful Victoria Falls Hotel has much old world charm and is located nearby. This is a very different kind of travel experience. The country is not only very poor, people will make offers to buy your shoes; but also, politically corrupt. Remember Robert Mugabe? No currency issues -ATMs produce the dirtiest US dollars I've ever seen. I would not go there unless part of a tour group. Customs may be unlike anything you've ever experienced. It's really near the bottom of the list of third-world countries but a must visit.
Take a good camera and have fun!
Botswana is a very unique country in Africa and a terrific destination depending on what you are looking for. It's best known for high end safaris (Wilderness Safaris) and diamond mining.
This fabulous country is about the size of France, but has just only 2 million people! The people are very friendly and engaging unlike some other places in Africa. It's primary tourist attraction is the Okavango. It's a 15,000 km2 inland delta, one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, that's packed with wildlife and a few hundred species of birds. You'll see everything up close via jeep. You haven't lived till you've heard a lion roar from 15 feet away. There are few roads in the country so safaris here are done by small bush planes that hold from 6 to 12 people and fly from camp to camp. They have to buzz the dirt airstrips to get the animals off before they land and you can't take much luggage. An outing here is the trip of a lifetime, but could easily run $15-20K for 2 excluding airfare to Africa. But hey, it's only the cost a few high-end audio cables.
Victoria Falls is spectacular, especially following rainy season, but best viewed in Zimbabwe. The beautiful Victoria Falls Hotel has much old world charm and is located nearby. This is a very different kind of travel experience. The country is not only very poor, people will make offers to buy your shoes; but also, politically corrupt. Remember Robert Mugabe? No currency issues -ATMs produce the dirtiest US dollars I've ever seen. I would not go there unless part of a tour group. Customs may be unlike anything you've ever experienced. It's really near the bottom of the list of third-world countries but a must visit.
Take a good camera and have fun!
Thanks for the report and nice photos. Did you book for the camps individually or did you get a full package from a safari operator?
Francisco, I got a full package booking all the camps from a tour operator, named Premier Tours (Goggleable?) in the US, based in Philadelphia (where I live), whose owner is a South African. Alternatively, you could book directly with Wilderness Safaris which is also easy to find on the Internet - makes sense from Europe.
You fly to each camp spending 3 or more nights at each to maximize your chance of seeing different herds of animals (You are flying 3,000 feet up over treetops and the views are spectacular). All animals are migratory and cover distances of as much as 50 miles a day. The animals don't stay in one place so you can't either. You will see thousands of animals up close and appreciate them in a way you never dreamed of. These small camps might have 6 to 12 raised platform tents and have all the comforts of home and more, e.g. some even have small swimming pools! Oh, except you probably don't have monkeys jumping up and down on your roof and elephants picking fruit off your raised deck at home.... These camps are 100s of miles from anywhere. You go out in the mornings and at dusk when it's not so hot. You do bounce around in the jeep a bit, so two weeks or so is a good amount of time. Food is really good.
The best tour operators in Botswana are targeting sustainable ecotourism and supporting the local population with guide and other jobs to discourage hunting / poaching. Here's a pic below of me trying to learn basket weaving from the locals - LOL.
If you have 3 weeks, a great trip might combine Botswana with South Africa. You could see Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope, and tour the nearby wine country (Napa, Calfornia scenery pales in comparison although the wines are better).
Interesting story. Our bush pilot flew us into the Zimbabwe airport, chatted up their customs friends, and we were through in less than 10 minutes. Some tourists had been waiting there for almost 2 hours and were making no progress. We got nasty looks from them and one angry lady accused us of bribing someone!
You fly to each camp spending 3 or more nights at each to maximize your chance of seeing different herds of animals (You are flying 3,000 feet up over treetops and the views are spectacular). All animals are migratory and cover distances of as much as 50 miles a day. The animals don't stay in one place so you can't either. You will see thousands of animals up close and appreciate them in a way you never dreamed of. These small camps might have 6 to 12 raised platform tents and have all the comforts of home and more, e.g. some even have small swimming pools! Oh, except you probably don't have monkeys jumping up and down on your roof and elephants picking fruit off your raised deck at home.... These camps are 100s of miles from anywhere. You go out in the mornings and at dusk when it's not so hot. You do bounce around in the jeep a bit, so two weeks or so is a good amount of time. Food is really good.
The best tour operators in Botswana are targeting sustainable ecotourism and supporting the local population with guide and other jobs to discourage hunting / poaching. Here's a pic below of me trying to learn basket weaving from the locals - LOL.
If you have 3 weeks, a great trip might combine Botswana with South Africa. You could see Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope, and tour the nearby wine country (Napa, Calfornia scenery pales in comparison although the wines are better).
Interesting story. Our bush pilot flew us into the Zimbabwe airport, chatted up their customs friends, and we were through in less than 10 minutes. Some tourists had been waiting there for almost 2 hours and were making no progress. We got nasty looks from them and one angry lady accused us of bribing someone!
I spent a few weeks in Botswana at two safari camps. It's everything Barry said, but do your homework on travel planning and booking lodges/guides. I was with a larger party and we booked the entire camp when I went. Bush planes into remote airstrips. Great experience! Our guides were excellent.
http://www.kuyimba.com/
http://www.kuyimba.com/
Hey Nothstar, ever been to Tofino or Uclulet? The bush planes in Botswana are usually smaller than this and you can ride in the co-pilot's seat sometime. Great scenery but no wildebeests either! 
More Botswana photos
These photos were taken on a 12 day safari to Botswana in February 2015. It is more work to track down the animals when water is plentiful from the Delta and from rain, but, being the lower season for number of visitors, the cost is much less per day.
These photos were taken on a 12 day safari to Botswana in February 2015. It is more work to track down the animals when water is plentiful from the Delta and from rain, but, being the lower season for number of visitors, the cost is much less per day.
Of course sir Barry; I've worked the major part of my life in all parts of British Columbia, and I've been to Tofino and Ucluelet, and Hot Springs Cove which is only accessible from the air (or by boat). * We chartered a small plane, six of us.
I could probably write a book just about these beautiful areas of the Island.
In my type of work (ex-work) I flew in all types of planes and helicopters, where they drop you off in super remote areas and your job is to plant a forest before the day's end when the plane or chopper is coming back to pick you up, @ a determined time and spot.
Being always in the mountains you are in constant safaris with wildlife, except different species than in Africa. ...But you'd be amazed by what you can find in the mountains of British Columbia, and the close encounters...and all that jazz when sometimes risking your life.
Anyway I don't want to derail this excellent thread about safaris and the beautiful pictures that come with it. ...I simply love nature and wildlife.
Very well done. Question: most of time I see images of lions they are photoshopped to remove the battle scars from their faces. I don't see any in yours. Did you do the same or is there a secret to finding them this way?
The composition is superb in this:
There is no photoshopping of these cheetahs. Cheetahs do not seem to have nearly as many battle scars as the lions have. I do not think that they mix it up with each other to the same degree. They tend to run away from trouble.
I have another 20 images or so of these 4 cheetahs that do not look as perfect as this one, taken in the Kwara concession in the late afternoon on 1 of 4 days there. The image of the 2 lions that I posted was taken earlier that same day.
I have another 20 images or so of these 4 cheetahs that do not look as perfect as this one, taken in the Kwara concession in the late afternoon on 1 of 4 days there. The image of the 2 lions that I posted was taken earlier that same day.
I was asking about the Lions. I was dismayed originally thinking they are always full of battle scars but seeing your images, gives me hope of finding them with clean faces.
There likewise is no photoshopping of the lions. These are 2 young boys who do not have much reason to fight yet. They will get scars as they get older.
You can get quite close to the animals in most of Botswana, because you do not have to stay on the roads in the private concessions. For example, for the 4 cheetahs image, I was less than 30 feet away. The animals are habituated to the safari vehicles and the majority of them do not run away. The guides know the personalities of the individual animals and how close to get. There are no fences separating the various concessions in Botswana, so the animals can roam freely from place to place.
You can get quite close to the animals in most of Botswana, because you do not have to stay on the roads in the private concessions. For example, for the 4 cheetahs image, I was less than 30 feet away. The animals are habituated to the safari vehicles and the majority of them do not run away. The guides know the personalities of the individual animals and how close to get. There are no fences separating the various concessions in Botswana, so the animals can roam freely from place to place.