What makes Botswana so special. It’s among the most popular destinations in Africa – so what is it in your opinion that keeps people coming back?
I think what makes Botswana so special is that is one of the last true wildernesses left on earth. It’s not just 20,000 square kilometers of fenced-in area. It’s Botswana all the way up into Namibia, into Angola – no fences. It has the largest concentration of elephant anywhere on Earth – 130 000 free roaming elephant that can move completely independently. It’s a vast pristine wilderness areas and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire concept of tourism is to have high value and low impact. What’s important here is contiguous wilderness area. I think that’s what makes Botswana so special and different. The animals come and they go, and they’re free to move, and so seasonally, you might see different wildlife. There’ll be highlights, but it’ll always be different. I think that nature speaks to man in a voice that connects with their soul, and Botswana just hits all the right buttons. And that’s why I think Botswana is such a special place, and why people keep coming back.
What do you feel are the not to be missed locations when visiting Botswana and why?
Musts on a visit to Botswana is the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans pads. They’re the two most dominant geophysical features and can be seen from the moon. They’re completely unique – the world’s largest inland alluvial delta and then the remnants of a Paleo lake which was once the world’s largest inland lake, the size of Texas or France, and is now the white salt flats of the Makgadikgadi. You shouldn’t miss that either of those two.
Are there any common misconceptions about the country – things people get wrong and are surprised by when they arrive?
A common misconception from guests traveling to Botswana are the expectation to find the barren Kalahari Desert landscape, whereas it couldn’t be more different. It’s also huge leadwood trees, jackalberry forests, riparian woodland, monkeys and baboons roosting up in the trees, impala and elephants, lush green savannas, especially now with the flood waters arriving and is definitely not barren – it’s a huge mosaic habitat. The word desert actually comes from a Latin word ‘desertus’, which means abandoned, and this place is anything but. I’d say the other misconception is that people have believe that Botswana is poverty stricken which is often a broader misconception of Africa. And it couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a peaceful, stable, middle-income country, and the first country in Africa to go through a completely calm and peaceful transition of power from one democratically
elected party to another and very safe.
What are the top pieces of advice you’d give someone planning a trip to Botswana?
My first piece of advice would be book your safari for the dry season – May through to October – as it’s our winter here, so there are less insects and the rain-fed water holes dry up, which means animals concentrate around the edge of the Okavango Delta. This is true for the Okavango of course, but most of Botswana is a lot more hospitable during the cooler winter months. Another piece of advice for self-drive tourists or tourists trying to do a trip on a budget it that it’s always worth booking a guide and going as someone with local knowledge. It supports the economy, it supports wildlife. Don’t try and do it solo. I’ve seen too many
people in bad situations this year, which easily could have turned into nightmares. It’s not even more money, it’s just about spending money in the right places. Going with a guide you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble and really enjoy this extraordinary place.
What would you recommend to someone as the most life-changing experience you can do while in Botswana?
If you’ve never done a safari, it can be a life-changing experience in itself. It grounds you in a way that you could never guess. It’s extraordinarily transformative. Nature has an extraordinary ability to heal wounds, especially wounds of the mind. And I see families connect in ways that they say they haven’t connected in years out on safari. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve got them all stuck in the same vehicle for 10 hours of game drive a day, but everyone comes back with the with the most amazing feeling of lightness. And if you can try and spend a night out on an island under the stars, that’s a very special way to experience this magical place.
How should traveller best time their trip to the country?
Timing depends where you’re going. The Okavango Delta is the highlight for many coming to Botswana, and the best time for animal concentrations there are later in the dry season. So, June’s better than May. July is better than June, etc, until the rains arrive. September and October, it warms up. October can really get hot, but the wildlife viewing is well worth the sweat. The secret season, if you’re a bit more budget conscious, would be March and November. You can really have extraordinary, extraordinary safaris in those months, and skip the busiest peak season. Then if you’re going into the desert – more specifically the central Kalahari Game Reserve, Nxai Pan, or down towards Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park after the rains, you’ll find lush grasses and unbelievable life. Water is the currency of life, and as soon as it begins to rain, it just transforms. The Kalahari is a place of boom and bust, and it’s just extraordinary to visit when it’s booming.