Published in Travel Africa Edition Twenty Three: Autumn 2000

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BOTSWANA SUPPLEMENT by Chris McIntyre

Quite simply, there's nowhere quite like it. Wildlife, wilderness and sense of wonder - Botswana has it all. This is more than just another safari destination. It's the promise of a unique experience. Imagine paddling a dugout canoe through a wildlife reserve the size of Greater London that you have practically to yourself. Experience the thrill and privilege of a close encounter with Africa's largest elephant herds. Sense the mesmerising emptiness of one of the world's largest salt pans or marvel at the ancient rock art of the Kalahari Bushmen. As Chris McIntyre explains, Botswana is a very special proposition.

Once upon a time a safari meant clambering aboard a striped minibus with your wildlife tick-list before slumping on a beach for a week. Now it has grown up, safari has become more serious. Bush experts drive open-topped 4WDs that leave minibuses standing, whilst camp comforts, even in remote locations, have reached penthouse proportions.

SERIOUS SPACE
Quietly leading this revolution has been Botswana - a democratic corner of Africa, with a strong, diamond-based economy, that rarely reaches the newspapers. Northern Botswana's pristine wilderness is protected by a patchwork of reserves. Each is about as big as Greater London and limited to just thirty-or-so visitors at a time. That's serious space! Expect camps with home comforts, and some with style to make your jaw drop. Each promises an exclusive chunk of pristine Africa and there's a wide range to choose from.

PICTURE PERFECT
Everyone's heard of the Okavango Delta - but whatever you imagine, don't picture a 'swamp'. Instead think endless crystal-clear streams and lagoons meandering through lush floodplains between picturesque palm-fringed islands. Add myriad fish, boisterous hippos, flashes of iridescent birds and more wildlife than almost any other reserve in the region, and you'll understand why the Delta has become renowned as an ultimate safari destination. The postcards don't lie; it's just like that.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Dotted around the Delta are small, but perfectly formed, safari camps (20 guests count as 'big' here). Most are very high-quality, but try to visit two or three to get a real feel for the Delta's contrasts: forests, open floodplains, tiny islands, dense papyrus beds and dry, open island plains. When David Livingstone visited the region in 1849, he saw the Delta as "a country full of rivers - so many no one can know their number." Little has changed since, but exploring it has become easier. Now your most difficult decision at camp is how to get around. Glide silently in a mokoro (dugout canoe) with lilies at eye-level; float further on a motor boat; feel the adrenaline of walking with beasts; or track wild dog from an open 4WD. Then there's always the dilemma of what to order from the bar to toast the sunset...

MORE TEMPTATIONS
Don't confine yourself to the Delta when visiting Botswana. The surrounding Kalahari is equally captivating. Despite what you might think, it isn't really a desert. It's an enormous rolling wilderness of bush, studded with a few magical corners worth signing away your trust fund to visit. The waterways of the Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe are magnets for huge game concentrations; one reserve here has more elephants than the whole of South Africa! Venture away from the water, into the heart of Kalahari, where you'll find vast salt pans. Pluck Stone Age axes from the crusty surface as dust-devils gyrate across the endless horizon. Visit during the rains for a different story: vast herds of zebra on a watery green meadow, perhaps topped by a pink froth of breeding flamingos.

On the edges of the Kalahari seek the mysterious Tsodilo Hills, graced with some of Africa's richest Bushman art and infused with a deep sense of spirituality. Then there's the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (the ultimate in remoteness); the rocky, well-watered Tuli Block; and the picturesque Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - well known to fans of the Meerkat Valley TV documentary.

1. When Should I Go?
It depends on where you're going and what you want to see. Birds are best during the rains, December-March, but you'll spot more animals during the dry season, from April-November. Around May, floodwaters from Angola inundate the Okavango, a remarkable spectacle that creates exciting opportunities for mokoro rides in areas that are usually dry. Wild dogs den from June-September and they'll stay around one area for several months, making them easier to find. Herds of elephant and buffalo get bigger as it gets drier, so September-October promises the best big game spectacles.

2. Do I need a visa?
Not if you're travelling on a passport from the EC or the USA. South Africans and most Commonwealth citizens (except nationals from Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Mauritius) are also exempt. Otherwise, contact the Botswana High Commission for details of visa application. 30-day visas can be extended to 90 days.

3. Are there any health hazards?
Botswana's warm, dry climate and low population density makes it a healthy place to visit. The main problem is putting on weight - the superb camp cuisine won't do your waistline any favours! Other than that, you should take anti-malarial precautions. Discuss this with your doctor or health advisor, along with vaccinations for tetanus, polio, diphtheria and typhoid. However, there are no mandatory inoculations required for visiting Botswana.

4. Does Botswana only cater for media magnates and trust-fund babes, or are there budget options too?
Botswana has options for all budgets - although the majority of camps tend to cater for the high-end market where you can expect to pay £250-350 per person per night. This typically includes light aircraft transfers to and from your camp, luxurious accommodation, delicious food, all activities and professional guides. Maintaining such standards in remote locations (often in private concessions) is an expensive business, so these rates represent good value. A percentage of takings is also ploughed back into local community projects. If you're on a tighter budget, head by bus to Maun where you'll be able to organise a two night self-catering mokoro trip at the edge of the Delta for nearer £100 per person. Some mobile safaris (see question 10) are another alternative for budget travellers. If you have experience of driving a 4WD vehicle in Africa, you may also be able to save money by organising a self-drive trip. However, this is a serious undertaking and not for the feint-hearted (roads have few signposts and there's no AA service, while campsites are remote and basic). A 14 night self-drive itinerary costs from around £2,250, including international flights, a fully-equipped 4WD vehicle and prearranged accommodation at lodges or campsites. Another option to consider is a participatory camping expedition by overland truck. A few companies now include Botswana as part of wider-ranging itineraries.

5. Should I stay in national parks or private reserves?
Botswana's parks have long been protected, and their animals are very relaxed. But they're public, so expect to see many game-viewing vehicles. Park rules still forbid walking, off-road driving and night-drives. The parks are surrounded by private reserves that vary in their game densities - though most are superb. Camps here cost the same, but your guide can drive off-road to find game, conduct spotlit night-drives and guided walks.

6. What are the camps like?
Forget cramped scout tents. Instead think: canvas-designer-chic.
Botswana's camps are increasingly stylish. En-suite flushing toilets are the norm, along with running hot and cold water, battery-powered lights and even electric fans or air conditioning.

7. Can the children come?
Yes - but not everywhere. A few camps welcome kids with special family rooms (Chitabe Trails, DumaTau, Jao, Kings Pool, Pom Pom and Vumbura). Others (the Kwando camps) have a specialist children's guide. CCAfrica have no age restriction and offer imaginative children's programmes which include activities such as making paper from elephant dung!

8. If these camps are so remote, how do I get there?
It's easy - you fly. Light aircraft operate like a taxi service between the camps in northern Botswana, using Maun and Kasane as hubs.

9. How do I choose which camps to visit?
Choose a variety of camps in contrasting environments, ideally run by different companies. After perusing the sales literature, talk to someone who's been there, to work out which suit you best.

10. What are mobile safaris?
Mobile safaris are trips for small groups with a professional guide, tents and equipment. You travel with your camp, which is then set up at ifferent places. Expensive mobile trips include a team of staff, starched linen bed-sheets and crystal goblets; on cheaper trips you'll erect your own tent and drink from a tin mug. The route from Livingstone (Victoria Falls) through Chobe to Moremi and Maun is very popular.

11. Should I expect Chardonnay and canapés, or beef stew and local beer?
Unless you're on a budget mobile safari, where you'll cook for yourself, expect restaurant-standard meals. Most camps also have inclusive bars.

12. Do different places provide different daily activities?
Yes. In some parts of the Okavango, only motorboat trips are possible. Other areas are limited to mokoro excursions, while many camps only offer 4WD safaris. Experienced horse riders can join specialist week-long riding safaris, whilst lottery winners might splurge over £5,000 for a 5-night elephant-back safari at Abu Camp.

13. How long should I spend in each camp?
About three nights per camp is normal; four at particularly good camps with a wide choice of activities and two for those which focus on water activities.

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