Botswana Safari: From Delta To Desert

Swoop over the unfenced Selinda Reserve in a private plane and it would be tempting to think that this expanse of grassy wilderness is untouched by humans. Bull elephants munch water lilies in the shallows of the Linyanti, lions lurk in islands of thicket, and when the Selinda Spillway connects with the Okavango Delta during heavier rainy seasons, its banks swell with game. Scattered among its 130,000-hectares are four exceptional safari camps, where a handful of discerning guests recharge with mud-massages and private plunge pools after a day spotting exceptional wildlife – and likely no other humans. 

Named after the BaTawana tribal chief and his wife – who campaigned for the area to become a nature reserve in 1962 – this small but mighty reserve is located in the Okavango Delta’s central and eastern regions. Some of Africa’s most endangered species of large mammal can be seen in these savannahs and floodplains: cheetah, leopard, lion and African wild dog, making Moremi a must for those looking for the superstars of safari. 

In the middle of the blazing red of the Kalahari Desert is an incongruous expanse of what appears to be snow – if it wasn’t for the shimmering heat and baobab trees that force their way through its desiccated surface. Makgadikgadi Pans is the salty ghost of a vast network of lakes that once covered much of Botswana. For half the year you can crunch across it on foot with a Zu/'hoasi guide, marvelling at the eching emptiness and secretive desert creatures that call it home, such as aardwolves and bat-eared foxes. Between November and April it is transformed into an algae-rich soup where thousands of flamingos descend to feed.