Recommended Botswana safaris with SundownerSafaris: A mokoro is a Tswana word for dugout canoe. The Okavango Delta residents rely on mokoro for transportation and fishing because of their suitability for the narrow, winding rivers and lagoons throughout the region. You’ll witness a canoe built with fiberglass instead of the typical ebony and African sausage trees. The ideal time for a mokoro trip is between July and August because water levels in the Okavango Delta fluctuate significantly over the seasons. A mokoro adventure is considered a risk-free activity when the water levels are at maximum. The purpose of a mokoro cruise through the Okavango is to relax and take in the stunning natural scenery. Your guide will explain the intricate workings of the delta and how it sustains one of the world’s largest wildlife populations. Birdwatchers enjoy going on these tours because it’s the only opportunity to get close to some of Africa’s most stunning bird species, like the malachite kingfisher. See many more details on https://www.sundownersafaris.com/botswana.

While Nxai Pan and Nxai Pain National Park is open to visitors and wildlife lovers all year round, the rainy (wet season – November to April) is undoubtedly the best time to visit this majestic part of Botswana. In addition to the annual zebra migration, visitors are more likely to witness vast herds and a wide range of wildlife during this time of year, including lions, giraffes, kudu, springbok, impala, wildebeest, ostriches, jackals, bat-eared foxes, to mention merely a few of its wildlife highlights. Not to mention the incredible variety of birdlife you’ll encounter. As the Nxai Pan National Park is located in the north-eastern part of Botswana, you can easily combine your visit with a trip to the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, which reaches into the park.

This village is not far from Gaborone and is a great location for exploring the hills on foot. The village is surprisingly industrious and houses a number of small manufacturers such as glassworks, metal and pottery on the aptly named Pelegano Village Industry. The pottery factory in Gabane is particularly worth a visit due to its shop selling wares such as crockery, vases and other handcrafted decorative items. The most popular reason for visiting the village however is the great location for hiking.

Technically part of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Nxai Pan was created as an extension to expand the conservation area. Situated within Nxai Pan you’ll find the magnificent and highly sought-after wilderness and safari destination, the Nxai Pan National Park. While the spectacular scenery and vast landscapes is one of the area’s main draws, boasting remarkable sand dunes, towering baobab trees, and of course the salt pans themselves, Nxai Pan and Nxai Pan National Park has so much to offer. During Botswana’s rainy season (from November to April), the lakebed becomes beautifully lush and green, playing host to an incredible variety of wildlife that migrate through the area. When flooded, the pans also offer exceptional birding and vast game-viewing opportunities. Another wet season highlight is the great annual zebra migration which sees thousands of zebras move through Botswana’s Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks. Although the Great Migration in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara is the most famous and biggest land migration in the world, Botswana’s zebra migration is actually the longest migration as well as the second largest migration of wildlife in Africa.

The Tsodilo Hills appear almost suddenly out of the ground in the northwest Kalahari. These imposing rock formations of varying shapes and sizes are made to love even more impressive by the relative flatness of the surrounding land in the Kalahari. The Tsodillo Hills are a Unesco World Heritage site and are home to an amazing 4000 cave paintings spread out over 200 locations. The cave paintings, along with other evidence, suggests that the hills were first inhabited over 30,000 years ago.

Besides enjoying an authentic African safari, by far one of the top things to do in Botswana is mokoro through the Okavango Delta. A mokoro is a traditional dug-out canoe which is used to traverse and explore the waterways and channels of the Okavango Delta. Enjoying a mokoro journey through the Delta is not only a unique bucket-list worthy safari experience, but gives you the opportunity to see and explore hidden gems, secret spots, rare sightings, and smaller things you’d miss on a traditional game drive.

The Republic of Botswana is in the heart of Southern Africa. In the years before its independence from the British in 1966, Botswana was one of the poorest and least-developed states in the world, but the discovery of massive diamond deposits and investment into a strong tourism industry has turned it into a shining success story. For travelers with limited time, wilderness safaris in Botswana is a great option as you can easily be transported via light aircraft transfer from one camp to another in between game drives. Most Botswana-only safaris start in Maun or Kasane, but many of our clients opt to add Victoria Falls or Cape Town to a Botswana safari. Find even more info at https://www.sundownersafaris.com/.