Harry & Megan’s Romantic Get Away & Other Reasons To Visit Botswana

 

As part of his tour of Southern Africa, Prince Harry recently visited Botswana. Harry has been returning to Botswana for over 20 years now, doing a huge amount to raise awareness for humanitarian and wildlife conservation with each visit.  But also, returning simply to enjoy this beautiful country and its unspoiled wilderness.

These days, Prince Harry’s love for Botswana is shared by his wife, The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The couple have enjoyed several dates in secluded safari lodges in Botswana and even spent their honeymoon there. To underline their connection to this natural paradise, Meghan also has a diamond sourced in Botswana as the central piece in her engagement ring.

But aside from simply taking holiday recommendations from the royal family, there are countless other reasons why a trip to Botswana should be on your travel wish list.

Here are just a few of the reasons you should pay this beautiful country a visit.

Elephants

Botswana’s national commitment to conservation means there is no better pace to see African Elephants. The number of elephants has tripled in the last thirty years and today it is estimated that there are over 160,000 wild elephants in Botswana.

Big Cats

Leopards, Lions and Cheetah’s are a regular sight in The National Parks of Botswana.  Today, It is one of the top spots to see big cats in the world.

Rhinos

Perhaps the most threatened of African species, the rhino, which has been hunted through the ages for its horn, can be seen at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in East Botswana. Here black and white rhinos are closely monitored by conservationists, who are keen to increase the number of rhinos living in Botswana.  

National Parks

Almost 50% of the entire country of Botswana is protected as part of a National Park. These carefully and sympathetically managed wildlife parks are vast, and their success has lead to an abundance of a rich variety wildlife.

The Chobe National Park stretches to over 12,000 km in size, with the Chobe river winding through it , attracting all kinds of exciting wildlife and a huge variety of species of birds.

Other highlights include The Moremi & Khwai Game Reserve, which alongside lions, leopards and elephants, is home to packs of fascinating African wild dogs.

The Okavango Delta.

One of the seven natural wonders of Africa, The Okavango Delta is vast inland river delta in Northern Botswana which attracts and nourishes an endless array of animal and birdlife all year round. Travelling through these waterways in a dug-out canoe or ‘Moroko’ will get you closer to wildlife and lead to much more intimate wildlife encounters.

Makgadikgadi Pans

Visiting these vast, remote salt water flats is a breathtaking experience. Taking a quad bike safari will allow you to travel greater distances through this fascinating, eerie moon-like wilderness.  Although wildlife is in short supply here. Buffalo and Zebra have been known to migrate across these plains in vast numbers from September to December. This also is the perfect place to get up close to Meerkats, who are resourceful enough to thrive in this arid wilderness.
The clarity and definition of the star-scapes in the night sky is are also completely mesmerizing and something that really has to be experienced on any trip to Botswana.

Ancient Art In The Desert

World Heritage status has been awarded to Tsodilo, which Unesco describes as the “Louvre of the Desert”. Discovered in the Kalahari Desert , Tsodilo is home to one of the highest concentrations of primitive rock paintings in the world. Revered by the Hambukushu and San communities, this ancient art gallery boasts some 4,500 paintings, some of which are 100,000 years old.

For anyone with a passion for history, archaeology and /or art, a visit to this fascinating site can be a spiritual experience.

Victoria Falls

Whist not strictly In Botswana, Victoria Falls is so close to the border that is would be madness not to nip over into Zambia to see this iconic natural spectacle.

The Scale of this waterfall is utterly breath-taking. The sensation of power that five hundred million cubic metres of water a minute crashing down around you will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Not to mention the noise and the cloud of spray which can be seen from miles away.
Taking a cruise on the Zambezi and watching one of the regular vibrant sunsets across the falls is a vision that you will never forget.

And for those with a taste for adventure, there are many opportunities on offer here including kayaking, white water rafting and bungee jumping.

Find out more about our trips to Botswana here