11-Nights Botswana, South Africa & Zambia - Land Journey

Makgadikgadi Pans

The barren landscape of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana attracts adventurous nature lovers. The salt pans, about 310 mi/500 km north of Gaborone, are among the largest in the world, covering 2,500 sq mi/6,500 sq km between Francistown and the Okavango Delta.

Bird-watchers interested in unusual habitats are the best candidates for a trip to Makgadikgadi. Game lovers might see zebra, springbok, gemsbok and other animals (primarily in February and March), but there are much better places in Botswana to watch animals. And, in reality, most of the birds seen there are the same species that can be viewed more conveniently in the Okavango Delta (though the flocks of flamingos and pelicans tend to be larger on the pans).

The main attraction of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans is the atmosphere: The bleached landscape, the dead-flat terrain, the few bloated baobab trees and the multitude of mirages provide a kind of otherworldly experience. Quad biking (using four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles) across the cracked and dried pans is a popular adventure activity, and most guides can arrange it.

Kubu Island is especially eerie, as the vistas of salt flats extend to the horizon. Large baobab trees dot the island, which at the north end looks much like a ship's prow. A circular stone wall and about 70 small stone cairns can be seen at the south end of the island. Some archaeologists believe this enclosure was used as an initiation site by 14th-century Zimbabwe peoples.

If you visit Kubu Island, which can only be reached by four-wheel-drive vehicles, be very careful of the salt. When wet, it is so soft that it can literally swallow a vehicle down to the wheel wells in a few seconds.

Several typical Zimbabwe ruins are situated around the east and southern edges of the salt pan. Consumption of the salt on the pan is not advisable because it can cause diarrhea.

Joining a professional mobile safari is the safest way to explore the pans, and there are plenty of camp sites.

Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi, hunted by the Bushman as long as 10,000 years ago, was initiated by the Batawana tribe and covers some 4,871 km², as the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Moremi is mostly described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa. It combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is the great diversity of plant and animal life that makes Moremi so well known.

The idea to create a game reserve first originated in 1961 and was approved by the Batawana at a kgotla in 1963. The area was then officially designated as a game reserve in April 1965 and was initially run by the Fauna Conservation Society of Ngamiland. Moremi was then extended to include Chiefs Island in 1976. In August 1979 the reserve was taken over by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. A further extension was added as recently as 1992 and now the reserve contains within its boundaries approximately twenty percent of the Okavango Delta.

Maun

The town of Maun is an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts. There are shopping malls, banks, restaurants, a few hotels and some happening bars. Maun is the tourism capital of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland. It is also the headquarters of numerous safari and air-charter operations.

Cape Town

Cape Town is southern Africa's most beautiful, most romantic and most-visited city. Few urban centers anywhere can match its setting along the Cape Peninsula spine, which slides like the mighty tail of the continent into the Atlantic Ocean. By far the most striking - and famous - of its sights is Table Mountain, frequently mantled by clouds, and rearing up from the middle of the city to provide a constantly changing vista to the suburbs below. Table Mountain is the city's solid core which divides the city into distinct zones with public gardens, wilderness, forests, hiking routes, vineyards and desirable residential areas trailing down it's lower slopes.

Okavango Delta

The Okavango delta is one of the world’s largest inland water systems. It's headwaters start in Angola’s western highlands, with numerous tributaries joining to form the Cubango river, which then flows through Namibia (called the Kavango) and finally enters Botswana, where it is then called the Okavango. It is a unique ecosystem with large populations of African mammals, birds, and other animals and is one of the last totally unspoiled areas in Africa. This destination is perfect for camping, picture taking, walking safaris, and mokoro (canoe) excursions.

Livingstone

Livingstone is less than 10 miles from beautiful Victoria Falls and is a delightful old colonial town named after the explorer David Livingstone. As Zambian tourism increases, more people are staying in Livingstone and new enterprises seem to be springing up. There are also many lovely lodges on the banks of the Zambezi.