Botswana

Half a century ago Botswana was a Cinderella among nations. Then the Fairy Godmother visited and bestowed upon her the gift of diamonds. The resulting economic boom transformed Botswana into one of Africa's richest countries (as measured by per capita income). In 1966 the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland was granted independence and renamed Botswana, and the first democratic President, the internationally respected Sir Seretse Khama, guided his country into a peaceful future.

Where other nations' celebrations quickly turned sour, Botswana's independence brought an enduring tide of optimism. The country sidestepped the scourge of tribalism and factional fighting that cursed much of the continent and is considered one of Africa's most stable democracies.

Botswana's infrastructure is excellent and it's a very safe country. You will certainly come across four-legged predators during your safari, but very unlikely to find two-legged ones lurking outside your tent. Another big bonus is that nearly everybody speaks English—a legacy from when Botswana was a British colony.

Although cities such as Gaborone (pronounced ha-bo-ronee), the capital, have been modernized, Botswana has little in the way of urban excitement. But outside the cities it's a land of amazing variety: the Kalahari Desert is in stark contrast to the lush beauty of the Okavango Delta, one of Botswana's most magnificent and best-known regions. Botswana is passionate about conservation and its legendary big game goes hand-in-hand with its admirable conservation record. Once a hunting mecca for the so-called Great White Hunters (i.e., Ernest Hemingway), most shooting now is with cameras, not rifles. A few proclaimed hunting areas still exist, but they are strictly and responsibly government-controlled.

Botswana's policy of low-impact, high-cost tourism ensures the wilderness remains pristine and exclusive. Nearly 18% of this very flat country's total land area is proclaimed for conservation and tourism. The Moremi Game Reserve, for example, was the first such reserve in southern Africa to have been created by an African community (the Batawana people) on its own tribal lands and has game galore.

Speaking of game galore, the great rivers—the Chobe, the Linyanti and the Kwando—are teeming with herds of elephants and packs of wild dogs, otherwise knows as the elusive "painted wolves" of Africa. The Savuti Channel, where once a mighty river flowed, has now been dry for decades, but among its golden grasses huge prides of lions hunt under skies pulsing with brilliant stars. Then there are the vast white pie-crust surfaces of the Makgadikgadi Pans (the nearest thing on earth to the surface of the moon), once a mega inland lake where flamingoes still flock to breed and strange prehistoric islands of rock rise dramatically from the flaky, arid surface.

If you're interested in meeting some of the most fascinating people, the stark and desolate Central Kalahari Game Reserve is home to the fastest-disappearing indigenous population on earth, the Kalahari Bushmen. They say you can hear the stars sing.. listen.

Tipping Tips for Botswana

Though the national currency is the pula, you can use U.S. dollars or euros as tips at lodges and camps. Your information folder at each lodge will give helpful suggestions on whom and what to tip.

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