The Benefits of Visiting a Private Conservancy in Botswana

go-on-safari-in-botswana

If you’ve been thinking about going on an African safari, and your main goal for your vacation is experiencing exotic creatures in the wild, there’s almost no better country to visit than Botswana. With some of the best game reserves and national parks in Africa, Botswana is a fantastic place to immerse yourself in nature and see some of the most beautiful animals in the world.

While visiting one of the public reserves in Botswana is a great choice for most travelers, vacationers looking for a more intimate, personal experience should consider spending some time at one of this country’s many excellent private conservancies. Here are some of the benefits of visiting a private conservancy on your next Botswana African safari that you should keep in mind for your trip.

Get Out from Behind the Wheel
When you visit one of the many national parks and reserves in Botswana, you’ll need to stay in your vehicle the entire time. Although you’ll certainly be able to see wild animals from inside your car, it won’t be quite as exciting as encountering these creatures on foot.

At a private conservancy, you’ll be able to go on a walking safari tour, which is a can’t-miss experience. Exploring a private conservancy on foot is a great idea for adventurous travelers, and with help from your safari guide, you’ll easily be able to see a variety of interesting animal species.

Avoid the Crowds
If you’re like many travelers, one of the worst parts of visiting a popular spot such as Botswana is having to contend with large crowds. One of the main benefits of visiting a private conservancy on your Botswana African safari is that you won’t have to deal with crowds the way you would when visiting a national park.

Generally, private conservancies only host a few guests at a time, unlike national parks and reserves which provide entry to a large number of visitors every single day. Because there will be fewer fellow safari-goers at the conservancy, it will be much easier for you to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Africa. Thanks to the intimate feel of a private conservancy safari, you’ll also be able to meet new people and make friendships that will last long after your vacation has ended.

Go on a Night Drive
The great thing about going on an African safari is that you’ll be able to have experiences that aren’t available with other vacations, and this is particularly true if you decide to visit a Botswana private conservancy. For example, when you visit a private conservancy on your trip, you’ll be able to go for an exciting night drive.

At national parks, you’ll need to leave the area before the sun has set. While visiting private conservancies, there will be no such restrictions. You can enjoy a breathtaking African sunset, and then your guide can take you on a drive where you can see African animals that only come out at night, including owls and bush babies. A safari night drive is an experience you won’t soon forget.

As you can see, visiting a private conservancy is a great way to have fun on your next Botswana African safari. When
booking your trip, keep the benefits of visiting a conservancy in mind so you can decide if it’s the right choice for your trip.

Visiting Botswana During the Green Season

botswana-safari-in-green-season

If you’ve decided that your next vacation is going to be an African safari, the most important factor to consider when booking your trip is the time of year you will travel. For instance, when visiting Botswana, most vacationers plan their trip for the dry season, which is when it’s easiest to see wild animals.

While visiting during the dry season is a good choice, you can have just as good a time by booking your Botswana safari during the rainy Green Season. Although you won’t enjoy as much sunshine during this time of year, there are some big benefits to visiting during the Green Season that you should consider. Check out a few exciting reasons to book your African safari in Botswana during the Green Season so that you can plan out an exciting, memorable trip.

Beat the Crowds
The Green Season in Botswana takes place from December to March, and because the weather will be much wetter than other times of the year, there will fewer visitors, which is beneficial for several reasons. For starters, less visitors means you won’t have to fight the crowds. In addition to making your safari much more relaxing, smaller crowds means you’ll have better animal watching opportunities.

Traveling during the rainy season also means your vacation will be much more affordable. You should be able to get great prices on virtually every aspect of your vacation, allowing you to spend a little extra money on exciting experiences and attractions.

Take Great Photographs
If you’re something of a shutterbug, then you probably want your next African safari in Botswana to include a few opportunities to take beautiful photographs. While every time of the year in Botswana is excellent for picture taking, the Green Season is especially advantageous to photography enthusiasts.

The Green Season gets its name from the explosion of lush plant life that happens during this time of year. If you visit during this time of the year, you’ll see lush forests and blooming flowers that you’ll enjoy photographing. If you want to take gorgeous pictures on safari that you’ll treasure for the rest of your life, visiting Botswana during the Green Season is an excellent choice.

Unforgettable Animal Experiences
The reason many travelers decide to book their Botswana vacation during the dry season is that it’s much easier to see wild animals because of the lack of vegetation. While you may have to work a little harder to see exotic creatures during the Green Season, you’ll enjoy some of the most unforgettable animal watching Africa has to offer.

For example, the rainy season is when most African animals give birth, which means you may be able to see adorable baby zebras, lions, or giraffes. The Green Season is also the time of year when several species migrate, so you may be able to see large herds of animals moving across the grassy plains. Book your trip for the rainy season, and you’ll get a unique look at Africa’s most exotic creatures.

If you want a fun and memorable vacation, booking an African safari in Botswana is a great choice, particularly if you visit during the Green Season.
Plan your vacation for this time of year, and you’re guaranteed one of the best holidays of your life.

5 Reasons to visit Botswana

botswana safari tour with okvango delta
Botswana is one of the top African safari destinations and not only in Southern Africa, but in entire Africa. One might not think that, when considering, that the country consists mostly of desert. But exactly that Kalahari Desert creates the most beautiful safari area, the Okavango Delta, which leads directly to reason no.1.

-The Okavango Delta is the dream African safari destination with the Big Five roaming in an amazing habitat of water and land.
-The Okavango Delta allows
waterborne safari activities deep into the channels of this amazing maze of papyrus and water where elephants and hippos stroll, swim and graze.
-The
Kalahari with its own special beauty, desert adapted animals and stunning landscapes. A perfect contrast to the delta.
-The Makgadikgadi Pan, a salt pan for perfect star gazing and home to one of Africa’s greatest migrations of zebras. And not to forget the home of very cute meerkats.
-Chobe and Linyanti with spectacular swamps and the Chobe River, home to huge elephant populations and many more amazing wildlife including the Big Five.

Botswana is one the best destinations for
outstanding wildlife sightings in combination with exceptional light, which is important for wildlife photography enthusiasts. An African safari in Botswana is a true wildlife adventure in truly remote bush with excellent guides and very beautiful and comfortable camps. The combination of water, land and desert safaris makes it really special.

What you should know about famous Moremi Game Reserve



visit the moremi game reserve in botswana
Moremi Game Reserve is part of the Okavango Delta and number one on every Botswana safari wish list. The game reserve is renown for its abundance of wildlife and the great variety of safari activities, on land and water. The reserve is unfenced and its boundaries are defined by natural water systems. The vegetation is varied, with dry land complemented by permanent and seasonal swamplands, resulting in an excellent diversity of both wildlife and birdlife. There is a great network of game drive routes through the reserve. Boating can be enjoyed in Xakanaxa and Mboma where the channels are connected to permanent delta waterways.

Moremi is excellent for
viewing the endangered African wild dog. Xakanaxa is home to a resident herd of several hundred buffalo whose range covers the territories of at least four prides of lion who hunt them. Breeding herds of elephant move between browsing areas in the mopane forests and the fresh waters of the Okavango. Red lechwe are one of the more unusual antelope species commonly found here.

Game viewing in the Moremi Game Reserve is
excellent year-round and varies between the seasons. During the dry season (Apr – Oct) the game is usually concentrated around permanent water sources as seasonal pans dry up. From September to November migrant birds such as herons and storks return to the area guaranteeing prolific bird watching which remains excellent throughout the summer months. In the rainy season (Nov – Apr) Moremi captivates its visitors with wild flowers, dramatic thundershowers and spectacular sunsets. Most of the animals give birth during this period and newborn antelope attract a variety of predators.

The main areas of this top-rated African safari destiantion are the Khwai River, Xakanaxa Lagoon, Third Bridge and Chief’s Island. The
Khwai River traverses a picturesque region characterized by tall evergreen trees lining a wide floodplain. It is situated on the north-eastern tip of Moremi Game Reserve and provides remarkable sightings of predators and prey. The elusive leopard is spotted regularly and birdlife is abundant with saddle-billed storks, wattled cranes, and many species of kingfishers and bee-eaters present.

The
Xakanaxa Lagoon lies at the tip of the Mopane Tongue, where substantial mopane forests and a system of deep waterways and shallow flooded areas come together. It is where the desert meets the delta. The striking landscape is packed with game and leopards are seen frequently even though they are well-camouflaged, solitary and shy. The lagoon is also a good place to find the African wild dog and the sheer density of antelope is staggering. Exceptional and varied birdlife is the order of the day at Xakanaxa Lagoon, renowned for the breeding colonies of birds that congregate on its tree covered islands. Seasonal sightings include innumerable herons, egrets, storks and other waders, to the many species of sparrow hawks, buzzards and kites. There are three camps in this area situated along the shore of the lagoon, Camp Moremi, Camp Okuti and Xakanaxa Camp.

A short drive from Xakanaxa Lagoon, lying in the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve is
Third Bridge. The area is positioned on an island with substantial amounts of tree thickets, in addition to a number of large, open plains. Campsites are available for mobile safaris, and the combination of unfenced campsites and wandering wildlife make for some close encounters between man and beast. Third Bridge's boundary of land and water is an ideal destination to combine vehicle and boat trips, or for the more adventurous, an 'island sleep over!'

Many areas of the Okavango Delta are largely dry including
Chief's Island, arguably the Okavango's most famous isle. Once the royal hunting ground of Chief Moremi, the traditional leader of the local tribes donated it as an extension to the Moremi Game Reserve, which it was incorporated into in 1976. Chief’s Island is now one of the region's best locations for spectacular wildlife viewing and hosts three luxury safari camps. Chief’s Island is the first part of dry land that the flood waters reach in the greater Okavango region. Most of the nutrients carried by the water are deposited here and this results in vegetation for rich grazing and browsing for wildlife. These nutritious grass plains support herbivores in large numbers and associated high population of predators. Chief’s Island is also called “predator capital”, the perfect place to see the big cats.

As Moremi is not fenced in, it can be a good choice to stay at one of the
neighboring private concessions. A number of lodges can be found in the private concessions bordering Moremi Game Reserve, offering the wildlife viewing of Moremi without the crowds. As there are no fences between the reserve and these private concessions, animals are free to roam. Since these areas can only be explored by guests staying there, the game viewing experience is an exclusive one as well as a great one. As these areas aren’t governed by National Park rules, night drives and walking are also possible. In addition to land-based activities, some of these camps also offer the water-based activities and the scenic landscapes of the delta.

Make sure you will experience a perfect
African safari in Moremi or at one of the private concessions by making an informed decision on the camp you choose. Keep the seasons in mind and the floods to enjoy all safari activities possible.


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