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AFRICABOUNDADVENTURES.COM SAFARI ATTRACTIONS CONTENTS Botswana Kenya Malawi Namibia Seychelles South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zanzibar Zimbabwe 2 BOTSWANA 3 Botswana OKAVANGO DELTA The Okavango Delta in the north of the country is reputedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. Botswana is known as a hot and dry country, making it a firm favourite with safaris. Largely off-the-beaten track, Botswana offers a haven of wildlife; particularly elephants which can be seen on safari in any one of the many national parks. The Okavango Delta, often called the ‘Jewel in August, when the champagne coloured of the Kalahari’ is probably the most famous water is at its deepest. In the Okavango Delta, area of Botswana. The delta is a large wet the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana and land surrounded by the Kalahari Desert its surrounding area is often the focal point for many Botswana safaris. Moremi contains The best time for safari game viewing in the the full spectrum of game and bird life Okavango Delta is between May and October, found in the Okavango and it is the primary when the animals gather along the flooded Botswana safari attraction in the Delta. areas. The most impressive month to visit is CHOBE NATIONAL PARK This is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers 10,566 square kilometres. Chobe National Park boasts one of the largest concentrations of game found on the African continent making it the country’s finest destination for game viewing, particularly on the Chobe river front and in the Savuti marsh area. This area is known to have the largest elephant herds and large numbers of predators can also be seen. One of the biggest draw cards to this region is the annual zebra migration. 4 THE SALTPANS Right in the middle of Botswana lie huge tracts of white salt – the saltpans of Botswana, namely the Nxai Pan, Makgadikgadi and Sowa. These saltpans are some of the country’s wonders that lie overseen by ancient baobab trees. The Nxai Pan is a national park and the area consists of a series of fossil pans which were originally ancient salt lakes. Providing shade for the animals in these fossil pans are grass and Acacia trees. The Makgadikgadi Pans consists of a series other antelope making their way north to of the three largest saltpans in the world; the the Nxai Pan, followed closely by the migration Ntwetwe, Sowa and Nxai Pans, each covered of predators, such as cheetah, lion and hyena. by a layer of glistening salt; a highlight of any The Sowa saltpan is an expansive breeding Botswana Safari. The transformation during the ground for flamingos. Towards the south rainy season of January–April is remarkable as - western end of Sowa is Kubu Island another the pans come to life with frantically feeding Botswana holiday highlight famous for its huge water birds and great herds of game. With the baobab trees that punctuate the landscape. rain come the herds of zebra, wildebeest and THE KALAHARI The Kalahari is untamed Africa; the second largest reserve in the world. It is an incredible expanse of semi-desert covering more than three quarters of Botswana. The Kalahari is a vast, virtually untouched wilderness on a grand scale, with a landscape stretching as far as the eye can see, ranking it high as a sought-after Botswana safari destination. A safari in the Kalahari promises huge herds of animals that follow migration paths of old. 5 Botswana THE TULI BLOCK The Tuli Block Reserve in Botswana comprises of a series of privately-owned reserves that stretch for 350kms on the south-western border of Botswana. This region is one of the most accessible parts of Botswana from South Africa, making it an ideal Botswana safari and holiday destination, providing the visitor a varied African safari experience. The Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana is The wildlife seems to favour the northern situated in the Tuli block and is home to the reserves that make up the Tuli Block in elephant, giraffe, lion, Baobab tree, ostrich, Botswana. These include kudu, wildebeest, eland and the kori bustard, to name but a few. zebra and giraffe, including predators such as leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal. It is filled with an abundance of wildlife including refuge for the largest population of elephants The rare black-maned lion is a main attraction found on privately owned land – a population to this area. Birdlife is plentiful with some 350 of around 900 elephants. There are plenty species having been recorded such as boulder other animals that can be seen in the Botswana chat, shrikes, kingfishers and raptors to name Mashatu Game Reserve, such as zebra, but a few. The hot and humid summer months warthogs, bat-eared fox and leopard, and 366 are probably the best time for your Botswana different species of birds! This area has become Safari in the Tuli Block, whilst the wettest an ideal Botswana safari destination as you can times are between November and December. see a large variety of animals, bird-life and flora. 6 THE TSWAPONG AND LEPOKOLE HILLS These Hills were once home to the San people and the rock paintings are prolific in the area. Solomon’s Wall - the remains of an ancient dyke, is also worth a visit especially its massive dolerite outcrops. This makes this area a historic and interesting place for a Botswana Safari. WHEN TO VISIT The best time to visit for birding and vegetation is during the rainy season from November to April, when most of the young are born. It is during this season when the migrant bird populations are returning, and the vegetation is lush and green. We have other Botswana attractions that you might want to visit on your safari. Please contact us for further details. 7 KENYA 8 Kenya NATIONAL PARKS Kenya’s total conservation area is 44,359 sq. km. The main parks are Aberdare National Park, Amboseli National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Meru National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Mount Kenya National Park, Nairobi National Park, Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park. If you’re an avid birdwatcher, then Kenya is a destination not to miss. The country has around 1,137 species of birds. Spotting over 100 bird species in a day is not uncommon. MASAI MARA One of the most popular tourist destinations is the Masai Mara, which is a designated National Reserve. Although the Masai Mara is not Kenya’s largest park, it is undoubtedly the best known and contains a great concentration of wildlife. It was established in 1961 and covers an area of 1,800sq km (almost 700sq miles). The Masai Mara adjoins the Serengeti in Tanzania, forming the northern end of the great migration ecosystem. The Masai Mara is the traditional land of the and crocodiles are also plentiful Masai people; nomadic herders who choose in these rivers, as are bird life. and lead a traditional lifestyle and are From June through to October you permitted to graze their cattle in this region. may see the annual migration as hundreds The park’s habitat comprises of forests along of thousands of wildebeest and zebra the banks of the Mara and Talek Rivers, the move through the area in search of acacia forests and the open savannah. These fresh grass. various habitats are home to a large variety of This perilous crossing undertaken by game including cheetah, leopard, lion, zebra, hordes of beasts is a truly dramatic giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest (gnu), elephant, highlight to behold! topi, jackal, impala and gazelles. Hippopotami 9 Kenya MOUNT KENYA Mount Kenya is the country’s highest mountain and sits astride the equator, with its icy summit reaching up to 5,199m (17,058ft). The entire mountain above the 3,200m (10,500ft) contour forms a national park. Most visitors to this area are content to marvel below the park boundary contains elephant, at the mountain’s beauty, but some want to buffalo, lion, several species of antelope attempt to reach the summits, a feat requiring including the rare bongo and occasionally considerable rock-climbing skill. both the leopard and serval. The mountain’s lesser peaks and glaciers can all Much of this game can be seen from the be walked by the fit and adventurous including comfort of Mountain Lodge, which lies ‘Point Lenana’ at 4,985m (16,355ft) which can just inside the forest on the south side easily be reached. Wildlife within the forests of the mountain. LAKE BOGORIA Lake Bogoria and the area around it form a national reserve which is primarily scenic with plenty of wildlife. Birds are plentiful and at times when the waters of Lake Nakuru are low, it is filled with hundreds of thousands of flamingos. Lake Bogoria has geysers and hot springs dotted The journey along the shoreline is made more all along its southern shoreline. The back drop exciting by the boiling geysers and steam jets. of the eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley The stark evidence from the volcanic origins of makes it one of the most picturesque settings the Great Rift Valley, reminiscent of pre-historic in the valley. scenes, this is something not to be missed! 10 LAKE NAKURU This is a shallow and alkaline lake on the bed of the Great Rift Valley. It is famed as the home of the greatest bird spectacle in the world as this lake often attracts more than a million pink flamingos which seasonally use its waters to feed on the abundant algae that thrives in the shallow warm waters.