Botswana is a country that is as vast as it is fascinating. It is so hard to limit this list to just five things to do and see but here’s a try! Here is our rundown of the top 5 best, in no particular order, of course:
Meeting the Meerkats
Any visitor to Botswana is guaranteed to come away with some furry new friends-the inquisitive and often affectionate meerkats. These cute little creatures are part of several groups of habituated meerkats that reside near the Uncharted Africa camps, and with the assistance of the guides, guests are positioned in a way that makes them the prime spot for meerkats on the lookout!
Walking with the Bushmen
The Kalahari Bushmen are a fascinating, unique, and mysterious people living very much untouched by the modern age. Their history and tradition is one of the longest preserved on earth and unfortunately in danger of disappearing. Guests at Uncharted Africa Safari co. are able to enjoy unprecedented interaction with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen and gain insight into their life of survival, faith and celebration in the harshest of environments. Through its community and cultural conservation efforts, UASC is working to preserve and protect this threatened way of life so we may continue to learn from them well into the future. Guests staying at Jack’s Camp or Camp Kalahari can join the bushmen for a few hours, exploring the area and learning more about their culture, or they could actually book a specialized safari experience for up to eight days – an unparalleled experience.
Kubu-Quad Bike on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans is a huge expanse of pristine, sugary white landscape is bigger than Switzerland. Once a large river-fed lake, the Makgadikgadi Pans now lie saline and empty. The pans are littered with stone tools and artifacts dated from between 2,000 to 500,000 years old. During the wet season 35-75,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate into the area with regular sightings of lion, cheetah and other predators who follow in their wake, this is southern Africa’s last surviving zebra and wildebeest migration. Hundreds of thousands of flamingo appear from nowhere to feed as long as the water lasts. Also a permanent haven for desert species such as the captivating and engaging meerkat and the elusive brown hyaena, the third rarest carnivore in the world!
During the dry season, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are a racer’s dream. Adrenaline junkies can revel in a kubu-quad bike ride screaming across the pans as fast as they can. You can ride for an eternity and not reach another living soul, just you and the gas pedal!
The Bar at Planet Baobab
In the middle of vast nothingness, deep in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert, a giant anteater statue points the way to pure funky paradise. Welcome to Planet Baobab, colorful and vibrant, a crossroads for locals, globetrotters, backpackers and trust fund babies–united by fun, adventure and of course beer! Planet Baobab provides world travelers with an opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, from Europe to Australia, from America to Botswana locals. The bar at Planet Baobab is a true oasis of a watering hole deep in the desert. It’s not unheard of to find the boisterous crowd dancing on the bar and knocking back brews into the wee hours of the night. You haven’t partied until you’ve partied here!
The Museum at Jack's Camp
The central mess tent at Jack’s Camp has been given museum status by the Botswana Government. In addition to being a very interesting venue for guests’ daily meals and down-time, the mess tent offers a collection of interesting artifacts for guests to explore, as well as the top guides to explain each of the items in depth. They have everything from ancient stone tools that they find on the Makgadikgadi salt pans to a range of animal skulls of the animals that can be found in the area. But one that stands out a lot is the preserved, mounted aardvark.
About the blogger:
Uncharted Africa Safari co. really has its finger on the pulse of this amazing Southern African country and welcomes guests to experience so much of what this incredible place has to offer. For more information on these and other fun activities, and tips about places to visit in Botswana Check out their website.
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