Desert & delta

VICTORIA FALLS

Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.It’s also an adventure centre of note. You could stay in Vic Falls for ages and enjoy a different activity every day, from bungee jumping, gorge swinging and white water rafting, to helicopter and microlight flights (a.k.a the flight of angels), sunset boat and steam train cruises, horse riding, game drives, canoe trips, and so much more. WHAT TO DO in Vic Falls: click here and scroll down to 'Things to do in Victoria Falls'.

During your stay on the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls, walk across the bridge to visit the Zambian side, which offers an exhilarating walk across the ‘Knife-edge Bridge’, a close-up view of the ‘Boiling Pot’ (a scary whirlpool at the base of the falls) and, for the really adventurous, a dip in the famous ‘Devil’s Pool‘.

Just wandering the streets of this quaint town is a memorable experience as you negotiate for souvenirs, dodge warthogs (and elephants!), hang out with locals and sample a range of restaurants and bars.

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

The Chobe Riverfront near the town of Kasane attracts massive herds of elephants and buffaloes in the dry season, offering fantastic photographic opportunities as they bathe and drink in the late afternoon sunlight. And the remote inland Savute Marsh is the stuff of legends for its large population of lions that target buffalo herds.

Wildlife of Chobe National Park includes four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo – only rhinos are absent), many antelope species (including the only population of puku in Botswana), zebras, giraffes and good populations of cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs, as well as a plethora of smaller species such as serval, aardwolf, pangolin, aardvark and bat-eared fox. Birding in northern Chobe can be rewarding, with over 450 species.

OKAVANGO DELTA

The Okavango Delta is a lush wilderness of papyrus, impenetrable reed beds, grassy floodplains, tree-covered islands and a complex network of water channels of varying depths, engineered and maintained by hippos and elephants.

Some areas are permanently underwater, and others only when the rejuvenated annual floodwaters arrive from Angola. This constant ebb and flow of water has created one of the most fascinating and diverse ecosystems on the planet. Unsurprisingly, the Okavango Delta is both a RAMSAR Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Okavango Delta wildlife includes the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) – although rhinos are rarely seen – many antelope species, zebras, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and good populations of cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs, as well as a plethora of smaller species such as serval, aardwolf, pangolin, aardvark and bat-eared fox. You will see more wildlife in areas that are not permanently flooded.

A bucket list activity unique to this area is gliding down the myriad of waterways on a mokoro (a traditional dugout canoe). Video: sunset mokoro. Your poler guide will expertly slide the mokoro along channels surrounded by tall papyrus and reeds, giving you a unique perspective and photographic opportunity as you silently sneak up on birds, frogs, otters and possibly even larger animals such as hippos, crocodiles and elephants. A lucky few will see the elusive and wary sitatunga antelope.

Birdwatching can be spectacular, with over 400 species, including avian jewels such as Pel’s fishing owl, slaty egret, pygmy goose, crowned and wattled cranes, Western banded snake eagle, coppery-tailed coucal and colonies of incandescent carmine bee-eaters.

THE SALT PANS

On the eastern fringes of the Kalahari lies a collection of huge fossilised salt pans – desolate flat landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see. Surrounding the pans are expanses of grass and thorn trees, with the odd island of tall palm trees. It’s a picturesque landscape, very photogenic and seductive.

The most popular salt pans are the Makgadikgadi Pans (including Sua Pan – and its rocky Kubu Island, bedecked in massive baobab trees) and Nxai Pan (where you will find the famous and starkly stunning Baines’ Baobabs).

Wildlife viewing is seasonal and dependent on water – with some of the pans flooding after early summer rains, with peak water in January to March each year (rain-dependent), resulting in a flush of grass, flowers and flocks of greater flamingos arriving to breed. This is also when the unpredictable zebra migration arrives to take advantage of the food and water. During dry times the wildlife that moves around the area in search of sustenance includes lion, cheetah, brown and spotted hyenas, springbok, hartebeest, ostrich, elephant and smaller species like black-backed jackal, African wildcat and bat-eared fox.