If you are looking for a good place to go and view the wonderful game parks in the southern part of Africa then Botswana is the best place to be. Botswana has a wide range of wild life in the different parks and reserves and this is due to the good conservation policies that have led to the conservation of the wild life in the country. The different game parks and reserves in Botswana are well catered for and managed.
17% of the land in the country has been set aside to cater for National parks and game reserves whereas 22% has been reserved for the wild life National Parks. Botswana has four major national Parks and the rest are game reserves and all these are managed by the Department of wild life and National parks in the Botswana government. These parks have enough security and visitors are assured of their safety. Visitors should also follow the different rules that are put up by the management of the different parks n order to enjoy their tout in Botswana.
Moremi National Park
It is known as the best game reserve in Africa, the Moremi National Park is located in the eastern part of the country and it has one of the best eco systems in southern Africa.
Moremi Game reserve is located in the Okavango delta in the Northern Part of Botswana and this is the first game reserve that has been established by the locals in the whole of the African continent. It was named after the local king and his family chief Moremi III.
The Moremi reserve is filled with lagoons, savanna vegetation, woodlands and acacia forests and all these act as habitats for the different bird and animal species found in the park. There are also many lodges where you can spend the night and the animals that can be viewed here include elephants, hyena, cheetahs, leopards, the African Jackal, Impala and many more other animals.
Chobe National park
Chobe national park is located near the border of Botswana with Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia in the north of Botswana and therefore can easily be accessed through the other three countries. Chobe is a very large park which is filled with a lot wildlife ranging from predators to the different bird species in the area.
Chobe National Park was established in 1968 and it is known for the high number of buffalos and elephants that it has. Chobe National Park is known to have four eco systems which include the Savuti Marsh in the west, the dry Nogatsaa between the northwest and west, the chobe flood plains in the north and the linyanti swamps in the north western part of the Park.
The different animals that you can see in Chobe include elephants, hippos, wild dogs, giraffes, lions, buffalos, Zebras, red lechwe, cheetahs, hyenas and many more other wildlife. You will also be able to see the different 450 bird species in the area like the saddle billed stork, African fish eagles and the African skimmer among others.
You can also enjoy a boat cruise where you will be able to see the different reptiles and aqua animals like fish, African crocodiles and the best time to visit chobe is between the months of May and September during the dry season as animals will be moving around the park in search of water.
Khuste Game Reserve
The game reserve is adjacent to the central Kalahari game reserve, it is a good retreat place especially for those who want to relax and visit Gaborone. The name Khuste literally means where one kneels to drink
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
This park was originally designed as a habitat for the san Bushmen and they have lived here all the time but now t is filled with different ethnic groups in the park at the moment. It has tall grass which is almost at the height of a human’s waist and this gives ample space for the tourists to view the animals as they come to graze.
The reserve is found in the Kalahari Desert and it is remotely located making it a bit hard for tourists to access it. The different animals that can be seen in the reserve include the Oryx, giraffes, red hartebeest, cheetahs, kudu, leopards and lions.
You will also be able to see the great salt pans found in the area and the different bird species which include the cape turtle doves, red billed queleas, rock kestrels and many more others. There are two camps where you can stay while enjoying the drive in the area with trained tour guides and you get to enjoy the desert life in the Kalahari.
Nxai National park
Nxai National Park is located in the Eastern part of Botswana and the best tourist attractions that one can see when they when they visit Nxai National Park are the beautiful sand dunes, The Baobab trees, the flooded salt pans and game viewing.
Nxai National park has a salt pan which is always white and dry during the dry season, but when the rains set in, the salt pan acts as a habitat to some animals like the zebras in the great migration, the different bird species that migrate to the area and the flamingos who flock to the pan in search of water and food.
A game drive through the park will leave you satisfied with how you have spent your money since there is a lot to see including the meerkats who normally frequent the pans during the rainy season. you can also experience the bush walks and get to meet the locals who live in the area and get yourselves
The game viewing experience is the best because you get to see the zebra migration, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, bat eared fox, lions, gemsbok, giraffes, antelopes, kudu, ostriches, impalas, elephants, the African jackal and many more others which has earned the Nxai park to be called the African garden of Eden. The park also has good accommodation facilities where one can stay during their visit to the African Garden of Eden.
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Mokolodi is located in the capital of Gaborone and stands on 30 square kilometers in the southern part of Botswana. It was founded in 1994 and it is a nonprofit organization.
Mokolodi Nature Reserve is best known for giraffe rhino tracking. This natural reserve was mainly set up for study purposes and conservation of rare endangered species and it is mostly visited by students. There are other animals that can be seen in this reserve but the major one is the Rhino. There are camping sites that tourists can rest from and the security at the place is also tight.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
The park is located in the North Eastern part of the country and it is a home to one of the world’s largest slat pans with the two largest in the park being the Ntwetwe and Sowa salt flats. The salt pans are believed to be the remains of the lake Makgadikgadi.
The different animals that one see on their tour of the park include the zebras, black and white rhino, the buffalos, hippos, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants on an occasional basis, lions and many more other animals.
The Okavango National Park
The Okavango delta National park has different animals that the visitors can sightsee and these include crocodiles, elephants, giraffe, cheetahs, zebras and many more others including a wide range of bird species which can be seen lazing around the Okavango River. You can also enjoy a boat ride in the local boat locally known as the Mokoro while birding and you can also spot fish in the Okavango River.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
This is located in between the borders of Botswana and South Africa. The park was officially opened in 2002 and both countries manage the part of the park that they have. There are many place and things that you can see when you visit the park and these include viewing the wild life in the northeast part of the park which includes lions, cheetahs, hyenas and the Nossop river valley.
The park is made up of the Gemsbok National park in Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok Park in South Africa. You can also go for game reserves although the number of cars in the park is limited so that the animals can move freely and get their peaceful rest without being disturbed by the noise made from the variety of tour vehicles.
Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Khama rhino sanctuary was established in 1992 and it is known as the wildlife project which is community based in Botswana. The sanctuary sits on 8585 hectares of land and it is the main habitat for both the black and white rhino, 230 bird species and other animal species totaling to 30 species. The park also has a well where ablution blocks of water can be found and used by tourists.
