Moreover, with improved air access from the US, via South Africa, Botswana has never been easier to visit. The country's wilderness is pristine, a virtue underpinned by governmental commitment to sustainable tourism. The Okavango Delta's permanent waters attract year-round wildlife, now including all the 'big five' rhinos have been successfully re-introduced. Outside the Delta, this English-speaking country offers tremendous variety in landscapes, from the arid Kalahari to lush forests. Riverine areas harbour spectacular herds of elephants and buffalo, and mighty predator populations. Dusty savannahs attract hardier game like oryx and springbok. On Makgadikgadi's great salt pans, zebra gather in huge congregations after rain. Birdwatching is brilliant throughout. Then there's Botswana's rich history, from the Tsodilo Hills' ancient rock paintings to Stone Age arrowheads on the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Bradt's Botswana Safari Guide offers detailed descriptions of many lodges, from traditional tented camps to those offering five-star luxury and top-class cuisine, plus detail on what animals occur where, enabling you to select the optimum approach. With this book's comprehensive GPS co-ordinates and detailed maps, independent travellers can drive themselves around. But perhaps you prefer bespoke mobile safaris with a private guide? For something different, explore rivers on gentle motorboat cruises, including on multi-day trips, or get closer to the water in a traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe), with a poler escorting you along shallow waterways. Or seek out a specialist walking camp for the excitement of bush walks - when meerkats might even pose atop your head for a great lookout. And why not use this book's advice to book-end trips by visiting Livingstone (Zambia) and the Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)?