Tourist Attractions; Botswana National Parks and Game Reserves

There are several Botswana National Parks and Game Reserves, The Top Tourist Attractions In Botswana; The Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Tuli Block, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Tsodilo Hills, Nxai Pan National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, and Khama Rhino Sanctuary.

Due to the numerous tourist attractions that can be found around the nation, Botswana is one of the most popular travel destinations on the African continent. National Parks in Botswana receive the most visitors throughout the year because 17 percent of the country’s territory was set aside to support game parks, reserves, and game reserves.

The Moremi Game reserve

The Okavango Delta is home to the biggest game reserve on the whole African continent. The wettest months, from January to month, are so bad that the roads leading to the wildlife reserve are always flooded, making the dry season the perfect time for someone to visit and explore the area. The Game Reserve is renowned for its excellent ecosystem as well as the events that led to its creation. According to rumors, it was founded by the locals and was named after their chief Moremi III. Other things you may do when you go to Moremi include go trekking, bird watching, and game viewing. Animals like leopards, elephants, impalas, the African jackal, cheetahs, and many others live here.

The Mokolodi Nature Reserve

In order to conserve rhinos that were in danger of going extinct, a non-profit organization called the Mokolodi nature reserve was established in 1994. Numerous giraffe kinds and bird species can be seen in the reserve in their native habitats. Other activities you may do in the reserve include game viewing, birding, and trekking under the guidance of a tour guide. When it comes to restoring and caring for the animals in the reserve, the fees that you pay at the entrance can help.

The Okavango Delta National Park

One of the most popular tourist sites in the nation is the Okavango national park, which is situated in the Okavango delta. It is home to a variety of wild animals, including cheetahs, elephants, zebras, crocodiles, hyenas, buffalo, the Topi, wildebeest, the Lechwe, warthogs, bush pigs, and many more. The red-billed hornbill, red-billed oxpecker, and many more bird species can be found in the area of the Okavango River. The best time to visit the Okavango delta national park is during the dry season, when many of the water holes are dry and many animals can be observed heading towards the Okavango river. The wet season should be avoided because the roads are difficult and the pans are flooded at this time.

The Nxai National Park

The huge salt pans that are dispersed across the Nxai national park, which lies in the eastern portion of Botswana, are the park’s most notable feature. Additionally, it is covered in Baobab trees, which shelter the animals throughout the dry season. The Nxai National Park, also referred to by many travelers as the Garden of Eden, is home to a wide variety of species, including ostriches, impalas, lions, the African jackal, kudus, antelopes, elephants, the bat-eared fox, hyenas, and many more.

The Kgalagardi Transfrontier National Park

The National Park was established in 2002 and is shared by South Africa and Botswana. Both countries maintain it, and it is easily accessible from both sides. It was created by merging two reserves, the Kalahari in South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. Hyenas, zebras, elephants, lions, hyenas, and many other types of animals and birds can be found in the National Park. You can also hike through the park while taking in its various features, but you must have a tour guide with you in order to enter the national park.

The Chobe National Park

The northern region of the country is home to the Chobe National Park, which is situated on the border between Zimbabwe and Botswana. The park was established in 1968 and is well-known for housing a sizable population of elephants and buffalo. Buffalos, leopards, hippos, lions, and antelopes are some of the other animal species that may be seen in the park. Bird species include the long-toed lapwing, African fish eagle, African fish skimmer, saddle-billed stork, heron, African finfoot, and winged nightjar. It is advised to avoid visiting the Chobe National Park during the wet season owing to impassable roads, even if it is the greatest time to go birding. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season when many animals will be active due to a lack of water during this time.

The Khama Rhino sanctuary

In 1992, a group of locals founded the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in an effort to conserve the black and white rhinos, which had been hunted to nearly extinction. Although the rhino species are the sanctuary’s main draw, it is also home to 200 different bird and animal species. Ablution wells are the park’s secondary draw for visitors after they have explored the entire sanctuary. The entry charge to the sanctuary goes toward providing for the needs of the animals and their growth.

The Makgadikgadi National Park

The greatest salt pans in Botswana are said to be found in the national park, which is situated in the country’s northeast. Lesser and greater flamingos, white pelicans, African darters, pink-backed pelicans, blacksmith lapwings, and many other bird species can be seen in the Makgadikgadi National Park. Red hartebeests, zebras, bush pigs, giraffes, elephants, lions, springbok, and bushbucks are among the animals that call the park home.

The Central Kalahari Game reserve

The bush men, who were the first residents in the area, surround the central Kalahari national park, which is situated in the Kalahari Desert. It is home to a variety of wildlife, including the honey badger, leopard, hyenas, cape wild dog, cape fox, blue wildebeest, lions, and many more. Ostriches, red-billed francolins, black bustards, and red-billed spurfowls are among the bird species. Due to the heat of the desert, remember to bring plenty of water with you when you visit the center of Kalahari Park. The wet season is the greatest time to visit the Central Kalahari National Park since this is when animals go out in search of water, as it is quite difficult to find water holes during the dry season. To avoid becoming dehydrated, keep in mind to pack extra water with you while you travel to the park.

When should one visit the many Botswana National Parks?

As was already mentioned, it is possible to visit different national parks at any time of the year, but it all depends on the activities you plan to do while there.

While there are some parks that receive animals during the wet season as opposed to the dry season, it is best to go game viewing, trekking, and hiking through the various national parks during the dry season when many animals can be seen moving around the parks in search of the scarce water that is experienced during the dry season.

The zebra migration, which is thought to be the second largest yearly animal migration that is seen in Africa, is brought about by the rainy season that is experienced in some of the game parks. After the wet season, many animals, especially zebras, can be observed crossing the pans and returning.

The wet season is also the best time to go birding because many indigenous and migratory bird species fly into the country during this time. However, traveling during the wet season has the drawback that some roads are impassable owing to flooding and that some lodges are also closed.

It is advised that you visit the Botswana National Parks during the wet season as the dry season is the busiest time of year if you dislike crowds. Because it takes more than one day to explore all of Botswana’s National Parks, you should prepare thoughtfully and consult your tour operator about the best times of year to visit.