When you plan for a safari trip to Africa you always consider only two countries for such a venture, Kenya and Tanzania. The reason is the amount of media coverage that the national parks of these two countries have got and also the better tourism infrastructure of these countries. While I am not saying Masai Mara and Serengeti are not worth visiting, of course, they are two of the most gorgeous and stunning national parks in the world with the most exotic wildlife. But these are not the only parks the continent of Africa has to offer, take Okavango Delta National Park of Botswana which is the world’s largest inland Delta and Africa’s largest wetland that has its own unique ecosystem with one of the world’s highest concentration of wildlife. The Okavango River flowing from Namibia that has created this Delta has brought life to this once sandy region and the national park of Okavango is attracting thousands of tourists each year.
Botswana as a country is a beacon of hope for the rest of the conflict-ridden and turmoil struck continent as it has a prospering democracy and a growing economy which has resulted in giving a very stable outlook to the country. You will have to take a cheap flight to Gaborone the capital of the country and then you can hire a car for taking you to the Okavango Delta. It is a good idea to stay in Gaborone for a couple of days to acclimatize your self with the local weather and the city has quite a few decent hotels that provide quality services at a competitive price. Although the government is working swiftly to improve the roads of the country until now most of them are in a pretty bad shape so it will be a good idea to hire a 4wd vehicle for your journey to the park. If you are in Namibia then you don’t have to take a flight to Gaborone instead you can enter the country through its northern border crossing with Namibia and visit the park and then head back to Namibia.
The town of Maun is considered as the gateway to the 17000 square kilometres of Okavango delta park. The park has such a high concentration of animals that you will rarely miss out on any one of Africa’s Big Five. You will witness thousands of Elephants, Buffalos, Zebras and rhinos grazing in the park while hundreds of Lions, Cheetahs and Hyenas preying on them. The best way to explore the park is travelling in a 4wd while accompanied by a game ranger of the park that will know where to find the highest numbers of the animals and also will protect you from any unknown hazard along the way. There are quite a few accommodation facilities in the park that ranges from a luxurious resort to the lodges that cater to the tourists travelling on a budget. You can also decide to camp out in the wild but just for your own security take the recommendations of the park rangers into consideration.
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