First time traveler to Africa? This article gives you the advantages of both Botswana and Zimbabwe to help you choose…
One of the questions we often receive when planning a safari for first time visitors is where to go and what to do. Up until recently Botswana was seen as the number one option for safari goers travelling to Southern Africa, however Zimbabwe is making a comeback. For good reason too! With so many wonderful options in both these magnificent safari destinations, choosing the correct trip can be a difficult and confusing prospect.
With this in mind we have put together the strengths of each country to help you decide which option is best for you. I would also recommend chatting to either myself or Paul to delve further into the below.
Why Botswana:
- Low carbon footprint on Botswana’s exquisite ecosystems. What this means is that there are less camps and therefore less people able to visit these incredible spaces.
- A wonderful variety of activities on offer. These are both land and water based as well as cultural based. Land based activities include game drives and game walks which are your most productive ways of viewing animals. Water based activities would involve mokoro trips – canoe excursions in a traditional dug out through the waterways of the Okavango Delta, fishing in the Delta and on the Chobe/Linyanti waterfront, and boat based sundowner cruises.
- Unbelievable beauty and wildlife viewing.
- An incredible variety of wildlife reserves and wilderness areas. This includes the semi arid desert of the Central Kalahari with its famous black maned lions, the Makgadigadi Pans which are the world’s largest salt pan landscape and the longest zebra migration, the world famous Okavango Delta with its islands, swamps and waterways, and the Chobe/Linyanti waterfront.
- Upmarket lodges with brilliant service levels and accommodation offers. It is an extremely popular destination and therefore bookings need to be booked in advance.
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Why Zimbabwe:
- A new lease on life with numerous new lodges and companies building incredible properties in fantastic wildlife regions.
- Arguably the best guides in Africa. With a long training regime that encompasses all aspects of the bush the Zim Pro Guides are fantastic, as is their knowledge, and have the ability to enhance your safari experience tremendously! What we personally love is the ability to spot animals on a game drive, get off the game vehicle and track them further into the bush, a thrill in its own!
- A wide variety of different safari landscapes, some of which are the most beautiful we have ever experienced. Within these areas there is also a wide spectrum of activities on offer and Zimbabwe can very much be seen as an adventure styled safari. This is not limited, but especially evident, when visiting the famous Victoria Falls.
- Some great specials running currently and very “price friendly” camps and lodges.
- Victoria Falls – a wonderful safari base and a place to start and/or end your safari to Africa. Lots of activities for everyone to enjoy, the beautiful Falls themselves and a top class game reserve two hours by road transfer in Hwange National Park.
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