MY HUSBAND AND I ARE LOOKING TO SPEND ABOUT TWO WEEKS IN AFRICA AND UNDERTAKE A SAFARI. WE'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN SOUTH AFRICA OR VICTORIA FALLS, MORE IN THE ANIMALS AND THE COUNTRY. ANY ADVICE ON WHERE TO GO AND WHO TO CONTACT?
M. BAKER, LENNOX HEAD
My favourite part of southern Africa for wildlife is the Okavango Delta, one of Africa's wildlife treasures, a vast freshwater wetland that covers most of northern Botswana. Every year the delta swells to a giant wetland as waters rage down from the Angolan highlands, the pulse that sustains a complete ecosystem. Elephant, crocodile and hippo are common, and impala, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe can often be seen without even leaving your camp. There are other African game parks, such as Tanzania's Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, that offer more lion, leopard and cheetah and bigger herds of antelope. However, they also offer greater concentrations of game watchers. When you find your lion in the Okavango Delta, yours will probably be the only vehicle on the scene.
Most of the accommodation in the delta consists of tented safari camps with crisp linen on the bed, a daily laundry service, an en-suite bathroom with hot water, fine food and a well-stocked bar. Some camps feature swimming pools. Most accommodate only a limited number of guests, which maintains a low ratio of visitors to wildlife, and a low impact on the environment.
These camps do not come cheap but the experience is five star. Sydney-based Classic Safari Company classicsafaricompany.com.au and Bench International benchinternational.com.au are two operators with a range of experiences in Botswana, and the rest of Africa.
