The Kalahari, a semi-desert territory
Wrongly described as a desert, this region, which covers more than 900,000 km2 between Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, offers semi-arid landscapes, sometimes bare, sometimes wooded. The Kalahari covers more than three quarters of Botswana's surface area, nestled between the basins of the Zambezi and Orange rivers. This immense wilderness is almost devoid of relief, but some sand hills reach up to 1,600 m in altitude. The landscape, if it is rather monotonous, varies nevertheless according to whether one is in the Central Kalahari Reserve, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Reserve or in the Tsodillo Hills region. The landscapes are not as spectacular as those of the Okavango, but the Kalahari has its charms. To the southwest are the gentle orange hills shared with Namibia. In the center is a series of fossil valleys, of which the Deception Valley, formed 16,000 years ago, is the most impressive. These dried up rivers are now covered by superb stretches of savannah, very rich in fauna (oryx or antelopes in particular). In the northwest, the landscape is dotted with salt marshes, sometimes flooded by the Okavango River. The Tsodillo Hills, the highest of which is about 1,400 meters above sea level, are a special place, suitable for beautiful hikes, between rocky valleys, caves and rock art. Everywhere in the Kalahari, isolation is the rule. One feels really far from the rest of the world. The rainy season is particularly recommended, because the semi-desert turns green and the vegetation is magnificent. It is possible to observe the fauna there because several herds of mammals gather around the water points. The skies are also impressive, the cumulonimbus form the real mountains of Botswana.
The great salt pans of Makgadikgadi
In the north-east of the Kalahari Basin, the Makgadikgadi salt flats are one of the most fascinating sights in the whole of southern Africa. These endless stretches of desert, immense white basins, bewitch with their excessive barrenness and rocky islets planted with gigantic baobabs. They bear witness to the existence of an ancient great lake, said to have stretched to a record 80,000 km2 and once fed by the Okavango River. Today, the Nata River is one of the main sources of water in the north-east, followed by the Boteti River, a tributary of the Okavango, which floods to the west of Makgadikgadi Park. In the rainy season, these salt pans fill with water, providing occasional areas of vegetation and attracting large herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok, among other species. However, from November to March, the area is not easily accessible to tourists. In fact, the clay crust becomes waterlogged, turning the pans into unforgiving quagmires. You'll have to wait until May, or even June, to venture out, because while the crust dries out as soon as the rains end, the clay is still soaked deep down and sticks ferociously to the wheels of 4 x 4 vehicles. Nevertheless, from the Nata Sanctuary Bird Park, you can get close to the pans during the rainy season and admire the thousands of migratory birds, particularly pink flamingos, that they attract. On the other hand, from April to October, arid landscapes and cracked earth reveal a feeling of infinity. Lekhubu Island, to the south-west of Sowa Pan, and Baines Baobabs, near Kudiakam Pan, are the sites we recommend to get the full measure of these incredible landscapes.
The Okavango Delta, Botswana's natural jewel
The third largest river in southern Africa, the Okavango rises in the mountains of Angola, then flows through northern Namibia before disappearing into the sandy Kalahari. The river, which never reaches the ocean, irrigates almost 18,000 km2 in north-western Botswana, forming the world's second-largest inland delta after the Niger. Surprisingly, its annual floods occur in the dry season, attracting large mammals that then abandon the dry zones. From the air and from the ground, the scenery is breathtaking, a labyrinth of channels, swamps and vast grassy plains, sometimes flooded, sometimes dry. This rich and unique ecosystem is home to exceptional wildlife, and it's not uncommon to come across huge herds of giraffe, buffalo and elephant, among other species, roaming these wetlands. The delta is also dotted with a million islands, which can be as small as a termite mound and as large as Chief's Island, the large island at the center of the delta, over 50 km long. However, this complex mosaic varies with the seasons and the delta's north-west-south-east axis. In fact, in the north-west, close to the panhandle, i.e. the region upstream from the delta's creation, the channels are very wide, resembling large rivers. Flood plains are numerous and mostly under water. The marshlands, characterized by the reed and papyrus fields that connect them, are vast. The islands are more linear in appearance. Then, as you move south-eastwards, the river arms become very fine and divide into numerous even finer channels. Their importance is therefore reduced. The floodplains are larger and, above all, drier for much of the year, and the islands more numerous, rounder and, above all, wider.
Chobe, a humid and lush region
In the far north of the country, the Chobe region, one of the greenest in Botswana, is awe-inspiring with its floodplains, swamps, dry lakes and mopane forests. It is crossed by the eponymous river, which descends from Angola and enters Botswana in the Linyanti swamp region. The river then escapes eastward, marking the natural border with the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. It presents sublime and bushy landscapes, contrasting with the arid expanse of the Kalahari. Finally, the Chobe joins the Zambezi River, which flows through the village of Kazungula, which, along with the neighboring town of Kasane, represents the northern entrance to the park. The river then rushes into Zimbabwe and flows into a precipice: these are the spectacular Victoria Falls! Watered all year round, the area hosts an extremely abundant wildlife, especially in the dry season, which is mainly concentrated around the river. Tens of thousands of zebras and elephants can be seen here, as well as a multitude of giraffes, cob, baboons and impalas. It is here, moreover, that the chances of encountering the magnificent black hippotragues are the highest. Predators are not to be outdone, even if less numerous than in Savuti and in the Okavango. The vegetation in this area is more similar to that found in Zambia and Zimbabwe, more wooded, more green. On the banks of the Chobe River, we are already in another Africa, on the way to the Congo Basin.
The Eastern Corridor, a rugged region
Along Botswana's south-eastern border, the Eastern Corridor extends over a strip some 200 km wide, between Lobatse and Ramokgwebana, the border town with Zimbabwe. This is the only region of Botswana that is not located in the Kalahari Basin, and therefore enjoys higher rainfall and more fertile soils than the west. But its landscapes differ from the monotony of the Kalahari in that they are more rugged, with a mixture of hills and rocky cliffs. In this region of contrasts, pinkish soils give way to mysterious rock piles and massive sandstone formations. This is where you'll find the magnificent Tuli Block, a narrow strip of land that runs along the Limpopo River between the village of Mashaneng and the Zimbabwe border in the south-east of the country. Its relief is more rugged than in the rest of the country, and its large granite hills take on their full beauty at the eastern tip, where the abundant wildlife of Mashatu Game Reserve flourishes in an absolutely magnificent rocky chaos along the Limpopo River. The region is also famous for its Tswapong Hills, located south-east of Palapye. They offer splendid scenery, with waterfalls and deep gorges, of which the Moremi gorge is certainly the most spectacular. Further south, the granite hills of Lepokole are worth a visit for their caves, where several cave paintings have been discovered.
A subsoil rich in natural resources
Although Botswana's arid soils may seem extremely poor, the country's subsoil has revealed a wealth of natural resources that have helped the country to develop its economy. Starting with diamonds, several deposits were discovered and exploited from the 1970s onwards. These include the Orapa mine, north of the town of Letlhakane, which is the world's largest open-pit diamond field, and the Jwaneng mine, north-west of the capital, which holds the highest value of this precious stone in the world. Near Francistown, the subsoil has also revealed some gold reserves, of which four mines are currently in operation. In addition to this precious mineral and diamonds, Botswana also has significant reserves of copper, nickel, coal and, to a lesser extent, iron and silver. However, the country has yet to exploit all its natural resources. The southern Kalahari is said to contain deposits of chromium, asbestos, manganese and platinum, while the western sands are said to contain oil and natural gas.
