Top 7 Reasons to Travel to Botswana

Botswana is the ultimate safari destination. It’s a country of diverse landscapes full of natural beauty and plentiful wildlife. The country adopted a “low volume” tourism model to limit the negative effects of tourism in wildlife areas. The results are vast, untouched wildlife destinations. And because its private concessions aren’t fenced in, the wildlife can roam free. If you need a reason to travel to Botswana, we’ve got 7 of them.

1. Botswana is saving Rhinos and Ker & Downey is helping.

Since mid-2015, Rhinos Without Borders has been relocating rhinos from poaching hot spots in South Africa to safer environments in Botswana. And Ker & Downey has assisted in their efforts. The rhino we relocated has been thriving in her new home since 2017. We have affectionately named her Ma Palmer after a longtime Ker & Downey employee in Maun, Botswana. She knew everyone and was aware of everything happening in Botswana. In the early years, Ma Palmer hosted and entertained the world’s elite travelers. She was an icon and a gem whose legacy and love of Botswana lives on in her rhino namesake.

Luxury Travel to Botswana - Rhino Conservation - Ker Downey

2. Travel to Botswana, where family is a priority.

Botswana is a top destination for family and multi-generational travel. There’s a multitude of activities for families to participate in together. Experience Africa through the eyes of your children with the Young Explorers program, designed specifically with children in mind. It uses safari experiences like tracking, bush survival skills, and games drives to introduce the youngest minds to the African wilderness. What’s more, each family books the camp on an exclusive basis so you can tailor your safari experience just how you want.

Young-Explorers-Luxury-Botswana-Safari-Africa-Ker-&-Downey

3. Travel to Botswana where it all started.

Recent studies show that the KhoiSan bushmen represent an isolated population of humans from 100,000 years ago. The best place to learn about these ancient ancestors is at Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi Pans. There, you can spend the day with four generations of Bushmen living at Jack’s Camp for a glimpse into their traditional way of life. As you walk through the bush with them, you’ll learn how they have survived harsh environments and gain insight into their knowledge of plants, animal behaviors, and survival skills.

Luxury Travel to Botswana - Jack's Camp - Ker Downey

4. It isn’t just about game drives. The horseback riding experience is among the best in Botswana.

Sure the game drives in Botswana are exceptional, but Botswana is also one of the best places to get up close to the wildlife on a horseback riding safari. There’s no better place to experience the thrill of riding alongside giraffe and zebra than in the Okavango Delta where riders gallop through floodplains and papyrus-lined waterways.

Luxury Travel to Botswana - Okavango Horse Safaris - Ker Downey

5. There’s the migration, and then there is the migration.

You’ve heard about the Great Migration of wildebeest through the Serengeti, but what about the zebra migration in Botswana? It’s home to the longest terrestrial migration in Africa. See it at Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi Pans. Each year 25,000 zebra make their annual journey through Botswana’s Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks from the Okavango Delta, covering a distance of over 300 miles round trip. Travel to Botswana, specifically Jack’s Camp during the green season, to watch the migration under the shade of trees with a picnic lunch, or perhaps spot it right outside your veranda.

Jack's Camp - Zebra Migration - Ker Downey

6. A diverse environment… all to yourself.

The Kalahari Desert might dominate Botswana geographically, but there’s so much more to the country than the sand-filled basin. To complement the largest unbroken stretch of sand on the planet, Botswana is also blessed with the Okavango Delta. Its many water channels, lagoons, swamps, and islands, give life to areas like the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve. And because of it’s “low volume” tourism model, you can explore the land of desert and delta without hordes of other travelers.

Luxury Travel to Botswana - Ker Downey

7. There are a lot of elephants in Chobe.

Chobe National Park is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife destinations. Located in the northern region of Botswana, it’s one of the most biologically diverse regions, with large concentrations of wildlife, most notably, the largest elephant population in Africa. Herds number in the hundreds, and it is estimated that anywhere from 50,000 to 120,000 elephants inhabit the park. To see the elephants of Chobe National Park, we suggest a stay at Ngoma Safari Lodge, nestled on the banks of the Chobe River.

Chobe National Park - Ker Downey