Page 19 - Meetings Botswana 2024 FINAL

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Meetings Botswana 2024
that once flowed northeast to fill the prehistoric Lake
Makgadikgadi. Here, around its many pans and artificial
waterholes, wildlife such as giraffe, kudu and gemsbok
congregate with predators such as lions, endangered brown
hyena, leopard and cheetah in tow.
Further on is the mighty Central Kalahari Game
Reserve (CKGR) with its harsh, sprawling terrain and
fossilised river valleys such as the Deception Valley. This
valley is named as such because it is the remnant of an
ancient river which is shown on many maps. It forms a
mirage that when viewed from the air makes the pan look
as though it is filled with water. One story goes that a
group of Spaniards once disembarked their plane here on a
fishing holiday and to their amazement found that there is
no river. Nevertheless, during the rainy season, the valley is
the site to thousands of wild animals.
CKGR covers an area of 52,800 square kilometres,
making it the largest and most remotely situated in
southern Africa and the second largest wildlife reserve in
the world. A safari drive across the CKGR is not for the
faint hearted. This is because only four-wheel drive vehicles
can handle the rough sandy terrain, and the journey can
take a whole day to cross, all the while with hardly another
vehicle sighted. It is the ideal destination for those seeking
adventure. On the other hand, comfortable fully inclusive
lodges are found within the reserve, as well as rest camps
and campsites.
On the South-Western end of the CKGR is another
vast and unique wildlife reserve in the desert region of
Botswana and South Africa, bordering Namibia to the
west. Characterised by rolling red sand dunes and dry
rivers, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is an amalgamation
of the formerly named Kalahari Gemsbok National Park of
South Africa and the adjacent Gemsbok National Park in
Botswana. It is famous for its herds of gemsbok and the big
cats constantly on their tail. The Transfrontier Park extends
to over 38,000 square kilometres - about twice the size of
Israel - and was established in May 2000, making it the
first of the so-called peace park projects in Southern Africa
to conserve and protect wildlife. With three quarters of the
park situated in Botswana and one quarter in South Africa,
the unfenced border of the two countries runs through the
park, allowing wildlife to roam unfettered.
Further to the north of the country’s huge and desolate
desert is the world’s largest inland delta, the Okavango
Delta. It is an oasis in an arid country, watered largely from
Angola during the dry season through the 1,600 km long
Okavango River. It is characterised by a complex network
of channels, lagoons, and islands, creating one of the most
unexpected wonders – the presence of water in a desert. It
is one of the few interior delta systems without an outlet
to the sea and may vary in size from 16,000 to 22,000
square kilometres depending on the season. As a result, the
delta has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
arguably one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
The Okavango Delta is home to an incredible and
diverse array of wildlife and variety of birds, numbering
over 1,000 species of plants, more than 480 species of birds,
130 species of mammals and numerous species of reptiles
and fish. These include some the world’s endangered
species of large mammals such as the black and white
rhinoceros, cheetah, African wild dog and lion. Its floods
trigger spectacular wildlife displays made of large herds
of African elephants, zebras, red lechwes, buffaloes and
other large animals, all following their long treks across the
desert without reliable water sources.
The Delta is one of the most exclusive wilderness
destinations in the world, offering unparalleled wilderness
experiences in a peaceful setting. Tourists explore the
Delta’s meandering waterways between palm and papyrus
T H E W O W F A C T O R
Above: Giraffe in the
Okavango Delta. Image
courtesy of African
Horseback Safaris.