Botswana, home to the Okavanga Delta, Kalahari Desert, Chobe River and Moermi Wildlife Reserve

Botswana is the oft forgotten safari destination in Africa, when compared to the major parks and reserves in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and, in better times, Zimbabwe.

When thinking of Botswana, most people will think of it as being a wet country, what with the Okavanga Delta as the place to go on safari. Mention the Kalahari Desert, and alot of people will think of Namibia, but, in fact, the majority of the Kalahari desert is in Botswana, about two thirds of it.

A popular way into Botswana is from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which is a must on any trip to this part of Africa. Not only are there the Falls themselves, which is where the mighty Zambezi River crashes hundreds of feet, making ideal conditions for deep water rafting further down the the river (another must!), but you can also walk across the bridge, and the Falls into Zambia.

Why not sleep in the old train yard? Okay, you may know it better as the renowned Victoria Falls Hotel, which has been renovated alot, since it was a train yard!

So having left Zimbabwe and crossed the border into Botswana, the nearest reserve is the Moremi, which has a good mixture of wet and dry safari opportunities.

However, most people head for the Okavanga Delta, which is not ideal for seeing the Big Five (long grass does tend to hide the big cats), but should be done regardless for the whole outdoor adventure experience of canoeing through the reeds, and camping out in the wild.

Should you want to see the big five (who doesn't!), then head for the Chobe River, via Kasane, which is home to Africa's largest elephant population of well over 100,000 jumbos.

Going on safari to Botswana, is not the best place to go for those on a budget, as it is dedicated to maintaining a happy balance, between the tourist dollar (or perhaps the Euro), and preserving wildlife. With one of Africa's most stable democracies, Botswana is certainly a safari destination of quality.

Car hire can be arranged at these airports, Gaberone, Maun and Francistown.