Botswana is landlocked nation with a long-standing tourist infrastructure, its main draws including primary claim over the vast Kalahari desert, where game runs wild and most Tswana-speaking bushmen (San) in the world can be found. For an authentically African experience without sacrificing any modern-day comforts, you’ll want to head straight for Botswana.
No travel guide to Botswana will shy away from its status as an African success story. Since gaining independence from British rule in 1966, Botswana has moved into peaceful democracy and grown into one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, due in large part to its diamond-rich resources. But tourism is also to thank for its prosperity, and most travelers are drawn to the wildlife of Botswana. Here, you’ll find lions, cheetahs, antelope and zebras. Wildlife reserves take up over a fifth of the country, from the saltpans of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park (ideal for birdwatchers) to the Okavango River Delta, which flows from Namibia into the Kalahari and counts for one of the highest-ranked attractions in the nation.