Botswana
Bechuanaland become independent in September 1966, just after England won the world cup, and metamorphosized into Botswana, which is now one of Africa’s greatest success stories: politically stable, economically solid and with a conservation heritage that is the envy of the world.
Botswana is the ultimate safari destination: nowhere else can you experience such huge tracts of land that are in pristine condition, supporting such massive herds of herbivores and the headline-grabbing predators that follow them. The bird life is astonishing and the wilderness feeling is better-preserved here thananywhere else in Africa.
The Okavamgo Delta is the most famous area within Botswana but the extensive Kalahari Desert, which adjoins it, has become more accessible and it too is a wildlife gem.
The Okavango Delta is probably more famous than the country where it’s found; add in such evocative names as Deception Valley, the tongue-twisting Makgadikgadi Pan and the utterly charming Meerkats and this really is the safari connoisseur’s destination.