Botswana is a combination of deserts, forests and wetlands and has long been a popular destination for safari enthusiasts. It is best known for the amazing Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta with its teeming waterways that allow game viewers to get up close and personal with the wildlife. Around the Delta there is the world-renowned Chobe National Park with abundant game and birdlife, the Makgadikgadi Pans and the central Kalahari Game Reserve where the earliest inhabitants, the Bushmen, still live.

Namibia is a land of contrasts and a uniquely different safari destination. The landscape is largely desert and semi-desert terrain where the wildlife has adapted to the harsh habitat. Namibia gained independence in 1990 and is fast becoming a very popular destination in Southern Africa. A former German Colony it is considered safe and easy to travel around with its well-maintained road system an added attraction for self-drive enthusiasts. The Fish River Canyon, Africa’s second largest gorge (27km wide) in the south and the Etosha National Park, a blend of lush grasslands, salt pans and waterholes for great game viewing in the north should not be missed.

Zambia is one of the best kept secrets as a tourist destination in Africa. It represents the ‘real’ Africa with its unspoilt landscapes, National Parks with an abundance of wildlife and welcoming local communities. It is also considered to be one of the most peace loving and safest countries on the continent where English is the official language. The Victoria Falls with the famous Devils Pool and Livingstone Island are well worth viewing from the Zambian side and easily accessible from Livingstone. The Kafue, South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi are the best known of the National Parks. The South Luangwa (also known as the Valley of the Leopard) is the home of the Walking Safari which was pioneered by Norman Carr over 50 years ago and is renowned for the very high standard of guiding provided.

Zimbabwe is firmly back on the map as a tourist destination when visiting Southern Africa and should not be missed. It boasts several major tourist attractions of which the Victoria Falls – one of the Seven Wonders of the World is probably the best known and no visit to Africa would be complete without taking in these majestic Falls. There are also several National Parks – the largest and best-known being Hwange, covering an area of almost 15,000sq km followed by Mana Pools, Gonarezhou and Matusadona as well as Matapos and the UNESCO World Heritage listed Great Zimbabwe Ruins. Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume and is best known for some of the world’s best fishing – especially Tiger Fishing. Hire a houseboat and experience some of the most spectacular scenery and wildlife from the water’s edge.