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On the Trail of the Big Five

Big Game Sightings Common on Safari in Botswana

Dec 10, 2008 Dena Braun

Seeing the Big Five is on nearly everyone's agenda for an African Safari and Botswana is one of the countries that can offer them all up.

For the uninitiated the “Big Five” are lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos and elephants, and sightings of any of these animals are akin to finding the Holy Grail lurking in the savannah.

Wilderness Safaris, a luxury outfitter with a strong commitment to the local environment and community, offers many camps throughout Botswana, ranging from six star luxury tents complete with bathroom toiletries to more basic (i.e. affordable) accommodations. The company is committed to high quality and low volume, thereby ensuring that travelers will not be packed into a jeep with ten other people and will have room to take photos (proof!) of viewing “The Big Five”.

The Big Five Lurk in Northern Botsawana

Begin a Botswana safari in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and King’s Pool camp. Located in Northern Botswana near Chobe National Park, this intimate camp of nine luxury tents affords visitors an ideal, isolated location to view the local wildlife. And what life there is! The area is known for the large number of elephants that call it home, especially during the dryer winter months.

Days begin early with a 5 a.m. wake-up call (the early bird gets the worm….or the elephant as the case may be). After a quick breakfast, travelers meet up with their guide, jump in the land rover and take-off on the search for the Big Five. Along the way, visitors are likely to see a whole host of other wildlife from impalas and giraffes to a vast array of birds, snakes and reptiles.

There’s no doubt that any visitor will see an elephant in this region, but the lucky few might get treated to a sighting of “The Border Boys”. These two lions are brothers and they rule the roost in a territory that spans Botswana and neighboring Namibia. Other Big Five stars—leopards and buffalo—can also be spotted on either the morning or the evening game drives.

The Famous Okavango Delta Delights with Wildlife

Botswana is most famous for the Okavango Delta and no trip to the country would be complete without seeing this area. Based on a private concession in the north area of the delta is Vumbura Plains camp. The location is unique in that nearly all of the species found throughout the delta are found in this area.

In addition to game drives where the goal is to see the Big Five, several other safari options exist at Vumbura. Active travelers will appreciate the opportunity to go on a guided walking safari. The goal here is definitely not to run into any big game animals (the guide carries a rifle in case of emergency), but instead is to explore the floral, fauna and smaller animals that aren’t readily seen from the jeep. Travelers can also opt to go on a traditional mokoro boat ride on the Delta.

Visitors to any Wilderness Safari camp in Botswana will be treated to the genuine friendliness and hospitality of the local people. Another nice aspect of the camps is the communal dinners, giving people the chance to learn about their fellow travelers and share the different animal sightings experienced each day.

Visitors from the United States can book a Wilderness Safari through Natural Migrations, the company’s local African tour specialist.

The copyright of the article On the Trail of the Big Five in Sub-Sahara Africa Travel is owned by Dena Braun. Permission to republish On the Trail of the Big Five in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

An impala drenched in the Botswana sunset