The resurgence of travel demand that erupted in 2022 has continued with vigor in 2023 and shows no signs of softening, despite rising prices. Target destinations have expanded to every continent and the prototypical bucket list African safari is back on the radar of many who possess an adventurous spirit and a passion for wildlife. Botswana is a perfect bullseye for travelers looking to quench that thirst, as it is one of the few remaining destinations in Africa where the adventuresome safari spirit still survives. Botswana is full of wide-open spaces and has lots of wildlife to fill them, including lions, cheetahs, zebras, elephants, leopards, hyenas, antelope, giraffes, and many other animal species. Botswana is also a jackpot for birdwatchers because so many bird species stop over as they migrate and many others are permanent residents of the national parks and reserves there, including the colorful greater and lesser flamingos.

Botswana is a land-locked country in southern Africa smaller than the state of Texas. It is bordered by Namibia to the west and Zimbabwe to the east. Botswana’s landscape is defined by the massive Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods. As a tourism destination, Botswana has traditionally followed a higher cost / lower tourist volume approach, in part as a conservation strategy, and also to differentiate itself from other African safari countries that follow a mass market tourism policy. Even though travel to Botswana can be on the expensive end, budget options do exist, and accommodations can range from a tented riverbank campsite to a plush lodge.

In this month’s Travel Video share, get ready to feast your eyes upon some of the best drone footage of African wildlife ever made, brought to you by Martin Harvey, a wildlife, travel and adventure photographer based in South Africa. We’ve seen Mr. Harvey’s fabulous work before, and we’ve visited Botswana before. You may recall our Travel Video share from way back in 2018, entitled Wild Botswana (click to revisit). This month’s video share is called Why I Love Botswana (see below). In Mr. Harvey’s own words describing his work:

Botswana is one of the few countries in the world that still has wild places. Where it is still possible to experience solitude and that difficult to define feeling of real wilderness. Sit back and lose yourself in a little bit of one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Enjoy!

The Avant Team