Lying in the heart of northern Botswana, the Kalahari Desert is a striking contrast to the verdant Okavango and Linyanti regions and a ‘must-see’ for those who wish to experience the full extent of Botswana's diversity.
Encompassing rolling grasslands and temporary wetlands, as well as sand dunes and saltpans, the desert is a surprisingly fertile environment and a unique population of desert-adapted plants and animals.
Breathtaking scenery accompanies a plethora of wildlife, including an array of antelope such as gemsbok, eland and springbok, as well as wildebeest, zebra and giraffe. Famous for their magnificent black manes, the huge Kalahari lion is a formidable predator, while cheetah, leopard, hyena, and wild dogs play second fiddle.
Smaller and more elusive animals are best seen here, such as wildcat, porcupine, aardwolf, meerkat, and honey badger, and the birdlife is surprisingly good, especially in the rainy summer months, when the saltpans undergo a stunning transformation into a breeding ground for huge flocks of migratory birds, including thousands of flamingos.