Botswana
Botswana sparkles!
But forget the diamonds – its the nature that really catches the eye. The majestic Kalahari desert, Kipling's “great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo”, the shimmering salt pans of Makgadikgadi and nature's false move, the Okavango delta.
The delta, caused by a spectacular wrong turn by the Okavango river, is one of the best places to view wildlife in the whole of Africa. Navigate a mokoros boat through its twists and turns, whilst searching the banks for thirsty antelopes or hippos, the skies for preying fish eagles and the depths to dodge the jaws of lurking crocodiles!
Take a drink with the elephants of Chobe National Park – you can hardly miss them, there are over 50,000 of these inconspicuous giants splashing around in the Chobe River. If you don't have a trunk, bring a straw to fit in. Other beasts to check off the spot list are giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hippos, lions: in fact just about every animal that has ever appeared in a Disney film!
One thing you certainly can't miss in Botswana is the Kalahari. But desert doesn't mean dead: flaming red dunes ripple over an eco-system that magically flowers into a spring meadow during the rainy season and hosts a raucous diversity of animal life year round. Nata bird sanctuary supports over 165 species of birds with inspirational nomenclature like the blue-cheeked bee-eater, the martial eagle and the Hottentot teal – all kept in line by the secretary bustards!
Once you've had enough of animal action it's time to unwind in the captial Gaborone, “Gabs”. Shake off the dust and get in the mood with a Gumba-gumba party and the rhumba rhythms of the Kwasa-kwasa. Forget your diet with a barbecue of Botswana proportions: vegetarians need not apply!
The discovery of diamonds after independence created a massive boom in the economy and the government has invested wisely in environmental protection projects sustained by eco-tourism. Find time to volunteer at Mokolodi Nature Reserve and help protect all the animals you've spent the last few weeks gawping at.
The diamonds won't last, but Botswana is forever.