The Kalahari of Botswana is untamed Africa; an incredible expanse of semi-desert covering more than three quarters of Botswana – actually, the Kalahari basin, once a great lake that dried out and filled up with sand, debris and fossils, occupies 80% of Botswana’s land surface. In its entirety the Kalahari – clumsily derived from the Tswana word “Kgalagadi” meaning “the great thirst” - is one of the world’s greatest deserts and a wonderful holiday destination.

The sky is an unrelenting, dazzling blue; its sand arranged in soft ridges by the harsh winds that have slowly eroded soft stone formations into the sand masses that predominate the landscape. And, unlike the Namib Desert, the Kalahari’s dunes remain stable due to vegetation – they do not wander with the wind. The Kalahari, though semi-arid, supports some animals and plants and is not regarded as true desert – really it’s more like a dry savannah. Summer temperatures are high and there are intermittent and thoroughly unpredictable rains, usually between 3-7 inches a year.

The Kalahari has been there for nigh on 60 million years, right from when Africa first became a continent. Botswana today is largely bush, trees and grasses, clutching rather unsteadily on arid soil. However, this translates into a vast, virtually untouched, wilderness on a grand scale, with land stretching as far as the eye can see – no surprise that it’s ranked high as a vacation destination. Bang smack in the middle of Botswana lie huge tracts of white salt – the saltpans of Botswana - one of the country’s wonders that lie overseen by ancient baobabs.

Safaris in the Kalahari of Botswana promise huge herds of animals that still follow migration paths of old. The Kalahari’s only permanent river, the Okavango, provides Botswana’s highlight for any safari. The river flows into a delta, surrounded by the Kalahari, that forms a labyrinth of marshes rich in wildlife which depends on the waters.