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HOW TO SELL ECO LUXURY IN BOTSWANA Going green


GENERAL INFORMATION


TIME ZONE: GMT +2 CURRENCY: Pula £1 = 12.7 BWP - Jan '13 LANGAGE: Officially English but Setswana is spoken CLIMATE: The dry season is April to November and the best time to visit the Okavango Delta. The wet season from November to March – is a great period for bird watchers which also showcases butterflies and flowers. USEFUL WEBSITES: Botswanatourism.org.uk unchartedafrica.com desertdelta.com wilderness-safaris.com jaocamp.com kwetsani.com menoakwena.com


ECO LUXURY IN BOTSWANA


BY LAURA GELDER Botswana was eco-friendly before the word was even used in the travel industry! One step ahead of other African nations, Botswana has the continent’s first Eco- Certification scheme for tourism sites. Botswana’s first national park was


created in 1962 when an Okavango Delta tribe recognised the fragility of its eco system and created the Moremi Game Reserve. And since the country’s independence in 1966, over 30% of Botswana has been declared national park land or wildlife reserve.


Quality over quantity Impacting on the quality of the visitor’s experience even more is Botswana’s legislation to restrict the size of game lodges to a maximum of 12 rooms, making for an intimate experience where visitors connect with the land and culture. The use of sustainable materials for lodges is also encouraged and regulations restrict the use of reserves, giving wildlife – rather than people – free-rein. Botswana delivers high-value but low- impact tourism, aimed at giving visitors an exclusive experience with unparalleled opportunities for game viewing. Its Eco- Certification scheme is the first of its kind in Africa and uses a three-tiered structure which encourages businesses to be green, and visitors to make informed decisions.


The land Botswana’s varied landscapes give rise to a huge variety of wildlife and range from stark desert to lush wetlands. The Okavango Delta is one of Botswana’s most famous draws, characterised by its channels, lagoons, flooded grasslands and myriad islands, where rhinos, big cats, hippos, crocodiles and a huge range of birds roam. Another icon, the Chobe National Park's floodplains, swamps and woodland are popular because of the large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo that live there. In contrast, the dry Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the largest, most remote reserve in Southern Africa, and the second largest wildlife reserve in the world. Its long grasses teem with wildlife like springbok, hartebeest and giraffe. Part of this is the Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve, an area the size of Portugal where flamingos, zebras and wildebeest are found stalking the salt flats and grasses. This meets the Nxai Pan National Park, scattered with islands of acacia trees.


“Botswana restricts the size of lodges to a maximum of 12 rooms, making for an intimate experience where visitors connect with the land and culture”


Eco-certified camps • Banoka Bush Camp has 10 en-suite rooms on the Okovango's Khwai River


• Jao Camp’s nine thatched en-suite units and spa look over the Okavango Delta


• Recycled Camp Kalahari in the Makgadikgadi uses solar energy and offers meerkat interactions and walks with Bushmen


• Kalahari Plains Camp's remote 10-ensuite rooms are in an area famed for its cheetah and black-maned lions


• Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent lodge in the National Park and one of the first to be eco-certified • Kwetsani Camp has five en-suite tree-


house rooms on the Okovango Delta


• Jacana Camp is a water-based tented camp with five en-suite rooms and specialises in rare bird watching


• Little Vumbura Camp’s six en-suite rooms are set on an Okavango island


• Meno A Kwena Tented Camp is ideally located for Kalahari and salt pan safaris


• Mombo Camp’s 12 en-suite rooms are located in the heart of the Okavango


• Savuti Bush Camp lies on a famous waterway but attracts abundant game in the winter dry season


• Tubu Tree Camp has five en-suite tents overlooking flood plains and is known for leopard sightings


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