Botswana is a successful country. According to Wikipedia, it is the least corrupt country in Africa with a negligible level of foreign debt, and it is a democracy. It gains income from diamond mining, soda ash, beef and upmarket (high cost, low volume) tourism.
The Okavango Delta is one of the key tourist attractions. Non-residents are required to pay quite a bit more for park fees than residents – which is a very sensible idea. We visited the Delta in 1993. As residents we paid the smaller amount, per person per day, and we went to one of the lower cost camps. It was a wonderful trip. Jamie was four and Shaun was two, and unfortunately neither can really remember much about it.
Lindsey and the boys in a mokoro
Auntie Caro gave me Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: My Adventures as a Botswana Safari Guide, by Peter Allison, for Christmas, and I read it recently on holiday.
It’s a very pleasant read. Peter Allison has a friendly, self-deprecating sense of humor, and anyone who has been on safari will be able to associate with his stories. Anyone new to Africa will also appreciate his book.
