Named after the BaTawana tribal chief and his wife – who campaigned for the area to become a nature reserve in 1962 – this small but mighty reserve is located in the Okavango Delta’s central and eastern regions. Some of Africa’s most endangered species of large mammal can be seen in these savannahs and floodplains: cheetah, leopard, lion and African wild dog, making Moremi a must for those looking for the superstars of safari. 

In the middle of the blazing red of the Kalahari Desert is an incongruous expanse of what appears to be snow – if it wasn’t for the shimmering heat and baobab trees that force their way through its desiccated surface. Makgadikgadi Pans is the salty ghost of a vast network of lakes that once covered much of Botswana. For half the year you can crunch across it on foot with a Zu/'hoasi guide, marvelling at the eching emptiness and secretive desert creatures that call it home, such as aardwolves and bat-eared foxes. Between November and April it is transformed into an algae-rich soup where thousands of flamingos descend to feed.