29 Nov 2018

International tourism travel bookings marketing agency has crowned Botswana the top safari travel destination of choice in Africa for the year 2018.

SafariBookings, which is the largest online marketplace for African safari tours analyses recent safari reviews on its website: www.safaribookings.com to determine the winning country.

More than 3 000 reviews were scrutinised in the wide-ranging analysis in which contributions included safari-goers from around the globe. It also included the reviews from 22 guidebook authors working for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer’s, Bradt and Footprint – who made-up the SafariBookings expert panel.

SafariBookings.com co-owner Ms Jeroen Beekwilder stated that to determine the winner, the panel analysed the reviews to find the popular vote for the continent’s best safari destination of choice.

She described Botswana as a magical country that combined awe-inspiring deserts with an impossibly wet delta system claiming this year’s award for best safari country.
Ms Beekwilder stated that Botswana’s beautiful contrasting landscapes, from the Kalahari Desert with its big skies to the wetlands of the famous Okavango Delta on average had the highest scores, though it beat Tanzania only by a slim margin.

The online market place stated that Tanzania won in 2013 and again in 2017, but Botswana’s wildlife-viewing opportunities and its accommodations took the top spot this time. “So did Botswana’s biodiversity, with some 550 recorded bird species making it a destination for birdwatchers.”

The ratings for the eight major safari countries in Africa saw Botswana emerging tops with a ranking of  4.64, edging Tanzania, who came second with a slim margin of 4.55, Zimbabwe occupied position 3 garnering 4.39, while Zambia emerged on the fourth, Kenya fifth, South Africa sixth, Namibia seventh and Uganda on the eighth spot.

SafariBookings.com states that Botswana takes over the number one position from Tanzania, which had over the years enjoyed popularity, “Our analysis determined that Botswana, although neck and neck with Tanzania for the continent’s best, was the finest country in Africa for going on safari.”

A photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet Mr Anthony Ham described Botswana as ‘the sort of place where even your average safari feels like stepping into a documentary by National Geographic, one where so many of the great dramas of the African wild are played out on a daily basis’.

A travel writer, Alan Murphy wrote, “This politically stable country is one of Africa’s success stories with admirable conservation policies, a growing economy, wildlife to enthrall visitors and an excellent hospitality industry. It’s a land of great contrasts.”ENDS