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AN INVITATION FROM THE AMBASSADOR As Salaam Allaikum,
Manyepedza P. Lesetedi Ambassador of Botswana
The purpose of this supplement is to introduce the people of the State of Qatar to the unique tourism services that the Republic of Botswana provides.
As some of the readers may be aware, Botswana is ranked one of the best destinations for those who want to experience nature in its pristine form unmarked by mankind. Botswana has a strong conservation policy and has set aside over 17% of her territory for national parks, game and forestry reserves. Our law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Botswana Defence Force, play an active role in protecting our wildlife. Botswana is also host to the famous Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta which covers roughly 15,000 square kilometres and is home to wide range of wild animals and plants. It is a pristine tourist destination and has been a setting for remarkable wildlife documentaries, books as well as research papers by conservationists. Other pristine tourist destinations include the Chobe, Kgalagadi and Tuli Block areas. As you plan your next vacation, may I take this opportunity to invite you to consider Botswana as your destination and assure you of an exciting and unforgettable experience. I and my colleagues are available to assist you and to ensure that your visit to Botswana is a memorable and enriching one. Shukran Manyepedza P Lesetedi AMBASSADOR
Nationals of GCC countries do not need a visa to visit Botswana.
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• 2 nights @ classic camp • 3 meals per day • 1 boat drive • 1 game drive • Free laundry • Evacuation insurance • PER PERSON SHARING 29,950.00 Botswana Pula (QR 12,400)
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Okavango Delta – Jewel of the Kalahari were officially declared on February 11, 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania. Fed by the Okavango River, the Delta is a watery labyrinth of narrow canals that are best navigated by Mokoro. A Mokoro is a traditional dugout canoe and really is the most fantastic way to experience the Delta. Wildlife here does not reach the concentrations found in Chobe, but the real appeal of the Okavango is the blissful isolation and serene nature. When game is spotted, it’s usually an upclose-and-personal encounter. The Delta is home to some of the most exclusive luxury camps in Botswana.
Understanding the Okavango The Okavango Delta is fascinating. In a country which is 80% arid, the Delta is a permanent life giving waterway. An essential understanding when planning your Okavango Safari is that it is a highly dynamic environment, which changes from year to year and even from month to month. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a very large inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari. All the water reaching the Delta is ultimately evaporated and transpired, and does not flow into any sea or ocean. Each year approximately 11 cubic kilometres of water spreads over the 15,000 km² area. Some flood-waters drain into Lake Ngami. The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, is on the eastern side of the Delta. This statistical significance helped the Okavango Delta secure a position as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, which
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Rising in the Angolan Highlands, the Okavango River enters Botswana below Namibia’s Caprivi
region. Here, in the so called ‘pan-handle,’ it is still a wide, fairly swift, flowing river, but due to the overwhelmingly flat landscape and a series of geological faults, it soon starts to meander forming graffiti-like bends that wind sinuously through dense beds of Papyrus. Below the pan-handle, the Okavango River splits into three main channels, each one carrying water in a different direction. The headwaters of each of these channels are situated in the permanent swamp (water based camps), but further along their course, each penetrates into what is known as the ‘seasonal swamp’ (land and combination camps). Life in the Delta ecosystem is governed by two events: the summer rains and the winter floods. Summer rainfall fills seasonal pans and helps keep the channels full, but towards the end of summer the waters recede, only to rise again when the floodwaters from the Angolan Highlands eventually reach the lower delta. The Okavango Delta fluctuates in size according to a complex relationship between the annual flood from Angola and local rainfall.
Kgalagadi/Central Botswana Activities in Kgalagadi / Central Botswana Game drives, Birding, Walks with the meerkats, Quad-biking Historical Sites, Village Tours, Game drives, Camping, Bush walks with the San Arts and crafts shopping, Botswana Brand.
Embassy website: www.botswanagulf.com
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Enchanting Wildlife of the Okavango Delta... The Okavango Delta supports the most diverse habitat and animal populations in Botswana, with possible sightings of wild dog, cheetah, leopard and much more. Resident species include lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, hyena, zebra, kudu, lechwe, sable and roan antelope. With the reintroduction of rhino, you can see all the ‘big five’ here on a safari to the Okavango Delta, and a lot more besides. Up until 2001, rhino had been exterminated from here by poaching. Then in October 2001 the first white rhino were reintroduced. They are also breeding, and Botswana is well on its way to having a nucleus of successfully breeding rhinos.
Bird watching With a checklist of more than 400 species, the Okavango is a dream destination for bird-watchers. Top of the list is the rare Pel’s fishing owl, which hides by day in waterside ebony groves and mangosteen trees. For keen birdwatchers, other Okavango Delta specials here include coppery-tailed coucal, brown firefinch, Bradfield’s hornbill, the lesser jacana, pink-throated longclaw and the tiny chirping cisti-
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cola.
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You can send your enquiries to hatab@hatab.bw for assistance For Guidance from the Embassy, Clients can send their enquiries to: Fax No.: 00965 25393529 - Email: mplesetedi@gov.bw & mmabutho@gov.bw We hope that you will consider Botswana as your holiday destination in the near future and we are ready to extend a warm welcome to you.
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www.botswanagulf.com