There is a long-standing debate in science and society about ‘nature versus nurture’. Science thinks it’s all down to DNA and genes, while sociologists believe it’s all in the hands of environmental factors. But in Namibia and Botswana where 600-foot-high sand dunes look like they’ve been chiseled to perpendicular perfection by god himself and the winding waterways of the Okavango Delta splay like delicate lung arteries, it feels that there is an argument for both. While petrified forests look as though they have been stunned since time began, determined elephants, zebras and giraffes have found ingenious ways to survive the countries’ brutal and dramatic deserts. Eco-lodges have followed suit too, setting up sustainable shop in the Makgadikgadi salt pans (and beyond) that both protect and nurture nearby environments and communities. Deciding, then, between these two neighbours can be a real headscratcher. Fortunately we have a team of African experts on hand to settle the score for this Namibia vs Botswana knockout.
Landscapes
If Namibia was ‘the land god made in anger’, Botswana was the one he made in tears – happy ones though, we suspect. With the waterlogged wonderland of the Okavango Delta at its helm, Botswana is Africa at its best. Home to salt pans, desert, fossil river valleys and national parks, which offer animal and birdlife species in biblical proportions, Botswana is where head-turning rawness and spellbinding stillness, found only when in the presence of an African sunrise, sit side by side. Namibia’s offering is less serene but no less striking. From towering sand dunes and derelict mining towns to otherworldly canyons, gold-grass plains and a coastline that claims victims by the boatful, Namibia is a dystopian utopia. But, despite putting a whole new spin on the phrase ‘getting away from it all’, you only need to stumble on a waterhole to find that you are not alone in this wilderness.
Name a landscape Namibia and Botswana don’t have? For this reason we’re beginning the scoreboard at 1 all.
Wildlife
When you’re comparing Namibia vs Botswana – two safari greats – it’s always going to come down to wildlife. Together, they boast nine national parks, 29 endemic species and more elephants than anywhere else on the planet. In Botswana, wildlife offerings come in fives – the Big Five that is. Track black rhinos on foot, follow ripples of splashing elephants playing in the delta and catch the eye of hunting leopards as you venture deep into the Savuti’s sprawling grasslands and granite hills. Saying that though, there is no more dramatic location to watch Darwinism in play than Namibia. Elemental, savage and rugged, you’d be forgiven for thinking that nothing (not even a lizard or beetle) could survive such barren land. In fact, almost 200 species do. Desert-adapted elephants and giraffes patrol between the country’s remote water holes and tree roots (which harbour underground pools), oryx, zebra and Damara dik-dik graze on leafy plains and goliath herons and African herons swirl over Fish River Canyon. Namibia understood the enormous feat it took these animals to adapt to its conditions, and decided to reward them by being the first African country to incorporate environmental protection into its constitution.
For their stubbornness to survive and the country’s determination to support them, we’re awarding this wildlife win to Namibia, bringing the score to 1 – 2.
Safari
Namibia and Botswana are big names in safari. Both offer off-grid opulence, Big Five sightings and landscapes so extraordinary you’ll be forced to ask your fellow explorers to pinch you to believe they’re real. But when it comes to their safari styles, they couldn’t be more different. In Botswana, where exclusive and remote camps rule the roost, it’s all about seclusion. And thanks to its high-value, low-volume tourism, it’s not hard to achieve. Spend days (our experts recommend a minimum stay of six nights) in private reserves with a front row seat to wildlife spectacles on game drives and bush walks and observe all creatures great and small on traditional nighttime mokoro canoe rides. Namibia, on the other hand, encourages you to take control of your safari adventure. Instead of flying into exclusive camps, Namibia’s baked moonscape, coastline and gigantic dunes will compel you to jump behind the wheel and drive through it in style. Discover where dune meets city as you wind round Windhoek and Swakopmund and test your 4x4’s horsepower as you race down the Skeleton Coast before slowing to a gentle cruise in Etosha National Park to spot roaming lions and leopards. Of course, there are still options for fly-in privately guided safaris, but if you’re craving a sense of freedom and connection with the natural world, there is nowhere more natural or freeing than Namibia.
If it’s an ‘Out of Africa’ experience you’re after, Botswana is more than happy to oblige. But if this isn’t your first rodeo – or safari – and you’re happy to take the wheel on a self-drive adventure across coast, desert and forest, Namibia has your name written all over it. For this, we are awarding each country a point, bringing the Namibia vs Botswana score to 2 – 3.
Namibian and Botswanan safaris can be whatever you want them to be. Nights under the stars in basic makeshift camps? You bet. Intimate bush and mobile camps that set up shop in prime locations for biannual zebra migrations? Absolutely. Permanent lodges that specialise in sustainable luxury? We thought you’d never ask. Of course, half the fun of an African adventure is experiencing them all. But if you’re after the archetypal safari stay that sees sophistication and style interwoven with sustainability and conservation, Botswana will simply delight. After all, it is where luxury safaris were born. Curl up on double-width armchairs with a steaming cup of coffee, slip into pools – careful not to disturb nearby thirsty jacanas – and froth over woven interiors, palm leaf light shades and hardwood beams. They are where wildlife and interior enthusiasts can rejoice, and adventure seekers and homebodies can find equal ground. Plus, at Mombo Camp, which is run totally on solar power and has a wall of fame for each creature that has been saved due to guest sponsorship, you can rest easy knowing that this level of luxury is more than paying its due.
As the creator of luxury safari camps, we have to give this one to Botswana, bringing the total score to 3 all. Fortunately, our experts have just the solution for this tie break. Start in Namibia on a self-drive through the Caprivi Strip to Kasane in Northern Botswana, where a light aircraft will be waiting to take you to some of the country’s famed camps on a magical 24-night trip.