Where to Go, What to Do on Botswana's Wildlife Safaris

GETTING THERE: To get to Botswana, you first have to fly to Johannesburg, then catch Air Botswana to Maun. South African Airways is the only airline that flies directly from Washington Dulles to Johannesburg; round-trip flights start at $1,125, lower in the off-season. The flight requires an overnight stay before connecting to Botswana the next day (flights start at $550). Or you can take an early morning flight to New York's JFK, then fly nonstop to Johannesburg (flights start at $1,125), connecting to Botswana the same day. From Maun, a charter company will connect you to various safari camps. Those flights are generally arranged by the safari company or tour operator.

WILDERNESS SAFARIS: Xigera has 10 tented rooms, furnished and with private bathrooms, built on wooden decks in a forest on the edge of a river. Located in the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, the camp allows for mokoro canoe trips and motorboat outings year-round. We saw zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions, buffaloes, antelopes, baboons and more. Rates, including all meals, lodging, outings and guides, start at $600.

Duba Plains, one of the remotest camps in the Okavango Delta, is on the 116-square-mile Kwedi Reserve. Six furnished tents feature private bathrooms and verandas overlooking the flood plain. The location for the film "Relentless Enemies," Duba Plains is famous for clashes between its lion prides and its giant herd of buffaloes. Rates start at $770.

Kalahari Plains Camp is a new solar-powered camp in the 12-million-acre Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the country's largest conservation area. Six furnished tents sit on raised platforms, allowing air to circulate. Cheetahs, lions, wildebeests, oryxes, ostriches, mongooses, bat-eared foxes, springbok and jackals are some of the species we spotted. Rates start at $480.

Wilderness Safaris is running a special: Stay seven nights at any camp and get the eighth night free. For more information, go to http://www.wilderness-safaris.com. Or to book a trip, contact Travel Beyond at 800-823-6063 or visit http://www.travelbeyond.com.

OTHER SAFARI OPTIONS: Orient-Express owns three luxury lodges in Botswana meant to be experienced as part of a safari circuit. The Khwai River Lodge borders the Moremi Game Reserve. Rates start at $530. The Savute Elephant Camp is in the heart of Chobe National Park, sometimes referred to as the elephant capital of the world. Rates start at $530. Eagle Island Camp is on an island in the Okavango Delta. Rates start at $805. http://www.orient-express.com/web/luxury/vacations_holidays/safaris.jsp. To book, call 800-237-1236.

A more affordable option is Desert & Delta Safaris, which also operates camps in the Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta, among other regions. Its camps and lodges are situated in slightly more populated areas and typically house more guests. Rates start at $396 per night. Stay more than five nights and get a 10 percent discount. http://www.desertdelta.com. E-mail: reservations@desertdelta.com.

-- J.H.