This week, Botswana celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence. We were so enamored with this country and its people after a weeklong stay last month that we hung the Botswana flag on our doorstep to celebrate this momentous occasion. Botswana is one of the rare success stories on the African continent. Under the helm of a democratic leader who understands the value of education, the middle class is growing. Tourism is a significant part of the economy and the locals we met were proud to showcase their land and the incredible amount of wildlife that calls it home.

With a population of only 2.3 million people, Botswana offers one of Africa's least populated wilderness experiences. The country's enviable conservation philosophy endorses low-volume, high-revenue tourism, and significant benefits for local communities who live amongst the wild animals. Unlike Kenya's Maasai Mara or Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, which can often be overcrowded, head to that gigantic inland waterway, The Okavango Delta, and you're not likely to see any fellow travelers out on game drives or boat rides. On our first two days of safari at Stanley's Camp, we passed one other vehicle.

            

Botswana was my 5th safari and by far the most diverse when it comes to terrain. Much of the trip revolved around water, which was a welcome relief to often jarring game drives on rutted roads. As soon as we arrived in the Okavango Delta, we were greeted with roads that were washed-out with water . That wasn't a problem with our Abercrombie & Kent guide, Kebby Arabang, who would drive though the streams like he was atop a duck boat, not a Toyota Land Cruiser. The maze of waterways dotted with palm trees on our first two nights at Stanley's Camp reminded me of the Everglades. That is, until you spot a leopard up a tree or a giraffe in the distance. At the ultra-sybaritic Chief's Camp, where each room comes with a plunge pool and outdoor shower, we enjoyed our meals while watching elephants and baboons cool off at the nearby watering hole.

Chief's Camp was also where we would take our first of many jaunts on the waterways, this time via a mokoro, a traditional form of canoe. A guide poled us through the tall grasses on a leisurely paddle during sunset, Botswana's version of a gondola ride. The abundance of wildlife at Chobe National Park, our third stop, was mind-blowing. Best known for the largest population of elephants in the world, over 75,000, you would peer out and see long parades of elephants, including countless babies. 

The magical boat ride on the Chobe River, which borders Botswana and Namibia, was so much fun, we asked to go on it two sunsets in a row. We watched as elephants swam across the deep river, joined by large herds of Cape Buffalo,

crocodiles as still as sculpture, and all types of antelope.

Leaving Botswana, we stopped  on the Zimbabwe 

side of Victoria Falls to watch the waters of the Zambezi River plunge down one of the widest waterfalls in the world, over a mile long. Then it was on to our last stop, Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma,overlooking the Zambezi on the outskirts of Livingstone, Zambia. We would spend our final day canoeing the river near hippos, warthogs, crocs, and impala. All vivid memories we won't soon forget.

            

Kebby's knowledge of the outdoor world was encyclopedic. He knew every mammal, every bird, every tree, even the planets and stars in the sky above. But it was his genuine passion of the subject, seamless communication skills, infectious smile and sense of humor that made him one of the best guides I've ever met. I loved mimicking his Botswana accent, especially when he emphasized the letter r when naming the next exquisite bird like the lilac-breasted roller or southern carmine bee-eater. One of my favorite parts of Kebby's background is that he spent a year working at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. When people asked where the giraffes were, he would simply say "up the stairs and to the right."

            

We stayed at 4 different lodges in Botswana and Zambia, all with a distinct feel of their own and all perfectly situated in a pristine chunk of wilderness. Service was impeccable at all the lodges. Servers would greet you by your first name when presenting a rolled-up cool wash-cloth scented with mint, lemongrass, or lavender after each game drive. Dining went way beyond expectations, with fresh fruit in the morning followed by eggs and omelets anyway you like and thick lean bacon, all washed down with strong French-press coffee. Entrees at night included the local game, kudu, beef, fish, chicken, and good vegetarian choices like a tasty wild mushroom lasagna. Dinners were always served with a selection of quality South African wines. 

Those close-up shots of leopards, lions, hippos, rhinos, elephants, and giraffes are now plastered all over Facebook pages and will no doubt appear in next year's calendar. But I also cherished jumping with young children in hand at the Zambian village of Nakatindi; listening to a marimba band play solely for our group as we arrived for lunch at the Victoria Falls Hotel; all those glorious sunsets, especially the one overlooking the Zambezi on the deck of Sussi and Chuma; heading back to our room at Chobe Chilwero after a long day of game drives and boat rides to find that a bubble bath had been prepared; and all those wonderful stories we shared at dinner with new friends we met on the trip. These are the special moments I'll remember and inevitably the driving force behind another trip to Africa some two years from now when thoughts about taking that long international flight have faded. I yearn to return to that continent and its people more than any other destination. It's my spiritual retreat where I feel most alive.