Botswana is an African success story. A long-neglected British protectorate, Botswana achieved its independence in 1966 and immediately thereafter, in a mad stroke of luck, discovered three of the world's richest diamond mines. Today the country enjoys a relatively enlightened government, and its health, educational and economic standards are rivalled on the African continent only by South Africa's.

Beyond the narrow eastern corridor where the majority of population is concentrated, Botswana is a largely roadless wilderness of savannas, deserts, wetlands and salt pans. To ensure the country's natural assets are preserved, Botswana's government has embraced a policy of courting primarily high-cost, low-impact tourism, although recent years have seen options for independent, budget-minded travellers grow. Skinflints and softies beware: This remains a destination for the intrepid, well-heeled traveller.