The best vacation I have ever experienced was a trip to Botswana and the safari camps of the South African tour company Wilderness Safaris. Now when I say “safari camp” you may conjure up a picture of roughing it – nothing could be further from the truth. The accommodations were truly 5-star, even though the Botswana government prohibits the building of permanent structures (concrete, brick, etc.) in the wilderness zones. How tents are transformed into luxurious hotel rooms is really something to see.

Why do I consider this the best vacation ever? Well, I found the 9 days we spent in 3 different camps to have been the ultimate in relaxation and enjoyment. No phones, no newspapers… truly getting away from it all to locations that can only be accessed by air – Cessna air “taxis” took us from camp to camp.

A typical day started with a wake-up just before dawn. After a quick coffee/tea/snack we were off on the Land Rovers for the morning wildlife tour. And what wildlife – natural habitat of African animals surely, unbelievably beautiful vistas, and the birds! Hundreds of species of birds. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable on every one of those species. At mid-morning there is a snack break, and a return to the camp at noon for a delicious sit-down lunch. I was amazed at the quality of the cuisine, given that everything had to be flown in.

After lunch it is time for siesta, with a wakeup late-afternoon for tea and then back on the Land Rovers for another tour. This one would last past sundown so that we could observe the nocturnal animals. When we got back to camp a large sit-down dinner was waiting for us.

So, each day felt like two days given the pattern of sleep, activity and meals. At the end of the 10-day trip the relaxation level was equal to having been on another type of vacation for at least a month. I took several hundred photographs – just one is attached.

Northern Wilderness, Botswana

J Howard