Blessed with some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on earth, Botswana is one of the great safari destinations in Africa. Put its landscapes together with the wildlife that inhabits them, and it’s clear that this is wild Africa at its best.

• enjoy the ultimate safari at Moremi Game Reserve, with some of the best wildlife-watching on earth
• maps
• glide gently through the vast unspoiled wilderness of the Okavango Delta in a wooden mokoro (dugout canoe)
• transport
• get up close and personal with Africa’s largest elephant herds at Chobe National Park
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Gaborone & Around, Mokolodi Nature Reserve, East-ern Botswana, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Francistown, Tuli Block, Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans, Nata, Gweta, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Nxai Pans National Park, Chobe National Park, Kasane, Chobe Riverfront, Savuti, Linyanti Marshes, Okavango Delta, Maun, Eastern Delta, In-ner Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Kalahari, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Khutse Game Re-serve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Understand Botswana, Botswana Today, History, People of Botswana, Environment, National Parks & Reserves, Survival Guide.

Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable and easily accessible from Durban and Johannes-burg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. Even a few days in Leso-tho’s hospitable mountain lodges and trading posts will give you a fresh perspective on Southern Africa.

• experience unique lodge accommodation in the picturesque villages of Semonkong, Malealea, Roma and Ramabanta
• maps
• absorb awesome vistas and hike the challenging wilderness of the northern highlands and Sani Pass
• transport
• revel in the underrated nature and hikes (and luxury lodge) of Ts’ehlanyane National Park wilderness area
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Maseru, Morija, Roma, Thaba-Bosiu, Northeastern Highlands, Oxbow, Mokhotlong, Sani Top, Southern Lesotho, Semonkong, Malealea, Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek, Quthing, Understand Lesotho, Lesotho Today, History, The Culture, Environ-ment, Survival Guide.

Apart from the legendary Malawian friendliness, what captures you first about this vivid coun-try is its geographical diversity. Slicing through the landscape is Africa’s third­largest lake: Lake Malawi, a shimmering mass of clear water, its depths swarming with colourful fish.

• kayak across bottle-green Lake Malawi from ultra-chilled Cape Maclear to Mumbo Is-land
• maps
• search for reintroduced lions in Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi’s only Big Five park
• transport
• scramble up the twisted peaks of Mt Mulanje and admire the astounding views
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Lilongwe, Northern Malawi, Karonga, Livingstonia, Nyika National Park, Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Mzuzu, Nkhata Bay, Likoma Island, Chizu-mulu Island, Central Malawi, Viphya Plateau, Nkhotakota, Senga Bay, Monkey Bay, Cape Maclear, Southern Malawi, Liwonde, Zomba, Zomba Plateau, Blantyre & Limbe, Mulanje, Majete Wildlife Reserve, Understand Malawi, Malawi Today, History, Culture, The Arts, Natural Envi-ronment, Survival Guide.

Mozambique beckons with its coastline and swaying palms, its traditions, its cultures, its vibe and its opportunities for adventure. This enigmatic southeast African country is well off most trav-ellers’ maps, but it has much to offer those who venture here.

• discover Mozambique Island’s time-warp atmosphere, cobbled streets and fascinating his-tory
• maps
• get to know Maputo, Mozambique’s waterside capital, with its museums and lively sidewalk cafes
• transport
• explore the islands of Quirimbas Archipelago, especially magical Ibo with its old fort and crumbling mansions
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Maputo & Around, Inhaca Island, Marracuene & Macaneta Beach, Southern Mozambique, Ponta d’Ouro & Ponta Malongane, Bilene, Limpopo National Park, Xai-Xai, Inhambane, Tofo, Tofinho, Barra, Maxixe, Massinga & Morrungulo, Pom-ene, Vilankulo, Bazaruto Archipelago, Central Mozambique, Beira, Gorongosa National Park, Chimoio, Manica, Chimanimani Mountains, Tete, Cahora Bassa Dam & Songo, Caia, Quelimane, Mocuba, Gurúè, Northern Mozambique, Nampula, Mozambique Island & Around, Cuamba, Lichinga, Lake Niassa, Niassa Reserve, Montepuez, Pemba, Murrébuè, Quirimbas Archipelago, Moçimboa da Praia, Mueda, Palma, Understand Mozambique, Mozambique Today, History, Cui-sine, The Arts, Natural Environment, Survival Guide.

When Archbishop Desmond Tutu called South Africa the ‘Rainbow Nation’, his words de-scribed the very essence of what makes this country extraordinary. This blend of peoples and cultures is instantly evident, but the country’s diversity stretches far beyond its people.

• tackle Table Mountain, paddle with penguins or just laze on Atlantic beaches in Cape Town.
• maps
• join rangers on a safari of the most involving kind – on foot – in Kruger National Park
• transport
• hike towards the peaks of the Drakensberg range for a view of the Amphitheatre, an 8km mountain curtain
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Cape Town, Western Cape, Winelands, The Overberg, Route 62, Garden Route, Central Karoo, West Coast & Swartland, Eastern Cape, Garden Route East, Sunshine Coast, Addo Elephant National Park, Grahamstown, Port Alfred, Amathole, East-ern Karoo, The Wild Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Coast, North Coast, Zululand, The Elephant Coast, Drakensberg & uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, The Midlands, Battlefields, Free State, Bloemfontein, Northern Free State, Eastern Highlands & Southern Free State, Gauteng, Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Nelspruit (Mbombela), Blyde River Canyon, Graskop, Sabie, Kruger National Park, Limpopo, Polokwane, Mokopane, Bela-Bela, Musina, Venda, Valley of the Olifants, North West Province, Rustenburg, Sun City, Pilanesberg National Park, Madikwe Game Reserve, Mahikeng, Northern Cape, Kimberley, Mokala National Park, Up-ington, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Augrabies Falls National Park, Namakwa, Understand South Africa, South Africa Today, History, The Culture, Environment, Survival Guide.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Southern Africa, Southern Africa’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like…, Month by Month, Itineraries, Planning a Safari, and Southern Africa at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Southern Africa guidebook.

Your journey to Southern Africa starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on planning your safari.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know to plan off-road adventures or beach escapes
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Southern Africa, Southern Africa’s Top 17, Need to Know, If You Like: Wildlife Safaris, Adventure Activities, Beaches, Cultural Interac-tions, Hiking, Off-Road Driving, Landscapes, Month by Month, Itineraries, Planning a Safari, and Southern Africa at a Glance.

This chapter contains the Southern Africa Today, History, Culture, Music in Southern Africa, Environment, Directory A–Z, Transport and Health chapters from Lonely Planet’s Southern Africa guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, music and culture to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get hints on the gay and lesbian scene and tips for women travellers, travelling with kids and travellers with disabilities, as well as handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the people and culture of the region
• info on Southern Africa’s amazing music
• full coverage of the region’s spectacular wildlife and landscapes
• details on Southern Africa’s history and politics

Coverage includes: Southern Africa Today, History, Culture, Music in Southern Africa, Environment, Directory A–Z, Transport and Health.

The intriguing kingdom of Swaziland is diminutive but boasts a huge checklist for any visitor. Rewarding wildlife watching? Tick. Adrenaline-boosting activities such as rafting and mountain biking? Tick. Colourful local culture, with celebrations and ceremonies still common practice? Tick.

• watch wildlife, including rare black rhinos, in the wild in Mkhaya Game Reserve
• maps
• walk or hike in the enchanting wilderness area of Malolotja Nature Reserve
• transport
• shoot over whitewater rapids on a day-long adventure on the great Usutu River
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Mbabane, Central Swaziland, Ezulwini Valley, Lobamba, Malkerns Valley, Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary, Manzini, Northwestern Swaziland, Ngwenya, Malolotja Nature Reserve, Northeastern Swaziland, Hlane Royal National Park, Mlawula Nature Reserve, Mkhaya Game Reserve, Understand Swaziland, Swaziland Today, History, The Culture, Environment, Survival Guide.

Taking its place alongside the Pyramids and the Serengeti, Victoria Falls is one of Africa’s original blockbusters. And although Zimbabwe and Zambia share it, Victoria Falls is a place all of its own.

• take in the full force of the falls with unobstructed views in Victoria Falls National Park
• maps
• experience the Devil’s Pool, the world’s most extreme infinity pool
• transport
• tame Grade-5 rapids whitewater rafting along the Zambezi
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Zambia, Livingstone, Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls.

While from afar Zimbabwe’s plight doesn’t paint a rosy picture, the reality is different on the ground for tourists – most insist it’s hands down one of the safest, friendliest and most spectacu-lar countries in Africa.

• explore the atmospheric 11th-century stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe
• maps
• Brave Mana Pools National Park, Africa’s only park (with lions) that allows unguided walk-ing safaris
• transport
• shop for crafts in Harare and go to Harare International Festival of the Arts
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Harare, Northern Zimbabwe, Kariba Town, Matusa-dona National Park, Mana Pools National Park, Mavuradonha Wilderness, Eastern Highlands, Mutare, Bvumba Mountains, Nyanga National Park, Chimanimani, Chimanimani National Park, The Midlands & Southeastern Zimbabwe, Masvingo, Great Zimbabwe, Gonarezhou National Park, Western Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Matobo National Park, Hwange National Park, Understand Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Today, History, Culture, Sport, The Arts, Environment, Survival Guide.

Adventures undertaken in Zambia will lead you deep into the bush where animals, both predators and prey, wander through unfenced camps, where night-time means swapping stories around the fire and where the human footprint is nowhere to be seen.

• bushwalk like a detective following the tracks of wild animals in South Luangwa National Park
• maps
• paddle a canoe down the mighty Zambezi River past pods of hippos, menacing-looking crocs and thirsty elephants
• transport
• spot leopards in Kafue National Park, where wildlife dreams unfold amid stunning land-scapes
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Lusaka, Eastern Zambia, Chipata, South Luangwa National Park, North Luangwa National Park, Southern Zambia, Chirundu, Lower Zambezi Na-tional Park, Lake Kariba, Choma, Lochinvar National Park, Western Zambia, Kafue National Park, Mongu, Liuwa Plain National Park, Senanga, Ngonye Falls, Sesheke, Northern Zambia, Serenje, Kasanka National Park, Bangweulu Wetlands, Samfya, Mutinondo Wilderness, Mpika, Shiwa Ng’andu, Kasama, Mbala, Lake Tanganyika, Kalambo Falls, The Copperbelt, Kapiri Mposhi, Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, Understand Zambia, Zambia Today, History, Way of Life, Environment, Survival Guide.