They booted out their Italian colonialists, soldiered on through civil wars, coups and droughts, and survived the famines of the 1980s. It’s safe to say that the people of Ethiopia are resilient. There are 84 indigenous languages spoken in the nation and these tough-as-nails folk are also direct descendants of the first Homo sapiens.
While the country is landlocked, water babies can get their fix through spectacular waterfalls and hot springs. You’ll also find mountains and caves to explore. And what better country to visit a coffee plantation than here, the origin of the bean?
Compared to its African neighbours, this landlocked country has survived in relative peace, and has fiscally triumphed since independence from the Brits more than 40 years ago. Tourism, particularly to the spectacular Okavango Delta (the world’s largest inland delta), is something of a lifeline and maybe on the increase, given the runaway success of Alexandra McCall’s novels and BBC series, The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, which is set in Botswana.
As well as the delta and Kalahari desert areas, you’ll want to explore Botswana’s grasslands and savannas, where blue wildebeest, antelope and a variety of birds can be spied. Northern Botswana boasts a rare large population of the endangered African wild dog, and Chobe National Park has the world’s largest concentration of African elephants.
Fascinating hunter-gather ‘bushmen’ traditions still linger alongside the more modernised parts of the country such as Gaborone. All in all, this is a tip-top destination, even for newcomers to the continent.
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