Namibia is the setting for some of the world's most spectacular desert scenery. It is also much more: a wealth of localized bird life, unique plants and fascinating mammals, and the home of genuinely friendly people. Gemsbok standing before a huge red dune at Sossusvlei, the skeletal shapes of a dead quiver tree, ancient Bushman cave paintings, the delightful White-tailed Shrike hopping along the ground--these are just some of the memories that one takes away after a journey through Namibia.

In Botswana we'll travel deep into the heart of the famed Okavango Delta, a place in total contrast to the Namibian deserts. Here we'll stay in two wonderful camps set among a vast expanse of sparkling clear water, reed beds, and grass-covered islands. We'll divide our time birding from a mix of boats and open 4x4 vehicles. Among an incomparable parade of egrets, herons, storks, ibises, and kingfishers, we'll search for the tiny African Pygmy-goose and Lesser Jacana, stately Wattled Cranes, jaunty Slaty Egrets, and the secretive Pel's Fishing-Owl.

Big game will also be very much in evidence (other tourists will not) and it's a real treat to be out there on your own watching Red Lechwe, Giraffe, Topi, Wildebeest, Lion, Common Zebra, Warthog, and African Elephant. We'll make every effort to see as many mammals as possible and by returning to camp late one evening should also encounter nocturnal species, perhaps African Civet, Spring Hare, or Ratel.

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