Belize

Belize embraces a beguiling mix of Caribbean and Latin cultures, infused with a colonial history brought to its shores by British settlers, English-speaking, Creole-dominated and with a thoroughly coup-free history, this tiny country has an atmosphere that couldn’t be more laid-back.  Tourism may be unashamedly big business, but visitors rarely feel commodified.  The local people are friendly, open and relaxed and everyone here seems to know how to have a good time.

 

 

Best time to visit

It rains less in the first half of the year, but you will probably be too relaxed to care either way

 

Experiences

  • Flying into Belize City, then hightailing it out to the beaches as quickly as possible
  • Ordering a Belkin beer, then ordering another one
  • Riding the bus into Belmopan, Belize’s capital city, still wondering if you have arrived as you drive out the other side
  • Snorkelling in the impossibly warm waters of the Caribbean Sea
  • Exploring Belize’s many beautiful Mayan ruins

 

Eat

The two main dishes on a Belizean menu: ‘rice and beans’ and ‘beans and rice’ – either way, it tastes great with a dash of Marie Sharp’s famous hot sauce

 

Drink

Belize’s famous Belikin beer, which always goes down a treat

Botswana

An African success story, Botswana achieved independence from Britain in 1966 and immediately thereafter, in a mad stroke of luck, discovered three of the world’s richest diamond mines.  And just like a good mystery story, it takes time to unravel the country’s secrets.  Beyond the narrow eastern corridor, where the majority of the population is concentrated, Botswana is a largely roadless wilderness of savannas, deserts, wetlands and salt pans.  As freedom of speech and equality are all guaranteed under the country’s constitution, the greatest threat to Botswana’s stability is posed by the AIDS virus

 

Best time to visit

April to August (the dry season) for wildlife viewing

 

Experiences

  • Travelling by mokoro (traditional canoe) on the Okavango River
  • Seeing the incredible gallery of ancient San paintings in the remote and mystical Tsodilo Hills
  • Wildlife spotting in Chobe National Park – take your pick of lions, cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and any number of species of birds
  • Camping with the wild things in Moremi
  • Keeping a lookout for buried treasure in the Gowihaba Caverns, with their gargantuan stalagmites and stalactites

 

Eat

Mabele (sorghum) or bogobe (porridge made from sorghum) which form the basis of most Batswana meals.

 

Drink

Bojalwa, a sprouted sorghum beer that’s brewed commercially as Chibuku