Q I've heard Botswana only caters for the wealthiest safari-goers. Is it all dot-com millionaires and media magnates, or are there budget travellers too?

A Tourism to Botswana has changed over the years. In the late '80s Botswana's government realised that its national parks had few facilities and so couldn't cope with too many visitors. It sharply increased park fees to reduce the number of visitors, signalling the start of their "high cost, low density" tourism policy. This wisely sidestepped the cheap, mass tourism that was embraced from Spain to Mombasa, and instead effectively dedicated large swathes of land to wildlife and attendant exclusive safari camps.

Q So what can I expect for my money? Will I find flushing toilets, electric lights and air conditioning?

A Forget memories of cramped scout tents; think instead of canvas designer chic. Botswana's camps are increasingly stylish. En suite flushing toilets, running hot and cold water and battery-powered lights are standard, while many have electric fans. A few have air conditioning, but if you really need this then try Disneyland instead. Only the odd old stalwarts, like the delightfully simple walking trails camps at Selinda, still use traditional long-drop toilets.

Q How can I reduce the costs - by staying at the simpler camps?

A Not really - what you're paying for is virtually exclusive use of pristine areas, so there's little cost difference between a tiny bush camp and the largest lodge. If anything, there's an increasing premium on space in the smaller camps. They need to be booked earlier as many people find them friendlier than the larger lodges. Try getting a small group together, of four or more travellers, if you can. This will make a mobile trip much cheaper, and can also reduce costs on some fly-in trips (talk to your tour operator).

Q Can I drive myself around Botswana like I did in Namibia?

A Yes - but it's much trickier. You'll need a fully equipped 4x4, with all your food, water and fuel, along with some bush sense. "Roads" are usually unsignposted ruts and there's no AA service. Camp sites are remote and often basic, sometimes without even water. In short, it's great fun, but not a trip to be undertaken lightly.

Q How formal are the lodges and camps? At the best ones, do I need to pack Prada and Gucci?

A A clean shirt and pair of cotton trousers is fine for dinner at any of the camps. However, at some of the more upmarket ones, you may find guests who come more for the social cachet than the sitatunga (a rare antelope). Just turn the conversation to the finer details of papyrus morphology to outclass any designer wear.

Q Should I stay at camps inside or outside the national parks?

A Botswana's parks have long been protected, and their animals are very relaxed. However, they are public and you may see many other vehicles while game-viewing. Park rules still strictly forbid any walking or driving off-road or at night. Around the national parks, much of northern Botswana is divided into huge "concessions" or private reserves. Each is leased to a safari operator who can accept a limited number of guests - for example, the 1,250km2 Linyanti Concession can take about 56 guests at any one time, split between four small camps. That's a minimum of 22km2 for each guest! In most, professional guides are allowed to drive off-road and lead spotlit night drives, as well as walk with guests - so offering more variation than camps within the parks.

Q In the bush, should I expect Chardonnay and canapés, or corned-beef stew washed down with the local brew?

A Unless you're on a basic mobile and cooking for yourself, expect restaurant-standard meals with a well-stocked free bar at most camps. Botswana can pose a big threat to your waistline.

Q What are mobile safaris, and how do they differ from using permanent fixed camps?

A Mobile safaris are trips for small groups with a professional guide, tents and equipment. Your camp is taken with you and set up at different places. More expensive mobile trips come with a team of camp lackeys, starched linen sheets and crystal goblets. On cheaper trips expect to muck in, put up your own tent and drink from a tin mug.

Mobiles usually use the national parks rather than the private concessions. Many use the route from Victoria Falls through Chobe to Moremi and Maun. For a group of four to eight friends, an average mobile will work out cheaper than camps and give a real sense of adventure. That said, the small tents are little more than places to sleep and you'll be on the move fairly constantly with little respite. You can't just go and lie down if your tent's packed onto the back of the 4x4.

Q Some of the camps are pretty remote? How do I get there?

A Virtually all of Botswana's camps are reached by light aircraft, which operate like a flexible taxi service around the north of the country, using Maun and Kasane as hubs. Kasane is only an hour's drive from Victoria Falls, hence many tourists visit the Falls at the start or end of a Botswana trip.

Q Botswana has the delta and the desert - if I want to visit both, can I expect very different types of accommodation?

A Not really, because camp standards are very similar - it's the landscapes that differ. Ideally try to spend three or four nights in each type of area, choosing three or four camps for their different environments. Don't listen to anyone telling you that one camp in the Delta is the same as the next; there are huge differences in landscapes, flora and fauna between the Delta's camps.

Q Do different types of accommodation provide different daily activities?

A No - but different areas do. Far into the northern side of the Delta and the panhandle, you'll find camps in deep-water areas that only offer motorboat trips (birding and fishing). Further south in the Delta, mekoro excursions (dug-out canoes which are punted along) visit shallower water areas. For the experienced, there are horse-riding safaris, and for the very affluent, Abu's Camp offers elephant-back safaris. In drier areas, camps concentrate on game drives and walking safaris. At the far end of the spectrum, Jack's Camp uses quad-bikes for transport - allegedly to avoid damage to the fragile crust of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.

Q How long should I spend in each camp?

A About three nights per camp is normal: four is great at a particularly good camp with a range of activities, and two nights is long enough for the camps which concentrate on water activities.

Q Will my days in the bush be highly structured or will I have privacy and time to myself?

A Most camps usually run two activities per day: one in the morning, another in the late afternoon (which often turns into a night drive). These are the coolest parts of the day, and the best for spotting most animals and birds. Each activity lasts three to four hours - enough to tire most mere mortals. In between, there are endless opportunities to eat, drink and relax at camp. It's up to you.

For the hyperactive, many camps will provide private vehicles to be at your beck and call - though, at an extra cost of about US$250 per day, this is an option for jet-setters. Sandibe and Nxabega are notable for their flexibility, as they will often lay on activities in the middle of the day (or later at night) if that's when you want them.

Q How do I choose just a few camps when they all look great?

A Forget the sales literature; talk to a tour operator who has been to most of the camps - preferably one that doesn't just promote places owned by a single company. Try to choose camps set in contrasting environments, run by different companies - you'll find the variety refreshing.

Q Where should I stay in order to see Botswana's famous wild dogs?

A Wild dogs move fast and range widely over northern Botswana. However, to track them down you need to move fast too, so choose an area with lots of open treeless plains, outside a park, where your guide can drive off-road at speed.

Mombo, in the heart of the Delta, has an enviable reputation - a huge resident pack of dogs helped make the camp's name some years ago. However, if you can't afford Mombo's prices, then Vumbura (where dogs denned last year), Kwara, Kwando and the Selinda area are top of my list. These are the right open environments, and I've tracked dogs across all of them.

The wild dogs here seem to den around June to September. Then they will stay in the same area for two to three months while their puppies are young. So ideally find out where a pack is denning, and go there to guarantee sightings. Expect responsible guides to restrict the sightings, and keep their distance so their vehicles don't worry the pack. Note that the Kwando and Kwara Reserves use trackers as well as guides, and are good at finding dogs for determined clients.

Q Are there any unusual places to stay?

A Although many camps have stunning situations, you have to search in Botswana to find real eccentricity. Camp Okavango has a luxurious wood-panelled bungalow, built for the former owner, with a full dining room, TV, video, and a sunken bathroom covered, floor to ceiling, in black marble and tiles. If that tickles your fancy, it costs only a little more than a normal tent.

If you're feeling like Tarzan, then consider the palatial Jao Camp, where every room has a private outdoor sala - a comfy open-air bed overlooking the papyrus. Who needs mekoro trips anyway?

Published in Travel Africa Edition Sixteen: Summer 2001 Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)