Maun is a dusty, lively frontier town and the gateway to one of the last great wildernesses on Earth, the Okavango Delta. Known as Botswana's tourism capital, it sits on the banks of the Thamalakane River, where the Kalahari sands meet the waters of the world's largest inland delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Most visitors spend a night or two in Maun before heading out on safari. From here, you can glide through the delta's channels in a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe, take a scenic flight over the waterways and floodplains, and venture into the Moremi Game Reserve, known for elephants, lions, leopards, wild dogs and abundant birdlife. Many luxury safari camps in the delta are reached only by small plane from Maun's airport.

U.S. travelers usually fly into Johannesburg and connect to Maun in about two hours. As you fly in, look down at the patchwork of blue and green waterways, often dotted with elephants and hippos. I'll plan your delta safari, light aircraft transfers and camps, and combine Botswana with Victoria Falls or South Africa.