Also known as Drotsky's Cave, this cavern system and its stalagmites and stalactites, which reach heights and lengths of up to 10m (33ft), were formed by water seeping through and dissolving the dolomite rock. The dripping water deposited minerals and built up the cavern decorations from the ceiling and floor. The !Kung people first showed these caves to a European, Martinus Drotsky, in the mid 1930s. Buried treasure from the late 19th century is said to be hidden somewhere in the caves.There are two entrances to the caves but no guides, no lighting and no indication of which route to take. With absolutely no natural light sneaking in, spelunkers must carry several strong torches (flashlights) as well as emergency light sources. There are some particularly scary bits along the route, including scrambles down steep precipices. However, most of the route is a fairly easy walk through large rooms and passages with lots of enticing side passages. The cave also supports a population of bats, including the large Commerson's leaf-nosed bat. The area around the caves has some pleasant spots for camping, but there are no facilities. There's no public transport to Gcwihaba, and you'll need a 4WD with long-range petrol tanks and water reserves to make it there safely. Gcwihaba is about 650km (400mi) north-west of Gaborone, near the northern Namibian border.

Established at the same time, these two areas about 100km (60mi) east of Maun effectively operate as one national park. The southern area, Makgadikgadi Game Reserve, is a 4000 sq km (1600 sq mi) tract of pans, grasslands and beautiful savanna. Wildlife is plentiful, though not as dense as at Chobe. There are antelope, lion, hyena, cheetah, and hippo, as well as a stunning array of birds, but no elephant or buffalo. There's a campsite at the park with a toilet, cold shower and drinking water. You'll either need to join a tour or rent a 4WD to get there.The northern part of the park, Nxai Pan, takes in another 4000 sq km (1600 sq mi). The southern part of Nxai Pan is a complex of mini salt pans. This is one of the few areas in Botswana that's more interesting during the rainy season - when huge herds hit Nxai's grassy pans. The numbers can be staggering; wildebeest, zebra and gemsbok appear in their thousands, along with large herds of other antelope and giraffe. Lion, hyena and wild dog come to take advantage of the expanded menu, and this is also one of the few places you'll see bat-eared fox. In the south of Nxai Pan, Baines' Baobabs comprise a hardy clump of large baobab trees, rendered immortal in 1862 by painter Thomas Baines, a member of Livingstone's expedition. If you've seen a copy of the painting, you'll notice that only one branch has fallen off in the last 100 years. There are no facilities at Nxai Pan's campsites, and you'll need a 4WD to get here. The park is about 500km (310mi) north of Gaborone.

Like Australia's Uluru, these lonely chunks of rock rise abruptly from a rippled, oceanlike expanse of desert. They are imbued with myth, legend and spiritual significance for both the Makoko and Dzucwa San, who see the hills as the site of creation itself. Laurens van der Post immortalised Tsodilo as the Slippery Hills - when he visited here his cameras jammed, his tape recorders stopped working and he was attacked by swarms of bees, apparently because he had offended the spirits of Tsodilo.Tsodilo has been inhabited by ancestors of the San for up to 35,000 years, and the site has over 3500 rock paintings. These minimalist representations of animals, people and geomorphic designs may have been intended as little more than doodles, but it's more tempting to envision a succession of ancient Michelangelos straining upwards to produce masterly works. The majority are executed in ochres or whites and were probably produced by the San and later the Bantu people. Among the most interesting paintings are a zebra, a whale, a penguin, a family of rhino and a dancing crowd of sexually excited men.There are no shops or services in the San or Mbukushu village, but you can camp around the base of the hills, and there's water available from a bore well. A visitors' centre and camp sites with facilities are being built. The hills are in the north-west of the country, about 800km (500mi) from Gaborone, and you can fly here or drive - the road is excruciating but unforgettable.