No.1 Ladies Detective and Botswana safari holiday

Towards sunset the elephants come down to the Chobe river to drink. The whole family gathers, shepherding calves into the water to bathe and refresh themselves after a long hot day of foraging.

From our neutral vantage point on the river boat we watch them gather, circling around the babies and tossing water into the air.

Light rain begins to fall and the elephants enjoy the shower, completely unconcerned by our presence.

If the BBC adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling No.1 Ladies Detective Agency has got you curious to see the stunning landscapes of Botswana, the Chobe national park is a must-visit.

The drama - premiering Easter weekend - was filmed entirely on location in Botswana and the director, the late Anthony Minghella, said the Botswanan people were marvellous and the landscape extraordinary.

With an estimated 60,000 elephants, Chobe national park is the place to find some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

And it wasn't just the elephants we had come to see. The boat took us close to yawning and mauling hippos in the river and crocodiles sleeping on the banks.

Regular game drives run from the Chobe Safari Lodge and campers can use the complex's swimming pool and enjoy the beautiful sunsets from the riverfront bar.

So early the next morning we were bumping along in a 4X4, our guide keeping an eagle-eye-out for everything from the humble dung beetle to the king of the beasts.

We saw a wide variety of antelope, including combative Springbok, herds of elephants thundering across the trail raising clouds of dust, groups of buffalo, and lions sunning themselves on a rock.

Probably the most mesmerising moments were spent watching a gorgeous water crane delicately picking at the water's edge - and watching the bulbous eyes of a crocodile in the water watching the bird.

After the two-and-a-half-hour drive it was time to escape the heat and spend some time by the swimming pool.

Botswana is one of Africa's most stable countries for travellers looking for a safe safari holiday.

For independent travellers the village of Kasane on the outskirts of the park has hotel, lodge and camping accommodation along the river bank. Camping is quite safe, with only the local warthogs wandering through.

This is a good base from which to organise game drives and river cruises in Chobe.
You can change money, buy supplies and check the internet in Kasane.

It is also possible to arrange fishing trips and scenic game flights over the park from here.

Or if you want a package safari holiday see Somak Holidays.

The next stop after Chobe should be a safari in the incredible Okavango Delta, where you can travel through the waterways and reed-beds in a mokoro canoe.

For more information see the Botswana tourism website.

Natasha von Geldern