The African country of Botswana has emerged as Prince Harry’s lifelong favourite travel destination. He has since returned to it on several occasions with his partner Meghan Markle.
During the summer of 2016, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent five days in the country living in a tent together, just a month after they first met.
Prince Harry was in the country to support conservation efforts and invited Meghan to join him.
The country is ranked by safari providers as one of the safest nations in Africa, and guidance issued by the UK Foreign Office echoes this sentiment.
Current safety and security information regarding Botswana is less extensive than warnings around some of Europe’s tourist hotspots, such as France and Spain.
According to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Botswana has no recent history of terrorism, and crime involving tourists is rare.
Most official government advice regarding travel to the country centres around ensuring tourists carry proper provisions and make suitable transport arrangements when exploring more remote regions.
Additionally, tourists are advised to be mindful of Botswana’s wildlife, which includes African elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes and hippos. They are urged to follow all park regulations when on safari expeditions.
By comparison, tourists visiting France are warned of several recent high-profile terror attacks across the country, in addition to frequent disruption caused by industrial action and rising concerns around drink spiking.
Speaking in their 2022 docu-series Harry and Meghan, the couple reflected on memories of their third date, a camping trip to Botswana in 2016.
The Duchess of Sussex said: “We could both just completely be ourselves. There was no distraction. There was no cell phone reception. There’s no mirror, there’s no bathroom, there was no ‘how do I look?’ Thankfully, we really liked each other.”
The pair returned to Botswana a year later for a longer trip to celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday.
Prince Harry has said he feels “deeply connected” to Botswana, having visited in the immediate aftermath of Princess Diana’s death.
Speaking of the emotional trip, the Duke of Sussex said: “It was a nice place to get away from it all, but now I feel deeply connected to this place and to Africa.”
When the couple got engaged in 2017, Prince Harry proposed with a three-stone ring featuring a large centre-cut diamond sourced from Botswana alongside two side stones from his mother’s jewellery collection.
