Botswana is a beautiful country teeming with some of the most exotic wildlife on the planet. Approximately the same size of France, but with a population of only 2.5 million. This is one country where wildlife does not face stiff competition for land resources from man.
As a result the animals have multiplied with a flourish. Botswana can justifiably claim to host some of the finest game sanctuaries in Africa. The worlds’ largest exporter of diamonds by value, the country is not under pressure to get in more tourists. And the government has adopted a deliberate policy of keeping visitor numbers low. The hidden hand of the market has responded by adjusting the price to reflect this reality. Botswana has therefore emerged as an exclusive up market safari destination.
Bill Clinton, together with his wife went on safari in Botswana in 1998. The power couple was greatly fascinated by the wildlife, and the serious games of life and death they play. Affirming his position on top of the food chain, the president ate for dinner some of the animal species he had watched earlier.
His evening buffet included zebra, crocodile, impala in monkey sauce, and giraffe. “I tried it all”, he declared with satisfaction. But the former American president is only one in a long line of heavy hitters to enjoy the wildlife havens of Botswana. Hollywood legends, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor chose to remarry here, for example.
There’s a reason why Botswana is such a special destination and popular with the rich, famous and celebrities, this country will leave a lasting impression on you. View my top tips for travelling to Botswana including what to do, where to stay and how plan a dream trip.
About Botswana
Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. It occupies 84% of the land area, mostly in the west, central and north of the country. But the Kalahari is not a desert in the Sahara sense. You find the occasional sand dune, but also substantial vegetation in the form of short thorn and scrub bush, trees and grasslands. Very little water though, and hence the desert tag.
To the northwest, you find Okavango, the world’s largest inland delta. The northeast is a land of gently rolling tablelands interrupted by granite hills and rock formations. The east and southeast, where 80% of the people live has more varied relief. And the rain clouds linger more and unburden themselves more freely, relative to the rest of the country.
Today Botswana is a peaceful, well-managed and relatively prosperous country. The country wealth per man indicator places among middle-income nations alongside Mexico and Russia and ahead of Brazil. But it has not always been so and the country has come along way.
The San people (otherwise known bushmen) are believed to be the original inhabitants of Botswana. Their descendants survive to this day, some living as their forefathers did for most of the 30,000 years historians guess they have been around. Later, much later, Bantu groups, prominent of which were the Tswana, became the masters of these realms.
The modern Botswana nation has been shaped by the alliances made in response to historical currents swirling in southern Africa in the eighteenth century. The rulers at the time aligned their interests with those of the British against the Boers who were approaching from the south and the Germans from the west.
For the British, the value of the alliance was strategic and not much was expected in terms of economic advantage. And that is how the relationship resulted in the Bechuanaland Protectorate – the recursor of modern Botswana. The British remained in charge until independence in 1966.
Getting to Botswana
No airlines currently offer direct flights between United Kingdom and Botswana. Most flights have one or more stops. The main international airport in Botswana is in the capital city, Gaborone, and there are direct flights here from places like South Africa with South African Airways and Air Botswana.
An alternative is to fly to a town approximately 1000km north of Gaborone, called Maun. Maun is one of the most important tourist destinations in Botswana. Again from Cape Town you would have at least one flying via Johannesburg or via Windhoek on Air Namibia, also from Johannesburg you can decide the Air Namibia flight via Windhoek or a direct flight with Air Botswana.
For the best rates search cheap flights with Skyscanner.
Accommodation
Hotels
Botswana’s major urban centers – Gaborone, Francistown, Kasane and Maun – all have great number of hotels for all budgets. Some of the more top-end hotels have air conditioning, swimming pools and entertainment like film screenings, live music and dance shows.
Safari Lodges and Camps
If wildlife viewing is top of your agenda, you’ll probably stay in a safari lodge or camp. The greater number is found in the prime game areas of the Okavango Delta hotels (including Moremi Game Reserve), Chobe National Park and Kwando-Linyanti.
There are also some incredible lodges in the Makgadikgadi Pans and Tuli Block. The majority of places are luxury camps made up of private tents with ensuite facilities, and a common dining and gathering area. All camps and lodges are really comfortable, with outstanding catering and activities (typically game drives, guided walks and trips in wooden canoes known locally as mekoros) put together as standard.
Most are in inaccessible areas; guests reach the place by charter plane, then by an off-road journey of up to an hour or two, which may double as a game drive.
Find the best hotel and accommodation deals on Booking.com.
Best Time to Visit Botswana
The dry season, especially between April and October, is the best time to visit Botswana on safari. It is then easy to spot wildlife gathered near water sources. The rains come over the southern summer months of November to March. The roads are then difficult to use and with the abundance of water and pasture, the animals tend to scatter.
Early morning and night temperatures in winter (May to August) can drop below freezing, especially in the southwest. But the days are then cool to warm. The summer experiences high daytime temperatures of up to 38°C. The cloud cover, though, and the rains tend to cool things a little bit. Beware that August is very dry and dust and sand storms tends to rise from the west.
The Okavango Delta should be avoided in summer, especially December to March, when most of the camps are closed down. At that time, it is very hot and humid- temperatures rise above 38°C, and thunderstorms unleash daily. You can enter the Okavango through Maun – the deltas’ principal town, by flying or taking a bus from Gaborone, 600 km away.
Botswana Tours and Safaris
If you would like to discover the highlights of Botswana I recommend small group tours with G Adventures or Contiki. Both these companies are recommended for exploring Botswana or going on safari. You can even book combo trips which take in multiple countries in the region.
What to Pack
Remember to pack a pair of binoculars – they bring the animals closer without the usual risks. A pair of decent sunglasses is a good idea, especially if you travel to the Kalahari, where the glare can be somewhat unsettling. Also pack photographic and video equipment, and portable chargers to record your safari for the sake of those of your unlucky friends who may not have been to Botswana.
On safari, you are advised not to wear white or bright clothing to avoid exciting the animals. Light cottons and linens are adequate for summer. To survive winter mornings and evenings, you need warmer wraps and sweaters. Women should avoid wearing scanty beachwear in rural areas away from hotels and campsites to avoid offending locals.
Best Places to Visit in Botswana
Whether you are independently planning a trip or want to book a tour, try to include these locations and tourist attractions to your itinerary.
Gaborone – The Capital
Gaborone is the capital and largest city in Botswana, but in terms of tourism there really isn’t a lot to do here. There are a few attractions if you have an afternoon or a day free, but otherwise, as a tourist you would probably just have a passing visit and should go somewhere else!
If you want a cheap way to visit Botswana and want to go on an African safari, close to Gaborone you can experience this. The Gaborone Game Reserve is a destination to spot zebras, wart hogs, wild boars, monkeys and many birds and the advantage is that if you have a car you’re free to move around the reserve un-guided.
Another alternative is Mokolodi, which has a broader range of wildlife like giraffes, elephants, hippos and more, and you can also pet a cheetah here!
Maun
Still only a village, Maun has developed into one of Botswana’s main tourist areas as it’s the gateway to the country’s best national parks and attractions. Maun itself also has a game reserve so if you’re here for a day before heading out on your safari, there is no need for you to take a flight to visit the Maun Game Reserve which is conveniently situated within walking distance of the town.
Chobe National Park
The Chobe National Park is in the northeast corner of Botswana stretching from Kasane, near Kazungula, where the riverine boundaries of four African countries meet, to the Moremi Game Reserve in the southwest. The vegetation varies from the tropical Linyanti swamp to the severe desert-like landscape of the Savuti, from lush flood plain grasslands to deep sands and woodlands.
Chobe is renowned for its teeming game. The Chobe Reserve and the riverbanks have some of the densest concentrations of elephants, zebra and lions anywhere in Africa and the animal migrations provide a fascinating spectacle. Over 450 species of birds have been identified in the region. The reserve has a wide range of habitats including the mysterious Savuti Channel that flows and dries out over the ages leaving the geologists scratching their heads!
Tourists are drawn by the credible intelligence that abounds about the quality of its pristine wildlife sanctuaries. Chobe National Park, one of the finest game parks in Africa is located to the north east of the country. The park has the greatest variety of game anywhere in the country.
That is why the busy Bill Clinton found himself at Chobe for his short safari. Wildlife thrives among the swamps and grasslands that stretch along the flood plains of the Chobe River. Occupying 10,560 square kilometers, it is particularly renowned for the great concentration and sheer abundance of its elephants, estimated to number 80,000.
The Chobe elephants are migratory and move along the Chobe River, their reliable redoubt in the dry season. African elephants are the largest among elephant species -and those at Chobe are the largest of them all. The population has gradually built up since the 1930’s when wildlife in the area began to enjoy some sort of protection. The infamous trade in ivory, particularly in the 1970’s and 80’s encouraged the decimation of elephant populations in other parts of Africa.
But the elephants of Chobe – thank God – were spared contact with the dirty hands of poachers. Other animals to see here include some of the usual suspects on an African safari – lion, cheetah, hippo buffalo, giraffe, antelope, jackal, warthog, hyena, crocodile, zebra. The birdlife is also diverse. Cruising or driving along the Chobe River, you get the best view of the animals.
The Savuti Marshes of Chobe are reputed to have the largest predator population density in southern Africa. The marshes have the textbook features that draw predators. In a flat and hostile environment, they provide a place where wildebeest, buffalo, zebra and many species of antelope congregate for a drink. The predators – cheetahs, leopards, lions, wild dogs, hyenas, wild dogs, and jackals – naturally follow. Some predators such as lion tend to be rather lazy and the setting here is a gift.
The usual entry point for Chobe is Kasane, which is located about 800km north of Gaborone. You get here by flying from Gaborone, Maun or Victoria Falls in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Camps and lodges can be found throughout the park.
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta, in the north west of Botswana is the largest inland delta in the world. Spreading over 15,000 square kilometers, it is formed as the flow of the Okavango River slows down and soaks into the sands. That is why it is referred to as ‘the river which never finds the sea’.
The network of channels, ox bow lakes, lagoons, swamps and islands that arise is very pleasing to the eye. But that is not all of Okavangos’ bounty. The delta is filled with wildlife – wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, elephant, zebra and buffalo have all found a home here. The birds too are plenty, more than 550 types, some of which live on the trees and others on the water.
The best place to see wildlife in Okavango is within the spectacular Moremi Wildlife Reserve. The reserve lies in the centre of the delta and occupies 3,000 square kilometres. In Moremi you view game aboard a vehicle or by gliding on a makoro (dugout canoe) or other type of canoe. Accommodation is available in camps and lodges within the delta area. In Moremi itself, you can stay in tented campsites but no permanent camps or lodges are allowed.
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
Adventure seekers may wish to check out the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The shallow saltpans cover about 6,500 square kilometres and rank among the largest in the world. The atmosphere here is admittedly surreal, with shimmering mirages in a vast open terrain broken only by a few baobab trees.
Bird watchers in particular will be intrigued at the unusual environment as they watch numerous flamingos and pelicans. The pans occupy the area between Francistown (410 km north east of Gaborone) and the Okavango Delta. There is plenty of wildlife, in the Makgadikgadi National Park, but not as much as Chobe- so this will not be your only reason for coming here.
Tsodilo’s Treasure Trove
About 50 km from Shakawe on the Okavango Panhandle are the Tsodilo hills rising dramatically out of the Kalahari desert.
For the original San (bushmen) they are sacred—full of mystery, legend and spiritual significance. The San believe that the four hills were where God first dropped his people and their cattle from the heavens. Since then the ancestors of the San have lived in the region leaving their stone tools, bone implements and, above all, their rock paintings.
The name Tsodilo in the original San language means “sheer”. The four hills rise in a rough line out of the shimmering desert, their colour changing according to the time of day. None of the hills are more than 400 metres high but they rise from a flat terrain that stretches to the horizon as far as the eye can see. The summit of the “male hill” is the highest point in the Kalahari.
When Laurens Van der Post first arrived in the 1950s he did not show sufficient respect for the “spirits of the hills”, by failing to sacrifice a warthog and a steenbok. As a result his vehicles broke down, his cameras and tape recorders failed to function, he was attacked by a swarm of angry bees and his workmen abandoned the safari.
Van der Post was so shaken that he buried a hand-written apology in a bottle beneath a panel of paintings that now bears his name. The spirits “accepted” his apology and allowed him to complete his journey without further mishap.
Archaeological remnants show that man has lived around the hills for up to 30,000 years. More than 4,000 paintings have been identified at over 350 sites—the best ones are found on the “female hill”. Walking trails allow visitors to see the most important panels of rhino, giraffe, eland, tortoise and dancing humans. Part of the Kalahari was originally covered in a large inland lake, accounting for other paintings of fish and birds that look like penguins.
The older paintings are thought to date back to the late Stone Age, probably painted by the ancestors of the San’s Mbukushu people. They deny that they painted the really early pictures claiming that the spirits themselves created them. The Bantu arrived in the area around 500 AD and continued the artistic tradition, copying and adapting the ancient paintings. There is even one buffalo picture that has been proved to be a forgery of recent origin.
Volunteering in Botswana
Botswana is the site of a unique wildlife conservation initiative in Southern Africa – the concept of cross border parks. The initiative is anchored on the common sense observation that wildlife does not recognise international borders.
Successful conservation efforts in an area bordering another country can be reduced to naught if the neighbouring countries do not collaborate. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a combination of two parks – the former Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa.
Covering over 36,000 sq km, Kgalagadi is one of the biggest wildlife conservation areas anywhere in the world. Botswana contributes about 75% of the park in the southern Kalahari Desert. The park is a unique conservation area for it allows the large-scale wildlife migratory movements that were once common in the savanna grasslands of Africa, but are sadly not possible any more.
The appeal of the harsh beauty of the Kalahari aside, scientists are extremely curious to find out the secret story of the flora and fauna that has adapted to what appears to be a very difficult environment.
For ordinary folks, the park is host to the famous black-maned Kalahari lions. You will also see gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest, cheetahs, wild dogs, jackals, bat-eared foxes and leopards. Birding is also excellent and of 297 species recorded, 96 are resident.
It is difficult to get to Kgalagadi. From Gaborone, you drive for 860 km, of which 550 km is tarred and the rest gravel. Being a cross border park, you can also access it through South Africa. The park has no permanent tented campsites and on safari you must bring in everything you need.
If you would be interested in volunteering these sites are recommended:
• Volunteer programs in Botswana
• Africa gap year programs
Victoria Falls
Visitors to either Chobe or Okavango may wish to add on a visit to Victoria Falls. The Falls are located in Zimbabwe but is easily accessible from the northern part of Botswana. Victoria Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and one of Africa’s prime attractions.
Situated on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls occur where the steadily flowing Zambezi River, unwarned, casually approaches and then suddenly plunges down a series of basalt gorges in a breathtaking display of several waterfalls. Mist and thunder emanating from the falls can be witnessed from far off.
The spray from the falls sustains the rain forest on the opposite wall of basalt and creates an almost constant rainbow visible even by the light of the moon. The falls are best seen from the air, thus activities such as helicopter flights, balloon rides and micro-lighting over the falls are a must do.
Other exciting activities available are bungee jumping off the bridge – which also gives a spectacular view down the gorge, canoeing, white water rafting, river safaris, elephant back safaris and many more.
I really loved Botswana, and hopefully my guide has given you some ideas for what to do and where to go. For more recommendations in this region view my Africa travel tips.