Destination Botswana
In a Nutshell
A classic safari destination with outstanding game viewing and sensational scenery in a vast, unspoilt wilderness. Botswana is exclusive (with a policy of high cost/low impact tourism) and relatively upmarket and expensive as most of the parks are accessed by air. A politically stable country, it is also one of the wealthiest in Africa due to its diamond industry and it is a safe and secure tourist destination.
Climate
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(average high temp in degrees c and average rainfall in mm) for Maun
Facts
Size: 581,730 Sq Km
Population: 1.8m
Capital: Gaborone
Flying Time: Johannesburg 11 hours. Johannesburg to Maun 1 hour 40 mins
People: Mainly Batswana (80%), also San, Bakalanga, Bakgalagadi, Bayeyi and others
Languages: English (official), Setswana (national)
Major Industries: mining (diamonds, copper, nickel), beef production and tourism
Currency: Pula (P)
Visa: Not required for UK passport holders
Time: GMT +2
Budget: From £3000 for 2 weeks
Background
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa bordering Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is a vast, flat dry land dominated by the Kalahari Desert and Okavango Delta and has an extremely low population density. The climate ranges from semi-arid through sub-tropical to temperate.
Botswana is 2.5 times bigger than the UK and roughly the same size as France.
Approximately 17% of the land consists of protected wildlife areas.
Principal Parks and Reserves | ||
• Chobe NP | • Nxai Pan NP | |
• Moremi WR | • Kgalagadi Transfrontier NP | |
• Central Kalahari GR | • Gaborone GR | |
• Makgadikgadi Pans GR | • Mashatu GR |
Highlights
Okavango Delta - one of the world's richest wetland ecosystems
Moremi Game Reserve - an area of outstanding game viewing
Kalahari Desert - home to the San bushmen
Chobe and Linyanti Rivers - with their massive elephant herds
Bushmen rock paintings in the Tsodilo Hills
Savute - for its predators
Activities | ||
• Game drives and walks | • Ballooning | |
• Boat and mokoro trips | • Cycling | |
• Hiking | • Horseback and elephant-back safaris | |
• Fishing | • Quad biking | |
Best for | ||
• Greatest concentration of elephant (Chobe) | • The place for mokoro (dug-out canoe) trips | |
• Wild dog viewing | • Elephant-back safaris | |
• Ancient San rock paintings | ||
When to go: All year, Aug-Oct best game-viewing, Dec-Mar best birding, Dec-May best flowers | ||
• Mar-Jun = low season | • Jul-Nov = peak season | |
• Oct-Apr = summer, May-Sep = winter | • Nov-Apr = rains | |
• Jul-Aug = driest | • Dec-Jan = wettest | |
• Sep-Nov = hottest | • Jun = coldest |
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