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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31 110 31 80 31 70 31 25 28 6 25 2 25 0 28 0 33 3 34 25 34 50 32 88

(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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