About Botswana

Botswana’s population is mainly found in the narrow eastern corridor, with its rural villages and peaceful nature. Beyond this you will find a largely roadless wilderness of savannas, deserts, wetlands and salt pans. The best attractions to visit are:

The Okavango Delta is located in north-western Botswana. It disappears into a 15,000 sq km maze of lagoons, channels and islands. It is filled with African wildlife and pristine landscapes. There are thousands of spectacular coloured birds, you will also find elephants, zebras, buffalos, wildebeest, giraffes, hippos and kudu. The best way to see the delta is by mokoro, which is a dugout canoe, which are generally poled through the waterways by experienced guides.

Chobe Notional Park has the greatest amount of wildlife in the whole of Botswana, it covers a massive 11,000sq km. Here you are able to cruise or drive along the riverfront, where most of the animals congregate. The main attraction is the elephants, around 73,000 of them, in herds of up to 500. You may also spot lions, cheetahs, hippos, buffalos, giraffes, antelopes, jackals, warthogs, hyenas, crocodiles, otters, zebras and many types of birds. Also visit Savuti Marshes, a flat, harsh landscape, with an abundance of wildlife and Ngwezumba, with its clay pans and mopane forests.

Tsodilo Hills, located in the north west of the country, are chunks of rock that rise abruptly from a rippled, ocean-like expanse of desert. They are home to over 3500 rock paintings. Tsodilo Hills are not only the country's most impressive peaks, but also one of its best hiking areas.

Nxai Pan National Park’s grassy expanses are used as a rainy season gathering place for migrating wildlife. It takes up a massive 4000 sq km. During the rainy season, huge herds hit Nxai's grassy pans. These include wildebeest, zebra and gemsbok along with large herds of antelope and giraffe. Lion, hyena and wild dog come to take advantage of the expanded menu. The park is situated about 500km north of Gaborone.

Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve is a beautiful and almost undeveloped region of grasslands and palms. It is located about 100km east of Maun and is a huge 4000 sq km. Wildlife is plentiful and includes antelope, lion, hyena, cheetah, and hippo, as well as a stunning array of birds, but no elephant or buffalo.

Serowe is Africa’s largest village. While here be sure to visit the Khama III Memorial Museum, the Royal Cemetery and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.

Culture

The Botswana artists are everyday craftspeople who make such implements as pottery, fabrics and tools, the baskets are particularly magnificent.

The main ingredient in most Botswana meals is millet and sorghum porridge. Traditional drinks include palm wine and kgadi, which is made from distilled brown sugar or fungus. The local beer is bojalwa.

Local_Currency

Full banking services are available in major towns, and you can exchange traveller's checks quite easily. In remote towns and villages where there are no established banks, travelling banks are available weekly or monthly. These rural banking services might change traveller's checks but are not likely to change cash. Most major credit cards are accepted at tourist hotels and restaurants in the larger cities and towns.

Transport

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