Botswana travel guide
Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa, much of it covered by the Kalahari, with the Okavango Delta spreading across its north-west. It is one of Africa's great safari destinations, known for large elephant herds, low-impact tourism and wide, empty landscapes. It suits wildlife lovers, photographers and self-drive travellers with off-road experience.
Places worth the trip
The Okavango Delta
A vast inland delta where the Okavango river spreads into the Kalahari, creating a maze of channels, lagoons and islands. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and exploring by mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe, is a highlight.
Moremi Game Reserve
The protected eastern part of the Okavango, with floodplains, mopane woodland and lagoons, and good chances of seeing lions, leopards, wild dogs and huge flocks of water birds.
Chobe National Park
Famous for its elephant herds, especially along the Chobe riverfront near Kasane in the dry season. Boat cruises on the river show elephants, hippos and buffalo coming to drink at close range.
Makgadikgadi Pans
Huge salt pans, the remains of an ancient lake, where meerkats, brown hyenas and, in the wet season, zebra and wildebeest migrations can be seen. Kubu Island, a rocky outcrop with baobabs, rises from the salt.
Nxai Pan and Baines' Baobabs
A national park next to the Makgadikgadi with grassy pans that attract wildlife after the rains, and a group of ancient baobab trees painted by the artist Thomas Baines in the nineteenth century.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
One of the largest game reserves in Africa, with fossil river valleys such as Deception Valley, black-maned Kalahari lions and very few visitors. It is best explored on a well-equipped self-drive or guided trip.
Tsodilo Hills
A cluster of hills in the north-west, sacred to the San people and listed by UNESCO for its thousands of rock paintings.
Interesting facts about Botswana
- Botswana is home to the world's largest population of African elephants.
- The Okavango is one of the world's largest inland deltas: the river never reaches the sea but fans out and evaporates in the Kalahari.
- The floods in the Okavango peak in the dry winter months, because rain falling in the Angolan highlands takes months to travel downstream.
- Botswana is one of the world's leading producers of diamonds by value.
- The Kazungula Bridge links Botswana and Zambia across the Zambezi, near the point where four countries almost meet.
Best time to visit Botswana
The dry season from May to October is the best time for game viewing, as animals gather around water and vegetation thins out; it is also when the Okavango floods are at their highest. Nights can be very cold in June and July. The green season from November to April brings rain, lush scenery, newborn animals and the zebra migration in the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan, with fewer visitors. October can be very hot.
Getting around
Many safari visitors fly between camps in light aircraft from Maun or Kasane, which is the only practical way into many areas of the delta. Self-drive safaris in a fully equipped four-wheel drive are popular, but tracks can be deep sand or flooded, and distances between fuel stops are long. Paved roads link Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane, but watch for livestock and wildlife on the roads, especially at night.
Practical details
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Currency
- Botswana pula (BWP)
- Languages
- English, Setswana
- Plug types
- D, G, M
- Voltage
- 230 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 999 police, 997 ambulance, 998 fire
- Driving side
- left
- Tipping
- Tipping safari guides, trackers and camp staff is customary; many camps provide a tip box or guidance. In restaurants, around 10 per cent is usual.
Staying online in Botswana
Mobile coverage is good in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane, and along major roads near towns. In the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari and most national parks there is little or no signal, and many safari camps have limited or no Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is available in hotels and lodges in towns. Download offline maps, tell people when you will be out of touch, install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Directions in towns and offline maps for road trips across the country.
- iOverlander: Community-sourced information on campsites, fuel and road conditions, useful for self-drive trips.
- Merlin Bird ID: Identify birds by photo or sound; download the southern Africa pack for offline use in the parks.
- XE Currency: Convert pula, and check rates for US dollars, often used to quote safari prices.
Botswana travel FAQs
Yes, and many travellers do, but you need a well-equipped four-wheel drive, experience in sand and mud, and booked campsites in the national parks. Carry extra fuel and water.
Yes, modern phones work on local networks in towns and along main roads. A travel eSIM gives you data from arrival, but expect no coverage in the delta, the Kalahari and most parks.
The flood is at its highest from about June to August, and the dry season from May to October offers the best wildlife viewing. The green season is quieter and good for birdwatching.
Cards work in towns, lodges and most safari camps. Carry some pula and small US dollar notes for tips and for small purchases in rural areas.