Botswana
From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com
Botswana is located in the southern region of Africa and is surrounded by the following countries, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It gained its independence from the British in 1966. Today Botswana tourism is famous for it's wildlife regions of Chobe National Park and Moremi National Park. A high density of wildlife game can be found in the Kalahari Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta. Botswana tourism has one of the finest tourist attractions and facilities in the African continent. Diamond, tourism and mineral extraction also contribute significantly to the economy. Besides smaller incidents, Botswana is relatively a safe place, however, it is advisable to take basic precautions especially in crowded areas. African Safari is the most attractive Botswana Tourism activity.
Capital:
Gaborone - It is described as Africa's fastest growing city and is located just 15km from the South African border. Gaborone is a bustling modern city with many shopping malls, hotels, sports clubs and various night clubs. National Museum and Art Gallery and a golf course are also located here. Also a must see is St. Claire Lion Park located 14km from Gaborone on the Lobatse road.
Shopping:
The Mall of Gaborone is the most famous place for shopping. That area also has many other shops, embassies, banks and offices. Popular shopping items in Gaborone include decorative baskets, hand woven clothes, San jewellery, leather work, traditional dolls and masks.
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Things To Do In Botswana
- National Parks and Game Reserves.
- Kalahari Desert.
- Okavango Delta.
- Climb on the back of an elephant and trek.
- Fly over parts of Botswana in a hot-air balloon.
- Fishing in Okavango Delta and Chobe river systems.
- Botswana tourism offers Mountain bike in the Tuli Block.
- Experience Botswana's culture in a historic village called Serowe.
The most popular National parks of Botswana are:
Kalahari Desert National Park:
It is mostly a flat area and the sands of the Kalahari desert are red, brown or even white. The sand dunes vary from 5 meters to 60 meters in height. It has a semiarid climate. In summers the daytime temperatures can be between 35° to 45°C (95°- 113°F) while in winters it can drop below freezing in the night. Boteti River is the only main water source of the region. The vegetation has acacia woodland and scrub, palm trees and savanna grasslands. It is rich in wildlife, the animals which can be found in Kalahari National Park are Antelope, eland, gemsbok, hyena, jackal, harte beast, steenbok, giraffe, warthog, fox, wild dog and a many others. Most San people live in villages and reserves around the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Tswana and Kgalagadi tribes can also be found. Other than the highways most of the roads are gravel and sand roads. Limited infrastructure and medical facilities have limited the tourism activities in Kalahari National Park.
Ghanzi (capital of kalahari): It is interesting to find out how the San People (also know as the bushmen) have lived here in the desert conditions for over 30,000 years. After the Bushmen, the Ghanzi area was settled by Hottentots. This area is situated in the middle of nowhere and is distanced by the rest of the world by hundreds of kilometers.
Okavango Delta: The Okavango River rises in Angola and empties in the Kalahari Desert. Therefore water does not flow into the sea, instead it flows in Kalahari dessert via numerous of its tributaries, channels, lakes and lagoons covering an area of over 15,000 square kilometer during floods.
Chobe National Park: It is located in north-eastern Botswana and covers an area of more than 11,500 kilometers. Best time to visit Chobe National Park is between August to early December. You will find all the big five mammals with highest concentration of elephants in the world. Chobe river also offers fishing and day trips to Victoria falls are possible.
Makagadikgadi National Park & Nxai Pans National Park: Located in northern Botswana, this national park it is the largest salt pan in the world. It covers about 8,000 sq km and the landscape is like no other. Lake Sowa is famous for flamingo's and the best time to visit this National park is between April to July. You will find many animals like Lion, leopard, hyena, fox, giraffe, zebra and more . You will need a 4x4 vehicle to go in most areas.
Khutse Wildlife Reserve: It is located in central Botswana spread in a area of about 1000 square kilometers. The best time to visit this wildlife reserve is July to September and you will need a 4x4 to see most parts of the reserve.
Moremi Wildlife Reserve: It is one of the most beautiful places of Africa and is located near Kasane. The best time to go is August to December. This wildlife reserve is rich in flora and fauna. You will also experience some magnificent wildlife here including the rare red lechwe antelope and sitatunga. It also consists of a network of waterways around the Chiefs Island (west) and Mopane Tongue (east).
Selinda Wildlife Reserve: It is spread out in an area of 1,350 square km of untouched wilderness. The main water source of the region is the Zibalianja Lagoon. You will find hippo's, cheetah, leopard, elephant, giraffe, and several other wildlife. Located in north Botswana, it links the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti Swamps.
Other popular areas (National Park) are:
Tuli Game Wildlife Reserve, North-East Tuli Wildlife Reserve, Mashatu Wildlife Reserve.
Medical Facilities
Good hospitals can be found in Gaborone and Francistown. You are advised to have medical insurance and carry medicines with you when visiting the remote areas. Botswana has one of the known rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world. Although the government has many effective programs to deal with them, therefore the tourists are advised to be aware of it and take precautions accordingly. Some sections of Botswana are malaria zone therefore its important to consult your doctor and take vaccinations and medications accordingly. Although the drinking water is mostly safe in hotels and inns, for other regions you should prefer bottled water.
Botswana Climate
Botswana receives a lot of sunshine with very little rainfall. It mostly has an arid to semi arid desert like climate. There is a lot of variation in the day and night temperatures. It receives rain in the summers (November to March). Summer season is from November and April and daytime humidity is usually high. Temperatures vary from high thirty (degree Centigrade) to low twenties in the night. Winters last from May to October and are very dry. Temperature goes to 20 degrees to 5 degree centigrade in the night.
Getting Into Botswana:
Air:
The main airport of Botswana is the Gaborone International airport (GBE also known as Sir Seretse Khama), Most of the flights arriving here come from Johannesburg, South Africa. Popular airlines like British Airways and South African Airways also operate besides the Air Botswana on this airport. Other airports include Maun (MUB) , Kasane (BBK), Francistown (FRW), Tsabong (TBY) and Orapa (ORP).
Bus:
Tourists can also use the bus services from Johannesburg to Gaborone, use Caprivi Strip to reach Chobe National Park from Namibia. There are bus services also from Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls.
Car & Transportation:
You can arrive Gaborone from Johannesburg in the south, Francistown in the east, Trans-Kalahari Highway to Lobatse from Namibia and many other roads from the surrounding countries. The main roads and highways are well paved. Majority of tourists who come to Botswana arrive at the capital city of Gaborone from South Africa. The road network connecting the main cities of Gaborone, Fancistown, Kasane, Francistown and Maun are good. If you plan to go in the interior cities you will need good equipment and tough terrain. Botswana tourism is a great experience for the tourists.
Additional Information
Department of Botswana Tourism in the UK
Website: www.botswanatourism.org.uk
Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in the USA
1531-33 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Website: www.botswanaembassy.org
Time
GMT + 2.
Language:
Official language - English.
Most popular spoken language - Setswana.
Religion
Mostly Christianity, some Muslim, Quaker, Hindu and Bahai
Currency
Botswana Pula (BWP), 1 BWP = 100 Thebe.
