Diego Delso
Around the size of France and with a population of just under 2½ million, the largely flat-savannah Land of the Tswana is one of Africa’s premier wildlife destinations (and parenthetically, diamond producers): big game and only lightly touristed, with a “fewer people, more animals” tourism philosophy. I have fond memories of visiting its reknowned Okavango Delta on safari many years ago, but there are other aspects to the country very much noting as well:
Gaborone – The Capital and International Gateway
Unless you´re coming in overland as I did directly to the Okavango, Gaborone (pop. 300,000) in the country´s southeastern corner is where you´ll fly into. It´s a pleasant, functional city where most travelers stay one night at most before moving on to safariland. But if you have an extra day or two to play with, worthwhile sights/experiences include the 20-year-old Three Chiefs Monument honoring a trio of influential native leaders; the small but good National Museum and Art Gallery; the Thapong Visual Arts Centre showcasing innovative young Botswanan artists; hiking up Kgale Hill for sunset views over the city; the Gaborone Game Reserve, just under a square mile (five sq. km) in size, home to several of the country's endemic species; and a number of cool crafts markets in the Central Business District.
Pavel Špindler
Okavango Delta and Maun – Botswana’s Safari Capital
With around 85,000 inhabitants, Maun (a nine-to-ten-hour drive from Gaborone or a flight of just under two hours) is a scruffy, spread-out frontier town with riverside bars and curio/souvenir shops (not too much changed from when I visited 27 years ago), but more relevant as the gateway to the Okavango, the vast wetlands which ranges in size from around 5,800 square miles (15 000 square kilometres) during the dry season to nearly 85,00 (22 000 sq. km) during the rainier months (December to April). This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to an amazing 122 species of mammals, including antelopes, buffalos, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, hippos, leopards, lions, rhinos, and zebras. One of the signature experiences here is having a local guide pole you by makoro (wooden dugout canoe) through the delta´s reed-lined water channels, where you can spot antelope and birdlife as well as elephants. There are numerous game reserves and lodges of varying degrees of luxury, such as Camp Moremi, Eagle Island, and Xigera, and they all offer game drives and walking safaris, and if you take a light-aircraft hop from Maun into one of these lodges, you´ll get a bonus of some incredible aerial views along the way.
Chobe National Park – The Kingdom of the Elephants (and Much More!)
Near the town of Kasane (pop. 9,000), some 11 hours by road and an hour and a half by air from Gaborone (as well as direct flights from Maun and even Johannesburg, South Africa), this 4,500-sq.-mi- expanse way up north is known for its huge herds of majestic pachyderms along with the elephants that prey upon them. You can see them on game drives along the Chobe River and boat safaris on the river itself, as well as spotting buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, black and white rhinos, giraffes, hyenas, wild dogs, leopards, and zebras. Animal populations are especially dense during the dry season (May to October), when they mass along the river to drink. Some of the above can also be seen in the marshlands in the west of Chobe. And by the way, if you have time, you can hop a short flight from Kasane to either the Zimbabwean or Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans – Salty Spectacles
Up in the northeastern savannah seven hours or so from Gaborone and three from Maun lie one of the world´s largest salt flats – the size of Portugal – left over from an enormous lake that dried up thousands of years ago. Today, this vast expanse covered by a salty crust make a dramatic sight, and when it rains in summer they´re temporarily transformed once again into shallow lakes which attract hundreds of thousands of flamingos – an even more dramatic sight. The nearest village is Nata (pop. 7,700), where visitors can stay, but many Botswanan eco-lodges and tour operators run day trips which don´t involve overnighting.
The Kalahari Desert– Wild, Remote, and an Ancient Culture
Shared with Nambia and South Africa, the world´s second largest desert actually covers much of Botswana, and includes the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the Khutse Game Park, and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Visitors can go on safari to see lions, cheetahs, hyenas, springbok, gemsbok, and meerkats, as well as visiting communities of the San people (also known as Bushmen), still largely hunter-gatherers who are the oldest surviving culture of this region, dating back some 20,000 years. Additionally, near the town of Shakawe at the desert´s northwestern edge, about two hours from Maun (but up to 16 from Gaborone), is the fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Site Tsodilo Hills. It´s home to more than 4,500 rock paintings created by the San (as well as later Bantu). One of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, it´s been dubbed the "Louvre of the Desert." The gateway to the Kalahari, the town if Ghanzi (pop. 19,000), is also considered the hub of Botswana´s cattle industry, and lies just over eight hours from Gaborone and 3½ from Maun.
A typical first-time itinerary in Botswana would include the Okavango and Chobe, doable in about nine days (including one night in Gaborone).
Flying to/within Botswana
The main international gateway is Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Gaborone (GBE), with multiple daily nonstops to and from Johannesburg (45-60 minutes) on carriers including Air Botswana, South Africa´s Airlink, and South African Airways (Airlink also operates a two-hour flight to/from Cape Town). Some travelers may also find it useful to take connecting flights using Ethiopian Airlines (five hours from Addis Ababa) and Qatar Airways (9½ hours from Doha). There´s also airlift between Gaborone and other African capitals such as Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe), and Windhoek (Namibia). In addition, safari towns such as Maun and Kasane also have direct international flights to/from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Then once you’re in country, there are Air Botswana flight connections between Gaborone and Maun (about 1½ hours) as well as Kasane (also 1½ hours). In addition, you can fly between Maun and Kasane in about an hour and Maun and Ghanzi in 40 to 50 minutes.
More information: BotswanaTourism.co.bw.
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