Botswana
Botswana has its largest and capital city in Gaborone. The best travel time to visit Botswana is during the winter months of May to October, when the temperature is moderate and you can have a prime gaming experience, as the wildlife clusters around the permanent water sources. You can also visit during the summer months of November to February for a chance to see the antelopes give birth and the migrant birds arrive in numbers, while the months of March to April is usually accompanied by rainstorms. The people of Botswana is spilt into three main ethnic groups of the Tswana, Kalanga and Basarwa people, its culture is deeply rooted in a rich heritage and traditional values. Majority of the population are Christians, while the rest practice Islam, Hindu and Indigenous religions. The cuisine of Botswana is unique to Southern Africa; its most popularly eaten meals are pap, goat meat stew, braai meat, and seswaa, a traditional meat dish made of beef, goat, chicken or lamb meat. English and Tswana are the official language spoken in Botswana, while a small number speak Afrikaans.
Botswana is commonly accessible by air and light aircrafts are commonplace here. While it is not cheap, flying is the most reliable way to get around Botswana. For intracity travel, there are buses and combis which link to all the major towns and villages. You can also either hire licensed taxis or try hitching around Botswana. Botswana is considered one of the safest countries in Africa, violent attacks towards travellers are rare as the locals are welcoming and warm. However, petty crimes do exist from the occasional pickpocketing and theft from parked cars.
Botswana is a luxury tourist destination which boasts of a number of natural parks with impressive wildlife. You will be fascinated by the city of Gaborone, a bustling and most populous area which is considered the commercial hub of the country. You will find the big shopping malls here, a vibrant nightlife and an epic wildlife experience. If you are in Gaborone, you should attend the Maitisong Festival, the biggest one week festival of performing arts showcasing plays, dance, traditional music and Afro-pop shows. Or the Maun Festival which offers visitors a two day celebration of music, art and culture. You can attend other festivals while in Botswana like the Kuru Dance Festival when the only Bushman- owned game farm in Botswana comes alive with traditional music and dance for three days. Or you can experience the Botswana Day celebrating the country’s independence with street parades and parties. Even the Tjilenje Cultural Festival, the Toyota 1000 Desert Race or the World Wetlands Days is a must see too.
There are a lot of amazing places of interest to see while in Botswana. It is a popular tourist destination which attracts visitors with its wildlife and impressive natural landscapes. While you are exploring the stunning country of Botswana, places you should visit include;
The Okavango Delta which is the world’s largest inland delta. It is an oasis of islands, wildlife and lush green vegetation located in the middle of the dry Kalahari Desert. A great way to have fun here is by going on a unique safari tour to spot wildlife from the safety of a traditional canoe (a mokoro) and then camping overnight.
The Nxai Pan National Park which consists of Nxai Pan, which is one of the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats. At this park, you will find sand dunes, vast salt pans, and the famous Baines baobab trees. It’s a beautiful place and a perfect opportunity for looking at wildlife and bird watching.
The Chobe National Park offers some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa all year round. Chobe boasts around 120,000 elephants. The park's vast herds are best seen from the water on a sundown river cruise. The best time to visit Chobe Park is between May and September when the weather is drier and cooler. Herds of zebra, eland, buffalo, giraffe, and wildebeest congregate here at this time of year.
The Linyanti Wildlife Reserve is one of the most exclusive safari areas in Africa. It is suitable for the well-heeled adventurous traveller. The peaceful private reserve is fed by the Kwando River ensuring plenty of wildlife spotting opportunities. It’s renowned for its many Lion prides and also being home to one of Botswana’s largest Elephant populations.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the second largest game reserve in the world. The striking landscape is characterised by shimmering salt pans, semi-arid grassland, fossilized river valleys, and bushveld. The reserve has a diverse range of wildlife including vast herds of antelope and its legendary black-maned lions.
If you decide to visit Botswana, there's a wide variety of accommodation options available to suit all budgets. You can either stay at a luxury private lodge, safari camp, public camping sites, a hotel or even rent a houseboat.
