BotswanaTravel Guide

Elephant Sands is a mecca for elephant lovers. Witness them in their dozens enjoying a refreshing drink at the natural waterhole in front of the lodge. Occasionally they might even have a preference for the pool! Aside from the ellies, this relaxed accommodation also boasts a prime location at the centre of Botswana’s highlights: the Makgadikgadi Pan, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.

Consisting of Meru-style canvas tents, Bushman Plains may seem a little simple, but there’s no better place to unlock the magic of the Delta. Take your pick from guided game drives and soul-stirring bush walks where you can move with the pace of nature alongside an expert San tracker. As a mobile tented camp, Bushman Plains also shifts location according to the time of year.

Should you have a bit more room in your budget for your Botswana safari, snap up a few nights at Tau Pan. Located on the ridge of a sand dune in Central Kalahari Game Reserve, this comfortable eco-camp offers a front-row seat to the limitless plains of the ‘Great Thirstland’. A top-notch spot to stargaze, and engage with the San people.

No visit to Botswana would be complete without a trip to the Chobe National Park, a Big Five reserve in the northern part of the country. And if you have a soft spot for ellies make it your first stop. This region boasts one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Southern Africa. Guided game drives and Chobe River boat cruises allow you to get even closer to these impressive pachyderms. Until you’ve seen an ellie swim you will never believe that they can - and gracefully too. The park and the river are also home to zebra, buffalo, wild dogs and a wide variety of buck.

Just south of the Okavango Delta lies the Makgadikgadi Pan, between Maun and Francistown, a gigantic salt flat (once an ancient lake) that stretches out to roughly 12,000 square kilometres. It attracts many kinds of wildlife like zebra and wildebeest, who love nothing more than enjoying these natural salt licks. Turn your gaze skywards at night, and you’ll quickly understand why it’s worth the hype, blanketed with stars.

The Chobe National Park borders on Botswana’s Okavango Delta which needs little to no introduction. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (just like the Chobe), this wetland is filled to the brim with endemic water birds and other safari specials like red lechwes (antelopes). The best way to experience it all? By quietly meandering through the glistening channels on a mokoro.

This game reserve is the second-largest conservation area in the world and Botswana’s biggest, slap bang in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. For an immersive cultural experience, venture into the heart of this remote place that’s home to the Basarwa (San) people. Indigenous to Southern Africa, these hunter-gathers have skilfully navigated this region for well over 20,000 years. Some tour operators offer the experience of a bush walk with a San guide.

This owner-run boutique restaurant and working farm is located on the cusp of the Okavango Delta. The coffee is first class, while the cuisine is hearty and varied. Insider’s tip: try to time your visit for Sunday breakfast, and don’t forget to add that special ‘Tshili’ sauce! It’s also easily accessible as a roadside lunch pit stop, being just 40 minutes’ drive from Maun Airport.

As you can tell, Botswanan’s love their meaty fare. Should you like to try a few local dishes in an upmarket setting, the Beef Baron Grill in Gaborone does this particularly well. Bookmark it as a spot to sample seswaa (stewed cow or goat meat), the country’s national dish.

If you want to tuck into the best ribs in Botswana, this pub-style restaurant in Gaborone is the place to go. The wood-fired pizzas will also hit the spot, and there’s cold beer on tap. If you’re travelling with kids, they’ll love the dedicated play area. But should you be in the mood to cut a rug, hang on for the live music after sunset.

If you have some time to spare during your stay in Gaborone, Lentswe-la-Oodi is well worth a visit should you be in the market for handmade woven art (tapestries and baskets). Since this co-operative is led by and directly supports local women, each purchase you make goes directly towards a good cause.

Kill some time in Kasane browsing the stalls at the main market at Hunter’s Mall. You can pick up just about anything here, from roasted nuts to African cloth and dried mopane worms. Since there is no fence separating Kasane from Chobe National Park, animals move freely into the area. Don’t be surprised should you find yourself browsing alongside a warthog or two!

Maun offers plenty of stalls and local sellers punting anything from fresh fruit and veggies to mopane worms (chubby edible caterpillars), woven baskets, and shweshwe fabric. The main market is located on Tsaro Street, opposite the Shoprite. Maun Farmers Market also kicks off on the last Sunday of every month at Motsana from 9am to 12pm.

With tarmac routes between major towns and cities, driving in Botswana is relatively easy. In general, road conditions are adequate for 2WD, however, the wilder and more remote areas will require a high-clearance vehicle and will take longer to navigate. A 4WD comes highly recommended, especially during the wet season.

Botswana also features a local coach bus network linking the major towns. This service is operated by multiple private companies. As for getting around within urban areas, VW minibus taxis are the way to go.

Flying isn’t cheap but is the most reliable way to travel longer distances in Botswana. Most travellers opt to go by charter plane, especially when accessing more remote lodges and tented camps. It’s also the only way to reach the heart of the Okavango Delta.

Air Botswana (the national carrier) also links the safari gateway of Maun, along with Kasane, Gaborone, Windhoek in Namibia and Johannesburg in South Africa.