Information on Botswana

>> Travel Tips  >> Botswana Safaris

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With the exception of the eastern part, three quarters of Botswana is technically a desert. This makes the Okavango Delta remarkable. It is a wonderful wetland within a desert, getting its waters from rain falling in central Africa, 1000 km away. The Okavango Delta is one of the largest inland deltas in the world. It provides sustenance to a rich profusion of wildlife, and it is still in its natural state - unspoilt and unpolluted.

Over 17% of Botswana's land area has been set-aside as national parks and game reserves. From the lush green of the Okavango Delta in the north to the red desert dunes in the south, great areas of wilderness have been carefully preserved to offer visitors an opportunity to experience nature at its very best.

From the ancient baobabs of the Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans, the vast open land of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the sand dunes of the Kgalagadi, to the savannah grasslands of Chobe National Park and the mophane woodland of the Mashatu, there is a wide variety of wildlife in Botswana.

However it is in the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve that visitors will find unforgettable beauty. In the lush indigenous forests of the delta and its islands, and along the floodplains spawned by this great marriage of water and sand, more than 400 species of birds flourish.

On the mainland and among the islands in the delta, lions, elephants, hyenas, wild dog, buffalo, hippo and crocodiles congregate with a teeming variety of antelope and other smaller animals - warthog, mongoose, spotted genets, monkeys, bushbabies and tree squirrels.

A number of safari lodges and camps have been established in and around these wilderness areas appealing variously to the game-viewer and bird-watcher, the explorer of hidden places and the lover of Africa in its loveliest and least spoilt state.

Botswana has a well-developed road network with easy access to its neighbouring countries. The vast majority of the roads are tarmac. Gaborone is only 360km from Johannesburg, with a good road link.

The best gateway to enter Botswana is via Johannesburg International Airport with two flights per day between Gaborone and Johannesburg, with connections to and from Durban and Cape Town.

Travel Tips

Climate
There are only two seasons in Botswana, summer, which lasts from October to April or winter, lasting from May to September. The rainy season is generally between December and February and temperatures can reach 40ºC during the day even in winter, although it can become very cold at night.

Visa requirements
Visas are required by all foreign nationals excluding the following:
All commonwealth countries except Ghana, India, Mauritius, Nigeria, Sri Lanka
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Western Samoa, San Marino, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay and USA. Visitors planning on staying longer than 90 days will need to apply for prior permission.

Health
Malaria is endemic to certain parts of the country. Consult your physician at least two weeks before departing for Botswana. Water is safe to drink in the main urban areas but should be boiled or sterilized elsewhere.

Banking Hours
Monday to Friday 09h00 to 14h30, Wednesday 08h00 to 12h00 and Saturday 08h00 to 10h45.
Banks represented are Barclays Bank of Botswana, Standard Chartered Bank of Botswana, Stanbic, First National Bank of Botswana, Union Bank of Botswana, Zimbank of Botswana.

Any amount of currency may be imported into Botswana as long as it is declared.

Driving
Drive on the left and give way to traffic approaching from the right. The general speed limit is 100km/h on open roads and 60km/h in urban areas

Currency
The unit of currency is the Pula (which in Setswana means "water" or "rain"). One Pula is made up of 100 Thebe. Notes are in P5, P10, P50 and P100 while coins are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, P1 and P2.

Customs & duty free allowances
Tobacco...................400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
Liquor......................2 litres of wine and 1 litre of spirits
Perfume...................50ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
Cameras.................. Must be declared on arrival
Film.........................Reasonable for personal use
Agriculture items.....   Refer to consulate
Currency................. Must be declared on arrival