Discover Botswana
Botswana is a landlocked country dominated by the Kalahari Desert in the
south and west (more than two-thirds of the nation is desert). The northeast
is characterized by gently rolling tablelands interspersed with granite
kopjes, or hills, formed of giant rocks balanced upon one another in
sometimes fantastic formations. In the northwest, the Okavango, the world's
largest inland delta, forms a network of swamps and lagoons.
Botswana borders South Africa to the south and east, Zimbabwe to the
northeast and Namibia to the north. The tableland of the Kalahari Desert
covers most of the country and the national parks cover an additional 17 per
cent. The vast arid sandveld of the Kalahari occupies much of north, central
and western Botswana. Gaborone, the capital, is situated in the southeast of
the country and features an excellent National Museum with natural history
and ethnological exhibitions, but it is Botswana's national parks and game
reserves that are the real attraction. The Okavango Delta area, northwards
in the Kalahari Desert, is home to more than 300 exotic species and a
variety of fauna. It is extremely beautiful, composed of vast grass flats,
low tree-covered ridges and lagoons. The Moremi Wildlife Reserve in southern
Africa, covering 1812 sq km (700 sq miles) in the northeast corner of the
Okavango Delta, is spectacular. Small boats travel the delta through lagoons
abundant with birdlife. Most lodges and safari camps have restaurants and
licensed bars.
Botswana is diverse and different from any other tourist destination in
Africa. It is a huge country, roughly the size of France, covering over
581,000 sq kilometres. Most of the vast landscape is uninhabited and for
thousands of years nature has been undisturbed. A huge variety of game,
birds and fish live in a magical, unspoilt wilderness.
Getting There
Although international flights arrive in Gaborone courtesy of several
African and British airlines, it's usually cheaper to do your long-haul
flying to Harare or Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Windhoek (Namibia) or
Johannesburg (South Africa), then travel overland. You can enter overland
from all of Botswana's neighbours, though you'll have to put your car tyres
and your shoes through cattle-dip (to prevent the spread of foot and mouth
disease) before Botswana will let you in. The Trans-Namib bus runs between
Ghanzi and Gobabis (Namibia). Buses and Minibuses run between Gaborone and
Johannesburg. Buses to Zimbabwe include the Gaborone to Francistown,
Bulawayo and Harare service and the Kasane to Victoria Falls service. The
bus line between Livingstone (Zambia), Victoria Falls and Windhoek passes
through Kasane. To get to Zambia otherwise, you need to catch the Kazungula
ferry over the Zambezi River.
Rail and Bus
A single railway line runs from Ramatlabama on the South African border to
Ramokgwebana on the Zimbabwean border. The main stops on this route are
Lobatse, Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, Serule and Francistown. Public
transport is very limited. Bus and minibus services operate in the more
populated areas, but service is generally unscheduled and run according to
demand. As rail service is scheduled, it is a more reliable form of public
transport.
Roads
There are 18,482 km of highways in Botswana, of which 4,343 km are paved.
Road conditions in the reserves of Botswana are extremely rough and dusty,
and the roads tend to be badly signposted. Four-wheel drive vehicles are
essential as are considerable driving skills to negotiate these roads in the
wild. Botswana is definitely not recommended as a self-drive destination. If
you will be driving in Botswana, your home driving license is accepted, with
an English translation if necessary. Driving is on the left side of the
road. The national speed limit on tarred roads is 120 km/h and 60 km/h in
towns and villages. Watch out for wildlife on the roads
