Quick Facts

Official name : Republic of Botswana
Capital : Gaborone
Population : 1,591,232
Languages: English (official), Setswana
Area : 600,370 sq km
Climate: semiarid; warm winters and hot summers.
Official Currency: pula (BWP)

Wildlife at Botswana
Botswana is a huge country with a tiny population which has set aside vast tracts of land for the preservation of its wildlife. It plays host to most of Africa's large mammal species: Elephant, Buffalo, Red Lechwe, Lion and Cheetah occur in good numbers in the north, while Gemsbok, Springbok and Brown Hyena are common in the Kalahari. Botswana has the largest remaining population of the endangered Wild Dog and is one of the few countries where the unique Sitatunga antelope occurs. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded including Fish Eagle, WattledCrane, Pygmy Goose, and Pel's Fishing Owl. Photographers will be inspired by the water lilies and palms of the Okavango Delta as well as the gnarled trees and dramatic skies of the Kalahari. For those in search of exciting landscapes and some of the finest remaining African wilderness, the swamps, floodplains and deserts of this dramatic country are undoubtedly the answer.

Stacking the Postcards

Okawanga Delta
The Delta is the largest inland wetland in the world, and all that remains of an extensive lake system which once covered most of Botswana. It is fed by the Okavango river, which gradually widens into lakes and swamps before drying up in the thirstlands of the Kalahari.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary
This sanctuary of 4300 ha, is home to some of the few remaining rhinos in Botswana. The Sanctuary provides excellent viewing opportunities for rhinos and many other types of wildlife including zebra, wildebeest, heartbeest, gemsbok, leopard, brown hyena and jackal

Central Kalahari
This is a semi-arid region with very low rainfall, and enough dry grassland to support a staggering diversity of wildlife. There are a number of game reserves worth visiting in this area. The Central Kalahari is about as away-from-it-all as you are likely to get - a vast tract of wilderness, best explored in a 4x4. Around 300 San people still live here, more or less isolated from the ravages the modern world has inflicted on the traditional way of life of other San groups.

The Chobe National Park
The Chobe National Park encompasses the northernmost part of the country and borders on Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is accessible by road or air charter, has excellent tourist facilities and guided game drives

Destination Guide

Gaborone
The capital of Botswana, Gaborone, is named after Chief Gaborone, who led his tribe to this area from the Magaliesberg in 1880. Ten years later Cecil John Rhodes chose this little settlement as the site of a colonial fort. When Botswana began to move towards independence in the early sixties, Gaborone was chosen as the site for the new capital due to its strategic location, the availability of a reliable water supply and it's proximity to the cross continental railway line.

Serowe
With a population of around 90,000, sprawling Serowe, in eastern Botswana, is the country's largest village. It has been the capital of the Ngwato people since King Khama moved here in 1902. Serowe is also home to the Botswana Brigades, a movement that, since 1965, has brought vocational education to the most remote parts of the country.

Francistown
As one of the oldest towns in Botswana and site of southern Africa's first gold rush, Francistown is a typical frontier town, strategically placed as the gateway to the north, with all the main roads to Gaborone, Zimbabwe, Maun and Kazungula passing through it. It manages to maintain its character despite being Botswana's second-largest urban centre and 'Capital of the North'.

Originally a gold-rush town, it is still surrounded by the remnants of abandoned mines. And is now a center for industry and commerce. The booming industrial sector has caused the population of this old town to double in the last decade. Accommodation in this town is of international standards and it is close to some of Botswana's most fascinating sights, like the Salt Pans and the Tuli Block.

Maun
The town of Maun is the third largest in Botswana. It is an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts. Maun is the tourism capital of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland. It is also the headquarters of numerous safari and air-charter operations.

Maun has developed rapidly from a rural frontier town and has spread along the Thamalakane River. It now boasts good shopping centres, hotels and lodges as well as car and 4-wheel drive vehicle hire. However, it still retains a rural atmosphere and local tribesmen still bring their cattle here to sell and you might see antelopes grazing the river banks.

The best time to go is during the winter months from May to October when there is little or no rainfall and the days are warm and cloudless. Nights can be cold though so take a jacket. November to April can be very hot, with most of the rainfall between December and February.