Botswana Destination Guide

Botswana has managed to strike the delicate balance between development and preservation to perfection. The government has regulated advancement by keeping the focus on high quality and less density. The easier to do low cost-high volume approach has been overlooked in favour of the more sustainable quality approach. What this means for you as a traveller is that you can expect to discover quiet spots and wildlife at its best - nature in what is pretty close to the form it has always been for centuries. At the same time you won't have to give up on the comforts as luxury resorts in Botswana cater to your every whim as you explore the great outdoors. It does also mean, though, that you will have comply with the laws put in place while you enjoy the experience of Botswana's safaris.

A whopping 40% of Botswana's land area is covered by private and national parklands. 17% of the total area in the country is either game reserve or national park territory governed by strict norms. The government's exacting standards have meant that the experience at any of these parks is truly world class and hard to match!

This Botswana Destination Guide points out the many Botswana highlights and interesting things to see and do. Taking a locally run Botswana tour is an exciting way of exploring and discovering all that Botswana has to offer. To find further background information on Botswana, be sure to visit our Botswana Country Guide.

You can also check out all the local exciting things to see and do in Botswana in the following destinations:

- Kalahari Desert
- Okavango Delta

Things to see & do in Botswana

Geographically, Botswana shares borders with South Africa (in the east and south), Zimbabwe (in the northeast), Namibia (in the west and north) and Zambia (in the west). The Kalahari Desert occupies much of country while the vast Okavango Delta brings a splash of greenery to the landscape. The Moremi Game Reserve is found in the delta while the Chobe National Park lies to the north and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park is in the southwest. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park cuts across national boundaries (Namibia, South Africa and Botswana) and is run as one single entity.

Follow the links below or scroll further down the page for details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Botswana:

A whopping 40% of Botswana’s land area is covered by private and national parklands. 17% of the total area in the country is either game reserve or Botswana national park territory governed by strict norms. The government’s exacting standards have meant that the experience at any of these parks is truly world class and hard to match.

So whether you’re visiting the southern red desert dunes or the deltaic lands in the north or simply exploring wildlife on a safari, you’re sure to be delighted. On your Botswana holiday you’ll experience a real sense of ‘getting away from it all’ and the tranquil surroundings are soothing enough to calm the most frazzled of city slicker nerves.

Once inside a reserve, you’ll have the option to stay over in designated camping areas. Keep in mind that these campsites are just that – sites where you can pitch tents, stay out under the stars but will sometimes have to make do with basic amenities for bathing and sanitation.

Botswana’s network of national highways is well maintained tarred road, but the routes to the parks themselves may not be as good. A 4 x4 vehicle is a necessity, especially when going off the beaten track within reserves in Botswana.

Chobe is Botswana’s second biggest game park and its 11,700 sq km of land area is marked into 4 regions – the arid, hot hinterland; the north-western Linyanti swamp; the western Savute marshes; and the river front, teak forests and flood plains. Over 70,000 elephants have made the Chobe area their home, and herds numbering hundreds of members are not rare.

The Chobe River demarcates the north and northwest and serves as a waterway for safaris by boat. A number of hotels, camps and game lodges have also come up in the region. Kasane, which is a major town of north Botswana, is well connected by air and road and is a convenient starting point for a break in Chobe. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is also close by, allowing tourists to combine two sights in one trip. A short one-hour drive across the northern border of the country gets you to Victoria Falls.

Don’t let the diminutive size of Botswana’s 3rd busiest reserve let you underestimate its opportunities for bird and game spotting. This reserve is a good spot for city folks to make a quick getaway for a picnic or game spotting. Expect to see ostrich, rhino, zebra, and antelope as well a number of varieties of birds.

The Gemsbok National Park has a wide variety of wildlife in its fold – hartebeests, cheetahs, gemsbok, lions, springboks and eland. Though the park is based in south east Botswana, it is also accessible from South Africa via the Trans Kalahari Highway.

The famous Kalahari spans 75% of the western reaches of Botswana. Vast flat grasslands, shrubbery, acacia and golden hued dunes form a stark picture in this land with no horizon. The San are the only humans who have managed to live off this land, hunting and gathering food from the harsh lands.

Rhinos are a species of animal life that is fast vanishing from the canvas of the country. For a chance to see the majestic and fierce beasts up close there’s no better place than the 4300 hectare Khama Rhino Sanctuary. Besides rhinos, you’ll also be able to spot wildebeest, zebra, hartebeest, leopard, jackal, brown hyena and gemsbok.

The Mokoladi Nature Reserve is located 15 km from Gaborone and occupies 300 hectares of land. Besides local flora, this reserve is a habitat for mountain reedbuck, white rhino, antelope, giraffe, zebra, warthog and hyena. This reserve was set up in 1994 by a non profit organization to conserve the flora and fauna of the area and educate people about them. There are self-catering chalets available for hire if you wish to extend your stay for a few nights. This will allow for ample time to go on multiple game drives as well as guided walks with rangers who know the lands like the back of their hand.

The centrally located National Museum is a treasure trove of paintings by local artists and a showcase for handicrafts from the region. The museum also helps conserve the history of Botswana with its well preserved exhibits.

A complete African experience with a heady mix of culture, art, history, wildlife and natural wonders, Botswana is the perfect holiday destination in the region.

The Okavango Delta is the world’s biggest inland delta and has become the hub of several safaris and excursions. The rich deltaic lands support vast numbers of animal life, including waterbucks, hippos, fish and several species of birds, and visitors can go out in boats as well as in vans to view them.

Dry and wet lands meet here to create nothing short of a natural wonder. This site is called the 'Jewel of the Kalahari’ and with good reason. The vision created by lagoons, islands, grasslands, flood plains and palm forests is truly a sight to behold. Visitors here often say the trip here was a life-changing one, combining beautiful vistas with unmatched adventure.

Just 53 km from Shakawe and west of the deltaic region lies a mythical site which is of immense spiritual importance to the San people. These indigenous people who have lived in the area for over 35,000 years have a lot of legends and lore associated with the Tsodilo Hills, which they believe was the site of the first Creation. A number of trails lead up to the hills where about 350 cave paintings adorn the walls. Some of these etchings date back as far as 1300 A.D. The site is hard to reach and has little by way of shops or accommodation but it is possible to camp out and use water from a bore well.

The Limpopo and Shashe rivers converge in the east of Botswana in the Tuli Block. The area is known for its game farms and freehold cattle and its reputation dates back to the days of Cecil Rhodes. Be prepared to see some very unusual landscapes here, quite apart from what the rest of Botswana has to offer. Rocky outcrops jostle for space with hills, and things can be both odd and breathtakingly gorgeous in quick succession.