other mammalsmigrate annuallyinsearchofpermanentwater andstable foodsupplies. National Park. &NxaiPans IntheMakgadikgadi NationalPark herdsofwildebeest,zebra and all southernAfrican mammalspeciesare present intheMoremi Wildlife andChobe Reserve DeltaandtheChobeRiver provide ayear-roundBecause theOkavango water supply,nearly Delta. soaks intothesandstoformOkavango southwestern regions. River flowsinfromNamibia,and theOkavango Inthenorthwest, expanse ofsandyvalleys,covers nearly 85%ofthecountry,includingentire centraland level sand-filledbasincharacterised byscrub-covered The savannah. asemi-arid Kalahari, Most ofthecountryliesatanaverage elevationof1000m,andconsistsavast andnearly itaboutthesamesize orFranceandsomewhatsmallerthanTexas. asKenya west, making and,abovetime, effort all else,lotsofcashtoenjoyititsfullest. mention relatively wealthy)traveller. This largely roadlesswilderness ofvastspacesrequires modern veneer thatmuchofitremains beliesthefact acountryfortheintrepid (notto the exceptionofSouthAfrica, Africa. isunequalledelsewhere insub-Saharan However, its country enjoysahighstandardofeconomicstability,educationandhealth care, which,with world’s richestdiamond-bearingformationswere discovered withinitsborders. Today, the Botswana isanAfrican successstory.After achievingdemocraticrulein1966,three ofthe Botswana 838 © LonelyPlanetPublications With vastopensavannasteeming withwildlife, BotswanaistrulytheAfrica ofyourdreams. tosouthand960kmfromeast Botswanaextends 1100kmfromnorth Landlocked

     FAST FACTS       

France, Germany, theUK, Ireland, Canada orthe USA Visa Time access Telephone Seasons Population Money Language Capital Budget Zimbabwe (alloverland crossings) Borders ATMs Area Nonerequired forcitizens ofAustralia, NewZealand, 582,000sqkm GMT/UTC +2 Foundinlarge towns % Pula (P);US$1=6.4P US$40toUS$70aday SouthAfrica, Namibia,, Wet(November toMarch);dry(MayAugust) English,Setswana 00 Countrycode 1.63million % 267; international

perature andweather. Inthe winter (late May Botswana experiencesextremes inbothtem- itstraddlestheTropicof Although Capricorn, CLIMATE &WHENTOGO lonelyplanet.com ITINERARIES tures of over 40°Care common. and themoststiflingheat;daytime tempera- This isalsothetimeof humidity thehighest and rainscanrender impassable. roads sandy (October toApril),wildlife ishardertospot mid-July andmid-September. Insummer so someareas canbebusy,especiallybetween –SouthAfricanschoolimportantly holidays, of European,NorthAmericanand–most Thisisalsothetime wetter summerseason. areso sightings more predictable thaninthe Wildlife wanders never farfromwater sources, arewarm andsunny,nights cooltocold. August),daysarethrough normallyclear, HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS        

camping expedition. instinctsonanintrepid 4WD survival Savuti Tsodilo Hills complex. salt-pan inthisbaobab-d and wildebeest otted ( p857 ) Followherdsof migratingzebra &NxaiPans NationalPark Makgadikgadi Chobe NationalPark dugout canoe. ina tery expanses Delta Okavango reputable safari company and see the best reputable company andsee safari money), you canhire a a 4WD or use One Month wildlife-rich waterfront. alongthe the rugged interior orcruise experiences. Either gooverland through Park ( p856 ), oneof theworld’stopsafari Chobe National through with asafari One Week ( p849). viewing tripatMoremi Wildlife Reserve the wetlands,followed byawildlife- andorganise a base the Okavango Panhandle ( p851 ) asyour Maunwant tofocus.Choose ( p851 ) or have onlyafew days,thisiswhere you’ll the Okavango ( Delta p848 ), andifyou Days Three paintings. ‘Wilderness Louvre’ of ancientSanrock at Botswana’spremier wildlife park. ( p857 ) Test thelimitsof your Combine your visit to the delta Combine yourvisit tothedelta With afull month(andlots of Botswana’s tourist highlight is Botswana’s touristhighlight

84) adr hog the through Wander ( p854) BOTSWANA ••Highlights ( p848 wa- ) Glidethrough

( p856 ) SpottheBigFive mokoro, mokoro atraditional trip through tripthrough of thethree mainbranches of theTswana tribe in Botswana’slong historywastheevolution and intermarried. cordial, andthegroupsmixed freely, traded appeartohave been the SanandKhoikhoi and east.Tobeginwith,relations between on thesouthernlandscapefrom the north farmers started toappear 500 Bantu-speaking AD200and into southernAfrica. Between crossing migrationof different tribalgroups able topiecetogetherbeen thecomplex,criss- tery, archaeologists andanthropologistshave Following thefragmented trailof ancient pot- History Pre-Colonial HISTORY search ofsearch new pastures andarable land. expanding populations eager tostrike out in probably occurred inresponse and todrought rowe respectively. fractures Realistically, these own followings inMolepolole, Kanye andSe- their father,Chief Malope, their toestablish Ngwaketse andNgwato –broke awayfrom family discord,where three brothers – Kwena, ofduring the14thcentury. It’satypicaltale the Savuti ( p857 ). and explore thevery furthestreaches of along theOkavango Panhandle ( p851 ) hike intheTsodilo Hills( p854 ), cruise Chobe NationalPark ( p856 ), campand ( Moremi Wildlife Reserve p849 the Okavango ( Delta ) and p848 in), safari of thecountry:doa Perhaps the mostsignificantdevelopment

     LONELY INDEX PLANET      MUCH? HOW

Sugar cane Souvenir T-shirt Bottle ofCastle beer 1L bottledwater 1L petrol 4WD rental US$15 Nice mealinatourist restaurant Maun Decent binocularsfromashopin National parkentryfee Internet connection US$35 US$1.50 US$0.10 US$75toUS$100perday US$12 US$0.25 mokoro US$3perhour US$1.25 US$22 trip through tripthrough

839 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ

BOTSWANA heavy losses ofheavy losses life andland,theTswana sent incurred theviolentwrathof After theBoers. Mosielele refused toacceptwhite ruleand South AfricanRepublic. Botswana) thattheywere nowsubjectsof the (peopleof informedtheBatswana the Boers recognised theTransvaal’s independenceand the SandRiver Convention of 1852,Britain the landswere unclaimedanduninhabited. At territory themselves andestablished asthough intoTswana crossed 20,000 Boers andZulu tooccupyinsouthernAfrica, choose might had heaven-sanctioned toanylandthey rights Trek across theVaal River. Confidentthatthey begantheirGreatFrom the1820sBoers Colonial History 840 Buitepos Mamuno N AMIB (298km) To Windhoek BOTSWANA Rundu Prominent Tswana leaders Iand Sechele

Okavango OSAA • itr BOTSWANA ••History

Wilderness Nossob Kgalakgadi Charles Hill Trail

A NGOL ὈὈ Ὀ ὄὄὄ ὄὄ

Nxainxai River Tropic ofCapricorn River Aha Hills Nossob Wilderness Kgalagadi Kaa Mabuasehube- Mohembo

TP Public Bokspits Gcwihaba (Two Rivers Tsodilo Caverns Shakawe Trail Nxamaseri Hills Hukuntsi Section) Ngamiland

Molopo Access D'kar ὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅ

Nokaneng

Gumare Sepupa Trans-Kalahari Hwy Trans-Kalahari Ghanzi

Tshabong

Track Panhandle Okavango Bwabwata Tshane Mabuasehube River The Etshas Okavango NP Section Kang ὄ ὈὈ ὄὈὈ ὄὈὈ ὄὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Delta Tsau ὅ Sehithwa Werda Maun Chiefs Island Khakea Toteng ὅ ὅ Moremi Kongola A FRIC WR S OUTH Savuti

Central Kalahari Chobe Shorobe To Kimberley ὅ ὅὅὅ ὅὅ (136km) Khutse Kachikau Gabane Jwaneng GR River GR Katima Mulilo Makgadikgadi & Chobe Vryburg NP Mokolodi ὄ ὄ ὄὄὄ Nxai Pans Depression Rakops Mababe Ngoma Bridge NR NP Molepolole Kanye Lethlakane Letlhakeng Thamaga Gweta Kazungula GABORONE Ntwetwe signed itself to the inevitable. Lands southof Lands totheinevitable. signed itself IIIofChief Khama Shoshong), re- Britain John Mackenzie (afriendof theChristian tection andin1885,thankstopetitionsfrom in Zimbabwe. andthesuspected mineralwealth the Cape feking, threatening theBritishroute between moved intoTswana landsand subdued Ma- again continuing until1881.In1882,Boers launched War,withviolence thefirst Boer the Britishannexationof theTransvaaland by 1877,theworseningsituationprovoked only toactasarbitratorinthedispute. But port landsof dubiousprofitability andoffered wasinnohurrytosup- however, tion. Britain, their leaders topetitiontheBritishforprotec- Pan Pandamatenga Orapa Again, theTswana lobbied forBritish pro- Sanctuary Khama Rhino Nata Ramatlabama Kopong Sowa (Sua)Pan Z AMBI Mafikeng WR TP NR NP GR LEGEND Sanctuary Shoshong Lobatse Thabatshukudu Nata Pioneer Victoria Falls Ramotswa Mahalapye

Island

Kubu Zambezi Odi Wildlife Reserve Transfrontier Park Nature Reserve National Park Game Reserve Tlokweng Mochudi Zeerust Serowe ὄ Z IMBAWE Hwange

Limpopo River Serule River Shashe Sherwood Rustenburg Palapye 0 0 Kariba Lake Phikwe Selebi- Plumtree Francistown Ramokgwebana North-East Tuli Game Reserve

Groblersbrug BlockTuli Martin's Drift Johannesburg Bobonong

PRETORIA Shashe River Shashe Zanzibar lonelyplanet.com Baines Drift (Pietersburg) Polokwane Pont Drift Gwanda Kwe Beitbridge 120 miles Gweru Ermelo 200 km Chief Khama III.PublicpressureChief Khama mounted the LMSandotherChristiangroupsbacked BSAC wouldallowalcohol inBechuanaland, the matter totheBritishpublic.Fearing the Missionary Society(LMS),which inturntook As alastresort, theyturnedtotheLondon ment controlbuttheirpleaswere ignored. Chamberlainforcontinuedgovern-Joseph land toappealdirectly toColonialMinister toEng- missionary, WCWilloughby, sailed –accompaniedbyasympathetic and Sebele gation of Tswana III Khama chiefs –Bathoen, him tocontrolthecountry.Anunhappydele- 1894, theBritishhadallbutagreed toallow his British SouthAfricaCompany(BSAC). By and Rhodes cameintheformofbase Cecil the BritishProtectorate of Bechuanaland. Colony,whiletheareathe Cape northbecame andwereColony of to attached Bechuanaland the MolopoRiver becametheBritishCrown lonelyplanet.com determined that noprogress would beforth- became regentKhama of his clan. chiefdoms, sohis21-year-old uncle Tshekedi for thejob of ruling thelargest of the Tswana four-year-old wasn’tready Khama, Seretse only twoyears. Theheir tothethrone, serving whodiedafter byhisson Sekgoma, succeeded market.beef destroyedwhatremainedsanctions of their when theTswana chiefs refused, economic mation intotheUnionof SouthAfrica,and amalga- began pressing forBechuanaland’s stroyed thetransittrade. In1924,SouthAfrica inthe 1890sde- of foot-and-mouthdisease (nowZimbabwe) andanoutbreakRhodesia to tion of Bechuanaland therailwaythrough ing landandminerals. Europeans streaming of northinsearch farm- ofthe sale cattle,draftoxen andgraintothe dition, thelocaleconomywasbolstered by commission onallmoneyscollected). Inad- authority tocollecttaxes andretain a10% (jurisdiction over allblackresidents andthe troduced. Chiefswere granted tribal‘reserve’ actually inSouthAfrica–andtaxes were in- the protectorate atMafeking wasestablished – anity andWestern technology. of Thecapital and traditionswouldbeaffected byChristi- concede. and theBritishgovernment wasforcedto Resident Commissioner SirCharles Rey IIIdiedandwas In 1923,ChiefKhama The honeymoondidn’tlast.construc- A newthreat totheTswana chiefs’ power Chiefs nowgrudginglyaccepted theirrites BOTSWANA ••History erate Bechuanaland DemocraticPartyerate Bechuanaland (BDP), farmer QuettMasire formedthemore mod- protectorate. Its immediate goalwasindependenceforthe People’slawi, formedtheBechuanaland Party. ateacheralong withKTMotsete, fromMa- withthePan-Africanistaffiliated Congress, Philip Matante, aJohannesburg preacher the AfricanNationalCongress (ANC)and South Africanrefugees Mphoof Motsamai thinking about independence. politicalpartiessurfaced andbegan Batswana country hadnoreal thefirst economicbase, the Africa withpoliticalideas,andalthough University graduates returned from South preparing torelease itsgriponBechuanaland. 1955 ithadbecomeapparent was thatBritain the Tswana occurred inthelate 1940s,andin The first signsof nationalistthinkingamong Nationalism &Independence official. asaminor with hiswife toBotswanaserve renounced topowerandreturned hisright Khama continued until1956whenSeretse from theprotectorate toEngland.Bitterness andhewasexiled chieftaincy blocked Seretse’s none toohappy.TheBritish government intotheUnion,wereto absorbBechuanaland and theSouthAfricanauthorities,stillh oping was furiousatthisbreach of tribalcustom, married anEnglishwoman.Tshekedi Khama went tostudyinEnglandwhere hemetand British Empire. Khama After thewarSeretse Corpstodefendfor theAfricanPioneer the tion annulled. was ousted fromhisjob andhisproclama- incorporation intoSouthAfrica–thatRey tion –peoplefeared totheir thatitwouldlead magistrates. Sogreat wasthepopularopposi- government officials answerable tocolonial by Tswana chiefs andproclaimedalllocal a peaceful transfer of power. elections General upa countdown toindependence toallow set one), drafted a newnonracialconstitution and into the country (fromMafeking toGabor- local chiefs andtraditionalBatswana. for independence, drawingonsupportfrom Ngwaketse. TheBDPformulated aschedule IIof the soon tobejoined byChiefBathoen coming aslongthepeoplewere governed In 1962, Seretse Khama andtheKanye Khama In 1962,Seretse Following theSharpeville massacre in1960, During WWII,10,000Tswana volunteered They promoted thetransfer of thecapital

841 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA according toaUNreport, 19%of allpeople HIVinfectionhighest rate intheworld,and is thedeadly AIDS virus.Botswanahasthe the constitution. arewell asequalrights, allguaranteed under of association, speech, press andreligion, as like insomanyAfricancountries,freedom ofthe affairs apeacefulandneutralstate. Un- party, democraticgovernment thatoversees among itsneighbours, withanonracial,multi- Botswana continuestobeashining light Botswana Today control of Botswana. current president, Festus Mogae,assumed presidency endedinMarch 1998,whenthe tumile Masire tookthehelm.Hispopular profits. 75%of withBotswanataking the De Beers 1967. Theminingconcessionwasgiven to by thediscovery of diamondsnearOrapain in international circles. Africa andofficially disapproved of apartheid refused toexchange ambassadors withSouth countries.Nevertheless, Khama ence onthese wasBotswana’seconomicdepend- course, Thereason,South AfricaandRhodesia. of until neartheendof hispresidency) towards (atleast lutionary, adoptinganeutralstance shortly after independence–wasnorevo- gained independence. country, nowcalledtheRepublicof Botswana, elected president. 1966,the On30September was were Khama heldin1965andSeretse 842 Botswana waseconomicallytransformed –hewasknighted Khama Sir Seretse The greatest threat toBotswana’s stability After thedeathof in1980,DrKe- Khama 60% of thepeople living inthecountry. Batswana tribal groupaccounts forabout from theBatswanatribal group.Thestrictly Motswana (singular),even ifthey are not ation –are knownasBatswana (plural)or regardless ofcolour,ancestryortribalaffili- swana (whichmeans ‘landoftheTswana’) – and soon.Collectively, allcitizens ofBot- theKgalagadi asBakgalagadi, as Baherero, prefix ‘ba’.Thus, Herero peopleare known tribal groupsare usuallydenoted bythe (which means‘languageoftheTswana’), In thepredominant language,Setswana BATSWANA OSAA • utr BOTSWANA ••Culture (who diedin 1988).Her worksreflect the Headfigure isSouth African–born Bessie work insouthern Africa. of thefinestand mostmeticulously executed weavings Theresult andtapestries. issome adapted tolocal interpretation, particularlyin form of art,someof which wasintegrated and from tradition.Europeans introducedanew decorated designs derived withmeaningful ments. Baskets, pottery, fabricsandtoolswere of life imple- Batswana intheir utilitarian convey individuality,aestheticsandaspects artists managed toThe originalBatswana &CRAFTS ARTS for aninclusive network. work of theextended familygenerally makes approach tolife, andtheemotionalframe- haveBatswana aneasygoingandunhurried some heavyweight socialresponsibilities the moreswith somestiff atitscore. Butdespite respect) create awell-definedsocialstructure ances canbeaired inanatmosphere of mutual placeineachmeeting village where griev- tradition of the gious beliefs,traditionalgender rolesandthe glue. Respectforone’selders, firmlyheldreli- their government andcountry. national identityandanimpressive beliefin haveful, theBatswana aningrainedfeeling of resourceful andrespect-Proud, conservative, CULTURE ity of thecountry. Africa, which ispredominantly dotothearid- one of thelowestmalariarates insouthern unheard of inAfrica. infected populace,somethingtraditionally antiretroviralpurchased drugstotreat its awareness articles.Thegovernment hasalso The councilisalsofloodingnewspapers with the issueonbillboardsalonghighway. thecountryandhighlighting ties throughout educational programsinschools anduniversi- National AidsCouncil,which isconducting the spending by41%in2001andestablished rural areas), thegovernment increased health inBotswanansociety(especially to betaboo andcontraceptioncontinues mitted diseases discussionof trans- Although AIDS,sexually currently infected. There ishope,however. and 36%of youngadults(aged 15to29)are Traditional culture acts asasortof societal In regard tomalaria,Botswanaactuallyhas Botswana’s mostfamous modern literary kgotla (a speciallydesignated lonelyplanet.com mote village, and is ananthologyof short stories).Welcome road Maru, the Rain Wind, widely read worksinclude and the Botswanan landscape. Her most harshness andbeautyof Africanvillage life lonelyplanet.com lushness of theNxai Pan region. on the Makgadikgadi plains andthe summer mammals migrate theirwinter between range herds of zebraandother hoofed wildebeest, Makgadikgadi &NxaiPan National Park, the northwestern cornerof Chobe).Inthe National Park andtheLinyanti Marshes (at partsofin Moremi Chobe Wildlife Reserve, andwilddogs,arewes, sitatungas present including such raritiesas pukus, red lech- nearly allsouthern Africanmammalspecies, River provide anincongruous water supply, sources. towater close August), whenanimalsstay during thedrywinter months (late May to forwildlife viewingtakesbest season place and canbesurprisinglylush inplaces.The areas –butdespite thenameit’ssemidesert, of thecountryincentralandsouthwestern The Kalahari covers (Kgalagadi) Desert 85% north tosouthand960kmfromeast towest. Botswana extends more than1100kmfrom With anarea of 582,000sqkm,landlocked ENVIRONMENT elsewhere. ates andapologistsfromSouthAfrica the country’sgrowingnumberof expatri- which includethenovel literature are theworksof NormanRush, recent additionstoBotswana’s national Because the Because Okavango andthe Delta Chobe PO Box 131, Government Enclave, Khama Cres; PO Box131,GovernmentEnclave,Khama 0235; fax 625 1623; Sedudu Gate 0235; fax6251623;Sedudu of Wildlife &NationalParks officeofthe up tooneyearprioryourintended thereservation visit.Contact stantial discounts. registered vehicles payUS$10/2perday.Children andBotswanaresidents andcitizens getsub- plusUS$5.50perpersonforcamping. Foreign-/Botswana-per dayforlicensedsafariparticipants, National parkentryfees fornonresidents are US$22perdayforindividualtravellers orUS$13 NATIONAL PARKS Sun % and You canbookaccommodationinthenationalparksbypost,phone,fax,email orinperson ). ChobeNationalPark are alsoavailablefromthe bookings 686 1265;fax1264;POBox20364,Boseja;

The Cardinals, The Collectorof Treasures GABORONE

When Rain CloudsGather, Whites,

A Bewitched Cross- Mating, which dealswith Serowe: Village of ). (DWNP; set inare- set (thelast Gaborone h h 7.30am-12.45pm & 1.45-4.30pm Mon-Fri; 7.30am-12.45pm &1.45-4.30pmMon-Fri;

a pp844-5; Map 7.30am-12.30pm &1.45-4.30pmMon-Sat,7.30am-noon GABORONE ranchers. and thegovernment tends tosidewiththe ranchers have reacted positively to thefences, mustbedisease-free, sounderstandablybeef and amajor exportindustry,butallexported ranchingdecline. isasourceof Cattle wealth of andzebra)continue to giraffe wildebeest, and migratorywildlife numbers (particularly they don’tconstitute independentecosystems, aside largeset areas forwildlife protection, routes.age-old WhileBotswana has seasonal imals frommigratingtowater sourcesalong bovine species,butalsoprevent otherwildan- prevent wildand domestic between contact species toandthefences notonly proven from been ispassed thatthedisease ithasn’t However, foot-and-mouth disease. free-range cattleandthwartthespread of herdsfromdomestic segregate wildbuffalo rain. Thefences were first erected in1954to that crosssomeof thecountry’swildestter- ofa series wire high-tensilesteel barriers ficially calledthe‘veterinary cordonfence’ – fence’,its 3000kmof of- ‘buffalo 1.5m-high cal challenges. Themainonerevolves around ecologi- faceseveral open andpristine,itdoes heading outto thenational parks. South Africaand isagood supply stopbefore gateway tooverland travellers arrivingfrom asa convenient itserves definition. However, from growing pains,drabness andalackof is littlemore thanaramblingvillage suffering (normally affectionately shortened toGabs), Botswana’s diminutive capital, Gaborone pop 250,000 While much of Botswanaislargely wide % 318 0774;fax0775;[email protected]; Kasane office Kasane ( a p855; Map Maun Department Department

a p853; Map % 625

843 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA ὈὈ ὈὈ

BOTSWANA 844 Molepolole (50km) Thamaga (48km); Kolobeng (33km); Gabane (23km); Casino Resort(4km); To GrandPalmHotel 4 6 1 3 2 5 GABORONE

GABORONE

State

Ntimbale St Ntimbale Maharaja Restaurant...... King's Takeaway...... Equatorial Café...... (see 30) Caffe Prego...... (see 29) 25° East...... (see 30) Planet Lodge...... Gaborone Hotel...... Cresta PresidentHotel...... Brackendene Lodge...... Orapa House...... National Museum&ArtGallery.. Zimbabwean Embassy...... Zambian HighCommission...... US Embassy...... South AfricanEmbassy...... St Sakeng InternetAccessPoint...... Post Office...... Mosekangwetsi Namibian HighCommission...... Kingston's Bookshop...... (see29) Immigration Office...... German Embassy...... (see29) Gaborone PrivateHospital...... Clinic...... (see11) Gaborone HospitalDental French Embassy...... Exclusive Books...... (see30) Edcom BureaudeChange...... Parks(DWNP)...... Department ofWildlife&National Department ofTourism...... Central PostOffice...... Central PoliceStation...... British HighCommission...... Barclays Bank...... Aim Internet...... INFORMATION EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Angolan Embassy...... State

3

House Themashanga St Themashanga

Mokolodi Nature House Mt Kgale(4km); To KgaleCentre Reserve (12km) ABCD

Mall (2km); Selekangwetsi St Dr

Park Dr

Pelotshetlha St 8 Lebatlane St Khama Cres

Kgomokasitwa St 4

Queens Rd 0 0 Lobatse Rd Hatsaladiladi St Kutlwano Cl

Botswana Rd

32 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Rd Khwai 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 26 A1 C2 B1 D4 B4 B1 B2 C4 C1 C4 B1 C4 B1 B1 E1 C5 C4 E1 B1 C4 B1 B1 B1 A1 A2 C3 B1 Selemela 34 23 The Mall

Makgadigau Rd 6

Kudumatse

Molepolole Rd Molepolole 5 16 Old Molepolole Rd Molepolole Old Pillane St Pillane 15 1

0.2 miles

To Gaborone Dam& Robinson Rd Robinson Waterfront (1km) Western Commercial St 400 m Station 7 10

22

Train 18 Rd Lobatse Rd Rd Tati 33 24 Market Stalls

31

Independence Ave Independence Pula Station 35

Macheng Rd Macheng Pula 20 9 Mmaraka

13 Eastern Commercial St Circle 12

Market Circle Stalls

Rd 19 Old Lobatse Rd 17

21 Nelson Mandela Dr

Rd

Embassy Sekgwa Seboni Khama Dr 2 28

27 ὈὈ Cres Lobatse Rd President's Dr House Independence State

Madibeng

Kaunda Rd Kaunda Selemela Kubu Rd Kubu

The Mall Nelson Mandela Dr

Samora Machel Dr Badiri Babusi Allison Cres Ave Nakedi Rd

Botswana Rd

African Mall

Queens Rd See Enlargement Independence

Bontleng

International Airport(14km);

Ave Broadhurst Dr Broadhurst lonelyplanet.com To SirSeretseKhama Francistown (425km)

Show Grounds Segoditshane Botswelelo Gaborone South RingMall

Broadhurst Nyerere Dr Nyerere Dilalelo

Phologolo North Ring Rd Ring North

25 South Ring Rd Ring South River

lonelyplanet.com Mosque Way Hospital

14

Mophato

Segoditshane Way Segoditshane Segoditshane Way

Nyerere (Chuma) Dr (Chuma) Nyerere Metsemasweu

Gaborone Mobuto Dr Mobuto 11

Course Rd Golf University ofBotswana To Mochudi EF

National Stadium

(32km)

Tlokweng Rd Way Notwane Rd

Maruapula Jawara Rd Jawara ...... TRANSPORT Riverwalk Mall...... Broadhurst Mall...... SHOPPING Nightspark...... (see 29) ENTERTAINMENT Keg &Zebra...... (see30) Bull &BushPub...... DRINKING Taxi Stand...... Taxi Stand...... Main BusTerminal...... Kudu ShellPetrolStation...... Intercape MainlinerBusOffice..(see32) Combi Stand...... (see35) Boitshoko 29 GABORONE••Orientation Village 1km 0.5miles 0 0

Maratadiba Rd Limpopo Dr Limpopo 30 To SouthAfricanBorder(2km) BDF Airport Former

Shashe Rd Game Reserve(100m)

Mohatha Rd

Notwane 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 To Gaborone Sefoke Rd C4 B1 B4 B1 F5 E1 C2 B1 River

4 6 1 3 2 5 Okwa Rd Okwa train station. Broadhurst Mall. Opposite theCresta President Hotel. Cresta President Hotel. In the Gaborone Hardware Building.In theGaborone modern but expensive hospital opposite Broadhurst Mall. modern butexpensivehospitaloppositeBroadhurst Mall. headto thisconsiderably shane Way)Foranythingserious, novels, postcards,booksandmapsabouttheregion. Post deChange Edcom Bureau Barclays Bank Money Hospital Private Gaborone HospitalDentalClinic Gaborone Services Medical AccessPoint Internet Sakeng Aim Internet Access Internet Police Fire policestation Central Ambulance Emergency Bookshop Kingston’s Books Exclusive Bookshops INFORMATION of retail outletsandrestaurants. and Riverwalk Malls provide thewidestrange neighbourhoods, theenormousKgaleCentre local shoppingcentresWhile several serve Cres,Khama attheheadof themainmall. trated aroundtheGovernment Enclave along government are ministriesandoffices concen- on itsshoppingmalls.Most the actionfocuses rone lacksanyreal centralbusiness district– itnowhasadistinctskyline,Gabo- Although ORIENTATION Department of Tourism Department Information Tourist Post office postoffice Central of the Gaborone Private Hospital. Private of theGaborone tion andtravelbooks. mended bookshophasawiderangeofliterature, nonfic- Mon-Fri) Bank Bldg, TheMall; .botswana-tourism.gov.bw; 2ndfl,StandardChartered ( % ( % 998) (Segoditshane Way)Acrossthe roadfrom (Segoditshane 999) ( % (Botswana Rd; per hr US$3) Next tothe (BotswanaRd;perhrUS$3)Next ( % 997) (Riverwalk Mall) Thisreader-recom- Mall) (Riverwalk h (The Mall) (The 355 3411; Khama Cres) Headoffice. 355 3411;Khama (Broadhurst Mall) Ahugearrayof (BroadhurstMall) 7.30am-12.30pm & 1.45-4.30pm ( % ( % ( 355 1161;BotswanaRd) ( % % 355 3024;www (The Mall; perhrUS$3) Mall; (The 361 1123)Nearthe 360 1999;Segodit- ( % 395 3777) Part 395 3777)Part

845 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA 1km eastof Broadhurst, isaccessibleonlyby cently renovated roomslocated inthemain and culturalartefacts. Itfeatures displayson offers attractive rooms featuring TVs, stereos,offers attractive roomsfeaturing TVs, centre bringsyoutothisrelaxed lodge, which from US$36/43; feature fullkitchens. do to becentrallylocated, thehouses though main buildingisagoodchoice ifyouwant of thananorganised lodge. smallhouses The building, theBrackendene ismore acollection US$24/45; Lodge Brackendene SLEEPING a groupandarrange atour. and aren’t putoff byred youcanmuster tape, diamond mineatJwaneng.Ifyouhave time grading diamondsfromtheworld’slargest is hometoavarietyof grazers andbrowsers. private vehicle (nobikes ormotorcycles),and sion US$0.25,pluspervehicleUS$0.50; exhibits. European art;andethnographiccultural niques; traditionalandmodernAfrican San crafts,material culture andhuntingtech- 5pm Sat&Sun) Independence Ave; admissionfree; The &ACTIVITIES SIGHTS ofWildlife&NationalParks Department 846 The first luxuryhotel in thecity islocated s/d US$107/133; -hospitality.com; The Mall; and air-con. ingly quiet andwellfurnished with cable TV Theroomsaretrain stations. large, surpris- it’s conveniently located nexttothebusand winanyawardsforbeauty, but will never US$45/60; to guests. ing tosize,andkitchen facilities are available air-con andfridges. Roomsare pricedaccord- rect of –forthepurpose sortingand sunlight to make of –withoutdi- use naturaldaylight Khama Cres) Khama all national parks and reserves runbytheDWNP.all nationalparksandreserves office for Accommodationbooking 1.45-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Government Enclave, Khama Cres; Government Enclave,Khama % Cresta President Hotel President Cresta Hotel Gaborone Planet Lodge The Orapa House 318 0774;fax0775;[email protected]; POBox131, National Museum & Art Gallery &Art National Museum AOOE • ihs&Atvte GABORONE ••Sights&Activities Gaborone Game Reserve Game Gaborone

pa pa , ownedbyDebswana,isdesigned isarepository of wildlife stuffed pa

) ( ) % ( Thislarge modern complex Although thereAlthough are afew re- % ( % )

395 1131; cnr Nelson Mandela Dr& 395 1131;cnrNelsonMandela A shortwalkfromthecity 390 3295; 514 South Ring Rd;s/d 390 3295;514SouthRing ( % 362 2777;[email protected]; s/d

361 2886;Tati Rd;s/dfrom ( % h h 355 3631;www.cresta 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, 9am- 9am-6pm Tue-Fri,

h ( % 7.30am-12.45pm & 6.30am-6.30pm) 358 4492;admis-

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popular with middle-class Batswana youth. popular withmiddle-class Batswana an agent for otherregional airlines. as and Kasane also serves (US$155). The office from Francistown (US$100), Maun (US$155) operates toand scheduled domestic flights ( located 15kmfromthecitycentre. Airport International Khama Sir Seretse THERE&AWAY GETTING US$2) had here of mostnights theweek. there’s though along jamsessions, fun tobe sing- packs inthecrowdsforitsSunday night sports telecasts onsatellite TV. always turnyourattention totheinternational and iftheconversation islacking, youcan there’s of agoodselection coldbeers ontap, expat nightlife. As wellasbeingarestaurant, The popularBull&BushPubisthe centre for DRINKING &ENTERTAINMENT noto it’s hardtosay i nspired mainsare probably asafer bet, though restaurant ontheedge of theKalahari. Asian- it,thereIf youcanbelieve isinfactasushi for relief frompapandstew. vegetarian options)isperfect ifyou’re looking the large of selection Indiandishes(including US$4-8) breakfasts andhomemadepastas. and snackstohungryofficeworkers. upinexpensive burgers,favourite serves chips hasreal Iteven sandwiches. bagels! with fruitsmoothies,falafel andgourmet Café Equatorial EATING the swishest accommodationintown. a cinemaandspa.butit’s You’llpaytostay, city complete withrestaurants, bars, acasino, Vegas–inspired resort complexboastsamini- Located 5kmwestof thecitycentre, thisLas .grandpalm.bw; MolepololeRd;dfromUS$120; pretty much justifiestheheavy pricetag. smack-dab inthemiddleof theMall, which best espressos in town are served here,best espressos along intownare served charming inhealthy littlecafé specialises % Nightspark &Zebra Keg Restaurant Maharaja Prego Caffe Takeaway King’s Resort Casino Grand Palm Hotel 25º East 390 5500;Botswana InsuranceCompany House,TheMall) Features allsortsof musical actsandis The ‘stylish’ decor is a bit dated, though The‘stylish’decorisabitdated, though

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petrol station besidetheMall.petrol station (US$25, 6½hours) runsfromtheKuduShell leaveschedules andminibuses whenfull. fixed operate accordingtoroughly town. Buses hour). one hour)andMolepolole(US$1.25, chudi (US$1,onehour),Thamaga(US$0.80, hours), Manyana (US$0.80,1½hours), Mo- (US$1.50, twohours), Jwaneng(US$4,three toKanye terminal alsooffers localservices from themainbusterminal. Themainbus (US$4,fivehours) hours) andSerowe depart (US$2.50, three hours), Palapye (US$4,four (US$1.50,1½hours), MahalapyeLobatse (US$6, sixhours), Ghanzi(US$10,11hours), Francistown (US$5,sixhours), Selebi-Phikwe nesburg, hours), SouthAfrica(US$12,seven lonelyplanet.com you’ll have topay about US$8. thedrivernonguests may talk into alift,but top-end hotels for theirguests.Ifthere’s space, there are operated courtesy bythe minibuses rarelytaxis turnupatthe airport,though to US$5pertrip around thecity.Note that of one, fares (negotiable)are generally US$3 on BotswanaRd. If youmanage toget ahold parked eitherinfrontof or the trainstation the streets lookingforfares, andmostare tocomebyinGabs. Verydifficult few cruise by theirbluenumberplates, are surprisingly respectively. which are ontheTlokwengand Kgaleroutes, Riverwalk Mall Mall, andtheKgaleCentre the mainshoppingcentres exceptthe new all stop’.Themain citylooppasses ‘bus/taxi onlyatdesignateddrop off lay-bys marked routes andcostUS$0.50.Theypickup blue numberplates, circulate accordingtoset Packed white combis,recognisable bytheir AROUND GETTING thumb alift. look foracrowdof peoplewaitinginlineto hitching spotatthenorthernendof town– main cityloopandget atthestandard off minibus fromanyshopping centre alongthe 8¼ hours). in 1st-/2nd-class sleepers, US$5ineconomy, traindeparts at 9pm(US$25/20 The night 10am (club/economyUS$4/8,6½hours). To reach Maun orKasane, change inFrancis- toJohan- andminibuses Intercity buses To hitch north,catch theBroadhurst 4 The daytraindepartsforFrancistownat The Intercape Mainliner toJohannesburg Taxis, which canalsobeeasily identified AROUNDGABORONE••Mochudi a few retired cheetahs, leopards,honeybadg- also protectsand klipspringers. Thereserve baboons, warthogs, zebras, hippos, kudu,impala,waterbucks elephants, giraffes, to home chalets (US$120)andeight-person A-frames instyle,thereto safari are alsothree-person steaming hotwater) andtoilets.Ifyouwant cue) pitsandthatched bushshowers (with well groomed,andfeature two people)atMokolodiare and secluded a visittothepopularelephantbaths (US$3). (US$24) and petting(US$48),horse safaris tah walks (US$12),rhinotracking(US$80), chee- of otheractivitiesonoffer includingguided cost US$28perperson. There are anumber wildlifedriving, two-hourdayornight drives different speciesof birds. Ifyou’re notself- ers, jackalsandhyenas,aswell as over 300 h www.mokolodi.com; admissionperperson/vehicleUS$2/4; private 30-sq-km This Reserve Mokolodi Nature historic village centre. justbeforeand thenright intothe thehospital, turn east;after 6km,turn leftattheT-junction when full.Bycar,headnorthtoPilaneand mud-walled architecture. preciating thevarietyof designsinthetown’s it’sworthspendinganhourap- the museum, village anditsKgatlahistory.After visiting one of Botswana’sbest,withdisplaysonthe 2-5pmSat&Sun) 5pm Mon-Fri, fax 5748920;admissionfree, donationsappreciated; Dutch–style by northward-trekking TheCape Boers. p forcedfromtheirlands eople, whohad been walls inthehills.In1871cameKgatla byruinedstone the mid-1500s,asevidenced ing villages, bytheKwenain wasfirst settled Mochudi, oneof Botswana’smostfascinat- MOCHUDI AROUND GABORONE the reserve itself. So,take acombi 12km south itself. the reserve of to town,but it’s1.5km from thehighway a nominal charge. the camp site andaccommodation areas for don’t have candrive avehicle, youto staff Advanced bookings are recommended. Ifyou (US$198) situated inthemiddle of thereserve. Though pricey,thecamp sitesThough (US$24 for toMochudiBuses departfromGaborone The entrance to the reserve is12km south The entrance tothereserve 7.30am-6pm) Phuthadikobo Museum Phuthadikobo wasestablished in1991,andis , established in1976,is reserve braai

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% ( % (barbe- 316 1955; 577 7238; h

847 8am- BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA as mostof Botswana’stourists. attract myriadbirdsandotherwildlife, aswell land –best-knownastheOkavango – Delta the incongruouswaters of theresulting wet- channels country, andislands.Inthisdesert ina16,000-sq-kmmazeof itself lagoons, loses by theKalahari Eventually, sands. the river consumed bythethirsty airandswallowed open palmacrosstheflatlandscapeasthey’re of water annuallyspread andsprawllike an of Shakawe. There, 18.5billioncumetres StripbeforeCaprivi entering Botswanaeast Angola, thenflowssoutheastacrossNamibia’s The 1430km Okavango River in central rises OKAVANGO DELTA BOTSWANA NORTHERN four people,respectively). city centre orairport(US$28US$44for can alsophoneaheadfortransfers fromthe path untilyoureach themainentrance. You then get off. Next,walk1.5kmalongthedirt asignforMokolodiand of townuntilyousee 848 their foodandcampingequipment. passengers’ enthusiasm. of thepoler,meshingpersonalitiesand the experiencedependslargely upontheskill moving betweenestablishedcamps orwildcampingalongtheway.Inthiscase,qualityof ride forseveral theirjourney withwalksonpalmislandsand dayswiththesamepoler,breaking from Maunoramore expensive fly-intrip),mostpeopleprefer amultidaytrip,where travellers belies theiramazingstability.A from fibreglass). The shallow-draught dugoutcanoehewnfrom ebonyorsausagetree log(or,more recently, moulded spendatleastsometimetravelling by Most visitorstotheOkavango MOKORO TRIPS methods. way; explainthedelta cultures; andperhaps even teach clientshowtofishusing traditional thepoler!);recognise and identify plants,birdsandanimalsalongthe swim withoutfirstasking country. The polerscanspeakatleastsomeEnglish;warnyouaboutdangers(never keenest themtonegotiateexpecting labyrinthinewaterways orleadyouonbushwalks throughwildlife Seronga (see opposite ). Polers Trustin trips through deltalodgesor Maunsafaricompanies, orthrough the Okavango meal, 250g ofwhite sugar,sixtea bagsandsufficient saltandpowdered milk. you have arrangedtoprovide your poler’smeals,thestandarddailyrations are 500gofmealie implementswhiletravellers supply therelishes:cooking tinsofcurries,stews and vegetables. If share meals. The polersmay, forexample,provide asack of mealiemeal(groundmaize) and provide foodfor yourpoler. Even iftheydo bringtheirownsupplies,manytravellers prefer to OTENBTWN • Oaag et Delta BOTSWANA ••Okavango NORTHERN While one-day tripsare possibleintheEasternWhile one-day Delta(withareturn drive lastingseveral hours The importance offindingacompetent polercannotbeoverstated,The importance especiallywhenyou’re If you’re organising abudget Although it’s stillpossibletonegotiate with independentpolers, mostvisitors organise mekoro are poled from astandingpositionandtheirprecarious appearance mokoro mokoro normallyaccommodates thepoler,twopassengers and trip,inquire inadvancewhetheryou’re expected to an affordable andaccessibleoption. an affordable and/or money,thispartof remains thedelta north of Matlapaneng. Ifyou’re shortof time Rivers, theBoroandSantandadibe crosses fence that andthebuffalo Wildlife Reserve thesouthernboundaryofbetween Moremi includesthewetlands Delta The Eastern Delta Eastern Panhandle. andOkavango Moremi WildernessReserve into fourareas: InnerDelta, Delta, Eastern low water levels. Maun are often impossibleatthistimedueto March), butbeware that (Decemberto be foundduringthelowseason lodgesthis book.Decentdealsfordelta can visit atthistime,we’ve pricesin quoted these mostpeople the pricesskyrocket. Because and thewater are levels –unfortunately high are whentheweatherisdry JulytoSeptember, source of water. whereout of there Seronga, isapermanent Generally, thebest months Generally, tovisitthedelta The Okavango isusuallysubdivided Delta Mokoro mokoro safaris stilloperate safaris mokoro (plural, lonelyplanet.com mekoro tripsoutof mokoro Mokoro ), a

i sland-oasis renowned forthepresence of ised byMaunised lodges andtourcompanies(see are Delta trips intheEastern mainlyorgan- lonelyplanet.com ing views of flood plains. Bookwith thedelta exquisitely designed tented camp with sweep- Camp Nxabega Okavango .bw) Tours&Safaris Okavango southern endof ChiefsIsland.Bookwith situated beside aflowingchannel the near land. Bookwith a palm-fringed isletthatoverlooks ChiefsIs- dometentseight attractively scattered around metsi Camp rates includelodging,mealsandactivities. depending onthewater Thefollowing level. JuneandDecember, erate between roughly polers withspecificlodges, affiliated andop- are almostinvariably arranged withlicensed dle. ofIsland andthebase theOkavango Panhan- areas westof Chiefs ChiefsIslandandbetween occupiesthe defined,theInnerDelta Roughly Inner Delta nesburg 011-8071800;www.wilderness-safaris.com). wildlife. Bookwith huntingdogsandotherless-common Cape Reserve, the southernedges of theMoremi Wildlife p862). 0265; www.botswana.com) Delta Camp optionis A comparatively affordable Situated River neartheSantandadibe along Located ontheshores of theBoro River, The The THE OKAVANGO POLERSTRUST boats forUS$90. 18-passenger SepupaSwampStopcharters to MbirobaCamp, 3kmaway,cost US$9.Otherwise, Sepupa SwampStop(see p851 ) andSeronga(US$3,twohours);transfers fromtheSerongadock about US$0.75foralift.Whenthey’re between operating,water taxisrunalongtheOkavango Riveralmost alwayspossibletohitchfromthefree ferry Okavango inMohembo. Planonpaying self-cater equipment). (iebringyourownfood,water and,ifnecessary,camping andcooking of Maun,thetrustcharges US$30perdayfor mokoro operator hasitsfingersinthepie,cooperative can afford tocharge reasonable pricesfor people, includingpolers,dancers,cooks,managersanddrivers. Sincenotravel agencyorsafari and usedtoprovide thecommunitywithbetter facilities. The trustdirectly employsnearly100 lective isrunentirely bythevillage,allprofitsare shared invested bytheworkers, intothetrust provide cheaperandmore accessible , inMaun. Mokoro There’s nolongeradailybusfromMohembo,neartheNamibianborder,toSeronga,butit’s Okavango PolersTrust Okavango trips. Althoughit’snotuncommontopayupwardsofUS$100perdayfora Chitabe Camp

(s/d US$250/350) trips through the Inner Delta theInnerDelta tripsthrough

(per personUS$450) NORTHERN BOTSWANA •• Okavango Delta BOTSWANA ••Okavango NORTHERN Crocodile Camp Safaris Crocodile Camp Wilderness Safaris , inMaun. (

%

(per personUS$550) (per person US$450) , which consistsof 686 1154;www.okavango

( isbeautifully % 687 6861)

( % mokoro

( in Johan- isan % isan wasestablishedin1998bythepeopleofSerongato Se- 686 tripsandaccommodationforvisitors. Sincethecol- two people. inmind,however, Keep thatyoumust by marsh andlagoon.Withone of thelargest occupies anarrow stripof landsurrounded thecamping ground At XakanaxaLediba, gerous here duetocrocodiles andhippos. aware thatswimming isextremelyBe dan- on theroadandhasalovely campingground. of SouthGate, isliterally thethirdlogbridge cally beautifulThirdBridge, 48km northwest both have camping grounds.Rusti- developed waterways, lagoonsandislands. woodlands, grasslands,floodplains, marshes, and thornscrubtodrysavannah, riparian lands. Habitats range from mopanewoodland Moremi vastwet- Tongue–risingbetween large areas of dryland–ChiefsIslandandthe has adistinctlydualpersonality, withtwo designated forwildlife protection. Thepark is thepartof theOkavango officially Delta The 3000-sq-km Moremi Wildlife Reserve Reserve Wildlife Moremi companies. arranged bylodges localaircharter through for mostvisitors isbyair. are Flights typically in Johannesburg. CCAfrica for their meticulous attention Book todetail. p outside Moremi, p843). (see the Departmentof Wildlife &NationalParks Allcampingmustbebookeddise. through heronries inAfrica, it’sa bird-watcher’s para- The onlywayinandoutof theInnerDelta Set amid sausage and jackalberrytrees amid sausage just Set The entrygates atNorthandSouthGate ) has elegant taste, and the staff are famous has elegant taste, and thestaff

( % 011-809 4300;www.ccafrica.com) Camp Okavango Camp mokoro

(per personUS$325; tripout , based , based

849 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA 850 Mahito Andara (52km) Hills To Aha 4 6 1 3 2 5 OKAVANGO DELTA

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Mucusso SLEEPING Okavango Shinde IslandCamp...... Sepupa SwampStop...... Nxabega OkavangoCamp...... Mbiroba Camp...... Drotsky's Cabins...... Delta Camp...... Chitabe Camp...... Camp Okavango...... Stanley's Camp...... Semetsi Camp...... ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ABCD

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River Divundu Mahango A NGOL Gcwihaba Hills Mohembo Bagani Fence Shakawe West Caprivi Hauxa Popa Falls ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ Samuchina Sand Dunes River Ferry N AMIB 10 4 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Nxamaseri Kaokwe E4 D3 B2 D4 C4 C3 B2 D4 E4 D3

Golden Hwy Okavango Bwabwata NP

Nokaneng Sepupa The Etshas Okavango

(1-13) River Ikago Gumare Etsha 13

8 Panhandle Etsha 1 Island Kandalengoti Tubu Etsha 6 Mawana Gqoro Dungu Tsau Island Aga

Seronga Thaoge 5

Motshupatsila To Ghanzi River (162km) Sehithwa Island ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Sandveldt Kwihum Island Tongue Ganitsuga Duba Islands Madinare Island

Eretsha

Nqogha Buffalo Fence Buffalo 6 Island Ngami Lake Betsha

Katima Mulilo(193km) Xudum To Kongola(146km);

Nxaragha Letenetso Inner Delta River Island Valley lonelyplanet.com Chiefs Island Beacon

Xudum Island Island Lions Dindiga Toteng Island

River Moremi WR Spillway Island Selinda Bobo Nhabe River 3 Mboma 1 Island Bokwi Island Island ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅ Lopis 9 7 ὈὈ ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ

lonelyplanet.com

Nxotega Tongue Moremi Magwegqana

Xhumu Boro Ditshipi Island Xakanaxa ὈὈ ὈὈ Island

Lediba Santandadibe

Ntamine

River Island Maun River

10 River Eastern Map (p853) Matlapaneng See Maun& Delta EF

2

Matlapaneng

Gom Mudumu NP

oti Third Bridge

River Mamili NP Khwai Savuti NORTHERN BOTSWANA ••Maun NORTHERN Marshes Linyanti 40km 20miles 0 0 To KatimaMulilo ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ Channel Thamalakane Shorobe (52km) River (Maqwee) N AMIB Headquarters Gate &Park North (Khwai) South Gate River East Caprivi

Makalamabedi Linyanti River

Boteti Savuti

River Chobe NP Senagom (223km) To Nata Motopi 4 6 1 3 2 5 camp site handy to Sepupa village.camp site It’svery handytoSepupa chalets US$120; camping perpersonUS$10, s/dA-framesUS$60/110,4-person mokoro chalet US$35/45; roba Camp Maun–Shakawe road. andaccessible (3km)fromtheaffordable Okavango Delta. more thaninotherpartsof the affordable where the growingnumbers of visitors totheregion, waters. They’re also increasingly catering to and extracttheirlivelihoods fromtherich Angolans) occupyclusters of fishing villages Tswana, Herero, European,Sanandrefugee mixofmopolitan people(Mbukushu, Yei, beds andpapyrus-choked lagoons.Here acos- the valleyoneithersidetoformvastreed Panhandle, theriver’s waters spread across theOkavangomeet Delta.IntheOkavango In northwestern Botswana, theKalahari sands Panhandle Okavango fly-in safari. a4WDvehicleyou’ll need oradrive-in or delta. Bookwith and isoneof themostestablished campsin justnorthofsavannah andthedelta, Moremi, ated onthefringes of the alagoonbetween tors inMaun (see p862 ). anyoftry. Youcanbookthrough theopera- commonly foundinthiscornerof thecoun- US$450; lodges inMoremi, with ‘mau-oon’) is the self-proclaimed gateway to ‘mau-oon’) is theself-proclaimed carts andflash 4WDs, Maun (pronounced A schizophrenic apparitionof donkey-drawn pop 35,000 MAUN the mainroad. of5km southeast Shakawe of and4kmeast beside achannel of theOkavango River about delta.com) US$30/40; [email protected]; campingperpersonUS$4, s/dtents .kerdowney.com) Drotsky’s Cabins Run bytheOkavango Polers Trust, Shinde IslandCamp Significantly less ostentatious than other There’s nopublictransporttoMoremi, so Sepupa SwampStop Sepupa Desert &DeltaSafaris Desert p mokoro tripsintothedelta. , inMaun. p

) lackstheformalityandpretence ( % ) is a secluded, laid-back isasecluded, riverside p p , inMaun. 687 6861;campingperpersonUS$5,s/d tripsandaccommodationare ) isalovely, welcominglodge ) istheusuallaunch pointfor Ker &Downey Ker

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% (per personUS$550;

Stanley’s ( % 687 5035;[email protected];

( % 686 7073;[email protected]; 686 1234;www.desert

( Camp % 686 0375;www p

(per person ) issitu-

Mbi- 851 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA aneng lodges. town’s manytourcompanies(see p862 ) andtheMatlap- is improving,andyou’llalsofindgoodinformation atthe h 8.30-11.30am Sat) Near The Mall. 8.30-11.30am Sat)NearTheMall. building, features artexhibitionsandout- 9am-4pmSat) 5pm Mon-Fri, admissionfree, donationsappreciated; Rd, Maun; preciation of nature. aims toprovide school children withanap- on theeastern bankof the ThamalakaneRiver, 1390; admissionfree; The Sights office Tourist PostNet Post office ofWildlife&NationalParks Department aneng; perhrUS$6) I-Café Afro-Trek rates thanthebureaux dechange. foreign-exchange facilitiesandoffer better CharteredStandard which bothhave Bank, The Mall hasbranches and of Bank Barclays Information friendly towninBotswana. and it’sbyfarthemosttourist- into thedelta, and/orfinish formosttrips the obviousstart MaunAlthough isanythingbutinspiring,it dustry thatnowdrives thetown’seconomy. leadtotheburgeoningfrom Nata in- safari ers andpoachers, of theroadin thesealing outpostforgraziers,rough-and-tumble hunt- the Okavango itwasoncea Delta. Although 852 check around before choosing one(see p862 ). mokoro agencies andlotsof companies run safari lodgesMost delta are withspecific affiliated Tours thedelta. through and feet insidethe encouragement tokeep yourhands youneed 4.30pm Mon-Sat;admission US$2) Okavango. lines thenaturalhistoryandcultures of the Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3pmSat) Mon-Fri, in acaravanbehindthemainbuilding. office,whichishoused park campsitesatthereservations & 1.45-4.30pmMon-Sat,7.30am-noonSun)Booknational % The community-run The 7.30am-12.30pm & 1.45-4.30pm Mon-Fri) Thisoffice 7.30am-12.30pm &1.45-4.30pmMon-Fri) 686 1265; fax 686 1264; Maun; 686 1265;fax1264;Maun; Maun EnvironmentalEducationCentre Maun OTENBTWN • Mu BOTSWANA ••Maun NORTHERN Nhabe Museum (Score Centre, Maun; perhrUS$6; (Score Centre, Maun; trips and 4WD safaris, so it’s wise to soit’s wise trips and4WD safaris, (Maun; ( % (Sedia Hotel,ShorobeRd,Matlap- (Sedia h h 686 0492;Tsheke Tsheko Rd,Maun; 8.15am-1pm & 2.15-4pm Mon-Fri, 8.15am-1pm &2.15-4pmMon-Fri, 7.30am-12.30pm &1.45-4.40pm)

( mokoro % , housed in a historic , housed Crocodile Farm 686 1346; Sir Sereste Khama Khama 686 1346;SirSereste isbasicallyallthe h whilecruising 7.30am-12.30pm h (DWNP;

9am-6pm ( h h

( % 9am- 9am- 686 , an outdoorbar,a Continental-inspired res- facilities. pitch a tent and take advantage of all thehotel chalets, or youcansimply as self-contained have thechoice of anumberof roomsas well and a hugetaurant swimming pool.You and tranquil. theriversidethough isstillrelaxing setting Island SafariLodge toshow itsage, isstarting p campingperpersonUS$5,s/dchaletUS$55/60; Matlapaneng; definitely alotof potential here. and theriverside istranquil,so there’s setting p lapaneng; campingperpersonUS$5,s/dtentsfrom US$32/48; Mat- Bridge, Pools,OldMatlapaneng [email protected]; Hippo characters. is usuallypacked withallsortsof interesting ontheriveroccupies asuperbspotright and attractive lodge inMaun, the‘CrocCamp’ s/d chaletfromUS$40/60; campingperpersonUS$5,s/dtentsUS$20/40, Matlapaneng; of someof thesmallerlodges. itlacksthepersonalitying abitlonely,though of thelodges, andagoodchoice ifyou’re feel- with backpackers. It’sbyfarthemostsociable accommodation inMaun isalwayspacked US$20/26; campingperpersonUS$4,s/dtentsfrom Matlapaneng; p US$7; tentsperpersonUS$6,linenextra pre-erected campingperpersonUS$4,basic Shorobe Rd,Matlapaneng; party atmosphere. 14km southof Maun aserious andboasts ps mail.com; [email protected];campingperpersonUS$4; it’snotaspopularAudiCamp. cause ting ontheriverbank, andit’soften quietbe- p campingperpersonUS$3,s/dchaletUS$35/40; Matlapaneng; Lodge River Okavango Sleeping aneng Bridge. Theatmosphere ischilled out a leafyspotbesidethehistoricOld Matlap- ablution blocksinMaun’. boasts whatjustifiabilitymaybe‘thecleanest pas campingperperson US$5,s/dfromUS$75/90; Matlapaneng; Island Safari Lodge Island Safari Backpackers Back totheBridge Crocodile Camp Camp Audi Sitatunga Camp Sedia Hotel Hotel Sedia Camp Rest Maun ) ) ) ) Thisdown-to-earthspothasalovely set- Thisnewandfriendlyoptionoccupies Thisno-frills rest campisspotless,and Oneof theoriginallodges inthecity, ) This camp enjoys a nice bush setting Thiscampenjoysanicebush setting ps ) Thisresort-like complexfeatures Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com

( ( % % ) The most-established budget Themost-established

( % 686 0599; www.okavangocamp.com; 686 0599;www.okavangocamp.com; 686 0177;[email protected]; ShorobeRd,

( ( % %

686 0265;www.crocodilecamp.com; (

% p ( % 686 3472;[email protected]; 686 4539;groundhogs_@hot 686 3707;[email protected]; ) 686 0300;[email protected]; Arguably themost

( % 686 2037; lonelyplanet.com 4 6 1 3 2 5 MAUN &MATLAPANENG

Matlapaneng

Sitatunga Camp(14km) To CrocodileFarm(14km); Motlopi St Motlopi To Ghanzi (286km); Shakawe (386km) AC 8 Mall The 10

33 Maun GeneralHospital NORTHERN BOTSWANA &Matlapaneng ••Maun NORTHERN

25 St Tsaro

St Tswii Pulane St Delta MedicalCentre Airport Ὀ 1

above See map Moeti Maun Tsheke

28 Tsheko Rd Rd Mathiba I St 26 Francistown (490km); 24

To Nata(302km); Shorobe (Matlapaneng) Rd

2 Kasane (614km) M

11 Naledi St

32 ophane St ophane

Thamalakane Riley's Garage B 27 ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Riley's Hotel Sedie 13 31 Thamalakane Bridge

River 12

Sekgoma 5 Airport Ave Airport

6 Rd Sir Seretse Khama Rd 4 30 15

3

20 Motshaba St Motshaba 9 Matlapaneng 23 Kudu St 14 Wildlife Reserve Maun 29 7 0 0 21 19 16 Long-Distance BusStation...... Avis CarRental...... Airport Terminal...... Air Botswana...... Sports Bar&Restaurant...... Power Station...... Hilary's...... French Connection...... Takeaway...... Bull &BushPub...... Sedia Hotel...... Okavango RiverLodge...... Maun RestCamp...... Maun Lodge...... Island SafariLodge...... Crocodile Camp...... Back totheBridgeBackpackers.. Audi Camp...... Nhabe Museum...... Centre...... Wilderness Safaris...... Travel Wild...... Tourist Office...... Standard CharteredBank...... PostNet...... Post Office...... Phakawe Safaris...... Okavango Tours&Safaris...... (see28) Northern Air...... (see6) Ker &Downey...... Immigration Office...... Desert &DeltaSafaris...... NationalParks(DWNP)...... Crocodile CampSafaris...... (see18) Bathusi Travel&Safaris...... Barclays Bank...... Audi CampSafaris...... (see16) Afro-Trek I-Café...... (see23) Afro-Trek...... (see 23) TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Curry HouseRestaurant& Maun EnvironmentalEducation Department ofWildlife& 18 Old MatlapanengBridge 17 200m 0.1miles 0 0 22 (7km, seeinsetbelow) 1 miles To Matlapaneng 2 km To Shorobe(37km); South Gate(92km); Moremi Wildlife Reserve (92km) D 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

A4 B1 B1 C1 C6 B1 B1 B2 A4 B1 C6 D5 C6 C4 C5 C5 C6 C5 C1 C4 B1 B1 B3 A4 C1 A4 C1 B1 B3 C3 C3 B4 A4 853 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA cold beer. your bestbetifyou’re after athicksteak and pub hostsavarietyof regular andis events, popular hauntamongstexpatsin town. The The Bull&Bushpubisprobably themost by arenowned chef. of Western-style dishes,alllovingly created boasts aclassy restaurant withahuge range meals US$5-9) baguettes, andspecialtysalads. here cappuccinos and includingcroissants, can get alltheclassic European standards looking toputalittleflairinyourday.You This stylish caféisagoodchoice ifyou’re specialities andvegetarian meals. a goodmixof burgers, pastas, local salads, club, this‘industrial’Maun institutionserves it’sbetterthough knownasabarandnight- Indiandelicacies. tasty licious andauthenticcurriesaswellother cheap,this unpretentious de- place. Itserves across theMall andattractsmanylocalsto and sandwiches. ing homemadebread, soups baked potatoes, a choice of wonderfullyearthymeals,includ- 8.30am-12pmSat) Mon-Fri, Hilary’s Eating &Drinking expect atthisprice. town centre andboastsalltheluxuriesyou’d US$95/125; s/d lodge; [email protected];Rd,Maun; OldMaun 854 (US$4.50, five to theterminal hours). Get Shorobe (US$1, one hour); andGhanzi five hours); Shakawe (US$10, five hours); (US$12, six hours) and Francistown(US$9, three hours), withconnections toKasane of the Mall (US$6, toNata you’llfindbuses companies. arranged bylodges localair-charter through are intothedelta (US$156). Flights typically Maun between daily flights andGaborone Air Botswana &Away There Getting Maun; mealsUS$3-6) Maun; hotel inMaun islocated justsouthof the Power Station &Takeaway HouseRestaurant Curry Lodge Maun Bull &BushPub Bar& Restaurant Sports Connection French At the long-distance bus station northeast busstation At thelong-distance OTENBTWN • ToioHls BOTSWANA ••TsodiloNORTHERN Hills

(Mathiba I St, Maun; mealsfromUS$3; ISt,Maun; (Mathiba pas Thispopularwatering holealso

(Airport Ave;(Airport www.airbotswana.co.bw)

(

% (Mophane St, Maun; mealsUS$4-8) (Mophane St,Maun;

Thesmellof currywafts (Mathiba I St, Maun; mealsUS$5-10) ISt,Maun; (Mathiba 686 3939;www.sausage.bw/maun

) (Mopane St, Maun; mealsUS$5-8) (Mopane St,Maun; Thenewestupmarket Thishomelyplaceoffers

(Shorobe Rd, Matlapaneng; (Shorobe Rd,Matlapaneng; h

(The Mall, Mall, (The 8am-4pm has Al-

Kasane) 24-hour emergency service. 24-houremergency service. Kasane) Zimbabwe. stock upon US dollars(post-1996)if you’re headingto exchange rates thanthebureaux dechange.Besure to shops andservices. Chobe Private Clinic Chobe Private Barclays Bank Information nects Botswanawith Zambia. landing fortheKazungula ferry, which con- Botswanaand Zimbabwe,andthe between of asthebordercrossing Kazungula serves Immediately totheeast,tinysettlement is afocusof activityinnorthernBotswana. such, thistownof justafew people thousand also thegateway toChobeNationalPark. As Rivers.ence of It’s theChobeandZambezi bia, NamibiaandZimbabwe– theconflu- ofmeeting fourcountries–Botswana,Zam- Kasane sitsinariverine woodlandatthe &KAZUNGULA KASANE help arrange private tours tothearea. touroperatorsthough inMaun (see p862 ) can grounds Malatso(Rhino), orMakoba Woods for aroundUS$13perday. Normally, localSanpeoplewillguidegroups that pass themainpaintingsandsacred sites. unmarkedthe hills,aswellseveral tracks extolling theundeniablyspiritualnature of tors of today’sSanpeople. the majority of are these attributed toances- 200 sites. Andasinmostof southernAfrica, paintings have discovered been atwellover site of Creation. More than2750ancientrock for the thiswasthe San people,whobelieve with myth,legend andspiritualsignificance oceanlike of andare expanse desert threaded abruptlyfromarippled, and NorthHill)rise The four Tsodilo Hills(Male, Female, Child HILLS TSODILO US$4. costaround bus terminal andairport;taxis paneng (US$0.30)runwhenfullfromthe townandMatla- between Local minibuses Around Getting withabustoKasane.Nata as earlypossible ifyouwanttoconnectin You need a4WDtoexploreYou need thehillsarea, Visitors cancamp ateithertheMain There’s nowa

(camping perpersonUS$6) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (President Ave, Kasane) Offers better (President Ave, Offers Kasane) ( museum % 625 1555; President Ave, near Main Camp , butthere are no camping ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ Along themainroad. isdeadslowandunreliable. Internet inKasane per hrUS$4; Kazungula Kazungula Crocodile Farm and personalscalybeastsatthe withthese the Choberiverfront, youcanget upclose If you’re unsuccessfulinspottingcrocsalong Sights Police station Internet Kasane Hospital Kasane ofWildlife&NationalParks Department Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com about 1kmwestof Kazungula. Public hospitalonthemainroad. sites withinChobeNationalPark. % 3 4 1 3 2 Chobe KASANE &KAZUNGULA Sedudu/ Kasikile Ὀ Island 625 0235; Sedudu Gate) The booking officeforcamp Thebooking Gate) 625 0235;Sedudu

River Rd 0 0 River N AMIB Tourist Office Approximate Scale Only h AC

( 8 Airport President 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pmSat) 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 1 6 % To Ngoma BridgeviaChobe 2

( ( Rd % % 4 See Enlargement Transit Route (50km) Ave 625 0335;President Ave, Kasane) 14 0.5 miles 625 0333;President Ave, Kasane) 625 0736; Audi Centre, Kasane; 625 0736;AudiCentre, Kasane; 5

Upper Rd 12 ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Kasane

1 km Kasane 9 Chilwero Rd Chilwero

(admission US$4)

15

Airport Rd Airport Mabele Rd Mabele Course Golf Mowana Airport Kasane 11 NORTHERN BOTSWANA •• Kasane &Kazungula BOTSWANA ••Kasane NORTHERN B N AMIB , located (DWNP; Approximate INFORMATION Police Station...... Kasane Internet...... Kasane Hospital...... Chobe PrivateClinic...... (see12) Chobe NationalParkEntrance..... Botswana Immigration...... Barclays Bank...... Parks(DWNP)...... (see3) Department ofWildlife&National Scale Only

13

Kasane-Kazungula Chobe River Chobe Mombova simple butcharming lodge is builtaround .com; President Ave, s/d US$70/90; Kasane; economical optiononthehillside. warm andfriendlyfamily-runlodge isavery s/dfromUS$38/56; 1198 TholoCres, Kasane; rooms featuring varyingamenities. This budget-orientated hotel hasavarietyof .bw; President Ave, s/dfromUS$38/50; Kasane; (US$15). meals andChobewildlife drives andcruises a green riverside alongwithabar, setting, gula Rd;campingperpersonUS$8; Camping River Thebe Sleeping &Eating Rapids

Rd Kasane Forest Garden Lodge Garden Liya GuestLodge GuestHouse Sedudu Reserve

Mpalila Island Zambezi River Zambezi 6 5 4 3 2 1 A2 A2 A2 A4 A2 A2 10 Kazungula

(312km) To Nata iaGetLde...... B2 Liya GuestLodge...... Bus Terminal...... Old House...... Thebe RiverCamping...... Sedudu GuestHouse...... Kubu Lodge...... Garden Lodge...... Chobe ChilweroLodge...... Kazungula CrocodileFarm...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES ( %

( % Sand Bank Kakumba (for KazungulaFerrytoZambia) 7

625 0051;www.thegardenlodge

( ( 71-756903; [email protected]; % % ὄ Botswana Immigration Botswana Immigration 0 0 625 0314;Kasane-Kazun- 625 1748;sedudu@botsnet (for Zimbabwe) ps

Leshomo Z AMBI ZIMBABWE D ps

River ps ) Provides 15 14 13 12 11 10 Kazungula 9 8 7 Immigration Zimbabwe Livingstone 1 miles pa To Victoria Ferry ) B1 A2 B3 A1 C3 A1 A2 C3 ) This This (72km) (82km) 2 km 855 Falls To

)

BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA psa perpersonUS$560; Rd, Kasane; tuarylodges.com; Airport Rustic woodenchalets are lovingly adorned mality foundinmostothertop-endlodges. riverside lodge andfor- lacksthestuffiness and 10am. 9.30am between at hotels andguesthouses options usuallypickupbooked passengers Falls transfers (US$40,twohours). Allthese and ChobeSafariLodge alsorunVictoria ice. MowanaLodge ThebeRiver Camping, Falls 4225) Falls (US$42,twohours), Kasane andVictoria bus terminal. Between run whenfullfromtheShell petrolstation with connectionstoMaun andFrancistown, Maun (US$100)andGaborone(US$157). Air BotswanaconnectsKasane’s airportto &Away There Getting vegetarianalso several options. fish dishesonorderhere, there though are are anumberof chicken excellentbeef, and relaxed atmosphere andavariedmenu.There h Chobe River. lodge boasts panoramic viewsacrossthe thisexclusive andindeed view’ inSetswana, lawn dotted withfigtrees. scattered aroundanimpeccablymanicured with thickrugsandwicker furniture, andare psa s/d/trUS$130/170/198; Rd,Kazungula; ane-Kazungula atmosphere. well-furnished roomsthatexude ahomely a tropicalgardenandfeatures anumberof 856 touches thebeautiful Linyanti Marshes. region, and Chobe’s northwestern corner just mopane forests, is thepark’sthird major Rarely-visited Ngwezumba, withitspans and life and attractmyriad water birds. habitat in western Chobealsoprovide primewild- Savuti Marshes of the Mababe Depression water,tions, butwhenthey contain thelovely ply, supportsthe greatest wildlife concentra- northern tier,with itsperennial water sup- varied wildlife. Theriverfront stripalongthe encompasses 11,000 sqkm,is home toBotswana’smost which Park, National Chobe Minibuses to Nata (US$8,three toNata hours),Minibuses Old House Chobe ChilweroLodge Kubu Lodge Tue-Sun) OTENBTWN • CoeNtoa ak BOTSWANA ••ChobeNationalParkNORTHERN operates amorning transfer serv- ) Kasane’s onlytruerestaurant hasa ) Located 9kmwestof Kasane, this Chilwero means‘placeof high

(President Ave, mainsUS$5-10; Kasane;

( % 625 0312; [email protected]; Kas- 625 0312;[email protected];

( % 625 1362;www.sanc UTC

( % in Victoria in Victoria of Kasane andis accessible byconventional Gate. about 9km fromtheSedudu around hotel grounds. Thelodge is located elephants alongtheriverfront asyouwalk there’s a good chance you’ll spotherdsof isattentive and professional, andService the ChobeRiver andNamibianflood plains. elegant yetsoothing, andsomehave viewsof lodge.safari Individuallydecorated roomsare .com; perpersonUS$325; Lodge Chobe Game here. withtheDWNPtocamp areservation need falo Ridge isprivately owned,soyoudonot of theChobetransit route. Unlike Ihaha,Buf- Bridge bordercrossingnearthewestern end cated immediately uphillfromtheNgoma Gate. the Sedudu located along theriverfront about27kmfrom is park fees foronlyoneday. also doanafternoon andpay ‘booze cruise’ if youtake amorningwildlife drive youcan (plus safari-discounted parkfees). Note that morning andafternoon forUS$14toUS$22 three-hour wildlife drives inthe andcruises water. Allhotels andlodges arrange 2½-to heading downforadrinkandrompinthe land andtheriverfront fillswithelephants is late afternoon, when hippos ambleonto dry trip orwildlife drive. Thebesttimetocruise permanent water isastonishing. dance andvarietyof birdlife inthiszoneof rare antelope species.Inaddition,theabun- is represented here. puku,a You canalsosee African mammalspecies,excepttherhino, southern ephant herds,butvirtuallyevery is thedamage donebythearea’s massive el- The mostobviousfeature of thelandscape The Choberiverfront ispacked withwildlife. CHOBE RIVERFRONT from January toMarch. mud andflooding,Savuti maybeinaccessible 4WD.Dueto ahigh-clearance you’ll need theparkorapproachthrough from Maun, conventional vehicles. toproceed However, diately westof Kasane andisaccessibleto person US$5.50; Ihaha Camp Site Site Camp Ihaha One of Botswana’spinnaclesof luxury, DWNPcampsite toKasaneThe closest The northernparkentranceliesimme- The northern parkentrance lies 5kmwest Camping Buffalo Ridge A great waytoenjoyChobeisonariver p )

isabasiccampingarea lo- ( % (camping perpersonUS$5.50) ps 625 0340;www.chobegamelodge

( % ) is a highly praised praised isahighly 625 0430;campingper lonelyplanet.com . It’s and March. January (and inaccessible)between closed to potential water, high Savuti isnormally whelming, especiallyafter heavy rains.Due of over- elephantsandantelopes, canseem life populations,particularlythenumber are tobeof thought Sanorigin.Thewild- of sets 4000-year-oldseveral rockart,which Savuti gate neartheSavuti Channel,bears ane andMaun. GobabisHill,southof the andoverlandfor safaris Kas- tripsbetween Savuti’s are flatexpanses anobligatory stop SAVUTI is free of charge. and theNamibianborderatNgomaBridge clearance. Kasanehigh Totransitbetween the interior of theparkrequires 4WDand 4WD), buttoreach Savuti orotherplacesin vehicle (someChobe riverfront drives require lonelyplanet.com other landscape onearth. & Nxai Pans National Park, and are like no theexpansiveNxai, comprise Makgadikgadi Botswana’s great pans,Sua,Ntwetwe and salt NATIONAL PARK PANS & NXAI MAKGADIKGADI north ofceed Shorobe. Coming fromMaun, 4WDtopro- you’llneed ruts thatrequiresand 4WD. high-clearance theroaddeteriorates intoparallel Reserve, but after itturnssouthintothe ChobeForest by2WD asfarKachikau,road ispassable six-hour drive fromKasane toSavuti. The .com) Safaris booking information,contact complete withantique-replica furniture. For African–stylelinententsishly appointed East Camp Safaris booking information,contact are simpleyetfunctionalintheirdesign.For sists of 12contemporary thatched chalets that is arelatively newupmarket retreat. Itcon- Camp, plenty of shade. flush toilets, a brand-newDWNPcampsite withsit-down Savuti. Maun. There are anumberof campinggroundsin The premier campinSavuti, the former site ofBeside legendary Lloyd’s Under optimumconditions,it’sa four- to , inMaun.

(per personUS$575;

( ( Savuti Camp Site Site Savuti Camp % Savute Safari Lodge Safari Savute % 686 1243;www.desertdelta.com) 686 0153;www.gametrackers.orient-express braai NORTHERN BOTSWANA ••Savuti NORTHERN pits,(hot!)showers and pa (camping perpersonUS$5.50)

(per personUS$325; ) comprises 12lav- comprises Savute Elephant Savute Desert &Delta Desert Orient-Express Orient-Express , based in , based p is ) the dry season, you don’t need a 4WD,but youdon’tneed the dryseason, land animals.It’s15kmsoutheastof Nata. In birdlife, aswellantelopes andothergrass- made bylarge bullfrogs,which incredibly the village isderived fromthecroakingsound ing toeitherKasane orMaun. The nameof well asanobligatory fuelstopifyou’re head- other gateway totheMakgadikgadi Pans, as The dustbowltownof asan- serves Gweta GWETA cles, andkeep totheedges of thepan. skills. Drive onlyinthetracksof othervehi- confidence inyourdrivinganddirectional and GPS system, aswellcommonsense a4WD andagoodmap own, youneed is about20kmaway. signposted left-turntowardtheisland,which checkpoint; 1.5kmsouthof thisbarrieristhe aveterinary panandafter 15kmpasses salt a lowridge. Southof here, theroute skirtsa reach desultoryThabatshukuduvillage, on road, 24kmwestof after Nata; 65km,you’ll fromtheNata–Maun is signposted ‘Lekhubu’ ceipt. Toget here, a4WD.Theroute youneed expect ‘donations’of US$6pergroup;get are- Scouts, located atthecampingground,who water. mustregister Campers withtheGame worldly campsite ontheisland,butthere’s no orattheother-You cancamponthesalt baobabtreeswith ghostly andIronAge ruins. is fee includescamping. clearanceisadvisable. Theadmission high refuge atSuaPan. The in mid-air. andfloat fly andstonesturntomountains nary lakes ostriches shimmeranddisappear, of spaceordirection,destroy allsense imagi- enting andethereal austerity. Heat mirages room US$75/100; bath- shared bathroom US$34/52, s/dmudhuts withprivate ( ing) that markstheturn-off for concrete aardvark (no,you’re nothallucinat- and mate. provide water forthemtoemerge sufficient untiltherains bury themselves inthesand winter panstake onadisori- days,thestark 656969; admissionUS$5; % Kubu Island There isabeautiful230-sq-kmwildlife About ahuge 4kmeastof you’llsee Gweta, To explore anypartsof thepansonyour Near thesouthwestern cornerof SuaPan Especially duringthesizzlingheatof late 72-338344; camping perpersonUS$8, s/dgrasshutswith , surrounded by salt andcovered, surroundedbysalt ps h ) , one of the mostbizarre 7am-7pm) Nata Sanctuary hasarange of lnt Baobab Planet

( %

857

71- BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA tween Kasanetween (US$6.50,fourhours) and Grand Lodge about 3.5kmalongMatsiloje Rd. the Cresta Thapamaroundabout, thehotel is lent choice, regardless of yourbudget. From and relaxed ambiencemake thisanexcel- favourite amongtravellers. Theserene setting 2-person rondavelUS$40; Rd;campingperpersonUS$5,s/dUS$80/95, .bw; Matsiloje River, the shopping centres.several the banks,postoffice,laundrette and as visitingartexhibitions. local andregional culture andhistory,aswell museum &Historical Supa-Ngwao Cultural Maun orVictoriaFalls. stopover onthewayto/fromKasane, Nata, (andoftenFrancistown isauseful necessary) shopping, is knownprimarilyforitswholesale the second-largestAlthough cityinBotswana pop 95,000 FRANCISTOWN BOTSWANA EASTERN three hours) passbytheMaano Restaurant. (US$4.50, fourhours) andFrancistown(US$3, Francistown (US$4,three hours), andMaun pans. 4WD tripstothesurroundingsalt also agreat fororganising base quadbike and mud hutsorSan-stylegrasshuts.Thelodge is Bakalanga-style others between canchoose tent beneaththeshadeof abaobab tree while lodges canpitch inthecountry.Campers a 858 the train line andBlue Jacket Plaza,bus and or aheavy plate of chicken and rice. 5) popular afridge andahotplate. cable TV, something special whenyouaddair-con, an excellentchoice. roomsbecome Standard h Rd;admissionfree, donationsappreciated; 3088; NewMaun Francis Ave) Sunday. borone (US$100) atleast once daily,except , whetheryou’re there foracuppa withcake From themain bus terminal, between You’ll enjoythe cosy atmosphere atthe Superbly situated onbanksof theTati Along BlueJacket Styou’llfindmost of travellingHourly combisandbuses be- If you want to stay in the citycentre,If youwanttostay the The onlysite of interest totravellers isthe Air Botswana 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat) 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, ATR OSAA • rnitw BOTSWANAEASTERN ••Francistown Tina’s CoffeeShop flies between Francistown and Ga- fliesbetween Marang Hotel Marang

( %

( % 241 2300;s/dUS$35/40; 241 2393;www.airbotswana.co.bw; ps

( %

(Blue Jacket St;meals US$2- (Blue Jacket ) is a long-standing isalong-standing 241 3991;marang@info , which displays pa ( % ) 240 is Orapa, andis nothard toreach by hitching. cessible byany busorcombi heading towards isac- Khama about 5km northwestof Serowe). Orapa (turn leftattheunsigned T-junction along theroadto about 26km fromSerowe commodation areas foranominalcharge. candrive youtothecampsite andac- staff vate bathrooms.Ifyoudon’t have avehicle, (US$85) have basickitchen facilitiesandpri- chalets (US$50)andsix-person A-frames splurge ortwo,rusticfour-person foranight (steaming hot)showers. Ifyou’re lookingto braai per adult)canalsobearranged. (US$8 perperson) andrhino tracking(US$20 accommodate uptofourpeople. Nature walks wildlifenight drives costUS$55/80,andcan and firewood. basic nonperishablefoodsandcold drinks mapsof aswell useful thesanctuary sells in anyweather. attheentrance Theoffice reach thecampsite andaccommodationareas allvehicles However, can the rainyseason. 4WDvehiclesson, though are in necessary normally accessibleby2WDinthedrysea- cies of birds. ostriches, hyenas,leopardsandover 230spe- impalas,kudu,elands, wildebeests, giraffes, isalsohometozebras, Khama. Thesanctuary white andoneblackrhino currently reside in swana’s lastremaining rhinos–thirty-two 6.30pm) admissionperperson/vehicleUS$2/3; sanctuary.org; Sanctuary Rhino Khama together the4300-hectare in1989toestablish of banded the spiritualcapital theBatswana, which isthebirthplaceof and Khama Seretsi tions inBotswana,theresidents of Serowe, In response todecliningrhinoceros popula- RHINOSANCTUARY KHAMA in economy/club,6½hours) leaves at10am. hours) leaves at9pmandthedaytrain(US$4/8 in 1st-/2nd-classsleepers, US$5ineconomy,8¼ US$3.50, twohours). hours) andBulawayo,Zimbabwe(US$2.80to (US$2,two (US$3, 2½hours), Selebi-Phikwe hours), Gaborone(US$5,sixhours), Serowe (US$3,twohours),Nata Maun (US$9,five minibus services connectFrancistownwith minibus services The entrancegate islocated tothesanctuary two-hourday/ If you’re notself-driving, The overnight traintoGaborone(US$25/20 Shady campsites (US$9perperson) with areThe mainroadswithinthesanctuary pitsare adjacenttocleantoiletsand . Today, the sanctuary protects. Today,thesanctuary Bot-

( % 463 0713;www.khamarhino lonelyplanet.com h 8am- road system have campsites withvarying as brothels. sive hotels inBotswanasometimesdouble other Africancountries,andtheless expen- you won’tfindanythingascheap asinmost options indifferent priceranges. However, larger townsandtouristareas offer several 20% to40%cheaper. areprices, andthatpricesforthelowseason ratesonly. Note are thatthese high-season given inthischapter are forcashpayments an additionalcharge of 10%to12%.Rates Paymenttax. bycredit cardnormallyrequires sites) issubjecttoa10% accommodationbed Accommodation (withtheexceptionof camp ACCOMMODATION BOTSWANA DIRECTORY Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com roadblocks, bureaucracy andbored officials preparedness. While police andveterinary by natural elements,combined withalack of The greatest dangers in Botswana are posed DANGERS &ANNOYANCES opening hours ( p1102 ). inBotswanakeepMost businesses standard BUSINESS HOURS southeastern partsof thecountry. smallranges intheeasternand several and limited totheTsodilo Hillsin the northwest Pans (see p857 ). Hikingopportunitiesare nities forquad-biking ontheMakgadikgadi or life vehicle, viewing,eitherby4WDsafari boat Things todoinBotswanaare centred onwild- ACTIVITIES commodation, mealsandactivities. that lodge pricesinthischapter includeac- Kasane andMaun mayacceptwalk-ins. Note ing, butsomeroad-accessibleoptions around All remote campsandlodges require prebook- add aroundUS$150toUS$200 yourbill. camps are onlybyair,which will accessed sible bycaror4WD,mostOkavango Delta reed chalets. Whileafew lodges are acces- tented campstolarge complexes of brickor ernment freehold lands. outside nationalparks,private landandgov- amenities. Wildcampingispermitted only Quite afew hotels andlodges alongthe Every townhasatleastonehotel, and Safari campsandlodges range fromtiny mokoro . There are inexpensive opportu- BOTSWANA DIRECTORY ••Accommodation BOTSWANA DIRECTORY Amos St,Colbyn) De Korte St,Braamfontein); De Korte nesburg Southern LifeSt,CityBowl); Centre, 8Riebeeck sional House,Broadhurst,POBox315) Hampshire Ave NW,Washington,DC20008) London W1N9AE) Mandela Dr) Mandela Dr, Windhoek; matic Triangle, POBox31910,Lusaka) matic Triangle, Germany France Angola following: in Gaborone(Map pp844–5 ) includethe Countries withdiplomaticrepresentation inBotswana Embassies &Consulates Zimbabwe Zambia USA UK South Africa Namibia EU Australia following countries,amongothers: Botswana hasdiplomaticrepresentation inthe Botswanan Embassies&Consulates EMBASSIES &CONSULATES ern) countries. compared tootherAfrican(andmanyWest- curs, Botswanaenjoysavery lowcrimerate harmless inconvenience. theftoc- Although may becometiresome, they’re mostlyjusta Tervuren, B-1150Brussels, Belgium) ACT 2606,Canberra) ACT 1424)

  PRACTICALITIES   ( ( % ( % Electricity is220-240VAC, (use Electricity 50Hz Weights, measures androaddistances Radio Botswanabroadcasts inboth Radio ForEnglish-language newsseewww % round-pin plugs). South African–style orthree- two- use themetricsystem. international news. broadcastslocal, African and (BTV) TV English and Setswana,while Botswana .gazette.bw. ( ( ( % ( 32-2-732 2070;fax7356312;169,Ave de 020-7499 0031;fax74958595;6StratfordPl, % % ( % 202-244 4990;fax2444164;1531-33New ( ( % % % ( 011-5403 3748;2ndfl,Future BankBldg,122 /fax 3973863;761RobinsonRd,POBox % 390 0204;[email protected]; 5131Nelson 01-250 019;5201Pandit NehruRd,Diplo-

h Cape Town 221941; fax 236034; 101 Nelson Mandela 221941; fax236034;101NelsonMandela 612-6290 7500;5Timbarra Cres, O’Malley, 395 3143;fax3038;3rdfl,Profes- 794645/7/8; 22PhillipsAve, Harare) 8am-12.30pm) ( % Pretoria 021-421 1045;4thfl, ( % 012-430 9640;24 Johan-

859 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA ing fromoutside Botswana,dial no internal area codes, sowhenyou’re phon- accepted athotels andrestaurants andcash up allover the country.Mostcredit cards are major ATMs towns,although are sprouting land. ‘rain’ –avaluable commodityinthisdesert which isdividedinto100thebe. ‘Pula’means Botswana’s unitof currency isthe pula(P), MONEY all over theregion. packet with asmalltouristguideinbookshops ist areas andcentralGaborone. It’ssoldina ofshows major andincludesinsets tour- roads Tourist Map of Botswana The mostaccurate countrymapisthe MAPS IndependenceDay Day after Botswana/Independence Day Day President’s Day Khama Sir Seretse Day Ascension Labour Day NewYear’s Day Day after New Year’s Day holidays inBotswanaare: rica Directory ( p1106 ), theprincipalpublic As wellasreligious holidayslisted intheAf- HOLIDAYS Zimbabwe Zambia US UK South Africa Namibia 860 telephone number. country code, area code (ifapplicable) and is Botswana, theinternational access code lowed by thephonenumber. from Calling Botswana’s country codeis TELEPHONE ATMs).not through advances are available atmajor banks(but Queens Rd,POBox00402) PO Box1586) Box 1232) Enclave, EmbassyDr,POBox90) Mall, POBox362) Mall, Private Bag0023) Private ( ( % Full banking services are available onlyin Full bankingservices % % OSAADRCOY • oias ••Holidays BOTSWANA DIRECTORY 00, which should befollowed bythe ( 395 3982;[email protected];Government 395 2841; fax 395 6105; Queens Rd, The Mall, 395 2841;fax6105;QueensRd,TheMall, ( % % ( % 1 May 1 May 395 1951;fax3952;ZambiaHouse,The ( 397 2685;BCC Bldg,1278OldLobatseRd, % April or May (40 days after Easter) (40daysafter orMay April 1January 391 4495;fax3905863;EmbassyDr,PO 3rd Friday ofJuly 3rdFriday 390 4800; [email protected]; 29 390 4800;[email protected]; 1 July 2 January 1 October 1 October 30 September 30September % (US$3),which 267; there are % 267 fol- Shell and theUS. theUK,Ireland,New Zealand, Canada France,Germany, coming more useful. (US$30/45 for a single-/double-entry visa). (US$30/45 forasingle-/double-entry tralia and NewZealand, and canbeprocessed atthe border Zimbabwe able attheborder forconsiderablyless. visa. Notethat they’re avail- US$190 for a multiple-entry visa,and and costUS$60/100for asingle-/double-entry onedaytoprocess theytake InGaborone, and Britain. Zambia South Africa Namibia in Botswana. for informationonembassies andconsulates p859 in Gaborone. See tries canbeobtained forthefollowing neighbouring coun- Visas forOnwardTravel Visas your trip. Dr,POBox942,Gaborone) Rd &NelsonMandela Control Office extension, applytothe intended Formore stay. thanathree-month air ticket orproof of fundsforyour sufficient months. Youmaybeasked toshowanonward stamp. USA. Onarrivalyou’llget a30-dayentrance Norway, SouthAfrica,Switzerlandandthe tries (exceptSpainandPortugal),Israel, most Commonwealthcountries,EUcoun- areport, butnovisas required bycitizensof All visitors avalid pass- toBotswananeed VISAS ( Botswana and theannual information anddistributes brochures, maps, Bag0047,Gaborone) Private Mall, Bank Bldg, The [email protected]; 2ndfl,StandardChartered office Tourism The continuallyimproving TOURIST INFORMATION readily available inmajor cities. Mobilephonesandaccessoriesarestations. andsomepetrol sold atshops,postoffices Phonecards in varyingdenominationsare and inshopping centres inallmajor towns. found atBotswanaTelecom andpostoffices, Canada andtheUS. theUK,Ireland,Australia, NewZealand, France,Germany, % Extensions areExtensions available foruptothree Reliable coinandcardtelephone boxes are 625 0357) Visasare required bycitizensof theUS,Australia Novisasare required forcitizensofAustralia, Visasare required by citizensoftheUS,Aus- magazines. The offices in magazines.Theoffices Novisasare required forcitizensof and

(

% ( % Botswana Focus Maun 361 1300;fax3552996;cnrMolepole 395 3024;fax3908675;botswana

( % Immigration & Passport Immigration &Passport 686 0492) dispenses tourist dispenses lonelyplanet.com Department of Department and are alsobe- Discover before Kasane

the capital Gaborone. thisiswell the capital Although liner arrive byprivate vehicle orby asmosttravellersally straightforward either travelOverland toorfromBotswanaisusu- Land ( country. Far more popularare bytouristsasanentrypointintothe used Africa) andHarare (Zimbabwe)itisseldom fromJohannesburg withflights (South served Airport International Botswana’s mainairportis Air THERE&AWAY GETTING BOTSWANA IN TRANSPORT lonelyplanet.com across theLimpopo River, inthe TuliBlock, back roads ings. Otherborder crossings serve border cross- bama, Tlokweng orPioneer theRamatla- through South Africa passes Most overland Botswana and between traffic SOUTH AFRICA Namibia isonehour behind Botswana. ing thewinter months (late May toAugust), of lodges safari ontheisland.Note thatdur- and 1.45pmto4pm) existsmainlyforguests Kasane andMpalilaIsland(7amto 12.30pm (6am to6pm).Thebordercrossing between Mohembo andMahango6pm) orbetween der intoNamibiaatNgomaBridge (8amto Strip,youcancrossthebor-In theCaprivi at Mamuno–Buitepos (open8amto1am). The Trans-Kalahari theborder Hwycrosses NAMIBIA runsfrom6amto6pm. ferry toZambia are openfrom6amto8pm,andtheKazungula Botswanaand Zimbabwe crossings between 6pmand10pm.Themain sometime between 6am and8amclose sometime between Namibia orSouthAfricagenerally open but major Botswanaand crossingsbetween disinfectant. pit filledwiththesame country. Vehicles a mustalsopassthrough intothe carrying foot-and-mouthdisease luggage, inadisinfectant diptoprevent them packed those even their shoes, awayintheir arriving travellers are often requested toclean % Border openinghours change allthetime, 66 0238) (www.intercape.co.za) and Kasane TRANSPORT INBOTSWANA There &Away ••Getting TRANSPORT

( % . Atbordercrossings, 35 1191) Sir Seretse Khama Khama Sir Seretse

( 15kmnorthof % Intercape Main- Intercape Maun 65 0136) .

botswana.co.bw) to routes major between towns)andorgan- can avoid publictransport(which islimited to rent avehicle. Withyour owncar,you The bestwaytotravel aroundBotswana is &Motorcycle Car Maun andKasane. carrier, national The Air AROUND GETTING back-roadcrossing atPandamatenga.used west of VictoriaFalls. There’s alsoalesser- andatKazungula,Ramokgwebana–Plumtree bordersThe twomostcommonlyused are at ZIMBABWE truck drivers about liftstoLivingstone. ask shore ofor theZambian theZambezi, Zimbabwe. ficult toreach LivingstoneviaVictoriaFalls, queue ortheferry isn’toperating,it’snot dif- US$20 forlarger vehicles. Ifthere’s along and US$5formotorbikes, US$15forcars and to 6pmdailyandcostsUS$0.50perperson the Kazungula ferry, which operates from6am Direct travel thetwocountriesison between River.gle pointinthemiddleof theZambezi world’s shortest international border–asin- bwe andNamibia)share the what’scertainly (alongwithZimba- Botswana andZambia ZAMBIA of water. high altogether duringperiods and maybeclosed some of are these to2WDvehicles, impassable and theMolopoRiver insouthernBotswana; agency. have awritten permission from therental hassle free tocrossthe border,assuming you bring this figure Plus, it’s down substantially. long-termthough rentals inSouth Africacan US$50/100 forarental car/4WD inBotswana, in Botswana. Youcanexpecttopayabout long andthecost of renting avehicle ishigh tours. are Thedownside isthatdistances ised flights between Gaborone,Francistown, between flights If you’re hitching fromKasane-Kazangula is included in ticket prices.is includedinticket The international taxofUS$9 airdeparture DEPARTURE TAX , operates scheduled domestic Air Botswana

(www.air

861 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA BOTSWANA Public transportinBotswanaisgeared to- Local Transport daysoffood andwater forseveral waiting. tional Park, carrycampinggear andenough from Maun toKasane ChobeNa- through Kalahari theTuli Blockor through Highway, forward. Ifyou’re hitching alongtheTrans- of thebusfare. ing aboard. Mostdrivers expecttheequivalent apricebeforeproblems, butascertain climb- On mainroutes there shouldbenomajor itisstillalways arisk(see although p1126 ). hitching isrelatively safe andfairlycommon publictransport issomewhaterratic, Because Hitching Tempest Gaborone) InternationalAirport, Khama Seretse Imperial Holiday Budget Avis companies: Botswana, thefollowingare somereputable part of thejourney. will take youtoget frompointAtoBisjust remember thattheextraamountof timeit ally screwed). Drive slowly,keep calmand and kudu(ifyouhitoneof you’re these re- Thebiggest problemsarehighways. elephants (larger) animalsalsowander ontomajor goats throwninforgoodmeasure. Other bile intheroadway,withafew and sheep large-earedwith these immo- standing asses keys. willbethick Attimesmainhighways 862 Park and Tsodilo excursions are Hills. These to Chobe National Botswana, most notably it’s alsoeasy tobooktours tootherparts of point for theOkavangojumping-off Delta, From Maun ( p851 ), which isthetraditional Tours beaten track. of Botswana’s touristattractionsare off the liable, itisof tothe traveller littleuse asmost population centres. cheap Although andre- majoris confinedtomain roadsbetween ofwards theneeds thelocalpopulaceand Seretse Khama , Gaborone) InternationalAirport, Khama Seretse Khama International Airport, Gaborone) InternationalAirport, Khama Seretse Khama International Airport, Gaborone) InternationalAirport, Khama Seretse If you’re determined torent avehicle in When drivinganywhere lookoutfordon- Hitching thebackroadsisn’tasstraight- ( % RNPR NBTWN • GtigAon INBOTSWANA Around ••Getting TRANSPORT ( ( ( % % 391 3093;fax2550;www.avis.com; Sir ( % % 390 2030; www.budget.co.za; Sir Seretse SirSeretse 390 2030;www.budget.co.za; 686 2429; Maun, Maun Airport) Maun 686 2429;Maun, 390 0011; www.tempestcarhire.co.za; Sir 390 0011;www.tempestcarhire.co.za; 390 7333; www.imperialcarrental.co.za; Sir 390 7333;www.imperialcarrental.co.za; operators. ISt)OneofBotswana’smostexclusivetour Mathiba (p852). Camp Audi camp.com) Thisbudgetoperatorisrunoutofthepopular safaris, and is run out of the Maun Rest Camp( Rest andisrunoutoftheMaun safaris, p852 ). Shorobe Rd)Thisbudgetoperatorspecialisesin mobile Lodge( Safari p852 ). ISt)ThisbudgetoperatorisrunoutoftheIsland Mathiba Hotel( located intheSedia p852 ). It’s safaris. Rd) Thiscompanyspecialisesinmid-market upmarket safaris and is located near the airport. andislocatedneartheairport. safaris upmarket Thisoperatorspecialisesin www.wilderness-safaris.com) orange building called the Pumpkin Patch.orange buildingcalledthe Pumpkin andishoused inabright safaris, informal participation Rd) Thisoperatorruns .demon.co.uk; Khama SirSeretse tours. lodge-based specialises inupmarket operator vango.bw; MophaneSt)Thiswell-established (p852). Camp Crocodile na.com; ShorobeRd)Thisbudgetoperatorislocatedatthe African border, andwas oncepart of theglori- ontheSouth bwean border toRamatlhabama stretches ontheZimba- from Ramokgwebana easternone linerunning through Botswana. It system islimited to The Botswana Railways Train Wilderness Safaris Safaris Phakawe Tours&Safaris Okavango Lodge River Okavango Camp Rest Maun &Downey Ker Lodge Island Safari Safaris Crocodile Camp &Safaris Bathusi Travel Backpackers Back totheBridge Safaris Camp Audi Afro-Trek Maun (Map p853 ), are alsorecommended: adventures. forlodges,mation office andother safaris asacentral bookingandinfor-which serves ISt) & Mathiba p853; Okavango River Lodge( River Okavango p852 ). .bw; ShorobeRd)Thisbudgetoperatorisrunout ofthe via ChobeNationalPark. foroverlandis alsothebase toKasane safaris often addedtotheendof tours. delta Maun in upmarket safaris. It’s located next to Riley’s Garage. toRiley’s It’slocatednext safaris. in upmarket .bw/~bathusi; Tsheke Tsheko Rd)Thiscompanyspecialises out of Back to the Bridge Backpackers ( Backpackers out ofBacktotheBridge p852 ). [email protected]; ShorobeRd)Thisbudgetoperator isrun The following tour operators, alllocated in A good place to start isat A goodplacetostart % 686 0822; [email protected]; cnr Airport Ave686 0822;[email protected];cnrAirport ( % , opposite theairportinMaun, ( 686 0177; www.afrotrek.com; Shorobe 686 0177;www.afrotrek.com; % ( ( % % ( ( 686 0375; www.kerdowney.com; 686 0375;www.kerdowney.com; ( % % % 686 4337;www.phakawe 686 3472;[email protected]; ( ( 686 0500;www.okavango in Johannesburg011-807 1800; % ( % 686 0300;[email protected]; % ( % 686 3707;freewind@info 686 0265;www.botswa 686 0647;www.info 686 1154;www.oka ( lonelyplanet.com % Travel Wild Travel 686 2406;

(Map (Map travel andFran- therouteLobatse between the slowerandcheaper train’.Both ‘night quicker andmore expensive ‘daytrain’,and of littleornointerest tothetourist. places reliable itispainfullyslowandserves cheap defunct.Although and is nowsadly which ous Johannesburg–Bulawayo service, lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwith ourcontent.’ the above -‘Do theright the termsandconditions onoursitefor alongerwayof saying youknow, orresell it.See everyone site,massemailit to only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’s fairtoaskyou useitforpersonal, non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse,access thischapterisnotdigitally Tomake There are twodifferent typesof train–the TRANSPORT INBOTSWANA Around ••Getting TRANSPORT a ticket inadvanceoronthetrain. economy-class passengersessential; canbuy For 1stand2ndclass,advancebookingsare sible atGaborone,FrancistownandLobatse. are onlypos- butreservations train stations, Palapye, andothervillages. Serule cistown, viaGaborone,Pilane,Mahalapye, Schedules andtickets are available atall © LonelyPlanetPublications

863 BOTSWANA BOTSWANA