Travel COMPANION KGALAGADI / CENTRAL “Half the fun of the travel.. is the aesthetic of lostness” Ray Bradbury Welcome to Botswana Botswana is widely regarded as Dog, Cheetah, Brown Hyena, Cape having some of the best wilderness Vulture, Wattled Crane, Kori Bustard, Band wildlife areas on the African and Pel’s Fishing Owl. This makes continent. With a full 38 percent your safari experience even more of its total land area devoted to memorable, and at times you will feel national parks, reserves and wildlife simply surrounded by wild animals. management areas - for the most part The fi rst – and most lasting unfenced, allowing animals to roam impressions – will be of vast expanses wild and free - travel through many of uninhabited wilderness stretching parts of the country has the feeling of from horizon to horizon, the sensation moving through an immense Nature of limitless space, astoundingly rich wonderland. wildlife and bird viewing, night skies Botswana is a rarity in our over- littered with stars and heavenly bodies populated, over-developed world. of an unimaginable brilliance, and Untamed and untameable, it is one stunning sunsets of unearthly beauty. of the last great refuges for Nature’s As well, with more and more magnifi cent pageantry of life. cultural tourism options on off er, Experience here the stunning you will be charmed by the people beauty of the world’s largest intact of Botswana, visiting their villages inland Delta - the Okavango; the and experiencing fi rst-hand their rich unimaginable vastness of the world’s cultural heritage. second largest game reserve – the But perhaps most of all, Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve; the greatest gift is its ability to put us isolation and other-worldliness of the in touch with our natural selves. It Makgadikgadi – uninhabited pans the off ers that vital link so keenly felt by size of Portugal; and the astoundingly inhabitants of the developed world, prolifi c wildlife of the Chobe National a pervasive void we feel but often Park. cannot name – our connectedness Botswana is the last stronghold with Nature and the astonishing for a number of endangered bird and diversity of plants and animals to be mammal species, including Wild explored. About Us... BOTSWANA TOURISM BOARD The Botswana Tourism Board TO plan, develop and implement TO set performance targets and (BTB) was established by an Act of tourism marketing and promotion to design programmes aimed at TParliament in 2003. Its mandate is to strategies aimed at creating and facilitating the continued growth and market and promote Botswana as a sustaining a positive image of development of tourism; premier tourist destination of choice, Botswana as a tourist and investor TO develop and implement to promote Botswana as a tourism destination; appropriate strategies for achieving investment venue, and to grade and TO plan, formulate and implement annual work plan objectives and to classify accommodation facilities in strategies for promoting sustainable set performance targets aimed at the the country. The Board commenced tourism development in collaboration promotion of tourism business in its operations in January 2006. with the tourism industry’s private Botswana; A Board of Directors, consisting sector, local authorities, local TO investigate any matter that has a of 15 members and appointed by the communities and Non-Governmental negative eff ect on the tourism industry, Minister of Wildlife, Environment and Organisations (NGOs); and to make recommendations Tourism, governs the BTB. The Board TO determine policies for giving thereon to the Government; is comprised of the Chairperson and eff ect to the objects and purposes of TO manage and co-ordinate the Vice Chairperson, a representative the Act that established the BTB; Botswana’s tourism promotional and from the governing Ministry, and 12 TO advise Government to change, publicity programmes; members from the public and private review or formulate policy and TO provide market research sectors in the tourism industry. strategies where necessary; information and market intelligence BTB holds a broad portfolio TO implement Government on tourism; that touches nearly all aspects of policies and programmes aimed at TO promote the expansion of tourism development in the country, facilitating the continued growth and existing and new investment in including: development of the tourism sector; Botswana’s tourism sector; 2 LOCAL OFFICES Headquarters Private Bag 275 Gaborone, Botswana Tel: 267 391-3111 Fax: 267 395-3220 [email protected] www.botswanatourism.co.bw Gaborone Mall Branch Tel: 267 395-9455 Fax: 267 318-1373 Maun Offi ce Tel: 267 686-3093 Kasane Offi ce Tel: 267 625-2211 OFFICES AND AGENCIES ABROAD TO establish and expand local recreational and leisure tourism, Germany as well as international travel trade and to bring them to the required c/o Interface International networks to promote and sell marketable standard. Karl-Marx-Allee 91 A Botswana; The grading system serves as a 10243 Berlin, Germany TO market and promote the means to protect the consumer and [email protected] establishment of joint tourism business guarantee quality accommodation www.botswanatourism.de ventures between citizen and foreign and services in Botswana. It also assists Contact: Frank Hoff mann investors; the accommodation establishment to f.hoff [email protected] TO grade and classify accomm- benchmark its performance against odation facilities in the tourism set standards. United Kingdom industry; Additionally, the grading system c/o Botswana High Commission TO promote the improvement is a useful tool to indicate to travel 6 Stratford Place of tourism industry standards, in the agents, tour operators and tourists the London, W1C 1AY areas of service standards and a code general quality of accommodation Contact: Dawn Parr of ethics; facilities in the country. This can serve [email protected] TO conduct tourism awareness as a guide for tourists planning their campaigns within and outside destinations in Botswana. United States of America Botswana; and The system also provides a c/o Partner Concepts LLC TO develop and improve existing framework to industry investors so that 127 Lubrano Drive, Suite 203 tourism opportunities, and to diversify they are able to design their facilities to Annapolis, MD 21401 the sector to include other forms of attract the desired market segments. Tel: 410-224-7688 tourism, such as cultural and heritage BTB is funded through grants Fax: 410-224-1499 tourism, eco-tourism, entertainment, received from the Government. Contact: Leslee Hall [email protected] Kgalagadi / Central Highlights Experience the ultimate adventure – a Witness the magnificent zebra Traverse the vast Makgadikgadi on quad self-drive safari through the Kgalagadi; migrations of the Makgadikgadi. bikes. Experience the immense wilderness see the unique birds of the desert. Explore the pans on walks with the San. of the world’s second largest game reserve. Travel COMPANION KGALAGADI / CENTRAL INTRODUCTION Welcome to Botswana 1 About Us 2 Highlights 4 DESTINATIONS Indulge in arts and crafts shopping, See the rare black-maned The Kgalagadi 6 including world-class basketry and San Kalahari lions, and a host of Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve 9 jewellery and artifacts. other desert animals. Nxai Pan National Park 12 Central Kalahari Game Reserve 14 Khutse Game Reserve 16 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 18 Ghanzi 20 Khama Rhino Sanctuary 22 Serowe 23 REGIONAL MAPS Makgadikgadi Pans 18-2 Central Kalahari Game Reserve 18-3 Botswana fold out Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 18-4 INFORMATION Botswana at a Glance 24 Visitor Information 25 Emergency Numbers 32 Distance Chart 33 Your Notes 34 Produced by: Botswana Tourism Board, Gaborone April 2009 © BTB All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form and by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of BTB. Writer/Editor: Linda Pfotenhauer Graphic Design: Sarah Banks, Kolobe Botswana Cartography: Department of Surveys and Mapping Travel COMPANION to... The Kgalagadi Covering a full 84 percent of A land of singular, often hidden, Following a season of good rain, Botswana’s land area, the semi-arid beauty, the Kgalagadi is intensely the desert is transformed, covered with Kgalagadi terrain dominates most of alive with an astonishing diversity of lush, green grasses, and fl ooded pans Cthe country. plant and animal life. It has broad – a source of rebirth and rejuvenation Refuting the classical perception variations in vegetation, supporting for both humans and animals. of desert as a barren, vegetation-less, several savanna types, namely grass, Many desert animals, including useless land, the Kgalagadi (Kalahari) shrub and tree savanna. springbok, gemsbok, eland, and is rich in natural resources. These The Kgalagadi landscape often even the Kalahari lion, are supremely include its sweeping grasslands that appears as grassy plains dotted with adapted to its semi-arid conditions, feed not only its wildlife populations, low shrubs, interspersed with trees or and can live without water, though but also its swelling cattle herds belts of trees, which often stand on they will drink if water is available. (numbering approximately 2 million), sandy ridges. Though a newcomer’s fi rst Antelope derive their moisture by thus supporting the country’s third impression may be one of ‘sameness,’ feeding at night and early morning largest industry - cattle