species, including Wild Dog, Cheetah, Brown Hyena, Cape Vulture, Wattled Crane, Kori Bustard, and Pel’s Fishing Owl. This makes your safari experience evenspecies, more including memorable, Wild Dog, and atCheetah, times you Brown will Hyena,feel simply Cape surrounded Vulture, Wattled by wild animals.Crane, Kori The Bustard, first - andand Pel’smost lastingFishing impressions Owl. This makes – will your be safariof vast experience expanses ofeven uninhabited more memorable, wilderness and stretching at times youfrom will horizon feel simply to horizon, surrounded the sensation by wild ofanimals. limitless The space, first -astoundingly and most lasting rich wildlifeimpressions and bird – will viewing, be of vast night expanses skies litteredof uninhabited with stars wilderness and heavenly stretching bodies from of an horizon unimaginable to horizon, brilliance, the sensation and stunningof limitless sunsets space, ofastoundingly unearthly beauty. rich wildlife and bird viewing, night skies Aslittered well, with starsmore and and heavenly more cultural bodies tourism of an unimaginable options on offer, brilliance, you will and be charmedstunning bysunsets the people of unearthly of Botswana, beauty. visiting their villages and experiencing first-handAs well, with their more rich and cultural more heritage.cultural tourismBut perhaps options most on ofoffer, all, Botswana’s you will be greatestcharmed gift by isthe its people ability toof putBotswana, us in touch visiting with their our villages natural andselves. experiencing It offers thatfirst-hand vital link their so keenlyrich cultural felt by heritage. inhabitants But ofperhaps the developed most of all,world, Botswana’s a pervasivegreatest gift void is itswe ability feel but to putoften us cannot in touch name with – our our natural connectedness selves. It offerswith Naturethat vital and link the so astonishing keenly felt by diversity inhabitants of plants of the and developed animals to world, be explored. a pervasive void we feel but often cannot name – our connectedness with Nature and the astonishing diversity of plants and animals to be explored. 1 2 2 FOREWORD FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 4 MAP OF BOTSWANA 6 BOTSWANA AT A GLANCE 8 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON GRADING 9 GRADING STANDARDS 10 CALENDAR 2012 12 GABORONE 14 EASTERN REGION 38 MAKGADIKGADI AND NXAI PANS REGION 52 CHOBE REGION 62 FRANCISTOWN 77 NORTH EAST AND CENTRAL REGION 97 KGALAGADI & GHANZI REGION 124 MOREMI AND OKAVANGO REGION 148 TRAVEL AGENTS AND MOBILE OPERATORS 201 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS 205 BOTSWANA BORDERS, AIRPORTS AND GAZETTED PLACES OF ENTRY AND EXIT 208 CUSTOMS HEADQUARTERS & REGIONAL OFFICES 212 BOTSWANA TOURISM ORGANISATION CONTACTS 218 EMBASSIES, HIGH COMMISSIONS & CONSULATES 220 BOTSWANA’S HONORARY CONSULS 224 LIST OF GRADED TOURIST ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES 228 3 t is with pleasure that we publish yet another booklet for Botswana’s graded Itourist accommodation facilities. This grading and classification of accommodation facilities is done in accordance with the developed and approved Botswana Bureau of Standards specifications, which are briefly described under Grading Standards on this issue. The results of graded accommodation establishments stand as confirmation that Botswana offers travellers accommodation options of quality and repute. The results further indicate a general improvement on the level of service quality offered by our facilities since the last grading exercise, with more facilities using the mentorship programme offered by Botswana Tourism Organisation to improve on their facilities further. Some facilities do not appear in this publication due to various factors such as on-going refurbishments and/or upgrading, or pending re-assessment. This accommodation guide is both essential and useful to all visitors, local or international. The results of graded facilities are also found on our website, www.botswanatourism.co.bw, where there is an opportunity to view all graded establishments on an interactive Map of Botswana. In order to assist the industry to improve further, kindly give us feedback by completing the Questionnaire/ Feedback form posted on the website. I hope you will take time to experience the beauty that Botswana has to offer, the flora and fauna, culture, heritage, and other fascinating beauties found nowhere else but in Botswana. I trust you will find this publication very useful. Thank you, kea leboga. Myra T. Sekgororoane Chief Executive Officer 4 5 1 Location: Botswana is a land-locked country situated in southern Africa. It borders South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Approximately two-thirds of the country lies within the Tropics. Country Size: Botswana covers an area of 581730 square kilometres – about the size of France or Kenya. Topography: Most of the country is flat, with some small hills in the eastern areas. Kalahari sands cover 84 percent of the surface area. With the exception of the northern areas, most of Botswana is without perennial surface water. Capital: Gaborone Urban centres: Francistown, Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe Tourism centres: Maun, Kasane Independence day: 30 September 1966 Government: Multi-party democracy Head of State: His Excellency Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama Population: 2 million, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4 % (2010 statistics) National language: Setswana Official language: English Currency: Pula Main exports: Diamonds, copper nickel, beef, soda ash, tourism Major crops: Maize, sorghum, millet 8 Introduction The grading system serves as a useful tool in indicating to travel agents, tour operators and tourists the general quality levels of accommodation facilities in an area as a basis for deciding which facilities to select before tourists start a journey to any particular destination. The system also provides a framework to industry investors in designing their facilities to attract the desired market groups. Basically, the role of grading is to protect the consumer and for the accommodation establishment to benchmark their performance against set standards. The Botswana Star Grading System is used to differentiate the various quality levels of accommodation establishments, it provides judgements on the amenities, facilities and services of particular accommodation in a way that enables travellers to choose the quality of accommodation they want. The system is mandatory for all types of enterprises. The system applies objectivity obtained from the Grading standards and subjectivity obtained from the Grading Criteria. It is the combination of these two documentations that evaluate whether the establishment is fit for purpose as intended, thus ensuring an accommodation establishment qualifies for a Star Grading having achieved an acceptable average score. The guiding principles for the establishment of the Botswana Star Grading System are : r"NBSLFUJOHBOERVBMJUZBTTVSBODFUPPMCBTFEPOJOUFSOBUJPOBM recognised ratings. r"JETBDDPNNPEBUJPOFTUBCMJTINFOUTUPCFODINBSLUIFJS performance against set Standards. r4FSWFTBTBQMFEHFUPDPNNJUNFOUUPRVBMJUZ TUBOEBSETBOETFSWJDF r"MMPXTGPSDPOTVNFSDPOñEFODFBOEDIPJDF Benefits of Graded Facilities r3FDPHOJTFECPUIOBUJPOBMMZBOEJOUFSOBUJPOBMMZ GPSUIFJS commitment to standards and service within the hospitality industry, hence, assisting establishments in positioning their products. r%JTQMBZJOHPGQMBRVFTJTTVFECZUIF#PUTXBOB5PVSJTN0SHBOJTBUJPO r%JTQMBZJOHPGHSBEJOHDFSUJñDBUFTJTTVFECZUIF0SHBOJTBUJPOJOTJEF their establishments. r-JTUFEPOUIF#PUTXBOB5PVSJTN0SHBOJ[BUJPOTXFCTJUFXJUIB hyperlink to the individual property. r-JTUFEPOUIFBOOVBMBDDPNNPEBUJPOHVJEFCZMPDBUJPOBOE star rating. r1BSUJDJQBUJPOBUUIFNBSLFUJOHGBJSTUISPVHI#PUTXBOB5PVSJTN Organisation. 9 FACILITIES TO BE GRADED All tourist enterprises licensed under the Tourism Act of 2009 shall be graded in accordance with the provisions of the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) Act, 2009. These include all facilities throughout the country such as hotels, guesthouses, lodges and self catering establishments. Facilities therefore have to meet minimum licensing requirements. The grading system is compulsory and it is conducted bi-annually. The system consists of a rating from 1 to a 5 star facility. rOne Star facility offers fair to good (acceptable/modest) quality in the overall standard of furnishings, service and guest care. rTwo Star facility offers good quality in the overall standard of furnishings, service and guest care. rThree Star offers very good quality in the overall standard of furnishings, service and guest care. r Four Star offers superior (excellent) comfort and quality with a high standard of furnishings, service and guest care. rFive Star facility offers an exceptional quality and luxurious accommodation with highest standard of furnishings, flawless service and meticulous guest care. rGrade Pending includes facilities which may have no award, new facilities, or those whose certificates have expired and are due for re-grading. GRADING ASSESSORS Botswana Tourism Organisation has employed a team of trained grading assessors who have undergone internationally recognized training in the principles and etiquette of grading. Refresher courses are conducted intermittently. The grading assessors are Joyce Bose Morontshe, Richard Mafila Malesu, Tshepho F. Mmokele, Kegomoditswe Onyana Modikwe, Ferdinand Sebinyane, Bukie Mogale, Masego Moakofhi, Thatayaone Mmapatsi, Bakang Baloi, Messiah Matolela, Tshoganetso Carl-Ponoesele, Keotshepile Mphusu and Thabang Segaetsho. They are led by the Quality Assurance Manager (QAM), Stephen Ramalepa.