A first-time guide to Botswana

If you’re planning your first trip to Botswana (or even your tenth), you have much to look forward to.

Consistently ranked by travelers as Africa’s best safari destination, Botswana is filled with wildlife that inhabits iconic landscapes, among them the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert, which together make up more than 90% of the country’s territory.

Botswana has become a byword for the exclusive safari, its government having wisely chosen to encourage quality of safari experience over mass tourism. All throughout the Okavango Delta and neighboring ecosystems such as Chobe National Park, tented camps of unrivaled luxury are located amid some of the most prolific wildlife populations on the planet. By one estimate, the Delta alone is home to more than 200,000 large mammals.

Elsewhere, the great expanses of salt pans and grasslands that make up the Kalahari provide wildlife and wilderness in equal measure. Whether you’re with a group, a private safari tour or driving yourself, Botswana really does offer safari tourism at its best.

Yet the country has other calling cards. In the Kalahari, you can spend time learning about one of Africa’s most ancient cultures, the San. And in Maun or Kasane, allow time to experience modern, urban life in this stable and relatively prosperous country. Best of all, Botswana is a safe and easy adventure that’s ideal for experienced and first-time travelers alike.

When should I visit Botswana?

There are no bad times to visit Botswana. Targeting a time of year to visit depends on what you’re hoping to do when you’re here.

The best weather is undoubtedly from April or May until October. This is the dry season, bringing clear skies, cool evenings and nights (especially from June or July to August), and mild daytime temperatures. At either end of the season, while rains can linger into April or begin to fall in the second half of October, you can expect generally dry conditions overall. October is one month that deserves special mention: temperatures (and humidity) build in advance of the rains, and animals congregate around the last remaining water sources, making them easier to find. This is a standout month to visit.

The rainy or wet season takes up much of the rest of the year. That said, it rarely rains all of the time: in November and December, temperatures can soar, and rains might be restricted to an occasional afternoon thunderstorm. The rains really kick in, and temperatures remain high, from January to March. Some years, the rains never arrive; others, it rains heavily. Note, however, that water levels in the Okavango Delta are highest during the dry season, since they depend on rains that will have fallen months before in the highlands of Angola.

The wetter months do have some benefits. Botswana’s landscapes are lovely and green, and this is when migratory bird species are present in the area, having flown south from Europe and North Africa.

Apart from weather, you’ll also need to take into account the tourist seasons. As a general rule, high-season prices (and lower availability) kick in from June to October, making the shoulder-season months of April and May excellent months to visit. The rainy months, known as the “green season,” can be cheaper as well. Counterintuitively, when it’s high season in the Delta, some lodges in the Kalahari treat the period as low season, since nights can be bitterly cold in desert regions from May or June to August.

How much time should I spend in Botswana?

The longer you spend in Botswana, the better – this is a country that deserves as much time as you can spare. Still, with a few days you can get a taste of what’s possible, exploring closer reaches of the Okavango Delta from Maun, or parts of Chobe National Park from Kasane. In a week, you could easily visit both, with stays in two or three campsites or tented camps. In 10 days or two weeks you could visit Chobe and the Delta, and one or two parks in the Kalahari. We recommend the full two weeks.

Is it easy to get in and around Botswana?

Though Botswana lies off major international air routes, there are regular connections to Johannesburg, Cape Town and other regional hubs. Most travelers fly into the tourist centers of Maun or Kasane rather than Gaborone, since Botswana’s capital lies in the country’s southeast, a long way from the major safari areas in the country’s central and northern regions. It’s also possible to fly into Zimbabwe’s well-connected Victoria Falls Airport and drive across the border from there.

Once you’re in the country, Botswana is a joy to get around, especially when compared to many other African countries. It’s easy to fly around the country in small planes; many accommodations even have their own airstrip. Safari tour operators are adept at getting their clients around by road in comfortable vehicles, and the road network is generally excellent (although a 4WD is necessary in the parks).

Botswana is one of the best places for a self-driving safari. Many companies rent safari vehicles (with rooftop or ground tents), and many will also make accommodation (including campsite) bookings on your behalf. One that does the latter is Drive Botswana.

Because the country has one of the lowest population densities on earth, roads are blissfully empty (save for in towns, and the far east and southeast near Gaborone). Beware of police with speed cameras on major roads.

Top things to do in Botswana

Botswana is all about the safari, which means exploring places that are synonymous with the African wild: Okavango, Kalahari, Chobe and Savuti. You can also dip into local culture in Maun and Kasane, and even meet the San, one of the continent’s most ancient cultures.

Set out on safari in Chobe and the Okavango Delta

There’s nowhere on earth quite like the Okavango Delta. Every year, the waters of the Okavango River drain down into Botswana from the Angolan Highlands, and fan out into the rivers and channels of the endorheic (or outlet-free) delta, creating islands and floodplains where many of Africa’s charismatic creatures thrive. Apart from the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), you’ll likely see cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, zebras, giraffes and so much more, including an astonishing richness of birds. Exploring the Okavango’s byways – on a self-drive tour in Moremi Game Reserve, on an exclusive fly-in safari in the Inner Delta or via the quiet pleasures of a mokoro (traditional wooden dugout canoe) – is simply one of the greatest experiences in all of Africa. In particular, a jaunt in a mokoro is something you can only do in the Okavango Delta, and often ends up as the highlight of many visitors’ trips.

East of the Delta, Chobe National Park is extensive and wild, home to elephants and lions that once did battle on the plains and marshes of Savuti. Chobe also has all manner of other predators and prey that come down to drink at the Chobe River. The waterway is just a few kilometers from the provincial center of Kasane and wonderfully accessible, allowing for boat safaris that provide a wonderful vantage point for all the action.

Explore the Kalahari

The Kalahari Desert occupies more than 80% of Botswana’s territory, and visiting here is part safari adventure and part desert trek. In the Kalahari’s north, Nxai Pans and Makgadikgadi Pans National Parks form part of the world’s largest network of salt pans. In the latter, wildlife – lions, brown hyenas, meerkats, elephants and one of the world’s largest zebra migrations – appears against a thin ribbon of horizon to spectacular effect at sunrise or sunset, or by moonlight.

To the south, swallowing the country’s vast interior, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) is steeped in stories. The former home of the San – who run a number of tourist camps and community projects just outside the reserve’s western boundary – the reserve is a soulful realm of ancient river valleys, salt pans and sand dunes colonized by light woodlands. The reserve’s Deception Valley was made famous in the classic Cry of the Kalahari (1984), co-written by Delia Owens (who later achieved fame with Where the Crawdads Sing). Apart from anything else, the CKGR is famous for its desert-adapted wildlife, including lions.

Extending out from the southern tip of the CKGR, Khutse Game Reserve attracts weekenders from Gaborone, but is otherwise blissfully quiet, and has much the same wildlife as its much-larger neighbour to the north. Rounding out Botswana’s Kalahari offerings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – which Botswana shares with South Africa – is another stellar preserve filled with wildlife, dunes and big open spaces.

Get to know urban Botswana in Maun or Kasane

Most travelers to Botswana fly into Maun or Kasane, head straight out on safari and depart quickly on their return. Yet each town offers a window onto modern Botswanan life that makes them worth lingering in, even for just a day or two. Both towns extend along pretty riverbanks, have some excellent places to eat and vie for the title of Botswana’s best nightlife hub. It’s impossible not to meet locals in the towns’ cafes, markets, supermarkets and shops.

Both Maun and Kasane also have some excellent community and conservation projects worth visiting. Near Maun, for example, there’s the Shorobe Basket Co-operative, where local women raise funds for the local community by weaving traditional basketry. In Maun itself, the Okavango Craft Brewery combines excellent artisan beer with a project to support communities and maintain critical elephant corridors in the northern Delta region.

Discover the Tsodilo Hills

In a remote corner of northwestern Botswana close to the border with Namibia, the Tsodilo Hills are one of just two UNESCO World Heritage–listed sites in Botswana. (The other, unsurprisingly, is the Okavango Delta.) The hills are sometimes called “the Louvre of the Desert,” thanks to the more than 4000 rock paintings that adorn the walls and rock shelters of the area. Attributed to the San, the oldest paintings might date as far back as 40,000 years. A small rock hole at the heart of the Hills is the site where the San believe the world came into creation.

At the base of the hills, there’s a campground and interpretation center where guides can be arranged. Walking trails wind through the hills, providing access to the rock-art panels, including those made famous by Laurens van der Post’s 1958 classic The Lost World of the Kalahari.

My favorite thing to do in Botswana

If you can swing it, a few nights in a luxury tented camp in the Inner Okavango Delta is one of life’s great travel experiences. Then again, I adore driving out into Savuti or Moremi Game Reserve in my self-contained rented 4WD with a rooftop tent. I would do both of these a thousand times over.

But to really take it all in and get a sense of the scale and beauty of the Delta, I always take a scenic flight from Maun. Seen from above, the Delta is a magical world of palm-crowned islands, glistening waters and the trails left by elephants between water holes across the millennia. You might also see lions lazing by the water, elephants or buffalo herds on the move, or giraffes reduced to the size of ants.

How much money do I need for Botswana?

The cost of your visit to Botswana will depend primarily on the cost of your safari, which can vary from US$100 per person per day for a budget camping safari, to US$3000 and up for an ultra-luxurious, all-inclusive fly-in experience.

In addition to the level of comfort or luxury you choose, other factors that can influence prices include the season (high season is a premium); whether you’re on a private, group or self-drive safari; and whether you travel between parks or accommodation by road or by plane.

• Hotel room: US$50–5000 per night

• Campsite: US$10 per night

• Hiring a car/4WD: US$100–200 per day

• Three-course dinner for two in a mid-range restaurant: US$50

• Park entry fees: US$20–50 per day

Things you should know in Botswana

Is Botswana safe?

Botswana is one of the safest countries in Africa. Crime against travelers is extremely rare – you should be careful of pickpockets in Maun, but even there they’re rare – and almost unheard of out in the national parks and wild areas.

Traffic is light and road accidents almost never happen. That said, if you’ve never driven a 4WD before, consider taking a course before you set out beyond where the paved road ends. And regardless of your level of experience, always drive slowly and take great care in unfamiliar conditions to avoid problems.

If you stay in your vehicle, the danger from wild animals should be vanishingly small. Remember, however, that most campsites in Botswana are unfenced, and wild animals – including lions, leopards and hyenas – routinely wander through camp after dark. Moving around campsites during the day is usually fine (although always check your surroundings) – but never walk alone after dark, and always carry a flashlight when you set out in a group.

Bring US dollars

Many travelers book and pay for their safaris in advance, and credit cards are usually accepted for major transactions (most hotels, safari companies, airline companies and scenic flights), as well as at most supermarkets and gas stations. For smaller transactions, bring US dollars, which you can convert to the Botswanan pula at banks and exchange offices in Maun, Kasane and other towns.

US dollars can also be useful for tips to drivers, guides and other people who help make your safari memorable. Most accommodations have a communal tipping box. How much to tip is a personal choice, but US$10 per traveler per day is a good starting point. 

Many travelers don’t need a visa

Citizens of more than 100 countries don’t need a visa to visit Botswana.