Botswana
Africa · Gaborone · BW
Botswana is the safari country of southern Africa, a landlocked nation whose wild north concentrates some of the best animal watching on the continent. The Okavango Delta, a vast inland river system that spreads across the flat interior in channels, papyrus and islands, is the country's crown jewel, explored by mokoro, plane and guided drive. To the north the Chobe river packs elephant herds and plains game along its banks, and the national parks and reserves of the north, from Moremi to the Kalahari salt pans, hold lions, leopards, wild dogs and an enormous variety of the African plains. The country is stable, safe and relatively well developed, and its safari industry runs with a genuinely high standard of guiding and accommodation. Beyond the animals, the Kalahari empties into shimmering salt flats and the silent, star-heavy bush that defines deep Africa.
Overview
Botswana is a country in Africa. Its capital is Gaborone and the international dialling code is +267. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include English. Local currency is the Pula (BWP). We also list 1 city in Botswana: Gaborone.
The Okavango's Flooded Plains and the Poled Wooden Canoes
The heart of Botswana is water in the desert, a great river that never reaches the sea but spreads instead across the flat sands of the interior to form a vast patchwork of channels, lagoons and grassy islands. The classic way into this world is the mokoro, a slender dugout poled silently through the reeds by a guide whose quiet scanning of the water reads the life beneath. The flooded plains and the channels of the delta gather elephants, hippos, reedbucks and a dizzying variety of birds, and the islands hold the big cats of the reserve. The deep water of the permanent channels is where the boats work, while the seasonal flood spreads across the surrounding grasslands between the years of big rain. The delta is best taken slowly, from a camp on one of the islands, letting the rhythms of the water set the day.
Chobe's Elephant Families at the Water's Edge at Dusk
The Chobe river marks the north-eastern border of Botswana, and its banks hold one of the largest concentrations of elephants on the continent. At the end of the dry season the families gather by the hundreds along the water's edge, drinking, spraying and guiding their young through the mud, while the boats of the river game viewing drift a respectful distance away. The shoreline elsewhere carries herds of buffalo, kudu, waterbuck and the crocodiles that slide off the banks at dusk. The floodplain behind the shore is classic lion country, and the big prides are regularly seen from the road network of the park. A sunset boat trip along the river is one of the great scenes of African wildlife photography, with the big mammals silhouetted against the low orange light and the bushbuck picking along the reeds.
Moremi's Island Camps and the Prided Lions in the Grass
Moremi, the reserve that shares the heart of the Okavango with the waters, is where the big-game drama of the delta plays out on its open floodplains. Springhares and lechwe graze the grassland, puku pick along the channels and the lions of the area, together with leopards and the elusive wild dogs, work the same herds the guides read from their tire tracks each morning. The camps of the reserve sit on the islands that rise above the flood, their tents and decks strung under the fig and ebony trees. Game driving here follows the water's edge in the dry season, when the flood concentrates the animals along the shrinking margins. The sunsets stain the reed beds gold, and the nights fill with the grunt of lions and the sound of hippos wallowing in the shallows. It is classic, concentrated Okavango.
The Salt Pans of Makgadikgadi and the Plains of the Kalahari
East of the delta, the Makgadikgadi flats open into one of the largest salt pans in the world, a shimmering white expanse of the dry heart of Botswana. In the dry season the pans are a blinding flat of cracked salt; in the green season a short burst of rain can turn sections into shallow water and a sudden, spectacular bloom of grass and flamingos. The area beyond, the Kalahari, spreads far to the south and west in thornveld and open plains, home to the meerkats, hartebeest and the springbok that offer their own subtle drama. Drives across the flats, quad trails or a sleep-out on the pan under a sky that holds almost no light pollution give a sense of true space. The old baobabs and the camps of the edge of the Kalahari complete the scene, and the silence between the vast skies is the real attraction.
The Bush Camps, the Cooking Fires and the Dark of the Stars
The safari rhythm of Botswana turns on the bush camp: the tents raised under the trees, the canvas chairs around the fire and the lantern light that marks the boundary between the camp and the dark. Mornings begin with coffee in the dark and a game drive that opens the plains as light spreads. Evenings finish with a boma dinner, the meat slow-cooked over the coals and the stories of the day told under a sky that fills in tiers. The camps of the country sit deep in the reserves and few, from the delta islands to the dry pans, keep a wide personal distance from the wildlife. The darkness here is complete and star-struck, and the absolute absence of artificial light is as memorable as any sighting. The whole experience is a slower, quieter, more expert safari story that rewards patience and respect for the wild.
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- Capital
- Gaborone
- Currency
- Pula (BWP)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +267
- Internet TLD
- bw
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Botswana.
Which nationalities can enter Botswana?
Current visa status for tourism for the origins we cover, with links to the detailed requirements.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Botswana?
For the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Botswana visa-free for tourism, and 3 more origins are visa-free too. Entry rules depend on your passport and the purpose of your trip, so check the current requirements for your own nationality with our entry requirements tool.
What is the capital of Botswana?
Gaborone is the capital of Botswana, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Botswana?
You pay with Pula (BWP) in Botswana. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Botswana?
The languages we list for Botswana are English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Botswana?
The dialling code for Botswana is +267 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Botswana do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Botswana: Gaborone (capital).