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Botswana – desert and delta
A male lion in Moremi
A majestic male lion we spotted in the Kalahari.

Kudu drinking at the Khwai River
Kudu drinking at Khwai River, Moremi.

An elusive leopard that we sighted in Khwai.
An elusive leopard we sighted in Khwai.

A hyena in our Chobe camp
A hyena in our Chobe camp!

Another unbeatable African sunset!
Another unbeatable African sunset – Makgadikgadi Pans.

BOTSWANA

POLITICS AND GEOGRAPHY

Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa, and borders South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. With a population of less than two million, Botswana is one of the three least-populated countries in the world, but is equivalent in size to France or Texas. The country essentially is composed of a high (3000 feet) and rather featureless plateau, and forms a significant part of the Kalahari Desert.

However, in the north, Botswana is blessed with one of the few inland deltas in the world, formed where the Okavango River meets the Kalahari sands. This oasis of water, sand, trees, and grasses is famous throughout the world as a haven for wildlife in great numbers and diversity. The Okavango Delta has become a favoured destination for wildlife tourism, on par with the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania. The advantage the Okavango has, however, is that you can drive all day without necessarily encountering another vehicle and therefore enjoy this unique environment largely on your own.

South of the Delta, Botswana offers the magnificence of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the stark beauty of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Both are exceptional places of solitude, African skies wide beyond description, and sudden encounters with wildlife around unexpected corners. This was the terrain of many famous explorers like Baines and Livingstone.

Botswana has been an exception among African countries in that it has long enjoyed both political stability and a working democracy. The country achieved an enviable transformation from being one of the world’s poorest countries at Independence in 1966 to current prosperity founded on the three pillars of diamond mining, cattle ranching and tourism. Stability and prosperity have helped Botswana preserve its magnificent inheritance of wildlife and wild lands, as well as building a strong road, telecommunication, and health care network.

CLIMATE AND HEALTH

Botswana basically has three seasons: hot and dry (August to November – temperatures up to 45 degrees C during the day), hot and wet (December to April – more moderate temperatures, as this is our rainy season), and cool and dry (May to July – cool in the day down to freezing at night). Rainfall during our southern hemisphere summer averages about 250-650mm, but occurs largely during afternoon thunderstorms that follow sunny mornings. Nevertheless, roads might become difficult during this time, and the Wildlife Department can shut down certain sections of protected areas to prevent damage to roads and tracks. Similarly, parts of Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding areas can become inaccessible during the annual floods of the Okavango River, usually from May to August. During the hot and dry season, roads can become extremely dusty, and it is as easy to get bogged down in sand as in mud!

We can give you advice on which areas to concentrate, which areas to avoid due to flooding, deep sand, and official closures, and how to confidently navigate thick sand or water crossings.

We would recommend all travellers to maintain immunizations against tetanus and typhoid. Yellow fever and cholera are not concerns. Botswana is a malaria area, but the presence of mosquito vectors is highly seasonal.

We also require all our clients to have comprehensive medical insurance, including Medivac provisions to transport you to medical centres of excellence – usually in Johannesburg. Self Drive Adventures cannot assume the responsibility of arranging high-quality medical care during emergencies – this is up to you to organize before your trip. As a word of caution, travel medical insurance is an attractive but inadequate option – most hospitals will not immediately accept patients with such insurance, and the insurance companies are often slow in guaranteeing payments necessary for admission.

MAUN

This small town has long been legendary in southern Africa. From its beginnings as a frontier village renowned for crocodile hunters, intrepid entrepreneurs, and lions and elephants roaming the perimeters, Maun has grown into an internationally recognized launching point for safaris into northern Botswana and beyond. The crocodile hunters, lions, and elephants have long gone, but the intrepid entrepreneurs remain, offering you everything from comfortable hotel rooms, French champagne, Brazilian turkeys, and Cuban cigars. Maun is located on the southern edge of the Okavango Delta, and is readily accessible by Air Botswana flights from Gaborone and Johannesburg, and Air Namibia flights from Windhoek.

Maun is the headquarters of Self Drive Adventures, and because of the diversity of services available here, we are in a position to provide you with advice on whatever you need on your 4wd safari. For example you can arrange helicopter or fixed-wing game viewing flights, gentle dug-out canoe (mokoro) trips on the backwaters of the Okavango Delta, fishing expeditions on the main rivers, quad-bike excursions around the Kalahari salt pans, and horseback trips along the rivers.

ROAD CONDITIONS

In Botswana, all main roads are tarred and in good condition, but livestock on the roads pose a significant hazard. Consequently, we caution very strongly against driving at dusk or at night. In the bush, travel is by sand tracks that meander across open plains, through forests, and across rivers. However, these tracks can only accommodate one vehicle travelling in either direction, so we urge caution where vision ahead is limited.