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Botswana is landlocked in the southern part of Africa. To the northeast of Botswana there is Zimbabwe, South Africa to the south and southeast and with Namibia to the west.
Botswana is landlocked in the southern part of Africa. To the northeast of Botswana there is Zimbabwe, South Africa to the south and southeast and with Namibia to the west.
The eastern region of Botswana is a bushy hilly country with grasslands. In the western part of the country there is the Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari Desert. The Chobe River offers the only permanent surface water and during heavy rains water flows into the Makarikari Salt Pans and Lake Ngami.
Accommodation in Botswana
Safari, lodges and camps have been constructed in all national parks and wilderness area of Botswana. Most of the of the safari lodges are founding Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve and Okavango Delta, and a few in the Makgadikgadi Pans and Tuli Block. Most of the lodges are tented but luxurious, comfortable and spacious.
Hotels in Botswana are generally in a reasonable standard especially in the main centres in the east of the country. The largest number of hotels and motels in Botswana are in or near Gaborone, Francistown, Kasane and Maun, with air conditioning, swimming pools. Many other hotels have fairly basic amenities.
Botswana Climate
Botswana is a country with a subtropical climate. Summer in Botswana is usually between October and April. It’s very hot and combined with the rainy season. Dry weather is between May and September. Cold and frosty temperatures are mainly in winter which is June and July. Annual rainfall decreases westwards and southwards.
Transport
In Botswana the transport network is very good. There are airports in Francistown, Ghanzi, Jwaneny, Kasane, Maun, Pont Drift and Selebi-Phikwe. Charter planes can be hired to fly to various lodges in Botswana.
-Botswana Railway runs everyday between Francistown to Gaborone and Lobatse. Children under 7 travel free and those aged between 7 and 11 pay half the fare. Tickets are bought at the train station.
-Traffic in Botswana travels on the left. The roads have a good tarmac on all major routes. The other roads are either gravel or sand tracks. Some roads are rough and very sandy all year round.
When travelling long distances reserve fuel and at least 20litre of water must always be kept.
Drivers must be careful of stray animals and some reckless drivers.
-There are bus services between Gaborone and Francistown, and from Francistown to Nata and Maun. Buses from Francistown to Maun run every day (journey time - about 6 hours). Several other bus services are available for across the boarders of Botswana.
Activities in Botswana
Botswana's parks need 4 Wheel drive vehicle especially during the rainy season which is between November and March.
The wildlife of Botswana is enthusiastic. A lot of game is in the Kalahari sands.
- Gaberone Game Reserve, the Mokolodi Nature Reserve and the Okavango Delta; You can see zebras within Makgadikgadi Pans and Okavango Delta, giraffes can be found in Okavango Delta and Khutse Game Reserve. Lions, buffalo and brown hyena can be watched in Moremi and Khutse Game reserve.
All of Botswana's rhino collection are protected from poachers and are found at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe.
- In Botswana hippos are found along Chobe river. Visitors have to be careful of crocodiles that are found in the Moremi Game Reserve and in the Okavango Delta. The Makgadikgadi Pans have thousands of brilliant pink flamingos.
- The rocky Savuti area has lots of baboons.
- Bushmen of the last Stone Age are said to have stayed in Tsodilo Hills which is also considered a sacred place. The palce has been decorated with lots of rock paintings
- The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a place both for animals and the bushmen
- Kalahari Desert is a beautiful region with vast grass flats, low tree-covered ridges and a widespread narrow waterway opening into lagoons.
- See the 'peace parks' planned to cross national boundaries and re-open ancient animal migration routes, at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park, which borders with South Africa.
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