Document checklist for Botswana

Passport or current visa.

Airline ticket or itinerary.

Medical insurance information.

Sufficient funds.

Essential Botswana travel information

Currency – Although the U.S. dollar is generally accepted at lodges and hotels around Botswana, the native currency is the Pula (BWP), a solid regional currency. 0.76112 US dollars are equal to 1 BWP.

Daily budget for one person: around P1,581.80 (120.10$) per day

Languages: Tswana is regarded as the national language of Botswana, but English is the country’s official language.

Socket type – Botswana uses 230V and 50Hz for its power needs.

Time zone – (GMT +2)

The top 3 cities/islands to visit are Gaborone, Francistown, Molepolole

Top 3 landmarks/monuments – Three Chiefs’ Statues, Khwai River Bridge, Tsodilo Hills

Visa information for Botswana

The eligibility to enter Botswana without a visa, which foreign nationals require, is governed by the African nation’s visa regulations. All visitors must possess a passport valid for at least six months at arrival, regardless of whether they require a visa. Applicants for Botswana visas are now required to do so online. Through the online visa system, people from other countries can get permission to enter the nation for travel, business, and other reasons.

Typical costs and budget for Botswana

Daily spending – around P1,581.80 (120.10$) per day 

Meals – the average cost of food in Botswana is P177 per day.

Transport: Daily local transit expenses are $ 19 per person, depending on how you want to travel.

Hotel: In Botswana, a hotel room costs, on average, $ 116 for two people.

Travel options in Botswana and the finest modes of transportation

The major towns in Botswana are connected by various local buses that travel on asphalt roads. While they might be crowded, unpleasant, and noisy, they are inexpensive, often available, and a fantastic way to get to know the community. They are the same as any other local buses in Africa, and traveling on them may be enjoyable and frustrating.

Small charter planes transport tourists between all the northern Botswana camps like a fleet of taxis, operating out of the center of Maun with Kasane as a secondary destination. They fly 6- to 12-seater aircraft along the several little bush runways that dot the area. There is frequently no other way to visit numerous camps, and you’ll never have to fret about organizing these flights for yourselves. Instead, the operator who organizes your camps typically arranges flights as a crucial component of your vacation.

South Africa has a railway connecting it to Lobatse, Francistown, Gaborone, Palapye, and Bulawayo, but it is the only railway in the nation. Although it is trustworthy, visitors to northern Botswana rarely use it.

Safety in Botswana

Travelers could only run into minor crime in Botswana, one of the safest nations in Africa. Keep your valuables locked up as you would in any other nation, and bring what you need for the day. Visitors should be cautious when using their phones while strolling. Pickpockets may frequent busy areas and transportation hubs, so keep your belongings safe. Travelers are sometimes robbed near the Gaborone Dam and Kgale Hill neighborhoods in the country’s capital. Exercising precautions is recommended in these places, especially between nightfall and morning.

Weather in Botswana

While game-watching is at its optimum, the dreary winter months of May to October are the ideal time to travel to Botswana. As the dry season continues over this period, wildlife is gathered in growing numbers at water fountains. This season, expect bright, sunny days (22°C to 35°C) and cool evenings. The Okavango Delta’s water levels are also at their peak during this time, resulting in the iconic rivers and channels that make up Botswana.

Must do and see in Botswana

Meet the San Bushmen: The San are a tribe of native hunter-gatherers, the earliest people of Southern Africa and associated with the Kalahari. Follow the San on supervised strolling excursions to gain insight into their exceptional hunting and tracking abilities and their remarkable comprehension of medicinal and toxic plants. You’ll also have a chance to get to know San’s fascinating culture.

Aquatic Safaris in the Delta: Among the most tranquil experiences you may have is riding in a mokoro. As you drift silently, your tour guide may point out lovely lilies, tiny painted reed frogs, and goliath herons. Hippos need not fear—the poler gently taps on the rear of the mokoro to alert them that people are approaching! It is known as “the Venice of safari” and is the classic “vehicle” for watching wildlife in the Okavango Delta.

Go birding: For the finest birding in Botswana, travel during the summer (November to March). When this happens, the migrants enter the area and join the locals at a location teeming with “ticks,” including pied kingfishers, oxpeckers, and black egrets, among others.

Typical Botswana food to try

Dikgobe: This meal, which includes beans, maize, and lamb, is among the most popular in Botswana. The lamb is roasted while the bean mixture is nearly finished cooking over low heat. Then, it is combined into a single plate and garnished with parsley sprigs.

Mogodu: This meal is made in Botswana using tripe. Sliced tripe is used to create a stew, then served with potatoes and peas on the side. Chili, ginger, and garlic are used as flavorings.

Vetkoek: Botswana’s most popular fast food item is this minced beef burger. It also includes ground pork, onion, red pepper, spinach, and occasionally liver. It is served in the typical round hamburger bread. Curry, thyme, salt, and chili sauce are used as seasonings.

Vaccine information for Botswana

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is necessary for passengers one year or older transiting through or coming from a nation where the spread of yellow fever is possible. If you haven’t had a booster dose of a polio-containing vaccination in the last 12 months and you’re traveling to this country for more than four weeks, you could be encouraged to do so. However, you need to carry proof that you had this immunization.