Botswana Travel Guide

Aboard a dugout canoe named Mokoro, you can crisscross the waters of the delta, one of the largest landbound deltas in the world. Situated in the North-West of the country, not far from the Namibian border, the delta occupies an area of almost 15,000 km2, home to a rare ecosystem: the marshes along the sides of the lagoons are full of reeds; hippopotami splash about in the canals; when the waterline recedes, mounds of earth become islands and are quickly covered in grass, which becomes pasture for ruminating animals...

When visiting Botswana, you should definitely make a detour, long or short, through the Kalahari. Covering the entire South West and centre of the country, as well as part of neighbouring countries, the Kalahari is a huge arid area which becomes a grassy savannah for several months of the year. The best time to discover it is during this season, between February and May. You'll come across the San people, who live there, and you'll meet lions and oryx...

The wildlife is particularly abundant and varied in Botswana, and the parks and reserves are well kept. You'll have many chances to take safari photos: in the Chobe National Park, in the North, where there are lots of elephants; in the Nxaipan and Makgadikgadi parks, with their herds of zebra; in the Kalahari Central or the trans-border Kgalagadi park, where you'll see large predators, always an impressive sight.

The Makgadikgadi pans, located in the North-East of Botswana, between Francistown and Maun, are a salt desert made up of arid scenery stretching as far as the eye can see. Travelling through this endless salty expanse in a 4x4, their monotony occasionally relieved by rocks and baobabs, is an incredible experience.

When you visit the capital of Botswana, you'll discover a modern but slightly sprawling city; the urban area is home to only 400,000 inhabitants. There are modern high-rise flats and the government city; centres of commerce and congress, museums which seem to merge together in the lower city, and a sprinkling of bars, restaurants and discos. At Gaborone, the locals know how to unwind and have fun! It's one of the places where you can discover Botswana's culture, music and crafts.