We explored Botswana on an extended trip from South Africa. It is not so much a destination for hiking, but Safari is second to none. Read our guides below to see what this enticing country has to offer.
Botswana Overlanding Book
I captured our many adventures in a travel book, check it out on Amazon*.
South Africa was kicking us out so we had to make a plan. ‘What about Botswana?’ A few days before we overstayed our visas, we hit the road in our trusty Defender and sped north from Cape Town.
Guides
Useful things for a holiday in Botswana
- Travel Debit Card: we have Wise Cards* which allow you to cheaply convert most currencies into Botswana Pula. You can then pay by card (a few lodges have card machines), wire transfer or withdraw cash from an ATM inside Botswana for no extra fees.
- Travel Insurance: we use SafetyWing*, it’s simple to buy online and they have a downloadable letter proving you have travel insurance which includes Covid-related issues.
Parks and Game Reserves
In Botswana, the animals are allowed to roam free. Only vet fences (which are broken by elephants) limit movement to reduce the spread of bovine TB and other diseases that cattle can suffer from. Because of this, you can see large game anywhere, even elephants crossing the highway! The density of wildlife increases within the parks as they are far from human settlements and they protect sources of water such as rivers and pans that sustain the animals.
That being said, a large part of the Okavanga Delta is not in any national park and does not have much formal environmental protection, yet has a very high concentration of wildlife.
National Parks
The Lonely Planet Guidebook* covers all of Botswana, but not in much detail. The Bradt Guide* has a wealth of information and is great for planning a safari around northern Botswana, but doesn’t cover southern Botswana. The Tracks4Africa Map* is an essential item for driving around the country and its national parks. For more information, see our Best Botswana Guidebooks article.