What You Should Know Before Going On A Botswana Tour

Where is Botswana?

Botswana is a land-locked country located in southern Africa. It is bordered by Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. 

What languages are spoken in Botswana?

The official languages of Botswana are English and Tswana. Although most of the population speaks Tswana as a first language, many people speak English as a second language or at least understand it. In particular, those working in the tourism industry will likely know English. 

Common phrases in Tswana

While most people in Botswana do speak English, it can be polite and helpful to memorize a few basic phrases in the native tongue.

• Hallo - Hello 
• O Kae? - How are you?
• Ka kopo - Please
• Ke a leboga - Thank you
• O bua Sekhowa? - Do you speak English?

Is Botswana safe?

Botswana is known as the safest African country. Tourism is well-developed in this country, and violent crime rates are very low. Mugging and bag-snatching is somewhat common, so be aware of your surroundings and don’t carry large amounts of cash. 

Botswana currency

The Botswanan Pula is the official currency of Botswana. Pula means “rain” in Tswana, because rain is so scarce in Botswana and therefore valuable to locals. 

The US dollar is also accepted at many restaurants and lodges, but it is helpful to carry pulas as well.

Do’s and dont’s for visiting Botswana

DO

• Visit a travel health clinic or specialist before traveling and stay up to date on vaccines.
• Follow your safari guide’s instructions, especially when interacting with wildlife.
• Ask a guide or hotel staff about areas to avoid.
• Tip at restaurants and bars. 10-20% is customary.

DON’T

• Drive at night. The roads are poorly lit, and wild animals and potholes are common.
• Approach any wild animals. 
• Wear expensive jewelry or rent a luxury car, especially in the cities. Showing signs of wealth will make you a bigger target for pickpockets and thieves. 
• Swim in any lakes or rivers unless allowed by a guide or park warden. Wild animals such as crocodiles lurk in these waters, and you are also at risk for waterborne diseases. 

Best time to visit Botswana

The best time to visit Botswana is during the dry season (May through October), when temperatures are mild and floods are rare.

Best Big Game Viewing

The Moremi Game Reserve, a national park located on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta, offers the best big game viewing in the area, and most guided trips combine it with visits to other parts of the delta.

If it’s elephants in abundance that you seek, you’ll want to include nearby Chobe National Park on your Botswana itinerary. Chobe, which lies along the Zambezi, is elephant central in all of Africa, with great herds roaming the park. (Chobe’s Savuti channel is famous for its elephant-eating lions.)

To really get off the beaten track, head to arid southern Botswana, where the huge, uncrowded Central Kalahari Game Reserve offers a chance to view desert-adapted wildlife.

The Kalahari’s enormous Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, shimmering white as far as the eye can see, are another attraction of this region. And in the far south of the country, near the South African border, the Mashatu Game Reserve, the largest private reserve in southern Africa, showcases lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Ready to make Botswana your safari choice? Let Stride help you sort through all the possibilities, to choose the guided trip that will show you the best of Botswana.