GETTING
THERE. Botswana, roughly the size of Texas is a
land-locked country bordered on the north and west by
Namibia, the east by Zimbabwe and the south by South Africa.
The easiest access to Botswana is by air with several
international carriers flying into Gaborone on a regional
basis. The country is also accessed by road and rail from
South Africa. Internal transport within the country can be
conducted by road on the good tar surfaces between major
centers. For access to wilderness areas, air charter flights
are the most convenient or, in the case of very remote
sites, professionally organized 4X4 safaris are
essential. Most of the
country forms a high-lying continental plateau with few
mountainous features. Grasslands and semi-desert conditions
dominate the central and southern regions while the far
north is tropical, including the Okavango Delta area. Except
for the northern tropical region, the country's climate is
typically continental with extremely high temperatures up to
40º C in the dry season and occasionally low night time
temperatures falling below zero in some areas. Items to
bring include when visiting Botswana: sun block lotion,
sunglasses, hats and insect repellent are essential.
Comfortable cool clothing and good walking shoes are also
advised. HEALTH
REQUIREMENTS. United States citizens do not require a
VISA to visit Botswana and apart from the normal inoculation
certificates, precautions against malaria are recommended as
the disease is prevalent in the more popular wildlife areas.
Malaria is a risk from November to June in the northernmost
part of the country. Bilharzia is endemic, as is sleeping
sickness transmitted by the tsetse fly in the reserves. Tick
bite fever can be a problem when walking from the bush.
Special precautions also need to be taken for cholera,
typhoid and polio. Medical facilities in the major centers
are sufficient to cope with most health
emergencies. PLACES OF
INTEREST. Gaborone was established as the capital after
independence because of its convenient location near a major
water source as well as it being on the route of the major
rail lines between South Africa and the more northern states
of the region. Now a modern capital, the city was originally
named after Chief Gaborone who led the Batlokwa tribe here
in the 1880s from South Africa. Today, the city is the
location of luxury hotels, casinos and museums which
preserve the country's historical and cultural heritage. The
central and southern areas of Botswana are dominated by the
Kalahari, which is not a true desert but a semi-arid region
of erratic rainfall which provides enough dry grassland to
support grazing wildlife. Most of northern Botswana was once
covered by a great lake. Today, however, there is no water
here except in the Okavango Delta to the north. It is now
the largest salt pan on earth, the Makgadikgadi and other
smaller pans like the Sowa and Nxai; all of which are dotted
with rock formations which were once islands in the vast
lake. The dominant life form today, however, is the hardy
baobab tree, able to store its own reserves of water and
capable of living for thousands of years. Okavango
Delta &endash; A remnant of the vast lake system which
once covered most of Botswana, the Okavango Delta is the
largest inland wetland in the world and a rare example of a
landlocked delta where the entire flow of a mighty river
forms lakes and swamps where evaporation finally consumes
all of the flowing waters. But, as the one oasis in a vast,
dry land, the Okavango has been a magnet for all forms of
wildlife and is the country's largest and best equipped
tourist venue. The main access point is the town of Maun,
which borders on the southern reaches of the delta as well
as the Moremi Game Reserve, a large area of swamp and
islands almost completely surrounded by the waters of the
delta. Travel around these parts is best by traditional
dugout canoes or between one camp site to another by
air. Great
Reserve &endash; The Chobe National Park in the far
north of the country is a game reserve of more tropical
nature. The climate there is tropical and has plenty of
water supplied by the Chobe River. Even though it is one of
the country's prime tourist attractions, this is still a
pristine wilderness area. There is an excellent
infrastructure of camps and trails with professionally
guided game drives always available and the viewing
absolutely spectacular. The Chobe region is easily accessed
by air charter and visitors can be assured of game, birding
and fishing activities unsurpassed in any of the country's
other reserves. The park is justly famous for its elephant
population which, at about 50,000, is the largest in Africa
and an extraordinary concentration of lion who follow the
annual zebra migration through the area. TEN BEST
REASONS TO VISIT BOTSWANA 1. Arts
and Crafts &endash; With a history of tribal cultures,
there is a world famous art and crafts tradition which is
mainly found near the capital. 2.
Okavango &endash; Botswana's best tourist area has a
unique ecology and plenty of wildlife and bird species,
which can be viewed at close range from a "mokoro" or
primitive dugout canoe. 3.
Central Kalahari &endash; Most tropical of the
semi-desert conditions, which dominate most of Botswana, the
Central Kalahari Game Reserve also shows a wide array of
game in their natural setting. 4.
Makgadikgadi &endash; As the last remnant of a lake
which was at one time the largest in Africa, the various
salt pans of this area, dotted the one time islands and
ancient baobab trees, are a reminder of how transient
environments and the life that depends on them can
be. 5. Tuli
Block &endash; A region which is close to the capital
but often neglected on tourist itineraries, the Tuli Block
is a fascinating study of geology and ecology as well as one
of the prime areas for the mineral wealth of the
country. 6.
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park &endash; Wild and remote
- difficult to access except for the well equipped - this is
an excellent location for those who seek a true wilderness
area. 7.
Gaborone &endash; One of Africa's newest capital cities,
this is a good introduction to the country of Botswana,
which has the highest growth rate of any other economy in
the region. 8.
Birding &endash; Botswana not only offers a countless
number of migratory and resident species, but also boasts a
bewildering array of raptors and other spectacular bird
species. 9. Chobe
&endash; A superlative wildlife reserve which has the
largest elephant population in Africa (and therefore the
world), Chobe is also blessed with lush tropical vegetation
and greater rainfall than usually found in this dry
country. 10.
Cultural History &endash; Botswana not only preserves
its local traditions, but has carefully protected its
heritage of ancient human culture from the Stone Age
artifacts of the salt pan areas up to the wealth of San rock
art found across the country. About
the author: Helen C. Broadus is the Founder and
President of Venue International Professionals, Inc. (VIP)
which is a full-service international travel and tourism
company based in the Washington Metropolitan Area. She has
an extensive background built over more than ten years in
the international travel and tourism industry, with a
special focus on Africa and has conducted escorted tours to
more than twenty African countries. She is currently the
Secretary of the International Board of Directors of the
Africa Travel Association (ATA) as well as a member of the
American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the Society for
Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH). In 1997, she
received the coveted Founder's Award from the ATA for her
outstanding contributions towards the promotion of travel
and tourism opportunities to the Continent of Africa. In
1999, she received the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel
Group's Award for significant contributions to the promotion
of travel and tourism opportunities to West Africa. She can
be contacted toll free at 1-877-TO-VENUE or by e-mail at
vipinc@erols.com. Botswana,
Southern Africa: Trade & Tourism Botswana
offers the visitor a choice of large, well managed game
parks and preserves,with diverse and abundant wildlife. It
is located north of South Africa, and is bordered by Namibia
and Zimbabwe to the north. It is connected by a narrow strip
to Zambia. The topography is mainly a broad, flat, arid
subtropical plateau, with hills in the country's eastern
section. The famous
Okavango River empties into the Kalahari sands in the
northwest, , which has created the world's largest inland
river delta, home to wide variety of birds, plants, and
small animal species. While in the delta, visitors will want
to visit Chobe National Park, a beautiful grassland reserve
famous for its herds of elephants. Travel in a
south easterly direction, and you can visit the salt pans,
of Makgadikgadi, with antelopes, blue wildebeest and flocks
of exotic flamingos. The famous
Kalahari Desert makes up a large part of the remainder of
the country. Much more
Botswana information to come on this site Botswana Embassy
Botswana Tourism
Board
Fairground Office Park, Plot 50676
Gaborone, Botswana
Website:http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/
JOURNEY
TO BOTSWANA AND EXPERIENCE A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES
By
Helen C. Broadus
Photos
(next
page)
BOTSWANA,
a peaceful land with the double benefits of an expanding
economy and pristine wilderness areas, has the most famous
inland wetland in Africa, a stark contrast to the
semi-desert conditions which apply across most of the
country. Botswana has a vibrant and growing economy based on
free market principles sustained by a substantial income
from diamonds supplemented by vehicle manufacturing, beef
exports, tourism, other forms of manufacturing, income and
custom taxes. But most of all the country remains a peaceful
haven with low population densities and wonderful wilderness
areas where the wildlife not only includes the Big Five, but
many rare species which have not survived in other regions
of Africa where the impact of human civilization has been
more severe.With
a government which has been stable for the thirty-three
years since the country's independence from England and the
visionary creation of a parliamentary democracy and
market-based economy &endash; Botswana has been able to
preserve all of its natural and wildlife heritage while
making economic progress. Botswana is primarily a
parliamentary republic and the Botswana Democratic Party
still commands a substantial majority within the country's
parliament. The current leader of Botswana is President
Festus Mogae. Since 1998, he has served with great
distinction, continuing his predecessors' sound leadership,
while the government in general follows similar pragmatic
policies for the country. Botswana has a population of
approximately 1.5 million with most of the people living in
the rural areas and subsistence farming as their main
occupation. Some 30 percent of the population is Christian
while the majority, especially in rural areas, follows
traditional African beliefs. English is the official
language with Setswana being the most common local tongue.
The local currency is the Pula (P) which equals 100
thebe.
"We intend to conserve our resources wisely and not
destroy them. Those of us who happen to live in Botswana in
the 20th century are no more important than our descendants
in centuries to come."
Hon Sir
QKI Masire,
President of Botswana
and in our May 2001 edition.
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For additional Botswana
information on the web:
http://www.geographia.com/botswana/index.html