Overview to Botswana: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Botswana blends the very best safari with the wildest of African wildernesses to astounding effect. Some 20 percent of the country has been designated as National Park and right across its vast landlocked mass, a series of stunningly rich ecosystems unfold.
The rather overlooked capital, Gaborone, is a slightly mundane affair, with few sights to really get the traveler’s pulse racing. Sitting on the edge of the Okavango Delta, the small but lively town of Maun, on the other hand, draws in its fair share of curious vistors.
And for good reason - the Delta is undoubtedly one of Africa’s standout regions in terms of natural beauty. Its maze of inland waterways and the array of savannas and lakes attract countless species of animals including lions, hyenas and cheetahs.
The nearby Chobe National Park arguably offers the best selection of wildlife. But the Moremi Game Reserve is an attractive option for the budget-conscious: simple buses run to and from the area, allowing visitors to make the most of the park on a cost-effective day trip.
Over to the southwest of the country, Botswana is increasingly given over to the sprawling Kalahari Desert. Searingly hot, the desert is nevertheless not just arid wasteland: some vegetation does manage to grow, allowing the hardy San tribesmen to carve out a living here as well.
Such tribesmen - the famous ‘Bushmen of the Kalahari’ - offer travelers a fascinating insight into the country's traditional tribal cultures, especially through their intricate crafts and organic production techniques. They also serve as a reminder that Botswana, while a haven for wildlife, is also an anthropologist’s dream.