Botswana: Tourist & Vacation Guide

Country's codes

International phone code for Botswana: +267

Standard ISO 3166-1:

3 letters: BWA

2 letters (internet domain): .BW

Digital country code 072

Standard EAN-13 (country barcode): 480

Olympic country code: BOT

FIFA code: BOT

🇧🇼 Botswana Travel Guide

🇧🇼 Botswana is Africa’s premier safari destination — a land of pristine wilderness, the mighty Okavango Delta, and the vast Kalahari Desert. It offers luxury camping, incredible wildlife, and one of the world’s most successful conservation stories.

🌍 RegionSouthern Africa

⭐ Famous forOkavango Delta, elephants, diamonds

📅 Best time to visitMay – October (dry season for wildlife viewing)

💰 CurrencyBotswana Pula (BWP)

  ✨ Why visit Botswana?

  Botswana delivers the ultimate African safari experience. Glide through the Okavango Delta’s crystal‑clear channels, watch huge elephant herds in Chobe National Park, and explore the surreal salt pans of Makgadikgadi. It’s a high‑value, low‑impact destination built on conservation and exclusivity.

Top Attractions in Botswana

🌿 Okavango Delta

A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s largest inland deltas — explore by mokoro (dugout canoe) and spot hippos, elephants, and lions.

🐘 Chobe National Park

Home to Africa’s largest elephant population (over 50,000), plus spectacular river cruises on the Chobe River.

🧂 Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

A surreal, endless white landscape — one of the largest salt flats in the world, with meerkats and fossilized zebra tracks.

🏜️ Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Vast, remote wilderness perfect for spotting black‑maned Kalahari lions and experiencing San Bushman culture.

Best Places to Visit

🌊 Okavango Delta – The jewel of Botswana, best visited by light aircraft and mokoro.
🐘 Chobe Riverfront – Unmatched elephant viewing and sunset boat safaris.
🧂 Makgadikgadi Pans – Otherworldly salt flats and zebra migration.
🏞️ Moremi Game Reserve – Pristine wilderness within the Delta.
🦁 Central Kalahari – True solitude and desert‑adapted wildlife.

  💡 Travel Tip: Botswana is a high‑cost, low‑volume destination — fly‑in safaris are common. For budget travelers, consider camping in the Delta or staying just outside Chobe. Book well in advance.

Things to Do in Botswana

Take a mokoro canoe trip through the Okavango Delta’s lily‑filled channels.
Join a river cruise in Chobe to see elephants swimming and buffalo herds.
Walk with habituated meerkats on the Makgadikgadi salt pans.
Go quad biking across the endless white salt flats.
Learn tracking skills from San Bushmen in the Kalahari.

🍽️ Local Experience: Botswana’s cuisine is simple and hearty. Try “Seswaa” (shredded beef or goat), “Pap” (maize porridge), and “Morogo” (wild spinach). Don’t leave without tasting local “Chibuku” (traditional sorghum beer).

Travel Tips for Visitors

☀️ Dry season (May–Oct) is best for wildlife; wet season (Nov–Apr) offers lush scenery and birdlife.
🚁 Many remote camps require small planes — budget for internal flights.
💵 Pula is the currency; credit cards work in Maun and Gaborone, but carry cash for remote areas.
🦟 Malaria risk exists in the Delta and Chobe — take prophylaxis and use mosquito nets.

📌 Useful Country Information

Quick Facts

Total area: 224,607 sq mi (581,730 sq km)

Population (2023 est.): ~2.4 million

Capital: Gaborone (~246,000)

🇧🇼 Gaborone: Capital City Profile

Other major cities: Francistown, Maun (safari hub), Kasane

Currency: Botswana Pula (BWP)

CurrencyRate

National name: Lefatshe la Botswana

Language: English (official), Setswana (national language)

Ethnicity/race: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa (San) 3%, Kgalagadi 3%, white 1%, other 3%

Religions: Christianity 79.1% (Protestant 66.6%, Catholic 12.5%), Badimo (traditional) 4.1%, other 4.7%, none 12.1%

National Holiday: September 30, Botswana Day (Independence from UK, 1966).

Background

🇧🇼 Botswana is one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous nations. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, it gained independence in 1966. At independence, it was one of the poorest countries in the world — but the discovery of diamonds soon transformed its fortunes.
🐘 Today, Botswana is a model of good governance and conservation. Over 38% of its land is protected for wildlife, and it has one of the highest elephant populations on Earth.
🌍 Unlike many African nations, Botswana has maintained continuous democratic elections since independence. It remains a peaceful, sparsely populated country where tourism is carefully managed to preserve its pristine wilderness.
🎣 The Okavango Delta, a unique inland water system that floods the Kalahari sands, is the crown jewel — offering safaris unlike anywhere else on the planet.