Facts and Tips on Botswana Tourism

Botswana is a landlocked country which lies to the South of Africa. Her immediate neighbors are South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This country has an area of 581,730 square kilometers and Gaborone is the capital city. It has a population of about 1,850,000 people. English and Setswana are the national languages. She got her independence on 30th September, 1966. The Okavango Delta which is the largest inland delta in the world is situated in this country and it covers an area of fifteen thousand square kilometers. This delta is home to a wide variety of wild animals making the area an attractive site to people from all corners of the world. There are about sixty species of snakes recorded in the country and twelve of these are venomous.

The best time to visit Botswana is during the dry season between the months of May to August when the Okavango floods and the wildebeest and other animals are migrating towards it. During this time the tourists come in large numbers and the prices in Lodges and Camps also go up. Botswana is a semi-arid country and experiences winter from May to early September and summer from October to April. Game viewing is ideal during winter while bird watching and photographing is best done during the summer. It is better to arrange your tour with the local agents since they have all the information you will need including the best attractions in the country. The currency is Pula and currently 1 BWP = 0.1489 USD $.

Like many African countries, some areas especially the Northern part of Botswana have malaria. The risk of malaria is high in this area during the warm rainy season between the months of November and June. Every visitor should therefore take malaria tablets at least two weeks prior the visit. You are advised to use treated mosquito nets at night and apply repellent oil on your body. In addition, wear trousers, long sleeved shirts and closed shoes to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes during the night. It is extremely important to treat your clothes with malaria insecticides since this will also help to eliminate the mosquitoes.

All Botswana bushes have ticks, therefore make sure that your body is well covered and use an insect repellent when walking in the bush. Tick-bite fever symptoms include headache, fever, neck stiffness, tenderness in the glands and body aches. You should therefore seek medical help before it is too late. To avoid snake bites, wear trouser, socks and boots while walking through the undergrowth. In case of a snake bite, the first thing you should do is to recognize and if possible kill the snake, disinfect the area of the bite and go to the nearest hospital immediately. Precaution to sun and heat related problems include taking a lot of water, avoiding direct exposure to the sun, using sunscreen and taking less alcohol to avoid dehydration.