Trip Planner
Payment by credit card is easy and safe. We use a secure gateway portal, PayGate. If you wish to pay for your booking by credit card, we will send you a secure link to your email address. There is a small fee for this to cover the high cost of credit card transactions. Visa and MasterCard are currently the only credit cards accepted for payments.
Getting to Botswana
AIR
Travel to Botswana by air is in most cases via neighbouring South Africa. Airlink has direct flights from Johannesburg to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. You can also reach Maun direct from Cape Town. There is also a direct flight from Johannesburg to Kasane, which serves the northern area of Chobe National Park. Air links are opening up and access into Botswana via Lusaka or Victoria Falls is on the increase thanks to airlines like Ethiopian.
Kasane is also an excellent gateway to Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls is only 75 kilometres away – as well as for onward travel into Zambia. Fastjet is now flying between Maun and Victoria Falls several days a week, which makes a Botswana and Zimbabwe combination safari easier and seamless.
ROAD
If you are travelling into Botswana by road from South Africa, Namibia, Zambia or Zimbabwe, please enquire regarding border hours and border regulations.
Main roads are in good condition in the country. Bear in mind that distances are vast. Travelling from Johannesburg by road to Maun (for access to Moremi Game Reserve or the Okavango Delta) takes approximately 14 hours, travelling at the speed limit of 120 km/hour.
What to bring
The best advice in preparing for a trip to Botswana is to pack light. No one dresses up and lightweight clothing is best; preferably select natural fabrics and 100% cotton materials. It is also advisable to wear neutral tones for a safari, such as khaki and earth tones; as bright colours and whites can attract insects and can also disturb game on during excursions.
Here is our suggested packing list:
Essential
Your passport
Visas (if applicable)
Vaccination details
Tickets
Insurance documents + medical insurance
Copies of prescribed medication (if applicable)
Driving licence (if hiring a car)
Credit cards
Travel money
Copies of itinerary
Camera with spare batteries and extra film
Binoculars
Mobile phone + phone charger (if you plan to bring a cell phone)
Travel adapters
Sunglasses
A good sunhat that protects the neck as well as the face
If you wear glasses, an extra pair of reading glasses
If you wear glasses, an extra pair of reading glasses
A good pair of hard wearing, worn-in walking shoes
A pair of sandals/sneakers
A lightweight rain jacket (if you are travelling to Botswana in the wetter months)
A sweater/fleece top for cooler nights or a tracksuit
An anti-histamine cream for minor bites and scratches
Good sun cream protections and lip balm
Insect repellent
Plasters for blisters
A remedy for upset stomachs/diarrhoea
A general painkiller like paracetamol
A good flashlight fitted with new batteries + spare batteries
A swimming costume
Personal toiletries. It is useful to pack a non-perfumed deodorant as mosquitoes can be attracted to perfumed scents
Useful
Maps and guidebooks
Reading material for flights
Address book (for writing postcards home)
A water bottle
A Swiss army knife or Leatherman (but do pack these items into your check-in luggage, not your hand luggage)
If you are intending to join a camping safari, do contact us for packing suggestions.
When to go
Botswana is open all year round so a visit can be planned for any time in the year. The ‘green season’ of the rains (December to March) is when some lodges close for refurbishment. It is also low season so flights into Botswana, within the country, accommodation and lodges often offer special deals. The downside is that the rains scatter wildlife in search of greener pastures and grass is high so that game viewing is not at its best.
Many choose to visit Botswana in the cooler months from April to October. This is when the landscape is much drier. It also means that game viewing is much more concentrated due to the lack of grazing, the scarcity of water and the lack of high, dense vegetation.
Health advice
Malaria is a potential problem in Botswana – especially in the wet season. The further north in Botswana you travel, the greater the exposure to malarial carrying mosquitoes. It is wise to seek medical opinion in your home country before you travel. Anti malarial tablets are easily available in Botswana.
Bilharzia is less of a risk and easily avoidable. The parasite is found in the watered areas of the Okavango and the northern rivers. It is therefore suggested not to swim or come into contact with still water during your visit.
Many of us aware that Botswana, like other African countries, has its fair share of other small creatures like scorpions, snakes, spiders and ticks. The risk of being bitten by venomous creepy crawlies is very low. It is interesting to note that snakebites are not common and rarely fatal. They tend to slide out of sight when disturbed. Medical attention is, however, easily available as are medical evacuations from even the remotest area of the country. It is highly recommended that suitable travel insurance is taken out before travelling to Botswana.
HIV and AIDS is sadly a fact of life in many African countries and this is also true about Botswana. The government is taking radical steps to tackle the HIV and AIDS issue in Botswana with informative educational programmes in schools, through a host of NGOs operating in the country and in its clinics and hospitals. There has been significant success in treatment of mother-to-child transmissions at hospitals (e.g. in Francistown) which is slowly helping to ensure a future generation that is relatively HIV-free. HIV and AIDS does not, of course, pose a direct health risk to visitors.
There are no mandatory inoculations required for travel to Southern and East Africa. Apart from malarial prophylactics (Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda), recommended inoculations for Africa include:
- Hepatitis A and B
- Rabies
- Tetanus
If you are travelling to or from East Africa you will need a Yellow Fever certificate.
You can also check out latest information on the World Health Organisation website.