Now Botswana adheres to the policy of restricting the mass flow of tourists, so that only travelers with a very high budget can visit here..But in return they will have the opportunity to see a huge number of animals and birds, enjoy the exotic nature of the Kalahari Desert and the famous Okavango River delta .Visit the village of the ancient African tribe Bushmen, who retained their former way of life, ancient customs and culture to the present day - a pleasure no less than to see the mystical hills of Tsolido - the richest collection of rock art in the southern part of the African continent..In addition, Botswana is one of the safest tourist destinations in Africa..Aborigines are very calm and benevolent, and the general slow rhythm of life is reflected even in the behavior of animals that are almost not afraid of people..

The capital is Gaborone. Most tourists go to the country for the national parks of Botswana.

How to get to Botswana

There are no direct flights to Botswana from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Directly there you can fly from Europe by regular flight of British Airways, or you can get from South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia by regular flights of local airlines. The most common option: a flight to the capital of Botswana Gaborone via Johannesburg, from where the South African Airways or Air Botswana planes fly (also there are flights to Maun and Kasane). Johannesburg, in turn, can be reached by Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways.

Visa to Botswana

Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit Botswana for up to 90 days.

Customs

Allowed duty-free import of 2 liters of wine or a liter of spirits, 50 cigars or 250 cigarettes or 250 g of tobacco .Prohibited import of drugs and pornographic materials .Allowed the export of animal skins under a special license of the customs authorities .When exporting compulsory customs control, weapons, processed diamonds and eggs of ostrich are subject (for transportation of any "ostrich souvenir", a veterinary certificate is also necessary) .Export of local currency is limited to 5 000 BWP .Import and export of foreign currency is not limited (declaration is obligatory) .

Useful phone numbers are

Embassy of Russia in Gaborone: Tawana Close 4711; tel .: (39) 533-89; website.

Fire service: 998, police: 999, ambulance: 997, 911.

Telephone codes of cities: Gaborone - 31 and 39, Lobatse - 33, Francistown - 21.

Transport

In Botswana, few roads, so some places can only be reached by air. Local airlines regularly fly between the four main cities of Botswana, but the flight costs quite a bit. Six major bus routes and a railway line connect Francistown, Gaborone and Lobatse. Low cost and quality service make these modes very popular.

Car rental in Botswana

In the main cities there are many companies that offer car rentals. Payment is taken daily, it includes mileage, insurance and a full petrol tank. For rent it is necessary to have an international driving license. Speed ​​limits: 60 km / h in settlements, on highways - 120 km / h. Seat belts must be worn.

In general, renting vehicles among Russian tourists here is not very popular, because they are quite enough for trips to organized safaris. And wishing to go independently to see other sights, except for national parks, it is better to hire a qualified driver-driver on an "off-road car."

Safety of tourists

In contrast to many African countries, Botswana is a very safe place. There is an incredibly low crime rate, and local residents are very hospitable and deservedly loved by tourists for helping their economy.

When entering the country, tourists may be required to present a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. It is desirable to make the vaccine 10 days before the planned entry into the country (and it is valid for 10 years). In Botswana, there are cases of malaria, so you should drink a course of Lariam, Meflahil, or other medications for prevention before consulting your doctor.

Photographing or filming of the president, government ministers, police or military personnel, as well as police, military facilities and airports are prohibited. During trips to the safari from the cars you can go only in the designated places. However, all cars have open upper parts of the cabin, which in any case will give tourists the opportunity to admire the local fauna.

Well, the most important point is the rules of behavior in national parks. First, never feed wild animals during a safari. Do not keep your hands in your pockets and do not show food to baboons (now you can smile at these words, but it's better not to do it in parks: a smile causes aggression in baboons). When meeting with elephants, you must always give them a place on the road and do not become between parents and cubs. Passing through the tall grass, it is necessary to check whether the mites are on clothing.

In addition, you can not make noise during a walk, you can not take out plants from the reserves and bring pets there. In parks you can not ride bicycles, motorcycles and roller skates. You can smoke only in lodges - but not on walks. Do not leave food in places accessible to animals. You can not pour drinks and litter on the ground - it can be detrimental to the health of animals.

But it is possible and necessary to wear clothes with long sleeves and long pants at lodges in the evening.

Fauna of Botswana

Hippopotamuses in Botswana

Waterfall in Botswana

The climate of Botswana is

Local summer (September-April) is the rainy season, the temperature is +25 .. + 38 ° C. Winter (May-August) - dry season, temperature +16 .. + 20 ° C. Daily diurnal temperature changes are very high, in the south even night frosts are possible.

The time from April to October inclusive is the best for coming to the country. It is during this season that natural migration of animals into the water spaces of the Okavango Delta occurs. And in November and December - the breeding season, the best period for observing newborn animals of a variety of species.

Weather forecast for the main resorts and cities of Botswana.

Botswana hotels - $

The key concepts of the local hotel fund are "lodge" and "camp". Loggia is, as a rule, one main one- or two-story building for 60-100 rooms plus several small buildings or detached houses. In general, something like all the famous holiday village, but in the "African" version. Camps in Botswana - a kind of field campgrounds, only the dimensions and interiors of tents are more like rooms in expensive hotels. The camp usually consists of twelve to fifteen tents.

Meals in lodges are usually three meals a day, in bars there are drinks for every taste for an additional fee (everything is paid in dollars). In the room put one free bottle of water.

The voltage in the network is 220-240 V. There are three-phase sockets with square pins, so it's better to take care of the adapters in advance.

Money

You can exchange money at banks and exchange offices, as well as large hotels and the airport. Find a bank is easy in any major city, you can casino and tourist checks.

In remote towns and villages where there are no banks, there are so-called "traveling banks" - mobile banking stations with a standard service package, weekly or monthly working in the area. These banking points can exchange tourist checks, but almost do not work with cash currency. Accept credit cards Visa and Master Card.

In most places, tips are included in the invoice automatically, so you can give them only in case of exceptionally high-quality service: 10% above the account will be considered here the top of generosity. Taxi drivers do not take a tip at all. But it's customary to leave guide-drivers on a safari for 5-10 USD per day per person in a car.

Shopping and shopping Botswana

In cities and on the road to safari, you can find a lot of souvenir shops and shops. Products made of wood, sculptures, soapstone figures, baskets and bags, safari clothing, banana crust products are just a part of their rich assortment. Among other things, here you can buy kengu (for women) and kiku (for men) - these are variegated fabrics used by aborigines as clothing.

You can also buy precious and semiprecious stones: tanzanite (sapphire analog), tszavorit (a pebble "a la" emerald), tiger's eye, malachite, etc. During purchases, you can and should bargain and knock down the price.

Kitchen and restaurants

A typical dish here is called "braai" and is grilled meat and maize, mixed with water. Served with tomatoes and onion sauce. You can also order "sesvaa" - beef, cooked in a traditional way. There are no special culinary delights in Botswana, and dishes from meat, game and fish form the basis of the cuisine. The most popular drink in the male part of the population is local beer. Louis, and for women - Coca-Cola.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions Botswana

The four famous Tsolido Hills are not only the richest collection of rock art in the southern African continent with 4000 drawings, but also geological formation, the shelter of the secret people of the Stone Age - the Bushmen. Hills of different heights were called "Man" (410 m), "Woman" (300 m) and "Child" (40 m), but the smallest hill from this quartet remained nameless (apparently, dogs or cats in Bushmen was not).

Caves of Gchwihaba (Drotsky Caves) - a whole system of caves with multi-colored walls and arches, numerous stalagmites and stalactites, some of which reach 10 meters .Since the mid 30s of the 20th century, countless groups of speleologists, tourists and simply treasure hunters have been looking for a treasure buried here by legends that was hidden from the European colonialists by descendants of local dynastic surnames .The most part of the route through the caves is a rather easy walk through the picturesque halls and passages with a lot of seductive lazes and tunnels somewhere in the sides, but there are also dangerous places: courses that break off into underground chasms or threaten with rock falls..

The village of Serov, located in eastern Botswana, at one time was the capital of the tribes "ngvato" and the Kingdom of Hama..The Museum of Hama III shows the entire history of the family of Hama, the leader and leader of the "ngwato" .The exposition includes personal belongings of King Hama III and his descendants, numerous crafts, weapons, utensils, figurines and other exhibits illustrating the history of Serov and the tribes living in this region..There is also a growing collection of natural science subjects, including unusual collections of insects and snakes for Africa..A large number of tourists visit and Hamabillu - Royal Cemetery on a hill right in the center of the village .

In the village of Manyana is a whole collection of rock art, "dated" the end of the stone - the beginning of the Iron Age. For the most part, the drawings depict different kinds of animals (rhinoceroses, antelopes and giraffes), as well as well-guessed human silhouettes and just geometric figures.

Lenetswe La Baratani, which in the local dialect means "Lovers' Hills", is located 65 km south of the capital. Climbing the hills is strictly forbidden: this can be regarded by the aborigines as an act of profound contempt. Local guides can tell a lot of legends connected with this place, but one of them will sound obligatory: this is a legend about lovers who climbed the hills and disappeared forever there.

The small village of Oodie is only 20 km from the capital on the way to Francistown .This place is famous all over Africa for its weaving industry .Here, a large number of handmade weaving products are produced: wall paintings, tablecloths, pillowcases, aprons, bed sheets and much more..Products are decorated with images of animals, scenes from village life, and various real events, including historical ones, from the life of different tribes of the country..Here you can not only buy your favorite product, but also watch the process itself .

Near the village of Thamaga is the Thamaga Pottery Shop - the place where kitchen utensils are made from natural materials of the highest level. This place is known to many connoisseurs of truly unique and very beautiful things. Photos of Botswana (12)