South African Private Safaris & Self-drives | Southern African Tours
Safari Tour Company in Cape Town South Africa
45 Interesting Facts About Botswana
Find out what makes Botswana such a great place to visit, and how you can make the most of your experience. (hint: try a safari!). Discover this beautiful country in our range of safari tours. We take you to the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park and much more!
1. Botswana is home to the greatest elephant population on the planet. The best place to see them is on a boat in the Chobe National Park, where they cross the Chobe river every afternoon to drink and swim.
2. Botswana covers an area of approximately 590 000 km2, 50% of this is pure wilderness!
3. The Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world with an area of 20 000 km2 during the driest periods.
4.During the wettest periods, it can reach an incredible area of 23 000 km2
5. Linyanti Game Reserve is the best place in the world to see leopard and wild dog.
6. The Makgadikgadi Pans are the world’s largest salt pans, covering an area of 15 000 km2.
7. Botswana is an hour away from the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia!
Please contact me if you would like more information about the Kruger National Park Southern African.
Call Craig + 27 820917983 or mail me craig@southernafricantours.com
8. The currency is the Pula. Slightly stronger than the South African Rand.
9. English is the official language of Botswana; Setswana is the local language, and the most widely spoken in Botswana.
10. Botswana offers a diverse safari experience: safari boat cruises, mokoro adventures, hikes, safari walks with armed rangers, sunrise, sunset, and nocturnal safaris. The perfect place for an aquatic safari.
11. Botswana is home to the San Bushmen; their clicking sound is mesmerizing.
12. The highest point in Botswana is Tsodilo Hills, 1 500 m above sea level.
13. Botswana was a former British protectorate known as Bechuanaland.
14. Botswana offers the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets you can imagine.
15. The capital of Botswana is Gabarone, with a population of 220 000.
16. Travel light for your trip to Botswana; Only soft bags with a 15 kg limit are allowed on board light aircraft.
17. The Okavango Delta is a birders paradise with more than 550 species recorded. The best time for bird watching is from late spring (November) to early autumn (April).
18. Botswana has a population of approximately 2 million; In relation to its size, it is the least populated country in the world.
19. Botswana is a landlocked country, bordering Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa.
20. Botswana is the world’s largest diamond producing country in terms of value.
21. Mopane worms are a delicacy in Botswana.Bon appétit!
22. Camping sites are unfenced, animals move freely, so don’t leave food out in the open.
23. The iconic Linyanti is the traditional elephant migration route from the Chobe River to the Okavango Delta.
24. Botswana is not just home to the Big Five; it is also home to the strange aardvark, endangered pangolin and many other extraordinary creatures both great and small..
25. You don’t just see cars on Botswana’s roads; also be on the lookout for elephant, leopard and lion crossing the main roads.
26. Follow the black and white rhino in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a community-based wildlife project that focuses on saving these critically endangered species.
27. Did you know that you can go on fantastic horseback safaris in Botswana?
28. Most of the upmarket lodges are only accessible by light aircraft. Wow what an adventure!
29. About 75% of Botswana’s land mass is covered by the Kalahari Desert.
30. The Kalahari Desert Valley of Deception is the size of Austria!
31. The Jwaneng diamond mine in Botswana is the richest diamond mine in the world. .
Please contact me if you would like more information about the Kruger National Park Southern African.
Call Craig + 27 820917983 or mail me craig@southernafricantours.com
32. The San (Bushman) of Botswana are considered the oldest inhabitants on earth. Archaeological evidence suggests that they have lived in Southern Africa for around 25 000 years.
33. The Tsodilo Hills are the spiritual home of the San, and the hills are home to many well-preserved examples of “rock art” and engravings.
34. The Okavango Delta is the 1000th UNESCO World Heritage Site.
35. The horizon of the Makgadikgadi salt pans are vast enough to see the Earth’s curvature.
36. The lowest point of Botswana is at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers at 490 m above sea level.
37. The Kwhai community area is ideal for mobile safaris and traveler’s on a budget.
38. Staying in the Kalahari Desert makes you feel like you are the only person on Earth.
39. Private game reserves in Botswana offer a unique safari experience as they do not allow general public access, and offer unique boat, mokoro, walking, night and off-road safaris. These are not permitted in most national parks.
40. To save costs, stay in Kasane when visiting Chobe National Park. Accommodation options there are less expensive.
41. Botswana’s safari environments can be divided into arid and wetlands, making it a diverse safari destination.
42. May to September is high season for safaris in Botswana; the earth is mostly dry and animals, including predators, gather around the water sources.
43. The Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks in Botswana are the center of the world’s second largest, but lesser known zebra migration, which covers a distance of around 550 kilometers.
44. Baines’ Baobabs in the Nxai Pans National Park. These famous Baobab giants are said to be thousands of years old andwere immortalised in paintings by the artist and adventurer Thomas Baines in 1862.
45. Botswana has two UNESCO world heritage sites, namely the Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills. 7 Sites are on the Tentative List
- Toutswemogala Iron Age Settlement
- Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- Chobe Linyanti Complex
- Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
- Gcwihaba Caves
- Makgadikgadi Pans
- Tswapong Hills Cultural Landscape
