LANGUAGE

English & Tswana

CURRENCY

Botswana pula

BEST TIME TO VISIT

September to October & December to March

NEAREST AIRPORT

Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, Namibia (WDH)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

999

INTERNET ACCESS

Every hotel offers complimentary wi-fi, even if only in the reception area. The same is true for midrange and top-end restaurants. The connection is generally good enough for emails, but can struggle with more demanding applications such as Skype/FaceTime or downloads. Internet cafes can be found in all major towns and cities. Connection speeds vary from pretty good to woefully slow. If you have a smartphone, an excellent alternative is to buy a local SIM card and take 3G package. The mobile coverage is excellent, so you should be connected reliably, except in very remote areas.

VISA

Visitors to Botswana are issued a visa on arrival which is valid for 30 days.

Most visitors can obtain tourist visas at the international airports and borders (and the nearest police stations in lieu of an immigration official at remote border crossings). Visas on arrival are valid for 30 days – and possibly up to 90 days if requested at the time of entry – and are available for free to passport holders from most Commonwealth countries (but not Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), all EU countries, the USA and countries in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), i.e. South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

If you hold a passport from any other country, apply for a 30-day tourist visa at an overseas Botswanan embassy or consulate. Where there is no Botswanan representation, try going to a British embassy or consulate. Tourists are allowed to stay in Botswana for a maximum of 90 days every 12 months, so a 30-day visa may be extended twice. Visas can be extended for free at immigration offices in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane. Whether you’re required to show an onward ticket and/or sufficient funds at this time depends on the official(s). Anyone travelling to Botswana from an area infected with yellow fever needs proof of vaccination before they can enter the country.

HOTEL

The Kalahari has excellent accommodation, including the many and varied campsites of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Khutse Game Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the luxury lodges in and around the CKGR, and the lodges run by San community groups around D’Kar and Ghanzi.

LUXURY

Kalahari Plains Camp: If we could choose one place to stay in the CKGR, this would be it. These lovely solar-powered tents inhabit a gorgeous location southeast of Deception Valley and face the setting sun with stunning views. Activities include excellent San nature walks and wildlife drives on which the chances of seeing lions, leopards or cheetahs are good.

Deception Valley Lodge- Just outside the CKGR’s north-eastern boundary, this exclusive bush retreat inhabits 150 sq km of privately owned Kalahari bush and has a much more personal feel than many of Botswana’s luxury lodges. The eight large chalets are swathed in lovely earthen hues, while the food is as memorable as the warm, attentive service.

Haina Kalahari Lodge- As the CKGR grows in popularity, places like this come into their own for those looking for a quieter Kalahari experience. Set on a 110-sq-km private concession just beyond the fence on the CKGR’s north-eastern boundary, it has nine solar-powered, supremely comfortable tents and excellent facilities in the main lodge, including a swimming pool, gym and spa.

COST OF LIVING

For Kalahari Desert planning is everything before touchdown. If you are a budget traveller then in around US$75, you can expect dorm bed/campsite for US$15/30. Two meals in cheap restaurants for US$15–20. If your budget is between US$75–150 then you’ll get a double room in a midrange hotel for US$50–75 with two meals in a nice restaurant for US$30. And if you want a luxurious stay with budget over US$150, you’ll have a double room to yourself in top-end hotel from for about US$175. Price per person in high-season lodge starts from US$1500. A 4WD rental per day would start from US$150 and meals in top-end restaurants would fetch you US$50 or more.

There are ATMs in major towns. Credit cards are accepted in most top-end hotels, but lodges and tour operators require advance payment by bank transfer. Otherwise, bring US dollars in cash.