since 1982 |
Air charter companies with small aircrafts fly to the various lodges. Please note that on flights by light aircraft, the luggage limit is 20kg packed in a soft bag. The 20kg luggage limit does not include hand luggage and photographic equipment, which need to be kept to a reasonable weight and quantity. Most lodges have free laundry services and should one insist on extra luggage, one can buy an extra seat on each flight.
Should you arrive off an international flight, you can leave extra luggage at the luggage storage in Oliver Tambo Airport at a daily fee. Should you want to do this, it is advisable to pack accordingly before arrival, to save time and hassles. Also, please ensure that there is sufficient time to deposit and collect the luggage for connecting flights. Otherwise, please check with us in advance if your extra luggage (suitcases) can be left in Maun or Kasane.
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There are regular flights from Johannesburg to Gaborone and Maun, and less regular ones to Kasane and the Tuli Block. It is however not necessary to fly from Johannesburg. There are scheduled flights from Europe and Africa to Gaborone. There are also regular flights from Windhoek and Harare and even from Victoria Falls and Livingstone. Note that the drive from Livingstone or Victoria Falls to Kasane (Chobe area) is only about 1.5 hours. Botswana is very accessible by road from all its neighbouring countries and there are no strict customs regulations between these countries.
From Gaberone, Maun and Kasane, air charter companies with small aircrafts take clients to the various lodge landing strips.
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Please be aware that certain hotels and lodges do not allow children, or only children from a certain age. Should you have made the booking without giving the ages of children travelling with you, you may be turned away upon arrival. Some hotels also have rules as to how many people may share a room and regard a child from the age of 12 for instance, as an adult, due to pay an adult rate. Please always be aware of this when making a booking and inform the hotel or lodge of the child’s age on making a booking.
Should the children have a different name to the parents/ parent, there may be problems at the borders. Therefore, please enquire before travelling, what documentation is needed to travel with the child. Should only one parent be travelling, one may need an official letter of consent from the other parent. If the child is travelling with the grandparents or friends, this will also be required.
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When travelling on safari in Botswana, it is best to wear clothes of neutral and natural shades that blend better with the natural surroundings of the African bush. White and brightly coloured clothes are not advised. For the duration of your stay on safari, the dress code is informal and casual. You will not be required to dress up for evening meals during your stay.
Please also note that most lodges have complimentary laundry services.
- Good quality sunglasses preferably polarized. Tinted fashion glasses are not good in strong light.
- Bush hat for protection from the sun
- Swimming costume
- T-shirts and one long-sleeved cotton shirt for cooler evenings.
- Long trousers/slacks.
- Shorts/skirts.
- Tracksuit, underwear and socks
- Good walking shoes (running/tennis shoes are fine), as well as strops or sandals
- Sweater/anorak/parka. These may be required for early morning and late afternoon game activities throughout the year. It is always a good idea to dress in layers on activities to accommodate the early morning and late afternoon change of temperature. Winter months will definitely require a warm jacket and perhaps a beanie, gloves and a scarf
- A complimentary laundry service is included at all properties incorporated in our safari packages
- If you wear contact lenses, we recommend that you bring along a pair of glasses in case of dust irritation
- Binoculars (and Newman’s Birds, if you are a keen birder)
- Malaria tablets AND anti-histamine cream
- Insect repellent. E.g. Tabard, Bugg-off and Peaceful Sleep
- Basic medical kit (aspirins, elastoplasts, Imodium, antiseptic cream, etc)
- Protective sun-tan lotion particularly for pale and sensitive skins
- Tissues or ‘wet wipes’
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Depending on the area, various times of the year are nice. Please contact us to find out when its best to go to the area you’re interested in.
The Okavango for instance, is generally better during the dry season (April to October), when there is a concentration of game along permanent rivers. Although it is the hottest month, October is best for game viewing. September and October are also good for bird watching as this is the time when the migrants arrive and when the herons and other water–birds breed on the Delta. During rainy season (October to April), the peak in January and February, most dirt roads are very difficult to negotiate or impassable. Temperatures and humidity are very high during the summer months, but the advantages are that this is the time most animals have their young, and there are very few visitors. For plant lovers this time of year is a must.
The Kalahari on the other hand is fantastic in the rainy summer months (October to April), due to the abundance of flowering plants. The scenery is amazing at this time of year and the Kalahari thunderstorms are breathtaking. The storms are usually short lived, but the build-up, with the ominous, black-grey skies contrasting with the silky-white grasses of the Kalahari is something to behold. The sandy roads also become compacted after the rain storm. Winter (April to October) has its own beauty when the surroundings are scorched and dry, but it is also the season when you can expect the most activity around the waterholes.
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Compared to the rest of Africa, Botswana is not a risky place to visit from a health perspective. Despite this, there are certain precautions visitors should take although there are no legal requirements for taking these precautions. Botswana requires no inoculations other than for visitors from Yellow Fever areas.
Please consult your Doctor prior to your safari for information and advice on the use of anti-malaria medication. There are many types of prophylactics available on the market and your Medical Practitioner will assist in finding one that is right for you. Remember to complete your prophylactic course - especially after leaving a malaria area. |
Passports and visas: the onus is on the traveller to ensure that their passports are valid for travel and that they are in possession of valid visas for all countries being visited and that all necessary health certificates for these destinations are in order. We suggest you contact the embassy or visa service in your area for updated information.
Anyone travelling to South Africa must have two consecutive blank pages in their passport, which lie side by side when the passport is open (i.e. left and a right hand page). Passports must also be valid for at least six months. Passengers who do NOT comply with these requirements, will either be stopped from boarding the aircraft of risk deportation on arrival in South Africa. In addition a parent travelling with children, WITHOUT the other parent, will need a letter of consent from the absent parent. The police must certify this letter of consent.
Departure Taxes: Please note that certain airports and certain countries charge departure taxes that must be paid in cash on departure by the traveller and cannot be pre-paid. The onus is on the traveller to provide such payments which are often required in US Dollars cash. |
- Whatever you do, Don’t run, by Peter Allison
- A Marriage of Inconvenience: The Persecution of Seretse and Ruth Khama, by Michael Dutfield
- History of Botswana, by Alec Campbell, Thomas Tlou
- Trees of Southern Africa, by Keith Coates Palgrave
- A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa, by Dorst J P Dandelot
- The Ethno-Biology of the !Ko Bushmen, by Heinz HJ B Maguire
- Livingstone and His African Journeys, by Elspeth Huxley
- The Bushmen, by Peter Johnson - Anthony Bannister - Alf Wanneburgh
- Okavango: Sea of Land, and of Water, by Peter Johnson - Anthony Bannister - Creina Bond
- Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, by Gordon Lindsay Maclean
- Kalahari: Life's Variety in Dune and Delta, by Mike Main
- Visitor's Guide to Botswana, by Main Mike - John and Sandra Fowkes
- The Harmless People, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
- Myths and Legends of Southern Africa, by Penny Miller
- Cry of the Kalahari, by Mark and Delia Owens
- A Field Guide to the Trees of Southern Africa, by Eve Palmer
- The Lost World of the Kalahari, by Laurens van der Post
- The Heart of the Hunter, by Laurens van der Post
- Okavango: Jewel of the Kalahari, by Karen Ross
- The Bushmen: San Hunters and Herders of Southern Africa, by Phillip Tobias
- The Oral History of the Bakalanga of Botswana, by Catrien van Waarden
- Signs of the Wild, by Clive Walker
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