Botswana

Botswana At A Glance

Botswana is a vast land, highly prized for its safaris and game. Astonishingly, around 17% of the country is designated national park, and when Botswana's huge private concessions are also toted up, the figure swells to a proud 40%.

Botswana has ensured that its spectacular Delta region has been well-developed for tourists, with its impressive lagoons crammed with hovering birdlife, and elephants, giraffes and other exotic animals that amble through its vast grass flats. Incidentally, this is the largest inland delta in the world, which explains its wealth of wildlife. It is almost enough to make you forget that most of Botswana is given over to desert.

Botswana was also once an economic wasteland. The country gained independence in 1966, having been a British Protectorate, and at this time it was amongst the poorest nations in the world. Nature was then kind to Botswana, when once again natural assets became apparent, ready to be exploited. The government discovered diamonds and Botswana has enjoyed a growth rate that still continues to soar, especially when put into a context with much of the rest of Africa.

Having a sundowner, unwinding in the glare of a sunset and hearing the sounds of singing birds and roaming game, it is easy to forget global troubles. Botswana is both a country to relax in and a country to have adventure in.

Full Country Name	Republic of Botswana
Area	581,726 sq km
Population	1,815,508
Capital	Gaborone
Religion	Christian is the main religion of Botswana followed by other indigenous religions
Time Zone	Standard time is two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time
Languages	Official language is English but the National language is Setswana
Country Dialling Code	+267

Climate

Botswana's climate is semi-arid. Though it is hot and dry for much of the year, there is a rainy season, which runs through the summer months. Rainfall tends to be erratic, unpredictable and highly regional. Often a heavy downpour may occur in one area while 10 or 15 kilometres away there is no rain at all. Showers are often followed by strong sunshine so that a good deal of the rainfall does not penetrate the ground but is lost to evaporation and transpiration.

Seasons

The summer season begins in October and ends in March. It usually brings very high temperatures. However, summer is also the rainy season, and cloud coverage and rain can cool things down considerably, although only usually for a short period of time. The winter season begins in May and ends in August. This is also the dry season when virtually no rainfall occurs. Winter days are invariably sunny and cool to warm; however, evening and night temperatures can drop below freezing point in some areas, especially in the southwest. The in-between periods - April/early May and September - still tend to be dry, but the days are cooler than in summer and the nights are warmer than in winter.

Rainfall

The rainy season is in the summer, with October and April being transitional months. January and February are generally regarded as the peak months. The mean annual rainfall varies from a maximum of over 650mm in the extreme northeast area of the Chobe District to a minimum of less than 250mm in the extreme southwest part of Kgalagadi District. Almost all rainfall occurs during the summer months while the winter period accounts for less than 10 percent of the annual rainfall. Generally, rainfall decreases in amount and increases in variability the further west and south you go.

Temperatures

Summer days are hot, especially in the weeks that precede the coming of the cooling rains, and shade temperatures rise to the 38-8°C mark and higher, reaching a blistering 44-8°C on rare occasions. Winters are clear-skied and bone-dry, the air seductively warm during the daylight hours but, because there is no cloud cover, cold at night and in the early mornings. Sometimes bitterly so - frost is common and small quantities of water can freeze.

Humidity

In summer during the morning period humidity ranges from 60 to 80% and drops to between 30 and 40% in the afternoon. In winter humidity is considerably less and can vary between 40 and 70% during the morning and fall to between 20 and 30% in the afternoon.

For tourists, the best visiting months are from April through to October - in terms of both weather and game viewing. It is during this period that the wildlife of the great spaces gather around what water there is - the natural waterholes and the borehole-fed dams - and are at their most visible.

Customs

Free import of - 400 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 250 grams of tobacco; - 2 litres of wine and 1 litre of alcoholic beverages; - 250 ml. of toilet water and 50 ml. of perfume; - other gift articles up to a value of BWP 500.-.

Currency

The local currency is the Botswana Pula (BWP) which is divided into 1000 Thebe. In the small villages facilties may be limited, it is advisable to change money at the airport or in major towns, and where credit card cash advances may also be available. We suggest you carry USD in cash for tipping and small purchases.

Travellers Cheques:

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. Traveller's cheques are accepted in large cities but with a high surcharge.

Credit Cards:

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. ATMs are available in most large cities and towns. Cash advances are available in major cities through Barclays Bank or Standard Chartered Bank

Health

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. Other vaccinations may be recommended so please check with your doctor or Traveller's Medical & Vaccination Centre as they will determine what is needed.

Passport

Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond intended stay. A minimum of two blank pages in your passport is required. If there is insufficient space in your passport entry will be denied.

Visa information

At this time, no visa for Botswana is required for travellers on Australian passports. Please double check this with your travel agent as this may change at any time. You must hold return or onward flight tickets.