Botswana

The journey of Botswana takes you on a ride to finding your soul. Let MLMT start this journey off for you!

The mbira resonates in the jungles. The elephants run wild on this one. The lovable giants roam freely in the dense canopies. Where astounding Stretches of land flow like rivers. Birds call out to you, sunsets reel you in and the golden grasses finally numb you. Botswana is a haze. It resembles chilly starlit nights hidden away in tents. The kind of roars that shoot you tingles through your body. This country takes you in whole. It sits to the side of dominant South Africa, but even in the middle of nowhere, it takes control.

Imagine the fluttering of wings. The swish of the wind rustling in the canopy. Followed by the grand entry of the elephant. The striking thump of a kalimba running wild through your ears. The bustling magic that can be found in every small corner. This journey takes you on a ride to finding your soul.

Let MLMT start this journey off for you!

 

When to visit?

Botswana is at its most cooked at golden brown grasses from November through March. This makes sense most if you are here for the national parks. It is the heat and rain of this season that calls you. You will witness hordes of newborn cubs and birds from other lands. The early morning chilly weather making your skin numb on game drives cannot be paralleled by any experience. This is the charm of June, July, and August. September, October are dry, hot and dusty. Birds are scarce here, but so are mosquitos. This makes this season level 100 regarding wildlife viewing.

 

Average cost per person

Botswana is the land of the exquisite. Only those who deserve to land their footing on the tall grasses of this kingdom can come here. Prepare for this to be an expensive trip. It takes quite a fortune to just go and stay in cheap stays as well. The flight that takes you there will cost about 50,000-70,000 rupees. The cost of staying there would go to about 7,000 rupees a day/night. The safaris here can get exuberant. But the end goal is ethereal. When you view a leopard sprinting beyond the sunset while the grass rustles, money will be the last moment in your mind.

 

Visa Requirement

Botswana is a land far, far off. Hence, they need a Visa to let you in. The current process for Indian citizens to go to Botswana is a long one. It is suggested to leave about 5 or more weeks to get it done. One has to fill an online form. Then they have to go to one of the three places in the country to get the process done. They require the regular documents like passports and others. You also have to give proof of employability. Ideally, three pages have to be left for the stamps. Your passport must have a validity of 6 months. If you are a student, you must give the details of the school you are enrolled in and prove that you are registered for the next semester.

 

Where to stay?

Gaborone:

Gaborone is calm. It is tranquil. It is a hideaway. If you want to be off the face of the universe and run away, there is no better place for you. There is not much that beckons you here. It is all real paradise. But to get an idea of how Botswana works, Gaborone can be the place for you.

Ask a random individual from Gaborone where they are from. They will most probably tell you a location unheard of. A village near the creek or so. They don’t necessarily see this city as their home or their family. But most people come here with a motive to progress. This is their way to the future. This is the place that will take you towards your dreams.

Best Places to stay in Gaborone

• Motheo Apartments
• Sapphire Court
• MoetaBontle
• Vintage Palm
• The Docs

 

Maun:

 

All of Botswana converges to this wonderous hub. Maun is THE ultimate tourist spot. It is the primary gateway to Okavango Delta. It has a good number of cheap places. This city has a few small things going for it. It is a good enough base for a day or two. If you want to stay in cozy lodges and tent camps with the sky as your company, the area around the airport is ideal for you.

There is not too much to see here though. It stretches on for kilometers at an end with no real convergence of experience. Most people who come here usually find their way to other, better experiences to go to. The Botswana experience takes you far from cities and into the wild.

Best Places to stay in Maun

• Maun Lodge
• Royal Tree Lodge
• Island Safari Lodge
• Mobile Safari Packages
• Maun Executive Inn

 

Kasane:

 

In the woods diverging into Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe lies this pine fantasy. Imagine the perfect cottage, tent jungle experience. This is that. Two rivers meet here. The Chobe and the Zambezi are the masterminds of this beautiful construction. It lets you go into the wild with nowhere to look back. The gateway to Chobe National Park and the leap off point of Victoria Falls. This is a place to behold.

It may not be as populated and developed as Maun, but it is not alien to hordes of lodges and safaris. There are petrol pumps to feed your vehicle and supermarkets to fuel you. Just 12kms away from here is a small village where lies the crossing between Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Best Places to stay in Kasane

• Chobe Marina Lodge
• Chobe River Cottages
• Thebe River Safaris
• Amogelang Guest House
• Nxabii Cottages

 

Francistown:

Most of the cities in Botswana are just a blip on the journey to where your destination really lies. Francistown is exactly that. This is the second biggest city here in Botswana and is quite an essential center regarding cultural and religious activities. Most people only find this city when driving from South Africa or from Gaborone and Maun.

There is nothing that will make you stay here any longer than you have to, but the petrol pumps are decent and reliable. There are some excellent places to eat, and for those in need of camping supplies, there are some great supermarkets.

Best Places to stay in Francistown

• Diggers Inn
• Marico Guest House
• Wells Guest House
• Milestone Hotel
• The Nest Lodge

 

Ghanzi:

This is the capital of the Kalahari. The title is a tad bit better than the actual place. The name comes from a word which means one-stringed musical instrument with a sound box in Sans language. It gets confused with the Setswana word, gantsi, which denotes flies. The place is not much, but you are bound to end up here if you are traveling anywhere in the west of the country.

The terrain is really rugged, so it is funny that is has grown the way it has. But the fact that there is a 500 km long ridge with artesian water helps the tourism.

Best Places to stay in Ghanzi

• Eagle Suites Guest House
• Calvary Guest House
• Kalahari Arms Hotel
• Gantsi Grand Guesthouse
• Tautona Lodge

 

 

Top Experiences

San Walk

These bushmen, Khoisan speaking, hunting, gathering are found scrambling around most of Africa. They are supposedly the first inhabitants of this land, and their community has grown considerably. Their knowledge of how to get the best of such a harsh terrain is so extensive. You can now walk around with them and see their ways via some lodges with excellent safari experiences.

Tsodilo Hills

The beginnings of the Bushmen go back to this place. It depicts their way of life and their ancestors by art. There are over 3,500 such paintings. Around this area, you will get to see a gecko, in its natural brown and yellow stripes. It is the ultimate experience hidden under the rock.

Meerkats

Sharp eyes, happy eyes. These creatures are so fascinating. They are brilliant and very inviting. They eat poisonous scorpions and are immune to snake poison. Always up for interacting with humans. They are a genuinely pleasing sight for all safari goers. Spend a day with them.

Weave a basket

Sit with the old ladies in a random village here. You will learn about life and weaving. All kinds of swirls and patterns, colors found all around. A modern twist to their baskets over the ages.

 

Travel Smart

• The law-their law is not as relaxed as you might think. As a wealthy country with a lot of tourism, they have kept a great system. Make sure to at least skim through their rules and follow them. Their punishments might be horrible. You do not want to end up in jail while traveling

 

• Don’t skip. Do not just run through the cities of Botswana if you want an actual experience. Beyond the big metros and capitals are small villages with eons of cultural history. Go to them. See how life there was.

 

• Be Careful- The wildlife here is to maintain It is raw. It is wild. Do not start thinking that because it is organized so well, that the animals have also learned how to behave in decorum. Be on the sides. Be with your guides. Do not venture off without knowing what you are doing.

 

• Etiquette- Some things just do not work well with these people. Pointing is frowned upon, and usage of left hand comes off bad. Take their cues and mimic their behavior. Remove shoes when they remove shoes.

 

 

Countries that can be clubbed together

Namibia

Zimbabwe

 

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