Why We Love Botswana…

The jewel of Southern Africa, Botswana boasts incredibly unique landscapes from the Kalahari Desert to the Okavango Delta and beyond. Glimpse the Big 5, stunning birdlife, ethereal sunsets and enjoy traditional mokoro trips, game drives and much more.

Entry Requirements 

Passports

If you are a British or American passport holder visiting Botswana, your passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date you arrive and have at least 2 blank pages.

Visas

UK and US passport holders do not require a visa for entry into Botswana.

Please check out your local travel advice and let us know if you’re travelling from a different territory.

Children

Children, under the age of 18 years, who are travelling into or through Botswana must provide a certified copy of their full unabridged birth certificate (stamped no more than 3 months ago) as well as a valid passport (an abridged (short) birth certificate won’t be accepted). The main details of the birth certificate should be in English, the certificate can be multilingual as long as English is one of the languages. If the original is in another language, it should be officially translated and certified.

Adults travelling with children where they are not the biological or legal guardians of those children, should be in possession of an affidavit statement from
the child’s parents or guardians giving consent for their travel. If a child is travelling with only one parent, the other parent must give consent for travel in
the form of an affidavit.

Covid-19 Rules

Please see the British government’s advice here. 

The Government of Botswana has removed all entry requirements, including requirements for vaccinations or PCR tests.

Transfers

We’re able to arrange your transfers for you, just let us know your flight number, and we’ll plan the route and let you know the cost! For multi-stop trips, we can also arrange your transfers between hotels/regions.

You might have a couple of stops at different airstrips before yours. Schedules are announced on the day and our local partners will inform you of this information and timings locally.

Baggage Allowance

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, there are specific baggage allowances for each country and sometimes even different airlines. Don’t worry, we’re on hand to make your packing as easy as possible.

See below for Botswana’s baggage allowances.

Airline: Mack Air

Type: Light aircraft

Weight allowance: 20kg (soft-sided) + 5kg carry on

Dimensions: 30cm x 35cm x 70cm

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Airline: Safari Air

Type: Scheduled aircraft

Weight allowance: 20kg (soft-sided) – total weight including hand luggage

Dimensions: 25cm x 30cm x 62cm

What is a soft-sided bag? The aircraft require light bags as they are small planes, we recommend duffel bags like this one from our friends at Stubble & Co.

Packing Tips

Please see our What to Pack on Safari blog for our top packing tips for your safari adventure.

– We strongly recommend that you carry overnight essentials and any prescribed medication in your hand luggage on international flights, particularly if connecting to an onward destination.

Climate

Botswana is a large, sparsely-populated country that consists mainly of desert and scrubland with low and unreliable rainfall. What rains there are, occur largely in the north of the country during the summer months from November to March.

The best game-viewing months are during the winter season from April to October when the weather is dry and temperate. Daytime temperatures average around 25°C, with the hottest months being September and October. The sun is intense, so it is essential to bring hats, sunglasses and plenty of protective cream.

Nights can be cold, particularly in the desert areas, so warm clothing for early morning game drives and evenings in camp is required (gloves and a woollen hat are also useful accessories).

Before you travel, please take a look at Botswana’s Laws & Customs here.

– You should carry some form of identification with you at all times. A photocopy of your passport is sufficient.

– Taking photographs or using video equipment near military and government installations is prohibited. Always ask permission before taking photographs of people in Botswana. If in doubt, don’t take a photograph.

Plug Type

For Botswana, there are two associated plug types, types D and G. Plug type D is the plug which has three round pins in a triangular pattern and plug type G is the plug which has three Luggrectangular pins in a triangular pattern (as we use in the UK).

Currency

The monetary unit in Botswana is Pula. Pula is not available outside of the country so you should take US Dollars in cash. It is advisable to take dollars in small denominations and there is no need to change any money into local currency as US dollars are an accepted currency. US Dollar notes are not accepted with smaller heads on them i.e. the older notes so please check your money when you get your dollars.

Credit cards are also accepted in a number of hotels and lodges, but not in the bush camps – Visa and Mastercard are the most useful but you will usually be charged a fee of approx 5% for using them.

Vaccinations

We aren’t certified to give medical advice so always recommend you consult your doctor or a travel doctor, as they will know which vaccinations you have already and any additional ones necessary for your trip. You can also take a look here for travel vaccination information and advice on bringing medication into the country.

It’s worth noting that Yellow Fever Vaccinations are mandatory when coming from a country which has a risk of yellow fever transmission. More information on this can be found on the above link.

Tipping/Gratuities on Safari

We recommend travelling with USD in cash. For a couple, the guideline is $25 per day for your guide and the same again for the combined lodge staff – so around $50 per day total. The camp manager is always on hand on the ground if you have any questions.

Flights & Time Zone

The total flight duration from London to Botswana is 10 hours and 25 minutes 

Botswana is GMT +2.

Language

The official language of Botswana is English, while Tswana is considered to be a national language.

Food

Botswana’s cuisine is known in many countries as the ‘Rainbow’s Gastronomy’ thanks to the delicious array of traditional dishes and ingredients from papaya to peanut, showcased in mouthwatering meals like ‘Dikgobe’ and ‘Seswaa’.