Arnoud Quanjer Wildlife Photography

All the information on this page is meant to help selfdrive visitors. If you prefer to stay stay in luxury lodges or make a booking with a safari operator then surf away quickly as this information will unfortunately not be helpful to you.

Flights

As far as I'm aware of there are no direct flights from overseas (Europe, the US or Asia) directly to Botswana. It seems most, if not all, visitors fly in from Windhoek or Johannesburg with the latter being the most popular. When I fly to Botswana I always first fly to Johannesburg and then fly to Maun using one of Air Botswana's flights. The flight to Maun is often fully booked so make sure that you check availability on this flight before booking your flight to Johannesburg.

Transportation

In Botswana you need a 4x4 if you want to visit any of the parks. Forget about going to any of the parks if you're not prepared to rent a 4x4. I've talked to people (mainly Dutch and Germans) in Namibia and South Africa who were planning to take a 2x4 camper van to Botswana. They were convinced that it could be done as their travel agent had told them so. Believe me when I say that you cannot drive to any of the parks in anything but a 4x4, and this includes the Chobe Riverfront. Don't attempt going to any of the parks in a 2x4 as other people who have forked out the bucks for a 4x4 will have to tow your ass back to safety after you get stuck! 

That being said there are a number of companies in Botswana and South Africa that rent 4x4's. You'll to get a fully equipped 4x4 as the campsites don't offer shops, restaurants or any other luxury for that matter. On the average campsite you have a tree for shade, a waterpoint and communal ablutions. In the Central Kalahari you just get the shady tree and nothing else!

4x4 equipment

When renting a fully equipped 4x4 make sure that the equipment you get includes gas bottles, extra jerry cans for fuel, a high-lift jack (only if you know how to use one, otherwise don't bother), chairs and a table, rooftop tent, 12V compressor, hand axe, shovel and a full set of crockery & cutlery. A GPS loaded with the Tracks4Africa maps is highly recommended as is a satellite telephone. A 12V fridge is nice to have as you can then enjoy a cold beer in the evening. Make sure the car has a double-battery system though if a fridge is installed to avoid running your battery flat.

A full list of 4x4 equipment which could be useful can be found here. Always check if all the equipment is accounted for when collecting your vehicle and always make sure that the essential bits are in working order before you go to a park. I didn't follow that rule during my last trip and I found out that our gas cooker wasn't working when I tried to make dinner at Nxai Pan. It was dark when I tried it so finding firewood was also out of the questions (because campground aren't fenced and lions tend to be hard to see in the dark). I was helped that night by a friendly South African. You might not be so lucky if something doesn't work so make sure everything is in working order before you leave.

Food, drinks and fuel

Please make sure that you are completely self supporting with regards to food, drinks and fuel. In the parks you will not find any shops or petrol stations. Make sure that you pack at least 3-5 litres of water per person per day for drinking and cooking. In most parks there will be communal ablutions where you can shower (usually only cold water, hot water is a luxury) but this water is not suited for consumption. In the Central Kalahari you won't even have running water, all the water that you need for consumption, cooking, washing up and washing you'll have to bring yourself!

Making bookings for the parks

All parks in Botswana are managed by the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) and all bookings for accomodation have to be made through the DWNP. Accomodation for selfdrive visitors is very limited as Botswana has a "high cost, low impact" policy. This means that Botswana prefers tourists who stay in luxury, and expensive, lodges instead of selfdrive visitors. The downside to this policy is that getting a booking is very difficult as most campgrounds are fully booked up to a year in advance. The upside of the "high cost, low impact" is that there are very few vehicles in the parks. That means that traffic  jams at sightings are few and far between. In parks like the Central Kalahari you can even drive around for days without seeing another vehicle. 

When planning a trip to Botswana be prepared for long and tedious booking process with the DWNP. It allegedly is possible to make a booking by e-mail, but I've never been succesfull that way. The last time I tried all my mailes bounced and when I called the Maun reservations office they said that "their mail hadn't worked for two years now". The best way to make your bookings is by calling the reservations office. Not all the reservations offices can make bookings for all the parks though as the booking administration is actually a physical book at the reservations office. Maun manages the bookings for Chobe, Moremi, Nxai Pan and (I think) the Central Kalahari. If you need to make bookings for either of these parks call the Maun office. If you call the Maun office and also want to make a booking for the Kalahari Transfrontier Park then the Maun office potentially won't be able to help you as the Kalahari Transfrontier Park bookings are managed by another office.

The people at the reservation offices are generally very helpful so just be patient and you'll come right with your bookings. Make sure to book 9-12 months in advance though to avoid being disappointed though.

Booking confirmation forms

Your booking isn't final until you have a booking confirmation. These confirmations are hand-written forms that are mailed to your home address! If you don't have a booking confirmation with you then as far as the DWNP officials at the park gates are concerned you don't have a booking. Make sure you have these confirmation forms before going to a park. If you're an international visitor then make sure you make your bookings well in advance as the mail from Botswana to overseas destinations can take up to two months. Check the image gallery at the bottom of this page for an example booking confirmation form.

Paying for your DWNP booking 

When I was at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) office in Maun in October 2008 I noticed a message concerning paying for bookings. The text of this message read the following:

"The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has introduced 4 central pay points at Letlhakane (Boteti), Francistown, Kang and Ghanzi Wildlife Offices for collection of park entry fees. This is in addition to three other existing pay points in Kasane, Maun and Gaborone Wildlife Offices. Provision of this service will in the near future lead to reduction of cash collection at Park Entry Gates of all our National Parks and Game Reserves. The system will also enhance the Department of Wildlife & National Parks endeavor to improve customer satisfaction and efficient service delivery since our clientele will no longer have to carry large amounts of cash into our National Parks and Game Reserves. Preparations are also ongoing to install another Point of Sales machine in Tsabong.

Credit Card machines have also been installed at these offices where tourists have an option of paying using Visa and MasterCard credit cards. Unfortunately Diners Card and American Express are not accepted.

As a general guideline our clientele is advised as follows;