EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED



ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PLANNING YOUR MAGICAL BOTSWANA SAFARI TRIP





VisA



It is vital for visitors to carry a valid passport to facilitate their stay in Botswana. Visitors from the US, most European and Common-wealth countries (http://www.thecommonwealth.org/member-countries ) as well as foreign nationals whose countries have signed a Visa Abolition Agreement with Botswana do not need a visa when traveling to Botswana. For more visa information check with Botswana embassies or consulates, or their travel agents, before departure.


Countries whose nationals DO NOT need a visa to visit Botswana:


Argentina, Angola, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway and Colonies, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Arabia, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


Countries whose nationals NEED a visa to visit Botswana:

​

Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka


For more information, visit http://www.gov.bw/Ministries--Authorities/Ministries/Ministry-of-Labour--Home-Affairs-MLHA/Tools--Services/Services--Forms/Requirements-for-VISA-application/ .





getting here



Botswana is accessible by air, tarred road from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia and rail. Air Botswana is the country’s only airline which operates daily flights between:


• Gaborone and Johannesburg

• Gaborone and Harare

• Maun and Johannesburg

• Kasane and Johannesburg and

• Francistown and Johannesburg


Other airlines that offer flights to Botswana are South African Airways, South African Express, Air Namibia, Kenya Airways as well as air charter services are also available. These airlines fly between Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane depending on the airline.


Most major international airlines from Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, where connecting flights can be booked to airports in Gaborone, or to Maun, Francistown or Kasane.





botswana climate



Expect climate typical of Southern Africa where rainfall is mostly between the months of December and March. Afternoon thundershowers are normal or an overcast afternoon, but most days will be bright and sunny.


January

This is one of the wettest months of the year; the humidity level is also very high during this month.


February

This time of the year, the rain is heavy, the bush is thick and it's a great time of year for birdwatching.


March

This month usually has dry and sunny days with possible thunderstorms.


April to May

The landscape is beautiful, with the sky clear and the landscape green. Night temperatures start to drop during these months, especially in the Kalahari. Note that places in and around the Okavango tend to have less extreme, more moderate temperatures than the drier areas of the Kalahari.


June to August

The night-time temperatures in drier areas can be close to freezing, but it warms up rapidly during the day, when the sky is usually clear and blue. It's now very much 'peak season' for most safari areas: the land is dry in most areas so the animals congregate around the few available water sources.


September to October

Temperatures climb again, drying the landscapes and concentrating the game even more. This is the best time for big game safaris – although October can feel very hot, with maximum temperatures sometimes approaching 40°C.


November

It is difficult to predict the weather from November as it can sometimes be a continuation of October's heat, whilst sometimes it's cooled by the first rains; it's always an interesting month.


December Marks the beginning of the rainy season.





health



Botswana has good primary healthcare facilities throughout the country making it a generally healthy country to visit.


Malaria


There is a high prevalence of Malaria in northern Botswana, including the Okavango and Chobe areas, particularly during and immediately following the rainy season, from November to April. Anti-malarial tablets are usually recommended. Make sure to check the latest recommendations with your doctor or clinic before traveling to Botswana as the strains of malaria, and the drugs used to combat them, frequently change, and as certain strains can become drug resistant, it is best to seek medical advice before your departure and take any medication prescribed. Pregnant or very young children are not advised to travel to malarial areas. A valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is a must if you are traveling to Botswana from areas infected with Yellow Fever. It would also be wise to have an updated TPD (tetanus, polio, diphtheria) vaccine, and a Hepatitis A vaccine.


Other precautions are: to wear long sleeves, socks, closed shoes, and generally keep the body covered, to sleep with a mosquito net and to use mosquito coils and repellent.


HIV/AIDS


Generally, this isn't an issue for travelers, but visitors are advised to take the necessary precautions against HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases, to avoid infection which are wise in most countries.


Travel and Medical Insurance


We strongly recommend you have travel and medical insurance in place as sometimes unexpected events or accidents can leave you with cancelled plans and significant unbudgeted expenses. A comprehensive medical insurance policy, which provides coverage for any unexpected event is essential, especially when traveling to remote areas of Botswana. Botswana also both government and private hospitals, clinics and private medical practitioners that provide reasonably priced medical services throughout the country. In the absence of medical coverage, a cash payment in advance will be required.


Drinking Water


Tap water throughout the country is safe to drink. Bottled mineral water is readily available in most shops and supermarkets, and at camps and lodges.





Time



Botswana is always two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2); it doesn't operate daylight saving time, so there's no time difference between winter and summer months in Botswana.





Currency



The pula (BWP) is Botswana's currency, check with bank for the latest rate. Travelers' cheques and foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, although most camps here will take VISA and MasterCard credit cards, as well as US Dollars, Pounds, Euros and SA Rands. At most camps/lodges, there are no extras to pay.





Language



English is the official language of Botswana and widely spoken alongside Setswana (also called 'Tswana'). There are many other dialects spoken throughout the country in addition to these, making Batswana a multi-lingual country.





Communication



Botswana is serviced by 3 cell phone network providers of which 1 is state owned (BTC- Botswana Telecommunications which also provides landline phone services for private and business use). These mobile networks offer subscribers, Internet access, fax, and International Roaming. Mobile sim cards are readily available from accredited vendors, supermarkets and petrol filling stations. Registrations can be done by calling the respective network’s call centre and takes only minute. All major towns in Botswana are network covered, as well as portions of the national highway.


For further information on the network providers in Botswana, consult the following services:


MASCOM www.mascom.bw

ORANGE www.orange.co.bw

BTC www.btc.bw

Be Mobile www.bemobile.co.bw


Botswana's International Dialling Code


The International Dialling Code for Botswana is +267, followed by the city area code (e.g. (0)62 for Kasane, or (0)68 for Maun) and local number. Calling from Botswana, you need to dial 00 and the relevant country code (e.g. +44 for the UK, or +1 for the USA).





food



Botswana’s staple foods include millet and sorghum porridge. Other food includes, goat meat, beef, chicken, all sorts of beans, morogo (wild spinach), magwinya (deep fried fat cakes) and mopane worms. Most food is either boiled or fried. Drinks include the cider-like bojalwa, or homemade ginger beer.



lOCATION



P O Box 995, Kasane, Chobe, Botswana,

President Avenue Street



e mail



info@bigsamhubber.co.bw



Call us



Office: (+267) 6250 947 |
Mobile: 73550441
Emergency: (+267) 71691746


Copyright © 2019 Big Sam Hubber. All Rights Reserved.



visa





It is vital for visitors to carry a valid passport to facilitate their stay in Botswana. Visitors from the US, most European and Common-wealth countries (http://www.thecommonwealth.org/member-countries ) as well as foreign nationals whose countries have signed a Visa Abolition Agreement with Botswana do not need a visa when traveling to Botswana.


For more visa information check with Botswana embassies or consulates, or their travel agents, before departure.


Countries whose nationals DO NOT need a visa to visit Botswana:


Argentina, Angola, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway and Colonies, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Arabia, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe


Countries whose nationals NEED a visa to visit Botswana: ​ Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka


For more information, visit http://www.gov.bw/Ministries--Authorities/Ministries/Ministry-of-Labour--Home-Affairs-MLHA/Tools--Services/Services--Forms/Requirements-for-VISA-application/ .



getting there





Botswana is accessible by air, tarred road from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia and rail.


Air Botswana is the country’s only airline which operates daily flights between:

• Gaborone and Johannesburg

• Gaborone and Harare

• Maun and Johannesburg

• Kasane and Johannesburg and

• Francistown and Johannesburg


Other airlines that offer flights to Botswana are South African Airways, South African Express, Air Namibia, Kenya Airways as well as air charter services are also available. These airlines fly between Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane depending on the airline.


Most major international airlines from Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, where connecting flights can be booked to airports in Gaborone, or to Maun, Francistown or Kasane.



Health





Botswana has good primary healthcare facilities throughout the country making it a generally healthy country to visit.


Malaria


There is a high prevalence of Malaria in northern Botswana, including the Okavango and Chobe areas, particularly during and immediately following the rainy season, from November to April. Anti-malarial tablets are usually recommended. Make sure to check the latest recommendations with your doctor or clinic before traveling to Botswana as the strains of malaria, and the drugs used to combat them, frequently change, and as certain strains can become drug resistant, it is best to seek medical advice before your departure and take any medication prescribed.


Pregnant or very young children are not advised to travel to malarial areas. A valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is a must if you are traveling to Botswana from areas infected with Yellow Fever. It would also be wise to have an updated TPD (tetanus, polio, diphtheria) vaccine, and a Hepatitis A vaccine.


Other precautions are: to wear long sleeves, socks, closed shoes, and generally keep the body covered, to sleep with a mosquito net and to use mosquito coils and repellent.


HIV/AIDS


Generally, this isn't an issue for travelers, but visitors are advised to take the necessary precautions against HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases, to avoid infection which are wise in most countries.


Travel and Medical Insurance


We strongly recommend you have travel and medical insurance in place as sometimes unexpected events or accidents can leave you with cancelled plans and significant unbudgeted expenses. A comprehensive medical insurance policy, which provides coverage for any unexpected event is essential, especially when traveling to remote areas of Botswana. Botswana also both government and private hospitals, clinics and private medical practitioners that provide reasonably priced medical services throughout the country. In the absence of medical coverage, a cash payment in advance will be required.


Drinking Water


Tap water throughout the country is safe to drink. Bottled mineral water is readily available in most shops and supermarkets, and at camps and lodges.



Botswana climate





Expect climate typical of Southern Africa where rainfall is mostly between the months of December and March. Afternoon thundershowers are normal or an overcast afternoon, but most days will be bright and sunny.


January


This is one of the wettest months of the year; the humidity level is also very high during this month.


February


This time of the year, the rain is heavy, the bush is thick and it's a great time of year for bird watching.


March


This month usually has dry and sunny days with possible thunderstorms.


April to May


The landscape is beautiful, with the sky clear and the landscape green. Night temperatures start to drop during these months, especially in the Kalahari. Note that places in and around the Okavango tend to have less extreme, more moderate temperatures than the drier areas of the Kalahari.


June to August


The night-time temperatures in drier areas can be close to freezing, but it warms up rapidly during the day, when the sky is usually clear and blue. It's now very much 'peak season' for most safari areas: the land is dry in most areas so the animals congregate around the few available water sources.


September to October


Temperatures climb again, drying the landscapes and concentrating the game even more. This is the best time for big game safaris – although October can feel very hot, with maximum temperatures sometimes approaching 40°C.


November


It is difficult to predict the weather from November as it can sometimes be a continuation of October's heat, whilst sometimes it's cooled by the first rains; it's always an interesting month.


December

​

Marks the beginning of the rainy season.



time





Botswana is always two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2); it doesn't operate daylight saving time, so there's no time difference between winter and summer months in Botswana.



currency





The pula (BWP) is Botswana's currency, check with bank for the latest rate. Travelers' cheques and foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, although most camps here will take VISA and MasterCard credit cards, as well as US Dollars, Pounds, Euros and SA Rands. At most camps/lodges, there are no extras to pay.



Language





English is the official language of Botswana and widely spoken alongside Setswana (also called 'Tswana'). There are many other dialects spoken throughout the country in addition to these, making Batswana a multi-lingual country.


"Dumelang" is "hello" is Setswana.

​



our food





Botswana’s staple foods include millet and sorghum porridge. Other food includes, goat meat, beef, chicken, all sorts of beans, morogo (wild spinach), magwinya (deep fried fat cakes) and mopane worms. Most food is either boiled or fried. Drinks include the cider-like traditional brew called bojalwa, or homemade ginger beer.


However, most restaurants serve international cuisine such as Indian, Chines, American and European but not limited to.



communication





Botswana is serviced by 3 cell phone network providers of which 1 is state owned (BTC- Botswana Telecommunications which also provides landline phone services for private and business use). These mobile networks offer subscribers, Internet access, fax, and International Roaming. Mobile sim cards are readily available from accredited vendors, supermarkets and petrol filling stations. Registrations can be done by calling the respective network’s call centre and takes only minute. All major towns in Botswana are network covered, as well as portions of the national highway.


For further information on the network providers in Botswana, consult the following services:


MASCOM www.mascom.bw

ORANGE www.orange.co.bw

BTC/ Be Mobile www.btc.bw


Botswana's International Dialing Code


The International Dialling Code for Botswana is +267, followed by the city area code (e.g. (0)62 for Kasane, or (0)68 for Maun) and local number. Calling from Botswana, you need to dial 00 and the relevant country code (e.g. +44 for the UK, or +1 for the USA).



Our Food





Botswana’s staple foods include millet and sorghum porridge. Other food includes, goat meat, beef, chicken, all sorts of beans, morogo (wild spinach), magwinya (deep fried fat cakes) and mopane worms. Most food is either boiled or fried. Drinks include the cider-like traditional brew called bojalwa, or homemade ginger beer.


However, most restaurants serve international cuisine such as Indian, Chines, American and European but not limited to.