Botswana Points of Interest

Botswana Points of Interest: Highlights of This Profile

Wondering what to see or do on your trip to Botswana? You’ll have it in your hands with this listing of cultural, historic, religious, natural, and man-made attractions in the country. This helpful resource points the way in finding items of interest to your Motswana itinerary or agenda.

Relieve business or travel stress by enjoying the sites of Botswana and add to your knowledge bank by learning about the culture, values, and heritage unique to the country. One-of-a-kind cultural gems will add color to your travel time and leave you with distinctive memories.

Whether a famous UNESCO world heritage site, a biosphere reserve, local or national park, museum, or a popular Motswana amusement park, you’ll find what’s of interest for your trip or sojourn in Botswana. Seeing noteworthy attractions will give you a connecting point and plenty to talk about with Motswana locals, colleagues, and family, or the folks at home.

Nxai Pan National Park

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Nxai Pan National Park is located in Botswana and it stretches up to 2,578 square kilometers of land area. The Nxai Pan National Park is also considered as being the sister park of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

The chief attraction at the Nxai Pan National Park at Botswana is a water hole, which is located at a distance of two kilometers from the entrance gate. In the entire stretch of the Mopane woodland of the Nxai Pan National Park, the animals that can be encountered on an abundant measure include lions, kudu, giraffe, ostrich, impala, and large numbers of birdlife as well as fascinating varieties of springbok, jackal and the bat ears fox. There are also numerous variations of smaller creatures available apart from the elephants, zebras and gemstocks, which flock the Nxai Pan National Park in Botswana, in the monsoon months.

The Nxai Pan National Park of Botswana is very well accessible from Maun if journeyed for sixty five kilometers on the Maun-Nata road and also from Gweta, which is at a distance of thirty seven kilometers from the Nxai Pan Entrance gate. Only four wheelers are able to complete the journey because of the heavily sand tracked roads. Accommodation facilities include two tiny camping grounds, which are provided with ablution facilities.

Botswana Economy

Botswana Economy bases itself chiefly on the agricultural industry with more than 80% of the population depending on it as a livelihood. Since the independence of Botswana in the year 1966, the country has set new standards with the highest average growth rate in the economic sector. The currency of Botswana is Pula. The total number of people dwelling under the poverty line as per facts on the Botswana Economy is 30.3%.
The export commodities include diamonds, nickel, copper, soda ash, textiles and meat whereas the country is presently importing foodstuffs, electrical goods, machinery, transport equipment, fuel, textiles and petroleum products, metal and metal product, wood and paper products.
According to the Economy of Botswana, the agricultural industry provides 3% of the total GDP, industry accounts for 46.9% of the GDP, which includes 36% provided by mining. The tourism industry is responsible for 12% account of the GDP. According to Botswana’s Economy, per year growth of GDP is equal to 4.7%, while the inflation rate being 11.4%. The per capita GDP of Botswana Economy amounts to $11,400 with the total GDP being that of $18.72 billion. The growth of Botswana Economy has lead to the country being rated as the least corrupt in the world according to the Transparency International.

Botswana Economy bases itself chiefly on the agricultural industry with more than 80% of the population depending on it as a livelihood. Since the independence of Botswana in the year 1966, the country has set new standards with the highest average growth rate in the economic sector. The currency of Botswana is Pula. The total number of people dwelling under the poverty line as per facts on the Botswana Economy is 30.3%.

The export commodities include diamonds, nickel, copper, soda ash, textiles and meat whereas the country is presently importing foodstuffs, electrical goods, machinery, transport equipment, fuel, textiles and petroleum products, metal and metal product, wood and paper products.

According to the Economy of Botswana, the agricultural industry provides 3% of the total GDP, industry accounts for 46.9% of the GDP, which includes 36% provided by mining. The tourism industry is responsible for 12% account of the GDP. According to Botswana’s Economy, per year growth of GDP is equal to 4.7%, while the inflation rate being 11.4%. The per capita GDP of Botswana Economy amounts to $11,400 with the total GDP being that of $18.72 billion. The growth of Botswana Economy has lead to the country being rated as the least corrupt in the world according to the Transparency International.

Gemsbok National Park

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Gemsbok National Park is located at the bordering regions of the countries of Botswana and Namibia. The total stretch of land encapsulated by the Gemsbok National Park is more than then thousand square kilometers. The Gemsbok National Park of Botswana was established in the year 1931 to protect the migratory game in the region of Gemsbok. The Park however got combined with the neighboring Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and was converted to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the year 1990. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is the first one of its kind in South Africa as well as in the whole world.

The newly formed Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park covers an area of 36,000 square kilometers, which includes the entire region of the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. The chief features of the Gemsbok National Park at Botswana include the Red sand dunes and the dry riverbeds of the Auob and Nossob. The sparse vegetation in the area provides optimum conditions for the survival of antelopes and other predators. Some of the rarest varieties of wildlife at the Park include the ground squirrel, suricate or meerkat, blue wildebeest, eland, springbok, red hartebeest, honey badger, pangolin, bat-eared fox, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena and the black-mane lion.

There are six varieties of camping sites available at the Gemsbok National Park with different sizes and cost, for accommodation purposes.

Okavango Delta

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Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland delta and is situated in the country of Botswana.
The Okavango Delta is basically a labyrinth of lakes, lagoons and hidden channels, which cover more than 17,000 square kilometers of land and acts like a magnet for the rarest species of wildlife as well as for the tourists. The Okavango River today has no outlet to the sea and hence empties itself in the sands of the Kalahari Desert and this is the chief reason for the irrigation of 15,000 square kilometers of land in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The lush green indigenous forests of the Okavango Delta at Botswana with its islands and floodplains hosts more than four hundred species of birds and some of the rarest varieties of animals as well. Some of the abundantly found species of animals include lions, hyenas, elephants, wild dog, hippo, buffalo, crocodiles as well as the smaller varieties like warthog, spotted genets, mongoose, bush babies, monkey and tree squirrels.
Accommodations at the Delta Okavango are provided by a large number of safari lodges and camps. The Moremi Game Reserve, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and the Chobe National Park surrounding the Botswana Delta Okavango offer the best views and experiences of the African wildlife. These camps are most easily accessible via airways from Maun to the desired camp.

Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland delta and is situated in the country of Botswana.  The Okavango Delta is basically a labyrinth of lakes, lagoons and hidden channels, which cover more than 17,000 square kilometers of land and acts like a magnet for the rarest species of wildlife as well as for the tourists. The Okavango River today has no outlet to the sea and hence empties itself in the sands of the Kalahari Desert and this is the chief reason for the irrigation of 15,000 square kilometers of land in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

The lush green indigenous forests of the Okavango Delta at Botswana with its islands and floodplains hosts more than four hundred species of birds and some of the rarest varieties of animals as well. Some of the abundantly found species of animals include lions, hyenas, elephants, wild dog, hippo, buffalo, crocodiles as well as the smaller varieties like warthog, spotted genets, mongoose, bush babies, monkey and tree squirrels.

Accommodations at the Delta Okavango are provided by a large number of safari lodges and camps. The Moremi Game Reserve, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and the Chobe National Park surrounding the Botswana Delta Okavango offer the best views and experiences of the African wildlife. These camps are most easily accessible via airways from Maun to the desired camp.

Kalahari Desert

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Kalahari Desert in Botswana is home to a number of game reserves located in its surrounding regions, like, the Khutse Game Reserve, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which are home to a large variety of the African wildlife including some of the rarest wildlife species of the world. Rainfall is scarce in the Kalahari Desert and in summers the temperatures shoot upwards at a tremendous rate. Surprisingly however, there are many animals and plants that still survive in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. The annual rainfall is a mere 5-10 inches with the Okavango River flowing into a delta, making the northwestern regions quite marshy and hence rich in wildlife.
During the rains, the ancient dry riverbeds of Kalahari Desert at Botswana, known as Omuramba, become the sources of standing pools of water. These rivers used to be havens for wild animals and predators like cheetah, lion, elephant and giraffe, they have mostly been converted into grazing areas. Where is Kalahari Desert Kalahari Desert is basically a large sandy area, which is located in the southern regions of Kgaladi in Africa and stretches up to an area of 900,000 square kilometers. Most of the regions of Botswana, South Africa and Namibia are covered by the Kalahari Desert. The nearby Kalahari Basin covers an area of 2.5 million square kilometers and encroach regions of Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Kalahari Desert in Botswana is home to a number of game reserves located in its surrounding regions, like, the Khutse Game Reserve, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which are home to a large variety of the African wildlife including some of the rarest wildlife species of the world. Rainfall is scarce in the Kalahari Desert and in summers the temperatures shoot upwards at a tremendous rate. Surprisingly however, there are many animals and plants that still survive in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. The annual rainfall is a mere 5-10 inches with the Okavango River flowing into a delta, making the northwestern regions quite marshy and hence rich in wildlife.

During the rains, the ancient dry riverbeds of Kalahari Desert at Botswana, known as Omuramba, become the sources of standing pools of water. These rivers used to be havens for wild animals and predators like cheetah, lion, elephant and giraffe, they have mostly been converted into grazing areas. Where is Kalahari Desert Kalahari Desert is basically a large sandy area, which is located in the southern regions of Kgaladi in Africa and stretches up to an area of 900,000 square kilometers. Most of the regions of Botswana, South Africa and Namibia are covered by the Kalahari Desert. The nearby Kalahari Basin covers an area of 2.5 million square kilometers and encroach regions of Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary

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Khama Rhino Sanctuary is basically a wildlife project in the land of Botswana which is totally community based. The Khama Rhino Sanctuary was established in the year 1992, in order to save the rest of the surviving rhino population in the country. The area of the Khama Rhino Sanctuary was formerly teeming with abundant varieties of African wildlife. The community aimed towards restoring the natural state of the region and provides all sorts of economic assistance to the local Botswana people.

The Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana stretches over four thousand and three hundred hectares of land and is centered around the Serwe Pan, which is actually a large depression encapsulated by grass and many water holes. The Khama Rhino Sanctuary at Botswana offers the optimum conditions for the survival of white rhinoceroses, with the dense regions of the sanctuary being favored by animals like the giraffe. There are a total of fourteen white rhinos that have been translocated to the sanctuary thus gearing the total numbers of rhinos to eighteen.

Other important species of wild animals that share the Khama Rhino Sanctuary of Botswana with the rhinos include the zebra, giraffe, blue wildebeest, eland, impala, springbok, gemsbok, steenbok, kudu, leopard, black backed jackal, African wild cat and the brown hyena.

Tsodilo Hills

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Tsodilo Hills are located in the Kalahari Desert at a distance of fifty kilometers from the western borders of the Desert.
The village of Sepupa is placed at the foothills of the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana with the Panhandle flowing nearby. The four majestic Tsodilo Hills are known popularly as “The Male” with the largest of the Tsodilo Hills, reaching a height of four hundred and ten meters. There is a surrounding smaller hill, which also has a popular name of “The Female”. The latter however is spread over a large area, which is three times of “The Male”. The nearby hill which is forty meters tall is referred to as “The Child”.
The Tsodilo Hills are of enormous social significance for the native San people residing there since the past thousands of years. The natives are of the belief that the caverns in The Female hill are the dwelling places of their gods, while the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana serve as the resting places of the spirits of those who are deceased. The most pious and holy region however is the topmost peak of The Male hill, since it is from this place that the first spirit did kneel in order to pray right after creating this world.
Archaeologists opine that the Tsodilo Hills of Botswana are inhabited by humans since 100,000 years an there are paintings all over the rocks of the hills.

Tsodilo Hills are located in the Kalahari Desert at a distance of fifty kilometers from the western borders of the Desert.
The village of Sepupa is placed at the foothills of the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana with the Panhandle flowing nearby. The four majestic Tsodilo Hills are known popularly as “The Male” with the largest of the Tsodilo Hills, reaching a height of four hundred and ten meters. There is a surrounding smaller hill, which also has a popular name of “The Female”. The latter however is spread over a large area, which is three times of “The Male”. The nearby hill which is forty meters tall is referred to as “The Child”.
The Tsodilo Hills are of enormous social significance for the native San people residing there since the past thousands of years. The natives are of the belief that the caverns in The Female hill are the dwelling places of their gods, while the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana serve as the resting places of the spirits of those who are deceased. The most pious and holy region however is the topmost peak of The Male hill, since it is from this place that the first spirit did kneel in order to pray right after creating this world.
Archaeologists opine that the Tsodilo Hills of Botswana are inhabited by humans since 100,000 years an there are paintings all over the rocks of the hills.

Travel Guide

Any Botswana travel guide would not fail to mention the natural attractions of the country like the Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The Chobe National Park is the transit point to see the famed Victoria Falls. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve has a large number of wild animals. Tourists on the popular trail set down by the travel guide to Botswana usually comes during the winter months in the African country.

Botswana travel involves catching a flight to the Botswana capital city of Gaborone. A significant number of flights arrive from Johannesburg in South Africa. Traveling within Botswana is easy and cheap. Roads throughout the landlocked African nation are very well connected as well as maintained. Visitors to the country would be pleasantly surprised to find the English language in wide use in Botswana. The currency of the country is Pula. Incidence of crime is low in Botswana. Some parts of the country are medically classified with high incidence of persons coming down with malaria. Visitors to those parts are advised to take sufficient heath precautions before traveling to the affected areas.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

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The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formed by the amalgamation of two pre-existing national parks. The Gemsbok National Park of Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park was combined to form the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Botswana has territorial jurisdiction over three quarters of the total park area. The reserve is held by South Africa.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana has a harsh terrain. The topography of the park is made of red sand dunes, long dried up riverbeds and little or no vegetation. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park of Botswana is crisscrossed by two dry rivers: the Auob and the Nossob. The water in these rivers flows underground and sustains hardy trees like camel thorn and tenacious desert grass. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is home to a large number of predatory carnivores like hyenas, Kalahari lions and cheetahs. Herbivores like springbok, wildebeest and eland also inhabit the landscape. The red hartebeest is also found in the park during its migration periods. All these herbivores act as sources of food to the carnivorous animals in the park.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formed by the amalgamation of two pre-existing national parks. The Gemsbok National Park of Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park was combined to form the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Botswana has territorial jurisdiction over three quarters of the total park area. The reserve is held by South Africa.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana has a harsh terrain. The topography of the park is made of red sand dunes, long dried up riverbeds and little or no vegetation. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park of Botswana is crisscrossed by two dry rivers: the Auob and the Nossob. The water in these rivers flows underground and sustains hardy trees like camel thorn and tenacious desert grass. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is home to a large number of predatory carnivores like hyenas, Kalahari lions and cheetahs. Herbivores like springbok, wildebeest and eland also inhabit the landscape. The red hartebeest is also found in the park during its migration periods. All these herbivores act as sources of food to the carnivorous animals in the park.