EDS’ LETTER
Botswana is a vast country. Our scenic neighbour to the north is filled with rugged bushveld, calm waters and sprawling landscapes, and it offers some of the best self-drive holiday opportunities in Africa.
This guide will hopefully inspire you to travel to Botswana, and once you’ve made the decision to go, it will help you plan your trip. If you don’t have many leave days saved up, you don’t have to drive much further than the south: Destinations like the Tuli Block (page 32) and Khawa in the Kalahari (page 62) are just a hop and a skip over the border – and they’re awesome. We also went looking for destinations off the tourist trail – places like Nxai Pan and the Boteti River.
A trip to Botswana can easily be expanded to include the Zambezi Region in Namibia and Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean or Zambian side, so we’ve included places to stay in those areas, too. If you have the time, try to head to Kafue National Park in Zambia as well (page 78).
Don’t buy a filling station map on the way to the border. The maps in this guide will show you the way. Two double-spread maps cover Botswana and the adjacent parts of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia (pages 12 – 15). Then there are more detailed full-page maps of parks like Moremi (page 74), Chobe (page 76) and Nxai Pan (page 61). You don’t want to get lost between Xaxanaxa and Savuti!
See you on the road.