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At all borders you will have to get out of your car and wipe your feet on the designated mat. You will also have to drive your car/vehicle through the foot & mouth swash pit before you are allowed entry.Your car may be inspected to see if there is anything "dirty" you are trying to import, such as drums with leather.Foot and mouth could be devastating. It is no wonder they take it very seriously.
To take the car across the border you must have all the necessary paperwork. If it is a hire car you will need chassis numbers, engine numbers, registration numbers, letters of authority blah blah blah... and do take a note of the colour of your vehicle... ours was actually silver but by the time we concluded our trip... the colour under all that dirt realy was anybodies guess!!!And what can I tell you about the borders? Make sure you ALWAYS have a working pen. Do not be tempted like me to give that last bic biro away to the child who desperately wants it because you could end up like me - stuck at the border, penless, waiting for the next vehicle to come along so that I could borrow their pen to fill out all the paperwork - you may get lucky... Mrs Sunglasses behind the border desk may like you and allow you to use her pen. Clearly, I was not liked!Paperwork... You will get writers...
A south-African truck driver was stuck at the customs on Ngoma border, and had not enough money to drive into Botswana with his truck. And I was stuck at the border without transportation. I paid the customs the extra 200 Pula for his truck and joined him to Kasane. It was a nice ride through the Chobe National park, and he stopped the truck so I could see some wild animals.(Read the warning tip...)
If you are driving from Maun to Kasane, try to avoid going through Nata, which may mean you need to drive through Chobe Reserve. Basically, the road Nata - Kasane is full of craters (not potholes even). Big trucks run up and down it as well, and many of them, trying to avoid the potholes, resort to driving next to the road, and sink into the deep sand there. Either way, it's bad!
Ok. Yes I am stating the obvious; you have to drive on the left in Botswana. Botswana has a huge array of paved roads that are well maintained. If you have never driven on the left before, you need to be very careful. You will rarely meet a vehicle on the Trans-Kalahari Highway, but you do not want to meet it head on. Traffic in Gaborone can be very busy and intimidating on weekdays. Keep well left, drive – very – defensively and always look ahead. That’s so you can see the animals in the road.
Taking a 4x4 with a tent on the roof is a novel and reasonably priced way to travel around Botswana.You basically take your home with you and have a car to cope with the terrain. Travelling around Botswana is really not doable in a regular car if you want to visit the game reserves and some of the lodges. During September the roads are incredibly sandy and need a vehicle that can deal with such conditions, like wise when the rains arrive the roads turn to muddy 'rivers' and sludge.There are several 4x4 hire commpanies, often they operate from South Africa. In tented vehicles you are supplied with most of what you need, you won't need to invest in mosquito nets or sleeping bags, these come with the tents. In fact we were supplied with duvets rather than sleeping bags much nicer we found.In deep sand keeping as high a gear as possible is advised, keeping the revs up. I found out the hard...
Across Botswana you will come across Veterinary Disease Control Barriers while you are driving. They are all well marked so you can slow down – except near Nata in the North East. The control points are to manage the movement of livestock to prevent the spread of Foot & Mouth disease which can lead to the destruction of whole herds. Theses checkpoints are also at all border areas and you have top drive your car through disinfectant (pictured) and get out and wash your shoes as well. Slow down and just follow their directions and you will be away quickly.
A lot of Botswana is desert, semi-desert or just deserted. There can be some seriously long distances between towns with shops. Also if you have a breakdown with a car, you could be out in the hot sun all day waiting. Its just a good idea to carry water with you. You will be surprised how quickly it goes. I recommend that you carry 20 litres with you. They sell big 10 litres bottles in most good grocery stores like Shoprite (pictured). I did end up using almost all my water in my travels even though I kept buying more.
Need to get across southern Botswana? The Trans-Kalahari Highway is a modern paved road across the desert. You can drive across the country in the better part of a day. The speed limit is 120 kph (74.5 mph), but who cares? There are no Police out here. You do need to be careful though. ONLY drive during the day and set off at sunrise if you can. Animals live all over the road. Lots of big animals including Ostriches, Donkeys, Horses, Goats, you name it. They are invisible and deadly at night. Also take 10-20 litres of water with you and check you spare tyre before you set off. There are petrol stations, but they are very far apart. Never set off without a full tank. You get very warm and bored on the very straight road and the radio stations are non-existent. This means you need to take breaks as you drive along. Be careful!
When you drive in Botswana, you have to watch out for bird. They are, seemingly, not used to cars, and don't understand that multi-ton solid object will put a definite end to their being. They may bother getting out of the way, but watch out for them- they're big enough to put a crack in your windshield, and they don't always fly away from the car when trying to escape. Hornbill deaths on our trip: 3. Stupid birds.
Cresta Lodge Gaborone Gaborone
4 Opinions
Khwai River Lodge Maun
32 Opinions
Chobe Safari Lodge Kasane
156 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Botswana attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Botswana sightseeing.
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Q: Hi, want to do this trip last week in March/1st week April, should we get good weather or is it a bit too early for the Okavanga...
A: Hi Chanes are that you'll see far fewer animals if it has flooded, as when the water is scarce, the animals congregate around the little water that's around. Once the...
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