Botswana is truly an amazing place. The incredible natural attractions provide for millions of tourists arriving yearly. Botswana is the place with the highest congregation of Elephants on earth. Botswana was nominated to the first place of world tourist destinations by lonely planet. It is also the world’s largest producer of diamonds.

Traveling info

All tourists traveling to Botswana are required to have a valid passport. Nationals of some countries are allowed to visit Botswana without the requirement of a visa whilst others must obtain the documents in advance. Visa application can only be made in one of the 20 missions in 17 countries across the world. (List of nations in sources). Tourists who wish to drive in Botswana must have their national driving permit with them. An international driving permit is not required however it is recommended as it might be helpful when dealing with local police or when trying to rent a vehicle.

Traveling hazards

Driving in Botswana is challenging and motorists must drive defensively. As elsewhere in the region, traffic circulates on the left in Botswana. While the roads in major population centers are generally good, rural roads can be in poor condition and treacherous. Rolling power outages mean that many traffic lights and street lamps do not work properly. The combination of long, tedious stretches of two-lane highways without shoulders, high-speed limits, intoxicated drivers, free-range domestic animals even in urban centers, and large numbers of pedestrians and hitchhikers in the roadways make fatal accidents a frequent occurrence. Outside of Gaborone, it is also common to find large numbers of animals along or on the unlit roads, which can be particularly hazardous when driving at night. The Embassy prohibits government employees from driving outside of Gaborone after dark.

Environmental hazards

Botswana is vast and one of the most densely animal inhabited areas in Africa. It is the place with the biggest congregation of elephants on earth, making it the best place to spot them. Beware that these large animals are capable of easily killing people when angered. Lions are the largest apex predators of Africa. These animals are fearless and are responsible for hundreds of deaths across Africa yearly. For those who go out camping, it is worth to mention not to leave any food in the open as it attracts scavengers like Hyenas which are easily capable of overwhelming a singled out human. There are numerous venomous snake species in Botswana however three of these are deadly. The black mamba, Mozambique spitting cobra and Egyptian cobra. There are also numerous vipers which are potentially dangerous. Botswana is landlocked however there are many lakes and rivers which are known for various water attractions.
Despite numerous natural hazards occurring in Botswana like droughts and storms, floods remaining the single most threatening natural hazards which is responsible for extensive damage and even claiming a human life.

Health hazards

There is no risk of yellow fever in Botswana. The government of Botswana requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. Apart from the yellow fever vaccination, there are no other required vaccines. There are however several vaccines which are recommended to ensure disease-free trip. These vaccinations are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid vaccines. Unfortunately, there is no vaccination against malaria however there are other ways to defend against it. Malaria is contracted through mosquito bites, therefore, using mosquito nets and bug repellants is a great way to protect against the disease. Medicine on prescription is also an option however it first requires a consultation with your local general practitioner. Public healthcare is focusing on the prevention of disease spread. A quarter of the population of Botswana’s adults is infected with AIDS/HIV. Healthcare facilities are focused in Gaborone and are scarce outside of the capital. Remote areas may have no access to health services at all. Private healthcare in Botswana is focused in the capital city however there are mobile services provided to those in 8 km radius of private facilities. Private facilities provide a much better quality of service than their public equivalent. The staff of both public and private facilities speak English.
In case of an emergency dial 997.

Crime

Criminal incidents, particularly crimes of opportunity such as purse snatching, smash and grabs from parked cars and in traffic, residential burglaries can occur regardless of location. Cell phones, laptop computers, and iPod thefts are commonly reported. Criminals can be confrontational. Criminals are often armed with knives or blunt objects such as shovels or bats. Botswana has strict gun control laws, however, criminals reportedly smuggle firearms from neighboring countries where weapons are cheap and readily available. There is a public awareness campaign highlighting this issue and requesting citizens report illegal firearms to the police. Exercise caution near the Gaborone Dam and Kgale Hill areas during times when there are few hikers. A number of recent armed robberies targeted both individual hikers and hikers in pairs at midday and dusk. It is recommended to avoid Kgale Hill before sunrise and after sunset, as these are peak times for criminal activity. There is no risk of terrorism in Botswana. Narcotics of any kind are illegal in Botswana.

Summary

Botswana takes conservation seriously putting 38% if its territory under protection making it an incredible destination for hikers. The Okavango Delta is one of the most amazing inland deltas to witness. The traditional mekoro (canoe) will take you around the delta. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
http://www.gov.bw/Ministries–Authorities/Ministries/Ministry-of-Labour–Home-Affairs-MLHA/Tools–Services/Services–Forms/Requirements-for-VISA-application/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/botswana
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever#5291