Botswana

Botswana is one of Africa's premier safari destinations, built around genuine wilderness rather than volume tourism. The Okavango Delta floods seasonally into a maze of channels and islands best explored by traditional mokoro canoe, while the Chobe riverfront holds some of the continent's densest elephant populations. The Kalahari's salt pans and San Bushmen heritage add a starker, quieter counterpoint. Low-impact, high-cost tourism policy keeps camps small and wildlife encounters uncrowded.

Why go thereSafari Wildlife Nature & landscapes Deserts Indigenous cultures Adventure sports Rural traditions Culture & heritage Road trips

Main destinations

Food & drink to try

Seswaa

Beef or goat boiled with salt alone and pounded into threads, the national dish.

Bogobe

Sorghum porridge, plain for breakfast or soured into ting for the evening.

Morogo

Wild leafy greens boiled and fried with onion, eaten with pap.

Main destinations

Other destinations

Comfort in January · by notability

Food & drink to try

Seswaa

Beef or goat boiled with salt alone and pounded into threads, the national dish.

Bogobe

Sorghum porridge, plain for breakfast or soured into ting for the evening.

Morogo

Wild leafy greens boiled and fried with onion, eaten with pap.

Phaphatha

Flat pan-baked bread, dense and chewy, split and buttered.

Dikgobe

Samp and beans boiled together, sometimes with meat, cooked slowly.

Serobe

Tripe and offal cooked long with pepper, served at weddings and funerals.

Phane

Mopane caterpillars dried and fried with tomato and onion, sold by the cup.

Madila

Soured milk kept in a gourd, poured over porridge or drunk cold.

Vetkoek

Fried dough balls split and filled with mince or jam.

Ting

Fermented sorghum porridge, sour and thick, served with seswaa.

Bojalwa

Home-brewed sorghum beer, cloudy and low in alcohol, shared from one container.

Practical info

Drives on the left

Entry & health

Set your passport

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Advisory only — AI + web search, may be out of date. Confirm official sources before you travel.

Tipping & local customs

Tipping is not compulsory in Botswana but is customary and appreciated for good service; in restaurants it's customary to leave a tip of around 10-15% of the bill if service is not included, though some upscale spots add a service charge (check first). On safari, guides are typically tipped US$10+ per guest per day separately from other staff, with tips for camp/lodge staff pooled in a communal ti

Greet people properly and take time for small talk before getting to business — a hurried, transactional manner can come across as rude.
On safari, follow your guide's instructions closely: don't stand up in vehicles near animals, keep noise down, and never attempt to feed or approach wildlife.
Ask before photographing local people, especially in villages, as a matter of courtesy.
Dress modestly in towns and rural areas; swimwear is for pools/lodges only, not for wandering into town.
Use your right hand (or both hands) when giving or receiving items as a sign of respect.
Respect protected areas and national parks — off-track driving, littering, and disturbing wildlife are taken seriously and can incur fines.

Advisory only — AI + web search, may be out of date. Confirm official sources before you travel.

Before you go

Stay connected

Get an eSIM for Botswana — mobile data the moment you land.

via Airalo

Travel insurance

Cover trip cancellation, medical care and delays.

via EKTA