Botswana Vast wilderness, extraordinary wildlife and the waterways of the Okavango Delta

The Botswana Pula (BWP) is the official currency. Most safari camps price in US dollars and accept payment by card or dollar cash, while Pula is more useful for tips, curio purchases and anything bought outside the camps. Carry a mix of small-denomination US dollars for tipping, since change is not always available in remote areas.

Tap water in Gaborone and other larger towns is generally treated and safe to drink. In the Okavango Delta and Chobe safari camps, filtered or purified water is provided in rooms and at meals, and this is the water you should drink throughout your stay rather than water drawn directly from rivers or boreholes.

English is the official language and is spoken fluently throughout the tourism industry, including by all guides. Setswana is the national language and the one you will hear most often between local people, so a simple “dumela” (hello) is always well received when greeting camp staff and guides.

Botswana operates on Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+2) year-round, with no daylight saving adjustment. This makes scheduling calls home straightforward, since the time difference stays constant whatever time of year you travel.

Cards are accepted at most main lodges and in Gaborone and Maun, but connectivity in the bush is unreliable, so machines occasionally fail to process payments. Carry US dollars in cash for tips, laundry, curio stalls and any camp that experiences a network outage during your stay.

Tipping is customary and forms a meaningful part of guide and camp staff income. Most camps display recommended daily amounts for guides, trackers and general staff, typically paid in US dollars into communal tipping boxes at the end of your stay rather than to individuals directly.

Botswana uses Type D and Type G sockets, running at 230V. Most safari camps have limited charging points powered by solar or generator systems, often concentrated in a central mess area rather than in every room, so pack a compact multi-adapter and plan to charge devices overnight.

Wifi is available at most main lodges but is often limited to communal areas and can be slow or intermittent once you’re in the delta or wilder concessions. Rather than relying on a local SIM, which has patchy signal away from towns, treat safari days as an opportunity to disconnect and check messages when back at camp.

Neutral-coloured clothing (khaki, olive, stone) helps you stay unobtrusive on game drives, alongside a warm layer for early morning starts when temperatures can be surprisingly cold even in summer. A good pair of binoculars, a torch, and reef-safe insect repellent are also worth packing, since specialist gear is not always available at remote camps.

Guides set the pace and safety rules on every game drive and walk, and their instructions should be followed without exception, including staying seated during sightings and keeping noise to a minimum. Botswana takes conservation seriously, and camps generally discourage loud conversation or flash photography around wildlife as a matter of course.

Transfers between camps are usually by light aircraft, which impose a strict weight limit, typically 20kg (44lb) total per person including hand luggage, carried in soft-sided bags only. Hard- shell suitcases do not fit the aircraft’s storage space, so pack accordingly from the outset rather than repacking at the airstrip.

Wildlife is most active in the cooler hours around dawn, before the heat of the day sends animals into shade and stillness. An early start, usually with tea or coffee brought to your room, gives the best chance of significant sightings and cooler, more comfortable conditions for the first game drive of the day.