RSA R61 (VAT incl.) N$63,50 (Namibia)

Transcription

1 RSA R61 (VAT incl.) N$63,50 (Namibia)

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3 INHOUD CONTENTS 6 EDS LETTER SHELLEY CHRISTIANS 9 AT THE BORDER 12 MAPS OF BOTSWANA Two double-page maps of northern and southern Botswana respectively, to help you plan your trip. 18 THE GREAT NORTHERN LOOP You don t need a 4x4 for this 12-day holiday, which takes you to all the classic spots in northern Botswana and the adjacent Zambezi Region in Namibia. 20 CENTRAL BOTSWANA Our pocket-friendly 12-day travel plan will take 4x2 drivers to the Boteti River, Makgadikgadi Pans and the Tuli Block. 22 CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE This huge reserve is for people who love the wilderness. Bonus: double-page map with the best campsites and game-viewing routes. 30 KHUTSE GAME RESERVE This compact 4x4 reserve is close to South Africa; you can drive there in a day. There might be lions waiting in your campsite 32 GHANZI The farming hub of north-western Botswana is alive with colourful characters. Come meet them! 40 PEOPLE OF THE KALAHARI The Bushmen are masters of the veld. Go for a guided walk and you can learn to see the world the way they do. 44 HAINAVELD Where is this 4x4 haven? Join us on a journey of discovery. 50 MAUN Maun is the safari HQ of the Okavango Delta tourism industry. All you need is a khaki shirt and you ll fit right in. COVER IMAGE CHARL STOLS/ PANGOLIN PHOTO SAFARIS GOOD NEIGHBOURS. Elephants and buffalo on Sedudu Island in the Chobe River, photographed from the boat during a sunset cruise Botswana

4 CONTENTS ACCOMMODATION GUIDE 87 Location map and notes 88 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park & Mabuasehube, Zutshwa & Kaa, Khawa, McCarthy s Rest & Van Zylsrus, Werda, Vryburg, Gaborone 89 Lobatse, Kang, Ghanzi 92 Central Kalahari & Khutse Game Reserve, Serowe, Palapye, Lephalale 94 Tuli Block, Sehithwa, Maun 96 Boteti River & Hainaveld 98 Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Letlhakane, Nxai Pan National Park 99 Gweta, Kubu Island, Nata 108 Francistown, Okavango Panhandle, Tsodilo Hills 110 Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park 112 Kasane & Kazungula 114 Pandamatenga, Namibia: Okavango River 116 Namibia: Kwando River 118 Namibia: Chobe River 120 Namibia: Zambezi River, Zambia: Livingstone 122 Zimbabwe: Vic Falls 124 Zambezi National Park KALAHARI PATIENCE. Waiting for action at Mpayathutlwa Pan in the Mabuasehube section of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. (Note: You re not allowed to get out of your vehicle in the park.) 54 MOREMI GAME RESERVE Safari guides Chris Dandridge and Devon Jenkin share some of their best wildlife images from this iconic reserve in the Okavango Delta. 60 OKAVANGO PANHANDLE The panhandle has wonderful campsites on the banks of the Okavango River that offer good value for money. We ve also included a trail map for nearby Tsodilo Hills a spectacular World Heritage Site full of rock art. 68 KASANE This town is right next door to Chobe National Park. But what if you re wildly hungry? Here s our restaurant guide. 74 MABUASEHUBE This is the most popular section of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on the Botswana side. It s known for its lions, but we got cheetahs for breakfast. (They got gemsbok ) 80 TULI BLOCK Reader Alida Kieser and her sisters braved Botswana on their own a few years ago. Now you can t keep them out of the Tuli! 128 & 130 BOTSWANA AT ITS BEST A baby elephant plays in the Chobe River, sunset on Guma Lagoon Things don t get any better! JOIN US! Our guided tours to Botswana are perfectly tailored for those who want to see the best places at the best price. 86 Special photography tour 104 Mpafa formal accommodation tour 106 Bhejane camping tour FRANÇOIS HAASBROEK Botswana

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6 EDS LETTER Dumelang! This guide is your passport to a great holiday in Botswana. This time around we scoped out proper lion country: the Central Kalahari and Khutse game reserves, the Mabuasehube section of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and a lesser-known wilderness area called the Hainaveld. We gathered info about the best campsites and drove as many of the roads as possible so as to create brand-new, up-to-date maps of these 4x4 destinations. (See p for maps of the CKGR and Hainaveld, p 31 for Khutse and p 79 for Mabua.) Botswana is also a country that you can explore without difficulty if you don t have a 4x4. We hung out in the lively farming town of Ghanzi and in the two popular northern safari towns of Maun and Kasane. All three places are easy to reach on tar you can drive there right now in whatever you have parked in your driveway! One thing we noticed while researching this guide was that Botswana has become more expensive. This has a lot to do with the rand s unpredictable exchange rate and also because some places have put up their prices. But if you know where to look, you ll still find value-for-money places that offer much more than you d think. The Okavango Panhandle (p 60) is one such destination. Where else can you catch a tiger fish, do some of the best birdwatching in southern Africa and pitch your tent right on the banks of the Okavango River? It s epic! Fuel is expensive (good news: it s much cheaper in Botswana), which is why we ve also profiled destinations that are closer to home, like the Tuli Block (p 80). And if you re a Botswana first-timer, look no further than our two tried-and-trusted classic itineraries: The Great Northern Loop (p 18) and Central Botswana (p 20). We ve already done the homework, you just have to make the bookings. If you d rather join an organised, guided trip, check out our partner tours with Mpafa Travel and Bhejane 4x4 Adventures see p 86, 104 and 106. Enjoy! toast@weg.co.za francois.haasbroek@media24.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (WEG & GO): PIERRE STEYN EDITORS GO BOTSWANA 2018/19: TOAST COETZER (ARTICLES), FRANÇOIS HAASBROEK (MAPS) COPY EDITORS: MARIJCKE DODDS, MARTINETTE LOUW, JON MINSTER ART DIRECTOR: LYNNE FRASER DESIGNER: ASHWELL PRINS CONTRIBUTORS: WILLEM VAN DER BERG, KAY-ANN VAN ROOYEN CEO OF MEDIA24: ISHMET DAVIDSON GENERAL MANAGER LIFESTYLE: RAJ LALBAHADUR GENERAL MANAGER MONTHLIES: NERISA COETZEE COMMERCIAL MANAGING EDITOR: GERDA ENGELBRECHT PRODUCTION MANAGER: KERRY NASH FINANCIAL MANAGER: MUNEEB ADAMS CIRCULATION MANAGER: RIAAN WEYERS riaan.weyers@media24.com GROUP ADVERTISING GENERAL MANAGER ADVERTISING: DAVID HAY CENTRAL SALES MANAGER (GAUTENG & KZN): TAMMY HOLTSHAUSEN DIRECT & CLASSIFIED SALES BUSINESS MANAGER SALES: DANIE NELL danie.nell@media24.com JOHANNESBURG JEANINE KRUGER jeanine.kruger@media24.com LIZEL PAUW lizel.kok@media24.com SHARLENE SMITH sharlene.smith@media24.com THEA THOMAS tthomas@media24.com CAPE TOWN NICK FITZELL nick.fitzell@media24.com SANETHA MEINTJIES sanetha.meintjies@media24.com DESIGNER: MEGAN LUITERS SUB-EDITOR: BRIGITTE BLANCKENBERG COMMERCIAL MANAGER: LISE COETSEE RETOUCHER: SHIREEN ALLIE WHERE TO FIND US CONTACT: DONVÉ MYBURGH donve.myburgh@media24.com CAPE TOWN: POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 740, Cape Town, 8000 STREET ADDRESS: 18th floor, Absa Building, cnr of Adderley & Riebeek streets, Cape Town, 8001 lise.coetsee@media24.com Order a copy of go! Botswana online at winkel.weg.co.za, call or verkope@media24.com For a digital magazine, go to zinio.com or magzter.com Weg/go! is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa PRINTING CTP All rights reserved Distribution: On the Dot Published by Media24, a division of Naspers, 40 Heerengracht, Cape Town, 8001

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9 AT THE BORDER Don t fear border posts! With a little bit of patience and our handy tips, you ll be on holiday in Botswana in no time. AT THE BORDER TOAST COETZER BORDER FEES Prices may change at short notice and vary from border post to border post. Botswana Fees are payable in pula you can exchange rand for pula at most border posts, usually informally. Vehicle fee from P152 (R210) depending on engine size. Vehicle plus trailer from P254 (R352). Namibia You can pay in rands (cash). Vehicle fee R295; trailer R190. Zambia Some fees are payable in US dollars only and others in kwacha (K). You can exchange dollars for kwacha informally at most borders. Carbon tax K150 K275 (R220 R403), depending on engine size; insurance K162 K305 (R236 R447); council levy K30 (R44); toll US$20 (R302). Zimbabwe Fees are paid in US dollars. Carbon tax US$10 US$30 (R150 R451); insurance US$30 US$50 (R451 R751); road tax US$10 US$20 (R151 R302). FOR YOUR VEHICLE ZA sticker. Stick it on the back. Emergency triangles. Pack two in case someone asks. Keep them close at hand. Fire extinguisher. You must have one in the car. Reflective vest. Wear it when you get out of your car at the side of the road to fix a tyre. Reflective strips for your bumpers. White or silver reflective strips stuck to the front bumper; red reflective strips stuck to the rear bumper. Even if your car already has reflectors! This is compulsory in Zimbabwe and Zambia. COMPULSORY PAPERWORK Passport with more than two blank pages; valid for six months or more. (South Africans don t need a visa to visit Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe or Zambia.) Vehicle registration documents copies will do. Remember your trailer s documents, too. Letter of authorisation from the bank if you re still paying off your vehicle, or from the owner of the car if you re borrowing your brother s Navara. This should specify the dates you intend to take the vehicle across the border, countries you plan to visit, the registration number, and the physical address, ID number and name of the owner. Unabridged birth certificates for all children under 18. Note: This regulation has changed. New passports issued to children will now list their parents names in the back. If your children have these (new) passports, you don t need to bring the birth certificates along. SA driving licence it s valid so bring it. Have it ready for presentation at check-points Botswana

10 TRAVEL TIPS MEDICAL First aid kit as needed. Malaria take precaution wherever you go. Consult with your GP. Medical insurance good to have. Yellow fever vaccination not compulsory, but outbreaks do occur. MONEY Notify your bank that you ll be using your credit and debit cards outside of South Africa. Use local ATMs to draw currency like pula (Botswana) and kwacha (Zambia). You can use rands in Namibia and US dollars in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Your bank cards won t be accepted everywhere. Keep cash at hand, especially at filling stations. TOAST COETZER SAVE MONEY Cellphone save money on roaming charges by buying a local SIM card for your phone. Buy a data package so you can WhatsApp your friends. Internet most places you ll stay at will have (slow) but usually free Wi-Fi. Drive slowly this will keep your fuel consumption low. Speeding fines can also make an unexpected dent in your budget. And beware: Botswana traffic officials are very good at their jobs. VETERINARY CONTROL POINTS These control points might have two stop signs stop at both and proceed only when the official waves you along. Your vehicle might be searched, usually only when you leave an area in the north of the country with foot-and-mouth disease, like when you re travelling south from Kasane to Nata or east from Maun to Gweta. Meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy are sometimes confiscated. BORDER TIPS Use a small border post. Our favourites are McCarthy s Rest and Middelputs in the Northern Cape, and Platjan and Stockpoort in Limpopo. Try to avoid the bigger border posts, especially around the end of the month and during peak holiday season. Keep cash handy; most border posts don t have card facilities. Get serial. Before you leave home, write down the serial number(s) of your camera, lenses, cellphone, laptop, GPS etc. Print copies of this list and attach a copy to a customs declaration when required. Leave your meat at home. What? Yes, we know our readers like to take their favourite butcher s cut on holiday, but it will mean a lot less border-crossing stress if you leave your meat at home. This will also make passing veterinary control points less of a hassle (there are many in Botswana). Simply buy meat in Botswana it s available everywhere. Botswana