BOTSWANA This information is provided by Wilderness Safaris as a guideline to the country you will be visiting. Further information is available to you on our website www.wilderness-safaris.com or the official Botswana Tourism Authority s website www.botswanatourism.co.bw. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS All visitors to Botswana must have a passport which is valid for at least 6 months beyond their intended departure date from Botswana. Visitors to southern Africa must ensure they have sufficient blank VISA pages (not endorsement pages) in their passports, with at least two consecutive/side by side blank pages. Our recommendation is 3 pages (or even 4 if you are travelling through more than one country on your journey). If there is insufficient space in the passport then entry into a country could be denied. Any applicable visas and/or relevant documentation are the responsibility of the traveller. Visitors must also be in possession of outward travel documents and have sufficient funds for the duration of their stay. CURRENCY The currency in Botswana is the Pula (P) which is made up of 100 Thebe. Botswana banks only accept US Dollars, Pound Sterling, Euro and South African Rand in cash. Any cash payments made to camps for curios, or gratuities to guides or staff, need to be in one of these currencies. Travellers Cheques in any of the above currencies are also acceptable. CREDIT CARDS International Visa and MasterCard are usually accepted throughout Botswana, including Wilderness Safaris and Wilderness Adventures camps. However, American Express and Diners Club are not accepted by the banks in Botswana, and therefore not at our camps either. VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) All goods and services in Botswana are priced to include value added tax (VAT) of 12%. On departing from Botswana, non residents may claim a VAT refund on goods exported as accompanied luggage. In order to claim, the original tax invoice, with passport details reflected thereon, must be presented to the designated Customs Officer together with the VAT 006.1 claim form and the BW500 export declaration form. The value of the goods must exceed BWP 5 000.00 (Pula), all in one invoice, per export and the goods must be available for inspection. Refunds are made by way of a transfer into your account. Customs also ask for bank account details, and payment may be deposited directly into the account from Botswana. Guests must have these details on hand, as refund documents have to be submitted on the same day that the items leave the country. Bank details cannot be sent at a later stage. DUTY FREE There is no duty free shopping available at O.R.Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) on flights to Botswana. Please make sure any duty free purchases of perfume, alcohol, etc are made before arriving in southern Africa. LUGGAGE ON AIR TRANSFERS There are strict weight restrictions in place on any itinerary which includes light aircraft transfers for the following reasons: The aircraft are designed with a maximum bodyweight and luggage weight allowance. Most of our airfields are over 1000 metres above sea level and are located in the tropics, and therefore the permissible aircraft carrying capacity is reduced. The aircraft have physical space restrictions.
Some important issues must please be noted for air transfers with Wilderness Air charters: Luggage, including camera equipment and hand luggage, is restricted per person travelling on seat rates to 20kg (44lbs). Only soft bags will be accepted - no wheels, frames or rigid structures can be transported as they physically cannot fit into the aircraft. The maximum dimensions of the soft bags which can be accommodated are as follows: 25cm (10 inches) wide x 30cm (12 inches) high and 62cm (24 inches) long. Should your guest require a bag, we do have a supply of soft nylon carry-all bags at a reasonable cost. These bags are ideal for use on light aircraft and are the correct dimensions. Please keep in mind that the baggage compartments on the light aircraft are only 25cm high (10 inches), so the pilots must have the ability to manipulate the bag into the compartment. A collapsible wheeled luggage frame/trolley (separate to the bag) is allowed, as long as basic dimensions are similar to that of the bag. Please inform us in advance if guests weigh more than 100kg (220lbs) as additional weight allowance on the aircraft must be purchased for safety and comfort. The costs for this are calculated on request according to specific region and routing, and provides for a maximum of 70kg (154lbs) excess weight. These limits are applicable to guests travelling on a seat rate basis so may differ if guests have booked on a sole use or private charter option in which case the maximum's depend on the type of aircraft and the number of passengers booked. These luggage restrictions appear minimal, however, please bear in mind the following: Most safari camps / lodges and hotels provide basic toilet amenities. Laundry can be done on a daily basis (many camps provide this service free of charge but some camps and hotels do charge a nominal fee). Mainly casual clothing is required. As no formal clothes are needed throughout most of southern Africa, we recommend that luggage is limited to the basics. More formal attire is usually required only when staying in the more prestigious city hotel establishments or on any of the luxury trains. On a wildlife safari, casual clothing is the order of the day. Please refer to our suggested packing list as a guideline. EXCESS LUGGAGE If you need to bring luggage in excess of your allowance, you may have the option of buying an extra seat. This "seat in plane" allows for a maximum of 70kg (154 lbs) excess weight, on the proviso that the bag(s) conforms to the dimensions 40 x 40 x 80 cms (16 x 16 x 31 inches); soft bag i.e. no wheels/frame/rigid structures; able to physically fit onto a light aircraft seat; able to be physically secured with one seatbelt; will not impact on the comfort of other guests on the flight. The additional cost of this varies depending on your flight schedule so please contact your agent for further details. On arrival in either Maun or Kasane, you also have the option of sending your excess luggage ahead at an additional cost. If the safari begins in Maun, the excess luggage will be forwarded to Kasane and stored. If starting in Kasane, the excess luggage will be forwarded to Maun for storage. You can then collect this excess baggage at the end of your Botswana trip. We need to know in advance if this service is needed so that arrangements can be made and the transfer can be handled smoothly. Please note that the same dimensions as above apply to this unaccompanied baggage. Should you be starting and ending your safari in Maun, and do not require the excess luggage to accompany you on your trip, we can store this for you at our office in Maun at no extra charge. Wilderness Safaris, Wilderness Adventures and their staff will not accept responsibility for luggage kept in any of the offices on behalf of our guests. We do not anticipate any problems with stored luggage being
damaged or stolen, but guests must ensure that they are in possession of full travel insurance including luggage cover. LAUNDRY Laundry can be done at most camps. This service is complimentary at Wilderness Safaris camps but at additional cost at the Wilderness Adventures camps. There may also be a nominal charge at other third party establishments. At certain camps the camp staff will not wash underwear, due to prevailing local traditions in the country (in these cases washing powder is supplied for guests to rinse their own underwear). POWER AT WILDERNESS CAMPS All our camps are situated in remote areas and we have to generate our own electricity. We do so in a number of ways but each camp has a generator which runs for about 6 7 hours per day (split between morning and afternoon when guests are out on activities). In most camps, these generators then charge a bank of batteries known as an inverter system which then provides 220V power in each tented room for lighting and ceiling fans. This excludes: Zarafa, Banoka Bush and Kalahari Plains where they use solar power to generate electricity. Abu, Mombo, Little Mombo, Chitabe, Chitabe Lediba, Kings Pool, DumaTau, Jao, Jacana, Kwetsani, Little Vumbura, Savuti, Selinda, Tubu Tree, Duba Plains, Xigera, Vumbura Plains and Zarafa have 220V plug points in the tents but these can be used for the charging of batteries and sleep apnoea machines only (except Mombo, Little Mombo, Kings Pool, Jao and Vumbura Plains where hairdryers can be used). At Kalahari Plains, Banoka Bush, Seba and any Trails camps you still need to hand any batteries which need charging to the camp staff who will charge these for you in the bar or office areas while you are out on an activity. Guests who need to charge their battery should bring a spare one for use while the other is being charged, as well as a power converter if applicable as our power is all 220V. While some camps can supply adaptors (3 prong round, 3 prong square, 2 prong round and 2 prong flat) it is advisable that guests carry their own adaptors with them to ensure the ability to charge their equipment. It is not possible to use appliances such as hairdryers or electric shavers in the tented rooms at most of the Wilderness Safaris and Wilderness Adventures camps in Botswana as they have low wattage fuses which will trip. Hair dryers are supplied on request at Mombo, Little Mombo, Jao, Kings Pool and Vumbura Plains camps. DRINKS POLICY Wilderness Safaris Botswana camps include all local drinks in the standard Fully Inclusive (FI) tariff, but exclude premium imported brands and champagne. Drinks may be excluded dependent on specials or other rate bases booked at both Wilderness Safaris and Wilderness Adventures Botswana camps. Drinks policies in other operators camps, lodges or hotels may also differ. Please refer to your itinerary for specific details. LANGUAGE The National language is Setswana however the official language is English. TIME Botswana is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) all year round. CLIMATE
The weather in southern Africa is generally pleasant throughout the year warm to hot days, and cool to warm nights. During our winter months however (May to September), it can get really cold at night and in the early morning, particularly when on safari, so we would like to suggest that you pack accordingly very warm clothing including an anorak/winter jacket, a beanie, scarf and gloves are recommended. Please also refer to our packing suggestions list. Summer is from November to the end of March and usually brings very high temperatures. It is also the rainy season and cloud coverage and rain can cool things down, although only usually for a short period of time. The winter season begins in May and ends in August. This is also the dry season when virtually no rainfall occurs. Winter days are invariably sunny and cool to warm; however, evening and night temperatures can drop below freezing point in some areas. The in-between periods - April/early May and September/October - still tend to be dry, but the days are cooler than in summer and the nights are warmer than in winter. Temperature (ºC) - These are the average lows and highs Maun 19/32 19/31 18/31 14/31 9/28 6/25 6/25 9/28 13/33 18/35 19/34 19/32 Average Rainfall (mm). This varies according to the year and location. Maun 110 80 70 25 7 3 0 0 0 30 50 95 Temperature (ºF) - These are the average lows and highs Maun 66/89 66/87 64/87 57/87 48/82 43/77 42/77 48/82 55/91 64/95 66/93 66/89 Average Rainfall (inches). This varies according to the year and location. Maun 4.33 3.15 2.75 0.98 0.27 0.11 0 0 0 1.18 1.97 3.74 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS The dates of certain public holidays change from year to year refer below. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, then the Monday is also declared a public holiday 01 January New Year s Day Varies Good Friday Varies Easter Monday 01 May Labour Day 25 May Ascension Day 01 July Sir Seretse Khama Day 17 July President s Day (This date is subject to change) 30 September Botswana Day
25 December Christmas Day 26 December Boxing Day RECOMMENDED READING We recommend the following books specific to Botswana. A further list of recommended books pertinent to the southern Africa region is contained in our general pre-departure information. Okavango: Wetland Wilderness - Adrian Bailey Okavango: An African Paradise - Daryl Balfour Chobe: Africa s Untamed Wilderness - Daryl Balfour The Lions and Elephants of the Chobe - Bruce Aitken This is Botswana Daryl Balfour The Bushmen - A Changing Way of Life - Anthony Bannister Botswana: A Brush with the Wild - Paul Augustinus The Kalahari, Survival in a Thirstland Wilderness - Nigel Dennis Newman s Birds of Southern Africa and Common Birds of Botswana - Ken Newman Guide to the Trees & Shrubs of the Okavango Delta - Veronica Roodt Guide to the Wildflowers of the Okavango Delta - Veronica Roodt Botswana Tourist Map & Guide - Veronica Roodt Running Wild: Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog - John McNutt, Lesley Boggs, Dave Hamman & Helene Heldring Wild About the Okavango - Duncan Butchart Botswana - The Bradt Travel Guide - Chris McIntyre We also carry reference materials in our camps and vehicles, and highly recommend that everyone should bring their own pair of BINOCULARS in order to get the most out of the safari. It you are a keen birder we suggest you bring your OWN bird book as well.