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Botswana rewards a little preparation. It is the safari country that other safari countries measure themselves against — the Okavango Delta, the Chobe elephants, the emptiness of the salt pans — and it has deliberately chosen low-volume, high-value tourism over crowds.
This guide answers the practical questions UK travellers ask most before a trip to Botswana, so you arrive feeling ready rather than uncertain.
If a question here is not covered, our team — part UK-based, part on the ground in Botswana — is always happy to help.
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Botswana is a very safe, stable and welcoming country with low crime levels — one of Africa's genuine success stories, and it feels it.
The risks here are almost entirely about wildlife and remoteness rather than people. Camps in the Delta and Chobe are typically unfenced: animals walk through them, and you will be escorted to your tent after dark for good reason. Follow that rule without exception, do not walk around at night alone, and never get between an animal and its water or its young.
Medical facilities are far away. This is one destination where travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is not a formality — take it seriously.
Standard travel sense still applies: keep your documents safe and take out travel insurance before you go.
British citizens travelling for tourism do not currently need a visa for Botswana and are usually granted a stay of up to 90 days on arrival. You will need a passport valid for at least six months with blank pages.
Rules can change, so always confirm the latest requirements with the UK government's Botswana travel advice and the Botswana High Commission in the UK before you travel. Different British nationality types, or longer stays for work or study, have different rules.
The dry season (May to October) is peak safari, and it is worth understanding why. As the land dries out, wildlife is forced to concentrate around permanent water, which makes it dramatically easier to find.
The Okavango's flood arrives — counter-intuitively — in the middle of the dry season, fed by rain that fell in Angola months earlier. That is when the mokoro (dugout canoe) channels fill and the Delta is at its most beautiful. Roughly June to August.
Green season (November to April) - lush, excellent for birdlife and newborn animals, very few visitors and much lower prices. Game viewing is harder because water is everywhere and animals disperse.
One candid note: winter nights and dawn game drives are cold — properly cold. Pack a fleece and a hat.
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Botswana asks very little of you physically. The days are built around game drives and boat safaris, and both are taken seated.
What it does ask is tolerance for early starts, bumpy tracks, and small aircraft — many Delta camps are reached by light plane, with strict luggage limits (usually around 20kg in a soft bag, no hard suitcases). Your guide will tell you well in advance.
You do not need to be especially sporty, but you should be comfortable getting in and out of a raised 4x4 and, on some trips, a low mokoro.
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Safari dining is one of the quiet pleasures of Botswana. Camps punch far above their weight given how remote they are — everything is flown or driven in, and yet the food is consistently excellent, usually eaten communally around one table with the guides.
Expect hearty breakfasts before dawn drives, a proper brunch, and dinner under the stars.
Good news: vegetarian, vegan and other dietary needs are handled well — but they must be arranged in advance. In a camp reached by light aircraft, nobody can pop out for an alternative, so tell us when you book and it will be waiting for you.
If you have a serious allergy you must tell us at the time of booking. We'll do everything we can, but cross-contamination can't be fully guaranteed in every kitchen, so please plan accordingly.
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Plenty of our guests travel solo — a small group is one of the easiest, most sociable ways to see Botswana on your own.
You can choose to share a room with another solo traveller of the same gender, or book a single room for an additional fee.
Our reviews are full of travellers who arrived alone and left with friends.
Currency is the Botswana pula (P) — the name means 'rain', which tells you what matters here
Carry cash for tips, especially in remote camps where guides and staff are tipped directly
Cards work in towns and at most lodges
ATMs are in towns only — draw what you need in Maun or Kasane before flying into camp
Connectivity is limited or absent across the Delta and reserves; most people stop missing it within a day
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Safari lodges and tented camps, most of them inside the reserves and many of them unfenced, so wildlife moves through freely.
'Tented' here does not mean camping in the way you may be imagining: expect proper beds, ensuite bathrooms and a veranda facing the water, with canvas walls. You will hear hippos at night. That is the point.
Camps are small — often fewer than a dozen guests — and deliberately so. Botswana has built its whole tourism model on keeping visitor numbers low, which is why you can sit at a sighting with nobody else there.
Power and Wi-Fi are limited, often solar, and frequently switched off overnight.
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Getting there: There are no direct flights from the UK. Expect 13-15h+ overall with one stopover, usually via Johannesburg. See our recommendations.
Time difference: Botswana is 1-2 hours ahead of the UK (2 in winter, 1 in summer); no daylight saving
Currency: Botswana pula (P)
Plugs: Types D, G & M, 230V — bring a universal adapter
Language: English is the official language; Setswana is the national language
Luggage: light-aircraft transfers usually limit you to around 20kg in a soft bag — no hard suitcases
Insurance: medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended; camps are a long way from a hospital
Best time to travel: the dry season (May to October), with the Okavango flood at its best June to August — see our Botswana tours
Our team can help with anything this guide did not cover.
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