Botswana

File:Tsodilo Hills banner Rock paintings - Tsodilo Hills rock paintings Botswana is a land-locked country located in Southern Africa and bordering on Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Its economy, one of the most robust on the continent, is dominated by diamond mining and tourism.

Botswana is well known for its wildlife and areas like Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve have a very high concentration of game. The bulk of the Kalahari desert falls within Botswana's borders and Botswana is home to most of the world's San (Bushman) population.

An Introduction to the Region of Botswana

Regions of Botswana

Kalahari (Botswana) The sparsely populated Kalahari Desert and its fringe.

Okavango-Chobe The northern part of the nation with the Okavango Delta and good game reserves like Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve

Southeast (Botswana) Home to the capital, Gaborone and most of the nation's population

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Reference ##96666 Okavango-Chobe. }}

Reference ##69999 Southeast (Botswana) | Southeast

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Cities

Kalahari PICT0036 - upright=1.3|Kalahari desert Gaborone or Gabs – a neat and tidy little capital, but with rapidly growing shantytowns on its periphery Francistown Ghanzi Gweta Kanye Kasane Maun Nata Tsabong

More Destinations

• Okavango Delta - A unique geological formation where a delta is formed by a river (the Okavango) flowing into the Kalahari desert instead of the ocean. Part of the Delta is designated as Moremi Game Reserve
• Central Kalahari Game Reserve
• Chobe National Park - a great place to see wildlife and a good point from which to move on to Victoria Falls.
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
• Nxai Pan National Park
• Northern Tuli Game Reserve - a unique corner of Africa where nature & culture combine in spectacular wildlife, stunning scenery and fascinating history

See also African National Parks

Botswana Halal Travel Guide

The first Monday after Christmas is also a Public Holiday.

The People of Botswana

The Tswana, for whom Botswana is named, comprise 79% of the population.

How to travel to Botswana

Visa policy of Botswana - Countries in light blue can travel to Botswana visa free; all other countries will require a visa KazungulaFerry - River ferry from Kazungula, Zambia to Kazungula, Botswana

Entry requirements

Unlike more stiff necked administrations such as India, Pakistan, Nigeria and China and the Botswana government has not erected high bureaucratic barriers to enrichment from tourism.

Muslims visitors of Commonwealth countries do not need a visa to visit except those from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Muslims visitors of European Union countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not require a visa to visit.

Muslims visitors of Argentina, Angola, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Sudan, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe do not require a visa to visit.

For citizens of Ministries--Authorities/Ministries/Ministry-of-Labour--Home-Affairs-MLHA/Tools--Services/Services--Forms/Requirements-for-VISA-application/ other nations, a visa must be obtained prior to arrival and this takes about a week to process.

Visas can be applied for at a Botswana embassy in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Zambia, Zimbabwe and at the United Nations in NYC|New York, USA.

If you require a visa to enter Botswana, you might be able to apply for one at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in the nation where you legally reside if there is no Botswana diplomatic post. The /apply-for-a-commonwealth-visa-at-a-uk-visa-application-centre-or-embassy UK Government website lists UK embassies around the world where Commonwealth visas can be issued. British diplomatic posts charge £50 to process a Botswana visa application and an extra £70 if the authorities in Botswana require the visa application to be referred to them. The authorities in Botswana can also decide to charge an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.

Fly to Botswana

Botswana's main airport is Sir Seretse Khama in Gaborone. International flights are to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Ethiopia. The airport in Maun can also be reached via Johannesburg, Cape Town, or Gaborone and, once a day (in summer 2022), from Windhoek, Namibia. The distance between Gaborone and Maun is more than 1,000 km. Maun is very much a tourism attraction spot.

Airlines that fly to Gaborone are.

• Air Botswana. Harare, Victoria Falls, Lusaka, Johannesburg, Cape Town.
• Airlink. Johannesburg.
• Ethiopian airlines. via Addis Ababa. to Europe, Asia, Africa.
• Kenya airways. Via Nairobi to Europe. Asia, Africa.
• TAAG Angola airlines. Luanda.
• South African express. Johannesburg.

Travel by train to Botswana

Trains to/from South Africa have been withdrawn since 1999. For domestic train service, see #Get around.

How to travel to Botswana by car

There are several entry points by road to Botswana: In the south at Gaborone, providing access from Johannesburg; in the west providing access from Namibia; the north providing access from Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe; and at Francistown in the east, providing access from Harare. All road access is good and the primary roads within Botswana are paved and well maintained.

Possibly the busiest border crossing from South Africa is the Kopfontein/Tlokweng border crossing, as it is only a few minutes from the capital of Botswana. As a result, it is open for a long period of time and has a large number of trucks travelling through.

Coming from Namibia, you can either go north to Maun, or south along the Trans-Kalahari Highway to Lobatse.

By international bus

There is regular bus service from Johannesburg to Gaborone, which takes six hours.

 Intercape Mainliner is one of the bus lines from Gaborone to Johannesburg.

there are also buses from Gaborone to Zimbabwe. and from Gaborone to Windhoek Namibia.

• Monnakgotla travel have buses two times a week from Gaborone to Windhoek Namibia.
• Metrolyn bus lines have buses from Gaborone to Harare Zimbabwe.
• T J Motlogelwa Expess have buses from Gaborone to Johannesburg two times per day.

By ferry

From Kazungula in Zambia you can cross the Zambezi River with ferry to the eponymous town in Botswana.

How to get around in Botswana

GaboroneStreetScene - Street scene in Gaborone

Very few local residents know street names and addresses and you are likely to have to get directions in terms of monuments. Botswana doesn't have a postal delivery system to addresses (just to centralised mail collection points), so even when streets are well-marked and the names may be unfamiliar to residents.

Through a combination of coaches and combies (minivans), you can get anywhere in Botswana without any trouble, though public transport is spotty away from big city's and major routes but hitchhiking is popular and very easy. However, hitchhiking should only be done in desperate circumstances, as Botswana driving is often very erratic and it can be a harrowing experience to have a stranger drive you somewhere. It is advisable to arrive at the bus station quite early, as the buses do fill up quickly and it is not uncommon to spend several hours standing in the aisle waiting for a seat to free up (remember to bring water, as the buses are often not air-conditioned).

How to travel to Botswana by car

The roads are paved and well maintained, so travel by vehicle is also not a problem, provided that one keeps a close eye out for the cows, donkeys and goats that spend much time in the middle of the road.

The Trans-Kalahari Highway is an old cattle route, now newly paved and easily drivable with a 2-wheel drive. It runs from Lobatse to Ghanzi in Botswana, making the connection from Windhoek, Namibia to Gaborone, Botswana. It is a long and uneventful drive, but you get a good feel for the Kalahari Desert. Fuel is available in Kang at the Kang Ultra Shop, which also offers a respectable selection of food, overnight chalets and affordable camping.

Travel by Bus to Botswana

There are many bus companies in Botswana. One of the biggest is Seabelo. From Gaborone you can travel by bus to any bigger city in Botswana.

Travel by train to Botswana

Botswana Railways operates all trains in the nation. The main line goes from Lobatse, near the South African border, via Gaborone to Francistown at the Zimbabwean border. After having been canceled in 2009, train service was reintroduced in 2016.

Local Language in Botswana

The official languages of Botswana are English and Tswana phrasebook|Tswana.

The language of business in Botswana is English and most people in urban areas speak it, although in the more rural areas many Muslim do not speak English, particularly the older generations. The primary indigenous tongue is Tswana and is the first language of the overwhelming majority of the population. It is not difficult to learn basic greetings and such and using these in conversation will make people very happy.

What to see in Botswana

Wading elephant, Okavango Delta - Wading elephant spotted in the Okavango Delta

Wildlife is Botswana's main draw. Wildlife parks compose nearly one-fifth of the nation. In these parks you will find lions, cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, antelope, wild dogs and hundreds of species of birds. Visitors can take safaris and stay in lodges running the gamut from affordable dorms for backpackers with tour buses to $1,000+/night private lodges with your own maid & driver.

Among southern Africa's most impressive—and popular—wildlife destinations is the Okavango Delta where the Okavango River widens into the world's largest inland delta. Lying in the middle of the arid Kalahari and the swamps & water channels attract animals from thousands of kilometers around and triples in size (to 100,000 km²!) during floods in July and August. Nearby Chobe National Park has a large population of elephants and it's also easy to spot many of Africa's well-known species, especially zebras and lions. The bleak salt pans of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park attract a large number and variety of birds year-round. Other great game parks include Nxai Pan National Park, Mokolodi Nature Reserve, & Gemsbok National Park.

Unfortunately, most of the native tribes in Botswana only dress in traditional outfits and perform rituals for tourists. Nevertheless, for the culture-vultures and the villages of D'Kar and Xai-Xai have many offerings, including arts, crafts and the opportunity to participate in various rituals. Tsodilo Hills contain one of the largest collections of rock art on the continent.

Shopping in Botswana

Money Matters & ATM's in Botswana

Zebra Botswana edit02 - Zebra in Botswana

Botswana's currency is the pula, denoted by the symbol "P" (ISO 4217 code: BWP). It is subdivided into 100 thebe. Pula means "rain" in Setswana (rain is very scarce in Botswana - home to much of the Kalahari Desert - and therefore valuable and a "blessing"). Thebe means "shield".

Banknotes of P10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 denomination circulate and the pula is one of the strongest, most stable currencies in Africa.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Botswana

Seswaa avec bogobe - Seswaa with bogobe porridge

The cuisine of Botswana is unique but also shares some characteristics with other cuisine of Southern Africa. Examples of Botswana food include Pap, Samp, Vetkoek and Mopane worms.

A food unique to Botswana includes Seswaa, a Meat dish made of beef, goat or lamb Meat. The fatty Meat is generally boiled until tender in any pot, with "just enough salt" and shredded or pounded. It is often served with pap (maize meal) or sorghum meal porridge.

Many soft drinks and alcohol drinks are produced in factories in Botswana, including Fanta and Coca-Cola. Local brands are Castle and Lion soft drinks. Milk is fermented to make madila (sour milk) which is eaten on its own or added to porridge. A favorite non home made drink is ginger soft drinks. A local company Native Foods also produces a variety of refreshments including Mosukujane Iced Tea.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Botswana

Botswana - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Botswana, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Botswana. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Botswana and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Botswana. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Botswana. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Botswana: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Botswana.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Botswana: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Botswana, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Botswana.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Botswana, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Botswana, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Botswana and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Botswana, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Botswana, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Botswana without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Botswana is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Botswana.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Botswana is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Botswana, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Botswana Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Botswana

eHalal Group Botswana is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Botswana. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Botswana.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Botswana ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Botswana. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Botswana, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Botswana are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Ramadan in Botswana

Ramadan 2025 in Botswana

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Most of the lodging establishments in Botswana are located near the larger towns and city's, but there are also many secluded game lodges tucked away in the wilderness areas. Travellers can book their lodging well in advance before travelling to Botswana. this can be done via travel agents that have knowledge of this country.

Study in Botswana

The University of Botswana is in Gaborone and Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) is in Palapye . A number of private tertiary instituations such as Limkokwing University, Botho University, Boitekanelo College, Ba-Isago University also offers a variety programs for study.

Stay Safe

People in Botswana are very friendly and the crime rate is low. There isn't much to worry about on this front. Nevertheless, crime has been on the rise over the past several years, so always be aware of your surroundings. Basic common sense will keep you safe from the predatory wildlife in rural areas. Botswana happens to be one of the safest countries in Africa, no civil war, less corruption, more human rights, no natural disasters e.g. earthquakes or tsunamis.

Drugs

Drug trafficking is punished by a mandatory death sentence. Thit is important for you to know because if you need to take prescription drugs into Botswana, you will have to show a prescription for each medication. Failing to do so will result in the medication being classified as a drug and can result in inprisonment if undeclared.

Medical Issues in Botswana

Botswana'sHIV infection rate, estimated at s/countries/botswana/ 21.9%], is the third highest reported in the world. Exercise regular universal precautions when dealing with any bodily fluid and remain aware of this high rate of infection. Take precautions accordingly. Wear rubber gloves when dressing someone else's cut, even if they are a child and obviously absolutely never have unprotected sex. If you form a serious relationship, consider both getting an HIV test before taking things further.

The northern part of Botswana, including Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta is in a malaria zone, so it is advisable to take the relevant precautions. Seek medical advice before travelling to these areas; vaccines such as typhoid and hepatitis A+B (if not already immune) are recommended. Oral vaccines are also suggested for prevention of diarrhea and cholera.

Water in urban and semi-urban areas is chlorinated and is drunk from the tap by the local population. Still, short term visitors should drink bottled water to avoid traveller's diarrhoea. Outside of urban and semi-urban areas and the water is contaminated and should not be used for drinking, ice-cubes, teeth cleaning, or eating washed unpeeled fruits and vegetables.

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