Ingrid
the New Face behind the Voice
.. Bookings
.. Contact Us
.. 4x4 Trails
.. Stay Where
New to Web
.. Boegoeberg
Easter Weekend
.. About Us .. New Updated 2010 Year Planner .. Agendas .. 4x4 Insurance .. 4x4 Vehicle Hire
Botswana
The vast untamed wilderness stretches over an endless horizon blanketed by a variety of plant life.
.. About Botswana .. Okavango Delta .. When to Go
.. Health .. Money Matters
The combination of the beautiful scenery and prolific big game makes it one of Africa’s top safari destinations.
The diverse wildlife, huge herds of game roaming between the Kalahari’s plains and the majestic waterways of the Chobe, Linyanti and Okavango rivers are unique to this beautiful country.
Our Botswana trips are leisurely trips, without serious 4x4ing, but a 4x4 vehicle is necessary to negotiate the off-the-beaten-track roads.
Trips to Botswana, in 2010, with Cederberg 4x4:
- June 30 Wednesday to July 13 Tuesday
- July 17 Sunday to July 30 Friday
Unlike many countries, Botswana’s wildlife is not restricted to its national parks. Around these is a patchwork of huge private reserves, sometimes known as concession areas. Together these cover about 40% of Botswana – including most of northern Botswana – forming a huge, fenceless wilderness around which the game roams freely.
When you think of Botswana, the Okavango Delta may leap to your mind first. It certainly hosts the greatest concentration of different environments. However, the patchwork of ecosystems that make the Delta so fascinating are found all over northern Botswana – so don’t restrict your trip to just the Okavango, there are a number of different habitats within this captivating country.
The Okavango River is southern Africa's third largest watercourse (after the Zambezi and the Orange), rising in the Angolan uplands to flow south, west and then south again across Namibia's Caprivi 'strip' into Botswana. At the end of its journey it spreads out over the Kalahari sandveld in an immense, fan-shaped inland delta, and the wetlands so created are among the great natural wonders of Africa. Here there are wide, mysterious waterways, tranquil lagoons and palm-graced islands, narrow labyrinthine channels choked by reed and papyrus and by dense mantles of water lilies that bloom gloriously in their season.
Winter is southern Africa is the dry season with chilly clear nights and warm days. The best visiting months are from April through to October - in terms of both weather and game viewing. It is during this period that the wildlife of the great spaces gather around what water there is - the natural waterholes and the borehole-fed dams - and are at their most visible.
The rainy season begins in late October or November and ends in March. The Northern areas receive up to 700mm while the Kalahari Desert area averages as low as 225mm.
The best time to visit Botswana is undoubtedly from April to mid November when the days are sunny and cool to warm but hot in October. Winters are clear-skied and bone-dry, the air seductively warm during the daylight hours but, because there is no cloud cover, cold at night and in the early mornings. Evening temperature drop sharply.
Compared to the rest of Africa, Botswana is not a risky place to visit from a health perspective. However, there is the risk of Malaria and it is advisable to take precautions. Consult you local doctor with regard to the choice of tablets to take. Do not forget that the Malaria tablets are still to be taken for 4 weeks after your return from the country.
.. Top of Page
MALARIA IS A RISK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY
What you are allowed to take into the country - tax-free
2 litres of Wine per person
1 litre of Spirits
400 Cigarettes
250 gm of Cigarette or Pipe Tobacco
50 ml Perfume
250 ml Toilet Water
Other new or used goods of a total value not exceeding R1250.00
Should you be travelling with Cederberg 4x4 to Botswana, any other questions you might have will be answered at the pre-trip briefing that is held around 2 weeks prior to the trip.
Botswana's unit of currency is the Pula (P), which is divided into 100 Thebe (t). The word 'Pula" means rain and "thebe' means shield. The shield appears on the national coat of arms. Bank notes come in denominations of P 10, 20, 50 and 100, and coins in denominations of 5t, 10t, 25t, 50t, P1, P2 and P5.
At present (January 2010) the rate of exchange to the Rand is: 1 Botswana Pula = R1.10
Major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club, are accepted widely. Most hotels and lodges accept foreign currency or travellers' cheques.
There are also Exchange bureaus at major border posts. Credit card cash advances are available in major cities through Barclays Bank or Standard Chartered Bank. Cash transfers are easiest through Western Union money transfer. Credit card cash is also available at First National Bank.
.. Top of Page
.. Home .. About Us .. Year Planner .. Agendas .. 4x4 Training .. 4x4 Insurance .. Contact Us
.. 4x4 Products .. Stay Where .. Bookings .. 4x4 Trails .. 4x4 Vehicle Hire