Getting To Botswana:
- Air Botswana daily flights from JHb to Maun & Kasane
Luggage On Air Transfers:
There are strict weight restrictions in place for the following reasons:
- The aircraft are designed with a maximum bodyweight and luggage weight allowance.
Most of our airfields are over 3000 feet 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 serious issues must please be noted for these fly-in safaris:
- Luggage is restricted to 20kg maximum per person. This includes camera equipment and hand luggage.
Only soft bags (no hard suitcases can be transported as they physically cannot fit into the aircraft) will be accepted. The maximum dimensions of the soft bags which can be accommodated are as follows: 36cm wide x 30cm high and 81cm long. Please keep in mind that the baggage compartments on the light aircraft are only 25cm high, so the pilots must have the ability to manipulate the bag into the compartment. These luggage restrictions for luggage sound like very little but bear in mind the following:
- Most safari camps / lodges and hotels provide basic toilet amenities
Laundry can be done on a daily basis (and many camps provide this service free of charge but 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 you limit your luggage to the basics.
Botswana Tourism Seasons:
- Botswana is good to visit all year round
Travel Documents & Visa Requirements for Tanzania:
Health Requirements for Botswana:
There are a few basic health matters that require care and attention. We are obviously not medical practitioners and the following points are recommended guidelines only. Please consult your doctor and also check with your health department prior to departure for any changes in health regulations.
a) Malaria:
Malaria is prevalent in much of Botswana and malaria precautions are advised.
Malaria transmission is at its highest during the warmer and wetter months of November through to April. From May through to October the risks of acquiring malaria are reduced.
The malaria parasite requires a human host in order to complete its life cycle. In most cases, our camps are situated in remote, unpopulated areas, so the chances of contracting malaria are very slim. Nonetheless, it is worth taking preventative measures.
Both chloroquine-resistant and normal strains of malaria are prevalent in Africa. Malaria is transmitted by a very small percentage of female Anopheles mosquitoes. They are only active in the early evening and throughout the night, at the times when one is usually sleeping or sitting around the campfire.
MALARIA prophylactic recommendations for southern African travellers:
Expert opinion differs regarding the best approach to malaria prophylaxis. It is important to bear in mind that malaria may be contracted despite chemoprophylaxis, especially in areas where chloroquine resistance has been reported. Please remember that the best insurance is the preventative kind: avoid being bitten by using mosquito repellents liberally. Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers/slacks in the evenings. If staying in a bungalow or tent, spray with an insecticide like DOOM to kill any mosquitoes that may have flown into your room. Mosquito coils are effective.
If you become ill on your return, while still on prophylaxis or even once you have stopped taking them, ensure that your doctor does everything to establish that your illness is not malaria. Malaria is not a serious problem if you are sensible and take basic precautions. There have been very few cases of our guests contracting malaria during our 19 years to date, of operation.
b) Water:
It is very important that you drink plenty of water especially during the warmer months. It is generally recommended that guests drink at least 2 to 3 litres (4 to 6 pints) of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration. This excludes tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages, which act as diuretics and can actually contribute to dehydration.
c) Other Health Issues:
There are no other health issues that one needs to be overly concerned with.
Botswana's Climate:
Dry, arid climate mostly hotCurrency, Credit Cards & Payment Methods:
- Local Currency: Pula
- Credit Cards:
- Traveller's Cheques: Accepted almost everywhere in Botswana
Photography:
- The choice of the correct camera equipment and film will determine the quality of your photographs on the trip. For good photography of birds and animals, a good SLR camera and telephoto lens is necessary. A zoom lens can be extremely useful on safari and the minimum recommended size is 70 - 200mm, though a 100 - 400mm is ideal. Modern image stabilized lenses are best as they allow photographers to hand hold their cameras at slower shutter speeds with sharp results.
The new high-resolution digital cameras are outstanding and give superb quality images, especially if you are using a digital SLR camera body, with inter-changeable lenses. Camera bodies like the Canon 20D, Digital Rebel and Nikon D70 are excellent. The advantage of digital photography is that one can get instant feedback on images and adjustments can be made in the field to ensure that your photographs are correctly exposed. Spare batteries are essential and a storage device of some sort is recommended. Make certain you have enough card storage - most people take more photographs than they expect to. Camps have facilities for recharging batteries and storage devices. Strips for charging more than one device are suggested for more serious photographers.For people using film, colour reversal film (slides) will give better quality results than print film. There are good high-speed films, 400 ASA, on the market that give good colour with very little grain - either Fuji or Kodak. This is especially useful when using a big lens in low light situations. The guides’ personal preference is for slower film (either 50 or 100 ASA) as this gives almost perfect quality for normal light. However, you may consider going to faster film for larger lenses in low lighting conditions. The only disadvantage with the low ASA film is that you need good support, either a tripod or bean bag, for the early morning and evening shots. IMPORTANT: BRING SPARE FILM (ALTHOUGH IT IS AVAILABLE IN MOST CAMPS/LODGES) AND A SPARE CAMERA BATTERY.RESPECTING WILDLIFE & SAFETY WHEN STAYING AT SAFARI CAMPS/LODGES
- The wild animals are not like those found in theme parks - they aren’t tame.Most of the safari camps are unfenced and dangerous animals can (and do!) wander through the camps. Many of the animals and reptiles you will see are potentially dangerous. Attacks by wild animals are rare. However, there are no guarantees that such incidents will not occur. None of the Wilderness Safaris group of companies, their staff members, associates, agents, or their suppliers can be held liable for any injuries caused during an incident involving the behaviour of wild animals.Please listen to the camp staff and guides. The safety precautions need to be taken seriously, and strictly adhered to.Don’t go wandering off on your own without a guide - even to your rooms. After retiring to your rooms at night, don’t leave them.Observe animals silently and with a minimum of disturbance to their natural activities. Loud talking on game drives can frighten the animals away.Never attempt to attract an animal’s attention. Don’t imitate animal sounds, clap your hands, pound the vehicle or throw objects.Please respect your driver-guide’s judgment about proximity to lions, cheetahs and leopards. Don’t insist that he take the vehicle closer so you can get a better photograph. A vehicle driven too close can hinder a hunt or cause animals to abandon a hard-earned meal.Litter tossed on the ground can choke or poison animals and birds and is unsightly.Never attempt to feed or approach any wild animal on foot. This is especially important near lodges or in campsites where animals may have become accustomed to human visitors.Refrain from smoking on game drives. The dry African bush ignites very easily, and a flash fire can kill animals.
WALKING IN PARKS AND RESERVES
- We will walk where possible but this is often determined by the local area and country regulations. NOTE: Walking is at your own risk as these walks can take you close to dangerous wild animals.
We do carry a set of reference material on all our vehicles. However, if you are a keen birder we recommend that you bring your OWN Newman’s bird book