Recently I traveled to Botswana with family and here are some pictures and quickthoughts that I had while there.

 

1. Make sure that you have more than one driver. There is a lot of open road and even more police officers just waiting for you to go over the speed limit.

 

 

2. Make your booking in advance. Sure there are plenty of places to choose from once you get there but better be safe than sorry.

 

 

3. Make sure that the facilities have WiFi. I had no cell connectivity at all and relied on the WiFi provided at the lodges. (While you are at it, don’t be afraid to ask for the passwords)

 

 

4. Try the local food. Honestly, the best part of travelling is getting your taste buds to experience new things.

 

 

 

5. Dress accordingly. Now I know that this may sound strange but you can’t rely on what locals say about the weather. When I was there the locals were wearing coats because it was cold. Meanwhile it felt like Autumn temperatures back in South Africa. So dress accordingly. Don’t rely solely on what you are being told and check your weather report.

 

 

 

6. Support local. Now, there is a big difference between buying from the craft/tourist shop and buying from the side of the road. The craft shops usually buy directly from the craftsmen and women at a cheap price only to sell the crafts to tourists for twice the value. I suggest taking that extra bit of time to seek out the actual crafts people and buying from them.

 

 

 

7. Learn the basics in the language. The most important thing that you can do is learn to ask where the bathroom is, where o find water, food and a place to sleep. Everything else you can wing. Luckily for us that English is an official language of Botswana.

 

 

 

Written by Hulisani Khorombi, Assistant Editor #MyGirlSquad