Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you are contemplating travelling to Botswana, be sure to choose the areas you visit
carefully, and clearly explain your requirements to the lodge and/or safari operator when
making your original enquiry. The swampy environs of the Okavango Delta will be partic-
ularly challenging for people who have special needs, although the lodges in both the Ka-
lahari and the Makgadikgadi Pans are relatively accessible, providing you are travelling
with an able-bodied companion. It is also worth bearing in mind that almost any destina-
tion in Botswana will require a long trip in a 4WD and/or a small plane.
Visas
Most visitors can obtain tourist visas at the international airports and borders (and the
nearest police stations in lieu of an immigration official at remote border crossings). Visas
on arrival are valid for 30 days - and possibly up to 90 days if requested at the time of
entry - and are available for free to passport holders from most Commonwealth countries
(but not Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), all EU countries, the USA and
countries in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), ie South Africa, Namibia,
Lesotho and Swaziland.
If you hold a passport from any other country, apply for a 30-day tourist visa at an over-
seas Botswanan embassy or consulate. Where there is no Botswanan representation, try
going to a British embassy or consulate.
Tourists are allowed to stay in Botswana for a maximum of 90 days every 12 months,
so a 30-day visa may be extended twice. Visas can be extended for free at immigration of-
fices in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane. Whether you're required to show an
onward ticket and/or sufficient funds at this time depends on the official(s).
Anyone travelling to Botswana from an area infected with yellow fever needs proof of
vaccination before they can enter the country.
Volunteering
There are very few volunteering opportunities in Botswana. The community and conser-
vation projects that exist are usually small, focused grassroots projects that simply aren't
set up for drop-in volunteers. Another factor is that Botswana is a pretty well-organised,
wealthy country and the need for volunteer projects simply doesn't exist, with the excep-
tion of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) working with HIV/AIDS sufferers.
BOTSWANA PROJECTS
The following specific volunteering opportunities were available within Botswana at the
time of writing.
