The small practical stuff, answered straight. Money, plugs, phone signal, laundry and the rest, so you can stop wondering and get on with looking forward to it. For entry rules and health, see our health, visas and safety guide.
Botswana's currency is the pula, which fittingly means rain. Cards are widely accepted in towns, lodges and camps, and there are ATMs in Maun, Kasane and the larger centres. Most Botswana ATMs accept Visa; Mastercard is less widely taken at machines, so check your cards before you travel. Carry a modest amount of cash for markets, small purchases and tips. If your trip finishes at Victoria Falls, note that US dollars in small notes are the practical currency on the Zimbabwean side.
Tipping is discretionary but customary, and genuinely appreciated. As a rough guide, allow around US$10 per guest per day for your guide and a similar amount into the communal camp staff box, adjusting for the service you have had. Your final travel documents will include current guidance, and you can always ask us what feels right.
Botswana runs on 230 volts. You will meet two plug types: the large three-round-pin South African style (type M) and the British three-pin (type G), so bring adapters for both to be safe. Most camps run on solar and generators; charging is sometimes in your tent and sometimes in the main area, and a power bank earns its place in your bag. Hairdryers are best left at home, many camps cannot support them.
There is good mobile coverage in the towns, and you can pick up a local SIM or eSIM easily in Maun or Kasane. Out in the camps, expect little or none, and where wi-fi exists it is often modest and sometimes deliberately confined to your tent or the office. Our honest advice: warn work you will be off-grid, and treat the disconnection as part of the holiday. It takes about a day, and then it feels wonderful.
Camps provide safe filtered or bottled drinking water, and most will refill a reusable bottle happily. Laundry is included at the majority of camps and returned the same day or the next, one reason you can pack so light. The one quirk: for cultural reasons, staff at many camps do not wash underwear, so a little travel soap covers the smalls.
Botswana is on GMT+2 all year, with no daylight saving, so it is just an hour or two ahead of the UK depending on the season, and jet lag is a non-issue. Botswana's international dialling code is +267. Days on safari start early, sunrise is the wildlife's busy hour, and fold in a siesta after lunch. For what the weather and wildlife are doing month by month, see when to go.
English is an official language and spoken throughout the tourism industry, so communication is easy everywhere you will go. A dumela, hello in Setswana, opens every conversation with a smile. For more on the people you will meet, see our tribes of Botswana guide.
Yes, cards are accepted at lodges, camps and in the towns, though it is sensible to carry some cash for tips and small purchases. ATMs are available in Maun, Kasane and the larger centres.
Bring adapters for both the South African large three-round-pin plug (type M) and the British three-pin (type G); both are in use. Power is 230 volts, and a power bank is well worth packing for camps with limited charging.
In the towns, yes; in the camps, usually not, or only barely. Local SIMs and eSIMs are easy to arrange in Maun or Kasane, but we would gently encourage you to enjoy being unreachable.
Camps provide safe filtered or bottled water for drinking, and most will happily refill a reusable bottle. Follow your camp's guidance and you will be fine.
Ask us anything, however small. Practical questions are what we are here for.
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