Insurance
It is strongly recommended that you take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you begin your vacation. In the unlikely event of serious accidents while on safari you're likely to be treated by MRI (Medical Rescue International) or MARS (Medical Air Rescue Service), both very professional and experienced companies. Most of your travel service providers will subscribe to MRI and/or MARS and the chances are your own travel insurance taken out in your resident country will be linked with MRI and/or MARS to cover any treatment made. However always check what the fine print of your policy covers you against in terms of: - flight delays, baggage, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, Extreme sports or activities (e.g. white-water-rafting). For your convenience in obtaining insurance see Travel and Medical Insurance

Internet and Mobile Phones

Internet - a few internet cafes are located in main towns.

Mobile phones: A network is in use in Botswana. Organising a 'roaming' facility on your mobile phone with your own network provider before departure, will give you reception in Botswana, limited to main towns and some tourist areas.

Getting Around

By air
The national carrier is Air Botswana which flies daily between Gaborone and Maun and has regular flights between Gaborone and Francistown as well.

A number of charter plane companies operate in Botswana providing the most efficient way of accessing remote camps and lodges.

By road
Daily bus services operate mainly between Gaborone and Francistown and the towns en route. Scheduled journeys may be erratic. Other less frequent services cover routes between smaller towns in Botswana including Palapye, Serowe, Orapa, Shakawe, and Nata. A daily minibus service runs between Maun and Kasane via Nata.

Car hire can be arranged with several reputable companies

For the seasoned and intrepid traveller, self driving in a 4 wheel drive vehicle has become popular. However you should be aware that four-wheeling in the Kalahari sand is adventurous but serious business. Proper preparation for your trip should include maps, fuel, drinking water, tools, spares and other items that will make you self-sufficient.

By train
A scheduled train service runs between Ramokgwebana on the Zimbabwe border in the north to Ramathlabama on the South African border in the south. Stops are made along the way at Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, Serule and Francistown. The journeys are slow but provide a relaxing interlude.

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Recommended Reading

Internet
The Lonely Planet's own web site www.lonelyplanet.com has several pages of information relating to Botswana as well as worthwhile links for maps, videos and other publications.

Travel Guides
Lonely Planet's Botswana 1st Edition (2001), by Lonely Planet. Expansive information on most aspects of travel is provided as well as a good summarised history.
Traveller's Guide To Botswana, (1994) by Peter Comely and Salome Meyer, both Botswana residents. Although some information may be out of date, it provides a wealth of useful information that remains largely unchanged due to Botswana's stability.

Photographic / Natural History
Okavango - Jewel of the Kalahari, by Karen Ross provides exquisite photos of the Okavango Delta which has given Botswana its main tourist prominence.

Fiction
Sir Laurens van der Post's A Story like the Wind, and the sequel A Far off Place depict the meeting of the San (Bushmen) and European cultures.

Non-fiction
Lost World Of The Kalahari, also by Sir Laurens van der Post gained fame for its excellent illustration of life and culture for the San (Bushmen) people, of the Kalahari desert.
Mark & Delia Owens provide their personal account of studying the secretive brown hyena in the Central Kalahari in Cry of the Kalahari. A fascinating insight not only into the brown hyena but the whole ecosystem in the area.

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