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Botswana: Travel Essentials

Visas
Countries NOT requiring visas
Commonwealth countries (except Ghana, India, Mauritius, Nigeria and Sri Lanka), the European Union (except Portugal and Spain), Iceland, Israel, Lichtenstein, Namibia, Norway, Pakistan, San Marino, South Africa, Switzerland, USA, Uruguay and Samoa.

All other countries should apply for visas with the Botswana diplomatic mission or High Commission in your own country.

Maximum period of stay granted on a visa application is generally 90 days.

Health
General
Medical services provided by private hospitals and pharmacies in Botswana are generally quite good. Nearly all safari lodges and will also carry a comprehensive medical aid kit. 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 with their own aircraft. 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.

Other Health Tips

There are obviously many areas of discussion so only brief but relevant points have been listed below:–

	It is unlikely you will contract any serious disease while in Southern Africa
	No compulsory vaccinations are required for Botswana but recommended ones are diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis, polio and meningitis, and typhoid.
	The Chobe Valley and Okavango Delta are risk areas for malaria, a mosquito borne disease. You should consult your doctor before travelling to prescribe a course of suitable anti-malarial drugs. While on safari, precautions should also be taken to avoid being bitten by application of insect repellents.
	Sadly Botswana is seriously affected by AIDS and HIV. You are strongly advised to avoid sexual contact, exposure to blood or dirty syringe needles. Request any syringe to be unwrapped in front of you if you should require treatment but again bear in mind that with MARS (see above) and private clinics or hospitals this can almost be guaranteed. All blood donations are screened but obviously there is no absolute guarantee that blood may not be infected.
	Be sensible about exposure to the sun and the heat in general as this may cause heat stroke or exhaustion Ð eat salt on your foods, drink liquids regularly and wear protective sun creams and clothing.
	If you suffer from allergies, bring your own prescriptive medicine.
	Other useful medical aid kit items to bring along are: antihistamine (insect bites, itches, allergies), Imodium or equivalent (for diarrhoea) and antiseptic cream (for minor injuries).
For more comprehensive advice on travel health, see: World Health Organisation MASTA – Medical Advisory services for Travellers Abroad (UK) US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

What to bring
Clothes
Travelling April to August: generally mild winter but night time and early morning temperatures can be very low so take at least one padded jacket as well as tracksuit pants, if only for early morning and night game drives. Otherwise light cotton clothes will suffice.

Travelling Sep to March: In these hot months definitely light cotton clothes and shorts / light skirts are the most comfortable. A cotton wrap is most useful when canoeing to ward off the sun.

Clothing should be khaki, green or other neutral colour suitable for guided walks. Please note camouflage clothing should be avoided as it is not well received by government authorities. Recent studies have shown that dark blue clothing can hardly be seen by many African mammals. Smart-casualwear requested by some hotels refers to men specifically - slacks not jeans, no t-shirts and closed shoes, not sandals. In most private lodges dress requirements are very relaxed. Light-weight walking boots, sunglasses, hats and caps are suitable all year round and bring at least one high-factor sunscreen.

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