Africa

Maun

Almost all tourists entering the Okavango do so through Maun, situated at the gateway to the Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. Maun is the tourism capital of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland. It is also the headquarters of countless safari and air-charter operations whose signs and offices dot almost every intersection, particularly towards the airport.

Since the town’s establishment in 1915 as the tribal capital of the Batawana people, Maun has had a rough and ready reputation as a hard-living ‘Wild West’ town servicing the local cattle ranching and hunting operations. But with the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of the tar road from Nata in the early 1990s, Maun has developed rapidly, losing much of its old frontier town character. It is now home to over 30,000 people.

Regular supplies of almost everything can be bought in Maun, and the town boasts several good shopping centres, filling stations, a choice of hotels and lodges as well as car and four-wheel-drive vehicle hire. The Maun Airport, which was officially opened in 1996 after extensive renovations, is – if one counts the light aircraft charters to the various Delta camps – one of the busiest airports in Southern Africa.

The name Maun is derived from the San word “maung”, which means “the place of short reeds”. The village began in 1915 as the capital for the Tawana people. The capital was moved from Toteng after glorious victory over Ndebele King Lobengula.

This metropolis is now spread out along the wide banks of the timeless Thamalakane River where red lechwe can still be seen grazing next to local donkeys, goats and cattle.

Streets of Maun

As one crosses the new causeway across the Thamalakane River to the main commercial centre, the Best Western Riley’s Hotel is set on the riverbank to the left of the main traffic circle. This fine hotel is a very popular stopover with tourists travelling into and out of the Delta, and has been an important landmark in the town since the 1920s when Charles ‘Harry’ de Beauvoir Riley first arrived here. In those days it was a gruelling 35-hour haul from Francistown to Maun and when the men (mostly professional hunters) arrived, all they wanted was something cold to drink and a place to relax. Seeing the opportunity, Harry set up a little bar that was the scene of many wild parties.

Other areas of interest in and around Maun include the small Maun Game Reserve which covers just 8km2 of woodland. It follows the Thamalakane riverbank upstream from the Best Western Riley’s Hotel and includes the original “Place of Reeds” from which the town takes its name. The reserve is open every day and is traversed by numerous walking trails for which a small entrance fee is charged.

Ghanzi

This agricultural center in west central Botswana is a good place to buy handicrafts made by the San people, especially dyed cloth, bead and eggshell jewelry, puppets, and bows and arrows. Just north of Ghanzi is the D’Kar Mission, opposite which is a roadside San curio shop and art gallery that is worth a visit if you’re in the area. The Kalahari Arms is the only hotel in town. Ghanzi is not far from the Namibian border. 325 mi/525 km northwest of Gaborone.

Gaborone

This sprawling and unattractive capital (pop. 200,000) is not one of our favorite African cities – we recommend moving on quickly. Gaborone’s best attraction is the national museum, which displays a wonderful collection of local handicrafts and traditional objects. The museum also has a number of stuffed animals. Just east of town, the small Gaborone Game Park provides a meager sampling of Botswana wildlife (a variety of antelope and a white rhino). If you have to spend the night in Gaborone, the best hotels are the Best Western President Hotel (overlooking the Mall market), the Grand Palm Hotel Casino Resort and the Gaborone Sun, which has good restaurants, a bar, a nightclub and a casino.

If you have some extra time, you could take a day trip to David Livingstone’s house. Although this site is not on most tour agendas, it can be reached from Gaborone in an ordinary vehicle without four-wheel drive. Botswana was the only place in Africa where the missionary/explorer lived for any length of time. The stone foundations of Livingstone’s home and small school lie just west of the Kolobeng River (a dry streambed for most of the year) on the north side of the gravel road between Thamaga and Kanye. The foundations are surrounded by a decrepit barbed-wire fence marked with a small museum placard. While there is not actually much to see in this dry, dusty spot, the quietness of the surrounding scrub has not changed much since the 1840s: You can stand where Livingstone once did, and look out on a small part of Africa that is almost identical to what he and his family experienced. You might also gain an insight into why he left the isolated life at this mission to become an adventurer.

Francistown

Named after Daniel Francis, a British prospector, this rustic town (pop. 70,000) owes its origins to gold. Perhaps this accounts for the frontier flavor of the somewhat dilapidated main street, with its two old hotels, facing the railway line. Gold was first discovered and mined around Francistown in the 1300s and 1400s by people belonging to the empire centered at what are now known as the Great Zimbabwe ruins (310 mi/500 km to the east). Smaller stone ruins belonging to the Zimbabwe culture dot the granite kopjes (hills) in the countryside surrounding the town.

In spite of its history, there are few fortunes left in the surrounding hills and not much to see in town. Most people go there on their way somewhere else. If you find yourself in Francistown, spend your time visiting the casinos, clubs and, especially, the shops. Look for locally crafted Kalanga wooden bowls and canes along with carvings of birds and other animals made from animal horn and wood. One of these woods, tambooti, smells something like cedar and was used to frame one of the doorways at the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Francistown is also known for its handcrafted leather items and Marothodi printed clothing. 250 mi/410 km northeast of Gaborone.