Africa

Shopping in Botswana

If you fly directly into and out of game camps without spending time in the cities, you won’t find much in the way of souvenirs. Even in the cities, there isn’t the type of selection you’ll find in South Africa or Zimbabwe – generally speaking, this is not a place to shop. However, Botswana’s baskets are very distinctive in both weave and design, and they make excellent gifts. Other possibilities include weavings, stamps, herero dolls (portly female figures adorned in the bright Victorian hoopskirts brought to Herero by German missionaries), colorful tapestries, wood carvings, pottery and San-made ostrich-eggshell necklaces.

Be aware that Botswana has a very strict ban on “trophies.” It is illegal to take anything out of Botswana that comes from an animal (including horns, hooves, skins, bones, teeth and feathers) without a government permit or a receipt from a licensed shop. Penalties for violating this ban are severe. And don’t buy ivory. A tightly regulated ivory trade may be legal in Botswana, and the elephants may be thriving there, but humanitarian considerations aside, many Western countries won’t let you bring it back home.

Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am-1 pm and 2-5 pm, Saturday 9 am-1 pm.

Botswana: General Informtion

BORDER POSTS AIRPORTS:
Gaborone
Francistown
Most border posts do not stay open after six in the evening for vehicle transport, and it’s therefore advisable to check on operating times, especially the more remote, less used entry points. Generally the times are from six in the morning to six at night daily, but the busier posts may stay open later. Certain airports function as entry points

BANKS

BARCLAYS BANK

Maun and Kasane
Mon – Fri08h30 – 14h30
Sat 08h15 – 10h45

FIRST NATIONAL BANK

Maun
Mon – Fri09h00 – 12h45 & 14h15 – 15h30
Sat 08h30 – 11h00

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK
Maun
Mon – Fri08h15 – 14h00
Wed08h15 – 13h00
Sat 08h15 – 10h45Major hotels normally have foreign exchange facilities and most shops, lodges and travel agencies accept travellers cheques.
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Botswana Travel information

When you travel to Botswana, make sure to visit destinations like the Kalahari desert and Chobe National Park. Whether you are looking for a Botswana safari or a Mokoro ride through the Okavango Delta, Botswana offers a wide range of adventure travel activities. But before you travel to Botswana, be sure to educate yourself on all that you can expect with this Botswana travel guide.

What you won’t encounter in Botswana are large flocks of travelers. The high fees discourage large crowds and keep tourist density low and the sense of being surrounded by nature high. Botswana can afford to be so exclusive because its mineral wealth has made it less dependent upon tourist dollars than its poorer neighbors. (It is one of the world’s largest diamond producers, and it has reserves of gold, copper and nickel.). You can enjoy Botswana’s attractions from a tented campsite along a riverbank or in the comfort of one of the plushest lodges on the continent.
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