Out&About: Adventure in Botswana

My mantra in life has always been to pursue what sets my soul on fire. Travelling and adventure nail it for me.

Everything else pales in comparison.

My trip to Botswana in March 2019 set my soul on fire. The first thing I noticed about Botswana was how clean the capital city, Gaborone was. There were no hawkers roaming about either.

But what fascinated me even more was the hard-to-miss monument with three giant male-bronze statues.

Measuring 18ft tall, they are known as the Three Dikgosi Monument, a depiction of three chiefs, Sebele I, Bathoen I and Khama III, who reigned in colonial Botswana and who play a significant role in the country’s history. This monument is the most visited tourist attraction in Bostwana.  Beach in the wild. And then there was The Lion Park Resort, the only beach in the wild, with artificial sea waves crushing against the man-made sea. You can hold children parties and corporate meetings here. There are lions too and a beautiful garden.  The most interesting thing in Bostwana is, if you visit their restaurants and you want to do your usual Nyama choma, they will sell you a goat and you slaughter it by yourself and grill it. Yes! In a restaurant. Or apparently you carry your own meat to the restaurant. You also buy your own charcoal from the supermarket which is very costly. 1kg of charcoal will cost you 40 to 50 Pula (Read 400 to 500 Kenyan shilling) So painful! Right?

Game drive, anyone?

 There are also national parks whereby you can do numerous game drives. The only thing they will sell you is papa (ugali) and some very cold alcoholic beverages. But you do your own nyama choma. I just find this funny and very interesting. After visiting The Lion Park Resort, I really wanted to eat nyama choma and yes, I grilled it myself in a restaurant and ate it greedily with papa.Water sports The Gaborone Yacht club is for 'members' only (the tycoons in Bostwana), however, you can buy temporary membership up to 5 times each visit.  Here, I did water sports like canoeing, speed boats and Yacht cruise. Bird watching too.  A very beautiful place to be and 'hide' if you are running away from your responsibilities.  There are two museums in the heart of Gaborone city where you can find all history /past life about the Tswana people.  There are also national parks whereby you can do numerous game drives. Be sure to visit the Elephant conservation that Prince Hurry and Megan always visit.I love the biltong meat (Bush meat) that is eaten raw just sun dried and salted then sold in the supermarkets. So sweet and tasty. I'm now feeling like a bushman. During my stay in Bostwana, I would ask my tour guide to grad a handful of biltong meat and that would be my snack during the day.  Businesses close by 5PMAlmost all the business people close their businesses by 5pm and they open 9 am. No hurry in that side of the world. If you don't grab your milk and bread in your local kiosk by 5pm then no breakfast for you. The shopkeepers have already closed their shops. Yes! They work from 9 to 5. The clubs and restaurants are closed latest by 6 pm. If you plan to party be there on time. In case you find a taxi on the road after 6 pm that's a Kenyan. It's your kinsmen. Speak to them in Swahili.  I told you no Tswana person works passed 5 pm. They are tired and they want to drive home. Plan to get yourself a cab or a chauffeur, do not rely on public transport. You will wait forever. Also learn some Sotswana language.  Everyone else will speak to you in Tswana from the immigration officer to those in government offices unapologetically. The shoe shiner on the streets after polishing your shoes, they will drive home in their German machines. Mercedes-Benz!  Eh! A car with a surname.

I had an experience with one, unfortunately I ripped of my shoe and I wanted it to be fixed. I got to the cobbler two minutes to 5 pm and shock on me, he was closing down his business, he asked me to come back the following day to fix my shoe. How I wished I was along Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi, my shoe would have been fixed at 11 pm by a hopeful shoe shiner who sits there waiting patiently for his clients to show up.  

Be sure to pack light clothes and carry your water bottle. In December the temperatures hit 40°C (104 F) Make sure you book a hotel with AC and a mini fridge or freezer because you will need cold drinks during summer. Thank me later.