Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Botswana is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, north of South Africa, west of Zimbabwe and east of Namibia. Botswana is mostly flat with a few hills. The semi-arid Kalahari Desert covers about 70% of Botswana’s surface. While its does receive about 500 millimetres in the wettest parts per annum, the Kalahari is considered a desert because it has vast surface area covered with sand. In the north is the seasonal Okavango Delta which is one of the world’s largest inland deltas. It spans about 15 000 square kilometres and is relatively flat.

Botswana has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can view them here: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/bw
Tsodilo – With one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, Tsodilo has been called the ”Louvre of the Desert”. Over 4,500 paintings are preserved in an area of only 10 km2 of the Kalahari Desert.

Durmitor Okavango Delta – This delta in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with a wetland system that is almost intact.

Botswana has many festivals and events that draw thousands of tourists to the fascinating indigenous displays of African music and dance. Two of the favorite offerings are Gaborone’s Maitisong Festival and the Maun Festival.

Whatever You do Don’t Run: My adventures as a Botswana safari guide; by Peter Allison

Botswana – A Modern Economic History: An African Diamond in the Rough; by Ellen Hillbom, Jutta Bolt

Botswana – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture; by Mike Main

My African Conquest: Cape to Cairo at 80; by Julia Albu

The camps, hotels and lodges found throughout Botswana cater for overseas visitors and therefore serve high quality international fare. However, one should not miss out on the traditional cuisine that Botswana has to offer. A large quantity of high quality beef is raised in Botswana while lamb, mutton, free-range chicken and venison are also popular meat choices. There are two distinct beers in Botswana, clear and opaque. Water in main towns is usually purified and so it is generally fine to drink.

While much of Botswana is usually safe to travel around, it’s important to stay alert to anything unusual. Also, you will often see signs warning of pickpockets in areas popular with tourists, so it’s important to keep a close eye on your belongings at all times.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. The electricity supply runs at 230V, 50Hz. Botswanan plugs, types D, G and M.