What budget for activities and outings Botswana?
There are many tour operators in Botswana. Certainly, the services are more expensive, but they will take care of all the formalities, the guide and to pay the entry fees, included in the services.
Entrance fees to parks and reserves remain affordable, especially for self-drivers who go on a fully equipped safari. Other travelers will go through an incoming agency or a tour operator who will organize all the logistics of the safari, for a higher price but all included.
All major cities in Botswana have shopping centers and supermarkets. You can easily find basic, local and imported products. Gas stations have their own 24-hour mini-markets.
What budget to eat Botswana?
There are small local restaurants that prepare Botswana specialties such as seswaa, made of boiled and pounded meat.
What is the budget for accommodation Botswana?
Hotels, guest houses, lodges, bush camps and campsites, there are many types of accommodation in Botswana. But everyone has their own budget, and bush lodges, located in game reserves or neighboring areas, are not for everyone. Although they offer daily packages including accommodation, food and activities, except for some exceptional ones, the prices charged are quite high depending on the service. However, the range is wide: from US$ 200 to US$ 3,000 per person per day! The other solution for lodging in the wilderness, but just as expensive, is the bush camps, mobile accommodation and catering structures set up by tour operators. Upon arrival, the logistics team sets up everything: tents, toilets, showers, tables and chairs for meals cooked on site. Different formulas are available to you, participative or non-participative camp, which means as its name indicates that you are involved (or not) in the installation of the camp: assembly/disassembly, participation in the cooking and the tidying up... All styles of camps coexist, from the most rustic to the most luxurious, from the closest to nature to the most sophisticated. The atmosphere and clientele vary, in part, according to these criteria, but for all camps, the service is very professional and meticulous. The accommodations are always very comfortable and the food is of very good quality. For experienced self-drivers who travel fully equipped, camping is undoubtedly the least expensive accommodation. Camping is available in most tourist centers (Maun, Kasane, Ghanzi, Francistown and even Gaborone), in public reserves as well as in private or community reserves. In the reserves, an entrance fee is charged in addition to the cost of camping in the strict sense. Camping in public and community reserves is more akin to wilderness camping. Most campsites are simply tent sites, with no infrastructure other than a sign indicating the location. The most frequented ones, such as those of Xakanaxa, Khwai in Moremi, Savute in Chobe or Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari, have sanitary facilities and even a functioning shower. The rule is therefore absolute autonomy, including for water and electricity. Most travelers use a tour operator who takes care of everything, from booking the campsite and paying for park entrance fees to setting up the camp and cooking. All major tourist centers have at least one hotel. The diversity is the characteristic of this category: from the big hotel with several hundred rooms to the small family structure, from the very refined comfort, even luxurious, to the basic comfort. In general, the service is very professional, the sanitary facilities are clean and functional, and electricity is available at all hours. You will also find some guest houses. The comfort is good, the atmosphere is family oriented, the service is personalized and the rates are generally lower than in larger hotels.
Travel budget Botswana and cost of living
Botswana is an expensive destination, no doubt about it! First of all, the cost of a plane ticket is at least 800 € for a Europe-Johannesburg return ticket and about 1 300 € if you want to go to Maun (expect more from Quebec). Secondly, Botswana's tourism policy is low volume, high income, low impact. This means that the government has preferred to encourage expensive tourism in order to limit the volume of visitors and thus reduce the impact on the environment, while ensuring that the activity remains viable. It is unfortunate that the selection is made by money, but it is clear that this policy is effective and that Botswana offers some of the most beautiful safaris, while preserving its natural areas admirably. Here, there are no four-wheel drive vehicles around a lion or a rhino and the lucky visitors are totally immersed in nature. This rare privilege, certainly the greatest luxury possible these days, must be earned. Let the reader be reassured, it is possible to make a very beautiful safari for a "relatively" reasonable budget if it is satisfied with a comfort without excess (basic camp with good mattress and balanced meal but without sophistication). Finally, this high cost concerns above all the exceptional reserves of northern Botswana: Okavango Delta, Moremi, Chobe, Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari. Visiting the southern part of the country, which is less sought after, is more affordable. This is especially true for a pearl still ignored by travelers, the Tuli Block.
