Michael On The Move: Exploring Botswana

Welcome back to the next edition of the column!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about Denmark, and you are now considering Copenhagen for your next short break.

For this article, I wanted to switch my focus to an entirely different continent, and a country I recently visited to compete in a darts tournament. Unfortunately, the darts didn’t go too well, but, on the bright side, I had plenty of time to explore the city before my flight back home.

Located just across South Africa’s north east border and near the Kalahari Desert, this city is ideally placed for desert activities such as quad-biking. It is also close to several nature, and game reserves, making it a great stop before or after a safari.

The city itself only has a population of around 500,000, and is not particularly built-up. One of the first things I noticed was the vast amount of open space between buildings, alongside sandy roads, and even monkeys and goats casually roaming the streets. Despite this, I found there was still so much to see and do; it is definitely worth spending a few days here between your safaris and desert adventures.

This one was probably a bit harder to guess, but I am talking about Gaborone, Botswana!

There are even guides at the monument who will take you around and explain its history for free!

First of all, I have to mention just how friendly the people are. I met some students from the University of Botswana who were more than happy to show me around their city. I also met a lovely woman on the plane back who taught me lots about Botswana’s history, making my eight-hour journey — thanks to a huge delay — much more enjoyable.

As a history fan, the first place I would recommend visiting is the Three Dikgosi Monument. The monument commemorates three tribal chiefs who travelled to Britain and played an important role in Botswana’s move towards independence. There are also areas surrounding the monument which are dedicated to different parts of Botswana’s history. This linked really well to my history work back in Stellenbosch, as events such as the Difaqane Wars and the rise of the Zulu Kingdom also had an important impact on Botswana. There are even guides at the monument who will take you around and explain its history for free!

On the 28th floor, there is a rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the city

The monument is also just a stone’s throw from iTower 2: the tallest building in Botswana. Although it might seem fairly small from a British perspective at only 30 storeys tall, the architecture is pretty cool, and the upper floors offer views across almost all of Gaborone. On the 28th floor, there is a rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the city. The prices are fairly reasonable too, with a milkshake costing around £3.30 and a beer roughly £2.50.

The building also houses a hotel, so it could be an option if you are looking for somewhere to stay in the city. However, it is comparatively expensive, with a room for two costing just under £100 per night. In comparison, my hotel, Aquarian Tide, cost £62 per night for two people, breakfast included.

Here, you can try a range of traditional Botswanan dishes

Another must-visit is the Botswana National Museum. Again, it is completely free to enter and there’s plenty to explore, including a traditional tribal council area, and the President’s old fleet of cars which still look stunning. When we visited, there was also a really cool exhibition featuring exciting sculptures created by Botswanan students, all made from milk cartons.

However, one of the main reasons I would recommend visiting is to go to the Museum Café. Here, you can try a range of traditional Botswanan dishes. One of my favourites was a side dish called pap. The best way I can describe it is as a thick, fluffy porridge that can be prepared to be either sweet or savoury. It is also incredibly filling, so be careful not to eat too much! I thought the sweet version was delicious, and it was probably the best thing I ate during my time in Botswana.

Whether a stop between safaris, or a break from exploring the desert, there is more than enough to justify spending a few days discovering the city for yourself

Alongside the pap, we tried seswaa, a traditional dish of slow-cooked, shredded meat. It was incredibly soft and flavoursome, although be careful, as you may still find some small bones in the meat. Something I really wanted to try, but unfortunately didn’t manage to, are mopane worms: a local delicacy that can be sun-dried or cooked in a stew. They will definitely be on my list of foods to try the next time I visit!

As we come to the end of this edition, I hope I have managed to persuade you that the next time you find yourself in southern Africa, Gaborone is well worth a visit. Whether a stop between safaris, or a break from exploring the desert, there is more than enough to justify spending a few days discovering the city for yourself.

Until next time…