Botswana

30iest of June – 16th of July 2019
4th of August (crossing from Zimbabwe to Namibia)

Our Route

Days

1559

Kilometers Per Bike

1132

USD For 2 People

116

Liters Of Petrol Per Bike

Dates Visited
30iest of June – 16th of July 2019
4th of August 2019 (crossing from Zimbabwe to Namibia)
Detailed Costs For 2 People And 2 Bikes
- 207$ petrol
- 240$ camping
- 186$ 2 days Okavango Tour
- 154$ supermarket
- 9$ transport fees for the ferry between Botswana and Zambia
- 238$ restaurant
- 88$ road tax and insurance (we payed twice as we entered the country twice….we thought it is valid for a year but its only valid for a single entry)
- 7$ cloth repair (Martin needed some fixing of his shorts and long pants)
Hights
Highest Point: 1242 m a.s.l

Lowest Point: 772 m a.s.l
Average Petrol Price
~ 0.8 USD per liter
Sleeping Places
- 16x camping
- 1x wild camping
Average Temperatures
During the day between 25 and 35 degrees and at night between 4 and 14 degrees
Road Conditions
The tarmac roads are good apart from some patches but Botswana invests quite some money in their roads so we saw quite some road work going on.
Weather
In winter Botswana is always sunny and quite nice during the day. The nights can get really cold so be prepared!
Health Issues

Xenia: none

Martin: none

Apps / Websites

Here some apps and webpages we think are usefull for travelling overland to this country

App: iOverlander

Websites: SAMA Motorcycle Tours Mokoro Trips Overlander Africa (Facebook Groupe)
Service / Work on the bikes

XTR: none

XTZ: none
Problems / Breakdowns
XTZ: none

XTR: none

Lost: nothing

Other: none
Paperwork

Visa: As Swiss passport holders we get 90 days for free

Carnet de Passage: As we travel with the CdP we used it but you can also get a temporary import permit (TIP) at the border. Be careful with the CdP stamps when you travel in the SACU ( Southern African Customs Union). You need to stamp in when you enter the union and then only stamp out when you leave it (therefore not at every border). The problem is, that a lot of people working at the custom offices have no idea about it and therefore do it wrong.

Insurance: You pay that when entering the country
Notable
People in Botswana are super friendly and very well educated. Most speak English fluent and the crame rate is almost cero.
Important information
Here some very country specific information:

You can get money easy at ATMs but its good to bring in some Rand or USD to get a start in case the first ATM does not work and also to pay the fees at the border.

Its easy to get a SIM card and data

Motorbikes are not allowed in the national parks

In search for a good, leight weight tent? Check out the one from LoneRider

It does not matter if you travel alone or in a group, a SENA communication system is always a great thing to have!

A drone is a great way of filming some of the salt pans in Botswana