baobab trees on Kubu Island

The setting sun lights baobab trees on Kubu, a rock outcrop circled by sand.

Photograph by Aaron Huey

Eight Can’t-Miss Botswana Adventures

Explore geological oddities, discover traditional crafts, and sleep under starry skies while visiting this African safari destination.

ByCostas Christ
Photographs byAaron Huey
January 19, 2016
4 min read

Desert Island

Botswana is home to geological oddities, including an outcrop of boulders and baobabs in a sea of sand. Known as Lekhubu, or Kubu Island, it once sat in a vast lake that covered much of the Makgadikgadi salt pans. Locals watch over the site, where they also run a campground for travelers.

Woven Wares

Traditional Botswana baskets are renowned for their tight weaving and patterns; a single basket can take weeks to complete. Some of the best, fashioned with young fronds of the mokolwane palm, can be found in the craft shops of Maun, a safari hub.

Gone Fishing

When the waters of the Okavango Delta recede in September, fly fishermen rejoice. Giant catfish gather in papyrus reeds, slapping the water with their tails to stun baitfish—an action that attracts feisty tiger fish that in turn offer anglers an exciting catch-and-release experience.

a staff member setting the table at San Camp on the Makgadikgadi Pan

A staff member sets the table for dinner at San Camp, which offers luxury tent camping on the Makgadikgadi Pan.

Starry Night

Evenings in Botswana bring a cosmic show. Guests at San Camp, by the salt flats of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, are treated to the Milky Way splashed across a sky free of light pollution. Visitors to the private Mashatu Game Reserve can join night drives, which search for nocturnal animals such as caracals.

Art Haven

You’ll find artwork depicting Botswana’s cultural heritage, wildlife, and more at the Thapong Visual Arts Centre, in the capital city, Gaborone. The center hosts workshops and provides studio space for artists. Also in the capital: the National Museum and Art Gallery, with its own exhibits of Botswana art.

Bush Telegraph

Long before GPS there was Chapman’s Baobab, a monumental tree used as a landmark by 19th-century travelers crossing the Kalahari Desert. It also helped move mail: Travelers tucked letters into its hollows for other explorers to find and relay to family and friends back home.

horseback riders passing zebras on the Makgadikgadi salt pans

Horseback riders pass a group of zebras in late afternoon on the Makgadikgadi salt pans, the remains of an ancient lake.

Pedal Power

Want to do good while biking your way into great shape? Join the annual Tour de Tuli, a multiday mountain biking adventure. The tour traverses terrain in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa to support Children in the Wilderness, an organization that runs programs to inspire and educate Africa’s next generation of conservation leaders.

Pachyderm Party

One of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants lives in Chobe National Park, migrating seasonally between the park’s floodplains and salt pans. For prime elephant-viewing, visit the Chobe River area in October. Guests at the Chobe Game Lodge gather on the lodge boardwalk for sightings of these largest of land animals, along with zebras and other wildlife.

This story was featured in the February/March 2016 issue of Traveler magazine in partnership with Botswana Tourism.

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