Botswana

Melodic Botswana

Botswana is a land where natives and wildlife have come together to live in harmony. With tourists flocking to the country every year for the wildlife, the Tswana beam with pride. A land of desert, plains of water and friendly people – Botswana is a country you should explore now.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/29/food-and-drink-africa – Image 01 (Seswaa)

While exploring Botswana, learning about the culture will have you trying the traditional cuisine. Onions, pepper and meat are cooked to make a hearty stew. Ladled over thick cooked maize meal, makes Seswaa a beloved dish of locals. Like most African countries in the South, the diet consists of mainly a starch and meat. Mokolwane’s Restaurant in Gaborone serves up a buffet of continental and African food. You can find a carvery as well as spoonsful of different African stews onto your plate. Café Djio also in the capital, is quite popular with its light meals, sweet treats and free Wi-Fi. Try it on an afternoon stroll through Gaborone, for a quick wrap and catch-up with the rest of your world.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g293767-d305080-i134199981-Peermont_Walmont_at_The_Grand_Palm-Gaborone_South_East_District.html – Image 02 (Mokolwane’s Restaurant)

With influence dating, back to colonisation, traditional Tswana attire is often worn with Western styles as well. Traditional dress now days is rarely worn but can be seen at religious events or special occasions. While women do wear long dresses, often they can be seen wearing a throw called the karosses. It is a traditional blanket made from animal skin and dyed to create different prints. Women also wear headwraps. Men can also be seen wearing a kaross over their tunics or shirts and trousers. Another traditional garment of importance is the Herero dress, belong to the Herero ethnic group. Women wear this long dress, with a petticoat underneath and a headdress that resembles cow horns to represent their livelihood of cattle farming. Exchange a few pula’s for kaross to hang up as a souvenir of your trip.

http://afkinsider.com/98928/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-costume-and-tradition-of-the-herero/ – Image 03 (Herero dressed women)

While discovering Botswana, take a trip down the Chobe River in the Chobe National Park, in a houseboat. It’s a relaxing trip, but with guaranteed game sightings. You can watch crocodiles waiting for prey to come to them, elephants cooling down in the river and hippos happily waddling around in the waters. It’s a different take from the usual safari. Choose from tours offered by guides in the area. Waking up to the sounds of morning, watch sleepy animals make their way to the river and then watch them slip away as dusk falls. Birds chirping away throughout the day will keep you company in the stillness of the Chobe River.  It’s the idle way to safari, but oh so tranquil.

http://www.getaway.co.za/travel-packages/lodge-and-luxury-houseboat-chobe-river/ – Image 04 (Chobe River)

A trip to Botswana without visiting the Okavango Delta through the Moremi Game Reserve would be a shame. Untouched Africa, flood plains make up this peculiar area. Scatterings of tiny islands provide a stop for elephants to quench their thirsts. Hire a local guide with a mekoro (dugout canoe) and row through the magic. The vegetation in the Okavango Delta is a scientific marvel, with its water-based plants and islands of lush greenery. It’s no wonder that this is a was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014.

http://www.okavango-delta.net/ – Image 05 (Okavango Delta)

Around early April, the biggest arts festival in Botswana takes place – the Maitisong festival. Theatre, dance and music to name a few are arts that take to the stage to perform for hundreds and has done so for thirty years. Each year, there is a theme that artists and entertainers need to involve into their performance. It is an encouraging platform for art in Botswana to expand and create a sustainable industry in the country.

http://thevoicebw.com/phuti-billed-maitisong-festival/ – Image 06 (Maitisong Festival)

Singing Africa’s song, Botswana is a marvellous blend of two worlds becoming one. While you watch the sun rise, you will hear the rustle of the birds waking up the animal kingdom. And as you sleep, you will hear the last song that will sing you to sleep. It’s an experience of a lifetime.