Cycling Botswana

Our newest cycling expedition, Africa: Ocean to Ocean, takes riders through seven fascinating Southern African countries. In this post, we take a look at what cyclists can expect on their journey through country number 3, Botswana.

Okavango Delta

Impala splashing through the Okavango Delta

One of the natural highlights of Africa is the extraordinary Okavango Delta. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, its waters support a vast array of wildlife such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, African wild dogs, elephants, buffalo, hippos and impalas. It is best viewed either from above on a sightseeing flight or at ground level in a traditional dugout canoe and the tour stops in the nearby town of Maun for 2 rest days in order to give the cyclists ample opportunity to experience this unique place.

>>Related Post: Cycling Angola

Elephants

Did you know that Botswana is home to over 130,000 elephants? That is about 1/3 of all the African elephants on the planet! For about 180 kms, the Africa: Ocean to Ocean route follows the path of our legendary Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition and its appropriately named section, the very popular Elephant Highway. Cyclists will have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures from a unique perspective, the seat of their bicycle.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

After leaving the ‘Elephant Highway’, the route takes the riders along the edges of the vast (12,000 sq. kms) Makgadikgadi Pans, some of the world’s largest salt flats. This uninhabited National Park features a harsh beauty, with lone baobab trees standing out against a vast emptiness. Wikipedia mentions that “one of them (baobabs), named after James Chapman, served as an unofficial post office for 19th-century explorers.” it also is home to herds of antelopes, zebras and wildebeest along with a number of lions.

>>Related Post: Cycling Namibia

Francistown

Abandoned gold mining equipment

Just before the riders cross into Zimbabwe, they will stop in Francistown which was founded by an English gold prospector, Daniel Francis, and is the only town in the country with an English name. It was the centre of Southern Africa’s first gold rush in the 1860’s with adventurer coming from all over the world looking to make their fortune. Riders can visit the Supa Ngwao Museum which has exhibits on both the gold rush and cultural displays on the local Kalanga peoples.

Recommended Reading:

Peter Allison – Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide
Mark & Delia Owens – Cry of the Kalahari
Bessie Head – When Rain Clouds Gather
Will Randall – Botswana Time
Eleanor Morse – White Dog Fell from the Sky

Recommending Viewing:

Elephant Refugees (2020): A documentary about how the Elephant Sands Bush Camp sheltered hundreds of elephants during a severe drought.
A United Kingdom (2016): The true story of Prince Seretse Khama of the Bangwato tribe and his marriage to Ruth Williams, a white woman from London.
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980): A classic comedy about the results of a San bushman in the Kalahari Desert finding a Coca-Cola bottle in the desert.

Recommended Listening:

Beautiful Botswana (Apple)
Elephant Conservation in Botswana (BBC)
Botswana: Living with Elephants (BBC)

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