The Southeast
The capital, Gaborone, is situated in the southeast of the country. There is an excellent National Museum open from Tues to Fri 0900-1800 and weekends 0900-1700, with natural history and ethnological exhibitions. As well as permanent displays, there are also temporary exhibitions and various symposia and conferences. Gaborone has several good bookshops and libraries, including the University of Botswana Library, which has a ‘Botswana Room’ devoted solely to publications on the country. There are good craft shops and markets in the town, where pottery, basketwork, leatherwork and handwoven objects can be bought.
The 600-hectare Gaborone Game Reserve, along the Ngotwane River, about 5km east of central Gaborone, is nothing like as good for game as the major parks, but does have a number of species of antelope. 10km southwest of the city is the privately operated, 3000-hectare Mokolodi Nature Reserve, where visitors can go on guided game walks amongst the elephant, cheetah, leopard and antelope. Both reserves have small numbers of white rhino. The St Claire Lion Park, 14km from the city on the Lobatse road, is a good place to see the animals up close, but in a situation far from a natural environment. It also has a vulture restaurant, children’s playground, riding and other entertainments.
The Gaborone Dam is a centre for watersports, and day trips can be made to see local crafts at Oodi, Thamaga and Pilane. A trip to the weaving centre at Lentswe-La-Odi, just north of Gaborone, is especially recommended. Local craftwork can be bought here at a fraction of its cost in the big cities. The centre is a non-profitmaking organisation, with proceeds going back to the craftspeople. Mochudi, also north of Gaborone, is the regional capital of the Bakgatla tribe. The Phuthadikobo Museum chronicles the history of the Bakgatla people in fascinating detail.
Halfway between Gaborone and Francistown, Serowe is one of the largest villages in Botswana, the seat of the Bangwato tribe, and the birthplace of Botswana’s charismatic first president, Sir Seretse Khama. He is buried in the local graveyard. The Khama III Memorial Museum, located in the Red House at the base of the Serowe Hill has memorabilia of the Khama Family. On Khama III’s grave (Sir Seretse’s grandfather) is a bronze duiker sculpted by the famous South African artist Anton van Wouw. Thathaganyana Hill is home to the ruins of an 11th-century settlement.
Nearby, the small Khama Rhino Sanctuary houses almost all of Botswana’s rhino collection, gathered here to protect them from poachers. There are also 28 other animal species and over 150 bird species.
This patchwork of private game ranches and concessions covers about 120,000 hectares in the southeastern corner of the country adjacent to South Africa. It is quite different to anywhere else in Botswana, with ruggedly beautiful countryside famed for both its birdwatching potential and its large herds of elephant. The pot pourri of rocks, varying in age from 2700 million to 3700 million years old, makes for incredible scenery. Horse riding safaris are available, as are mountain bike tours. Mashatu main camp and Mashatu tented camp are in the area.
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