A road trip to the Kalahari

Do you want to visit the great Kalahari Desert, the largely unexplored jewel of Botswana? Book a Botswana rental car and proceed on a fascinating journey to the great desert. All self drive safaris for the Kalahari region begin at the small town of Maun.

There are numerous good tour operators in Maun that supply all the essential things for a fun and safe safari in Botswana. They arrange for the flights, the car, the reservations at the tourist spots and most importantly, the backup in case you are stuck somewhere in an unknown land. This is very reassuring especially for those on a first time safari to Botswana.

Flights from abroad usually land at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in the city of Gaborone. Domestic flights are necessary in Botswana to reach the remote areas as the roads are very dusty. There are flights that connect the Gaborone and the Maun airports. From here you can start your car journey in earnest.

Road conditions in Botswana can at best be described as off-roads and get tougher in both the muddy and sandy portions. If you have not driven a four by four vehicle before (not necessarily in Africa), it is a better idea to co-opt for  a driver from the tour operator who will negotiate these rough patches. You can then relax during these stretches and drive along the smoother parts of the road.

With the drive being so tough, most rental car companies supply a fully equipped Land Rover. This is the sturdiest of the lot and the preferred vehicle in the Botswana rugged terrain. It is advisable to listen to and completely follow the driving instructions. In case you are completely lost, get in touch with these people via the GPS phones that they will provide you with before the start of the journey.

In case of an unfortunate break down, a replacement vehicle is sent as fast as possible from their local partners. They have a formidable network throughout the length of the road and that helps. They keep reserve vehicles for emergencies so that you can continue to explore with the knowledge that help is at hand.

In Botswana it is possible to have a one way car journey, so that you can continue onwards in your journey. The Botswana rental car company will collect their car and the pleasant surprise is that it is a free service. You can then fly in to your next destination or choose to drive into another unknown African territory.

Authors of Photos: sjorford & Jeppestown

Austin Ames has many years' experience in article writing and he has written many more in the past.