Gaborone

Gaborone’s climate is hot and semi-arid. Gaborone is sunny for the most of the year. Summers are often hot. The evenings are pleasant.

Summers with minimal rain are usually hotter than summers with frequent rain. The warmest months of the year, if there is a drought, are generally January and February. The warmest temperatures are normally in October, just before the rain begins, if there is average rainfall. The days are still pleasant in the winter, but the evenings are frigid.

On average, there are seventy-four days each year with temperatures exceeding 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). Temperatures exceeding 26 °C (79 °F) occur on average 196 days every year. The average number of days with temperatures below 7 °C (45 °F) each year is 51. Temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) occur on average once every year.

Gaborone is located between Kgale and Oodi Hills on the Notwane River in Botswana’s southeastern tip, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the South African border at 24°39′29′′S 25°54′44′′E. The city is located at a height of 1,010 meters (3,310 feet) above sea level. The cities of Ramotswa to the southeast, Mogoditshane to the northwest, Mochudi to the east, and Tlokweng across the river surround Gaborone.

Gaborone is the economic hub of the country. The headquarters of major financial institutions such as the Bank of Botswana, Bank Gaborone, BancABC, and the Botswana Stock Exchange, as well as Air Botswana, Consumer Watchdog, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, and Debswana, the joint diamond mining venture between De Beers and the Botswana government, are all centrally located.

Hyundai, IBM, Daewoo, Volvo, Owens-Corning, and Siemens are among the foreign corporations that have invested in the city. Debswana’s Orapa House is where the diamonds mined in Debswana are sorted and appraised.

Gaborone has an 11.7 percent unemployment rate.

Internet cafés may be found in almost every retail mall in the city. Many cafés offer 5- to 20-hour memberships that give discounted pricing. Network speeds range from fair to excellent. Photocopying is also available at many cafés.

Customs is quite sluggish, yet somewhat simple to navigate (as appears to be the case for most of Africa). They seldom bother you if you have an address for where you will be staying.

Air Botswana is located at the Main Mall and can be reached at 395 1921. International flights to Harare (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays), Johannesburg (daily), and Lusaka are available, as are local flights to Francistown, Kasane, and Maun. Typical fares from Gabs vary between USD 200 and $400.

South African Express, Game City Mall, Broadhurst Mall, and Riverwalk Mall, Tel: 397 2397 (Game City), 309 5740 (Broadhurst Mall) (Broadhurst). Arrives through Johannesburg. SAA operates non-stop flights from JNB. To fly from Cape Town, a connection through JNB is required.

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays are the days that Air Namibia flights to and from Windhoek.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, Air Kenya flights into Nairobi from Nairobi, offering a convenient alternative to Johannesburg for connections to the rest of the globe.

Rail services resume in March 2016 with the addition of a daily overnight train connecting Gaborone to Francistown and Lobatse, near the South African border.

Pretoria, South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana are connected by a daily bus. Intercape operates the bus, and tickets may be bought online or at one of their locations. The bus leaves from Pretoria Station at 13:15 on Paul Kruger & Scheiding Street and arrives in Gaborone at 21:10 at the Kudu Shell Service Station (an 8 hrs bus ride). This bus makes a quick stop to pick up passengers at the Johannesburg bus terminal. As of June 2011, the bus ticket was R 195.00 rand (about $29 USD) per person.

The bus is rather nice: it has a tourist class, reclining seats, and a functional restroom. Be prepared, though, for “Christian literature on-board.” Essentially, all of the films shown on the Intercape bus include excessively religious overtones.

South Africa and Botswana have a very simple border crossing. The passengers depart the bus (without their baggage, just their documents) at the South African immigration checkpoint to get their exit stamps, and then proceed to the Botswana immigration checkpoint to obtain their entry visa stamps. The bus attendant remains with the passengers throughout the border crossing procedure, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Travelers unfamiliar with driving on the left should use care when driving and crossing the street, since the majority of Southern Africa (including Gaborone, Botswana) drives on the left.

The majority of major cities are accessible by bus. However, come early at the bus terminal, since buses may fill up rapidly and often depart as soon as they are full. Bring water, since buses are often not air-conditioned, and if you do not acquire a seat, you will almost certainly have to stand until you reach your destination, especially on weekends.

Public taxis are typically little white automobiles with blue registration plates. These vehicles follow set routes, typically passing through areas/neighborhoods not served by combi services. Taxis cost P3.50. Due to the fact that taxis may only carry a maximum of five people, they are also often faster than combis in completing their journey. You may hail a cab at any of the combi stations and request a drop-off location along the route. Simply inquire of the taxi driver about the route. If you need transportation to a location that is not on the taxi route, request a “special,” as detailed in the cab section below.

A cab is a private taxi or “special” that transports you straight from point A to point B. This might be a blue-licensed public taxi or a privately operated cab. Generally, you must call for a taxi. Vehicle firms abound in Gabs, and many prominently advertise their contact information on the cab itself. Additionally, you may hail public cabs on the street and request a special. When providing instructions, it is often preferable to utilize plot numbers or readily identifiable locations rather than street names (which are not frequently used).

If a driver offers you a reasonable cost, get his mobile phone number and inform him of your destination. Using a single driver for the duration of your stay in Gaborone may wind up saving you money. You should not be concerned if you hail a taxi with a passenger inside. Offer to divide the destination’s ticket and save some money. Do not be scared to negotiate reduced rates. The majority of journeys should cost between P20 and P30 (e.g. Main Mall to Game City is around P30).

Combis are small white vehicles resembling minibuses. Combis are priced at P 3. There are no route charts, but there are distinct lines; just ask the driver whether the line you’re looking for passes where you’re going. If you know which way you need to travel, begin walking in that direction — combis will honk at you as they pass to alert you to their presence.

Gaborone’s nomenclature befuddles the majority of newcomers. Different portions of town are referred to as Blocks, Extensions, Phases, and so on, and the same location may have many names.

To the east of the railway line branching out from the Government Enclave are the Extensions. Extensions 9 and 11 are undoubtedly Gaborone’s richest areas. Extension 15, which runs beside Riverwalk Mall, is dubbed ‘the Village.’

Gabs West – the inner blocks to the west of the railway line, on the western side of the Western Bypass. Gabs West is split into four phases: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 4, and Phase 5.

The Blocks are located west of the railway line, on the outskirts of the Western Bypass. The blocks 5 – 10 in order from south to north (although Block 9 is an outlier being the southernmost of the blocks, and there is a Block 3 directly north of the downtown area). While some maps (including Google Maps) refer to Blocks as high-numbered Extensions (e.g., Block 8 is comprised of Extensions 35 and 36), everyone refers to a region by its Block number.

The Central Business District is a stretch of undeveloped land in the city’s central business district that is just now (2012) being transformed into too contemporary hotels and offices (inc the new Lansmore hotel)

Phakalane is a new-build suburb located 12 kilometers north of Gaborone’s central business district. It is centered around a golf course and is located on the east side of the A1 Francistown road. South-west of Phakalane lies the yet-to-be-developed Glen Valley Gaborone North – a growing neighborhood extending westward from Phakalane towards the airport.

Broadhurst is an older neighbourhood northeast of the central business district. Partial and Maru-a-Pula are located on the southern outskirts of Broadhurst.

Tlokweng is a less affluent neighborhood east of the Notwane river that is home to numerous pleasant guesthouses.

MARKET / SUPERMARKET

RESTAURANTS

ENTERTAINMENT

PERSONAL CARE

CLOTHES / SHOES

TRANSPORTATION

Kgale Hill – Do not miss the enjoyable journey up Kgale Hill, one of Botswana’s tallest peaks (at about 100m). It offers a great perspective of the city and its environs. However, keep an eye out for baboons and avoid deviating from the trail. There are no guides and no admission charge to contend with. GO – BUT ONLY IF THE PARKING LOT IS FULL. The optimum time to visit is between 4 and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The middle of a weekend day is not an ideal time to do business. Going up alone in the lot near the quarry runs the danger of being robbed with a knife.

The Gaborone Cycling Club may be reached at +267 71811472. Rather than a cycling club, this is a mountain biking club.

Village of Otse (approx. 55 km along A1 road south of Gaborone). Gaborone is a 30-minute drive away. Otse hamlet, locally referred to as “Letsekela” by its Balete residents, is surrounded by hills, with Manyelanong to the east and Baratani to the west. Manyelanong is one of only two locations where one may witness Cape vultures. Due to its elevation, difficulty of navigation, and cliffs, it is an ideal nesting area for vultures. As a result, the Mannyelanong Game Reserve was formed especially to conserve these critically endangered vultures. Baratani hill is well-known for one of the most remarkable tales of young lovers who were involved in an illicit romance. They planned to elope and fled to a neighboring hill, never to be seen again. Residents have never ascended this hill since then out of fear of not returning.

Typically, movies cost 40 pula each seat (February 2012). It is allocated seating, so indicate your choice to the cashier when purchasing the ticket. Typically, theaters screen blockbuster films (as a small theater in the US would). Gabs has three cinemas: one at Riverwalk Mall, another at Game City Mall, and another at Masa Centre.

Mokolodi. For many guests, the highlight of their trip is a cheetah visit, during which they can actually pet a cheetah. A two-hour game drive may reveal baboons, giraffe, wart hogs, zebra, elephant, and hippo, among other animals. The guides are usually really pleasant.

Gaborone Game Reserve Gaborone Game Reserve Gaborone Game Reserve Gaborone Game One of the smaller game reserves, you can easily drive yourself around if you have a vehicle. Primarily birds, but some monkeys, warthogs, and ostriches as well. Zebras, wild boars, and kudus were recently introduced. It includes picnic areas, but keep an eye out for monkeys and ostriches.

Gaborone is hardly an exciting place to dine – and the city bears the brunt of South African culinary predominance more than others. However, if you keep your expectations in check, there are a few intriguing nooks and crannies that pique your palate’s curiosity.

• White box food (sold all over the government district on weekdays). Lunch might be as easy as rice and vegetables (P10) or rice, vegetables, and meat (P10) (P20). Delicious and satisfying.
• Cafe Khwest (in the main mall, above Spar). Nice choice for a leisurely lunch overlooking the street’s bustle while munching into a spaghetti, burger, or salad. In the nights, it transforms into a bar. Mains are around P50.

• Deli’s – (located in the Craft Center in Broadhurst Mall) One of the greatest lunch spots in the city. Genuine Italian cuisine. Products imported. Pastas and pizzas that are out of this world. Beef lasagne in particular – P55 for a substantial piece.
• Fresh Cafe – (Middlestar Mall) Pleasant lunch spot, pricey coffee, and free internet. Numerous expats.
• Funyama Holdings Chinese Restaurant (in Marua Pula mall). Genuine and reasonably priced Chinese restaurant has a large menu that includes delectables such as Crispy Pork Intestines with Hot Dry Chili. Additionally, it includes more traditional ‘beef in black bean sauce’ meals. The Devil Soup, priced at P10, and the noodle plates, priced at P30, provide exceptional value.+267 3957254.
• Bull & Bush – (down a track north of Sebone Road, just east of the railway line – GPS 24.6395S 25.9105E). The bar and restaurant provides a variety of meat-centric meals — and does it very well.
• Par 5 Indian Restaurant (in Gaborone Golf Club next to Gaborone Sun Hotel),  +267 3912299. Uncomplicated south Asian cuisine with a variety of meat and vegetable dishes, as well as various daals. With indoor and outdoor dining, this is a lovely location overlooking the golf course. Mondays are closed. P40-60 for the mains.

• Beef Baron, a restaurant located at the Grand Palm Walmont hotel. Lunch and supper are included. Perhaps Gaborone’s most costly restaurant, the Beef Baron provides delicious and colossal meat dishes – including some game – but cow meat is king. Desserts are also delicious (inc. the lovely malva pudding). Although there are no windows, the atmosphere is rather pleasant for a hotel restaurant. Mains begin at P120.
• Chutney’s – Chutney’s (Located next to OK Foods on the Western Bypass, also called the OK Foods Mall). Excellent Indian cuisine as well – particularly southern Indian fare such as dosas. Not much in the way of ambience, but excellent cuisine.

• Caravela – (off Kgasa Road (GPS 24.6618S 25.9209E)). One of the city’s few suburban home eateries. Menu is nominally Portuguese, with an excellent range of seafood and Mozambican beer. The outside patio area provides a lovely atmosphere. Dinner is served seven evenings a week. The food is a bit hit or miss, and the pricing are expat-friendly, but it’s worth a try.
• Sanitas – (located about 2 KM southeast of Fairgrounds Mall. Turn beside Naledi Motors (beside mall) and follow signs) A well-kept secret. Actually a garden center, but with a huge café open six days a week for breakfast, lunch, and brunch (Closed Monday). Additionally, there is a children’s playground.
• News Café, Village district (At the Mondior Summit Hotel). 6:30-22:30.News Café is popular with both inside and outside customers. It is conveniently positioned for people staying at the Mondior Summit. The menu focuses on foods prepared in the “European manner,” but with some unusual twists. However, the establishment really excels in the cocktail sector. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the music is often turned up loudly despite the lack of a dance floor; thus, if you wish to strike up a discussion, sit outdoors. Although the staff is young and somewhat inexperienced, the service is often extremely decent. Prices are somewhat more than standard food in Gaborone, but so is the quality.
• Pavilion Restaurant (In Fairgrounds business park), +267 365 1600.Pleasant, albeit rather corporate, environment for a civilized lunch.
• Gold Coin (in Africa Mall). lunch & dinner. The Mandarin on the sign makes it clear that this is a Chinese restaurant with a few Thai foods on the menu and Bangkok posters on the walls. Even yet, if you’re seeking coconut milk with your curry, this is your only alternative. P30 for a straightforward noodle meal. P70 for a green curry accompanied with rice.

• Primi Piatti. A fashionable branch of the South African network of Italian restaurants. A diverse selection of meats, pizzas, and pastas. Mains range from P80 to P120+ for a large piece of beef – but the quality is among the city’s finest. The Riverwalk Mall is home to this location. Wifi is free.
• Spurs (Riverwalk). Try the A grade beef at Riverwalk.
• Embassy – Excellent Indian cuisine – situated in the Riverwalk Shopping Center. Nota bene: meal preparation may take up to an hour, more so if a big group is present. Mains are around P60.
• Abyssinia Ethiopian Cafe – Botswana’s sole Ethiopian restaurant. This eatery provides reasonably priced injera with all the fixings on Fridays and Sundays for P80. Additionally, it serves excellent coffee and is more clean and quiet than Equatorial Coffee across the street. Evenings are closed Sunday-Thursday.

• Obama Restaurant (in Tlokweng), +267 73 222 300. lunch & dinner.Local eatery that is both pleasant and reasonably priced. This location is also a wedding venue and has a small children’s playground and garden. For P45, the rump steak and chips are perhaps the finest deal in town. However, no alcohol is supplied; however, you are welcome to bring your own.
• The Moghul, 171 Tlokweng Road (inside Oasis Motel),  +267 397 5346. Under a thatched canopy and located behind the Oasis Motel, this restaurant dishes up delectable Indian and Pakistani cuisine. However, maybe as a result of its hotel setting, the pricing are a tad high and the portion sizes are underwhelming. Takeaway and delivery services are available. Prices range from P50 for a vegetable curry to P80 for a Rogan Josh.

• Cafe Dijo, (in Kgale Mall, the small mall next to Game City). Wireless Internet access is free, as is excellent coffee and delectable and healthful cuisine. On a slow Saturday morning, this is an exceptional spot for catching up on e-mail or talking with friends. Expats frequent this establishment.

• Nando’s Chicken – Nando’s is a little spicy, but the chicken is much superior than anything you’ll get at a KFC. A dinner costs around 50 Pula (chicken, soda, chips). One is now under development in the Main Mall, near to Orange, in the African Mall, Game City Mall, BBS Mall, and Riverwalk Mall. For a more authentic flavor than the commercial Nando’s, try Barcelos, which is located just across from Nando’s in the African mall. You will not be dissatisfied.
• Pie Time – Pies are flaky dough filled with meat or vegetables (called Patties in some other parts of the world). A pie costs around 5.50 Pula and a soda costs approximately 6.75 Pula. Numerous fillings. Located in the Main Mall and the African Mall.
• Debonairs. P55 cheapest pizza from a famous pizza business that also offers delivery.
• Cherry Pepper, 6 Nakedi Road (in Botswana Craft),  +267 7631 4797.breakfast & lunch. Setswana cuisine adapted to European tastes. Lunch is a great choice. Every day, they provide three different meals for P25-P35, which is a wonderful deal. On Wednesdays, try the sautéed goat, and on Fridays, try the fried breem.

Gaborone boasts a plethora of shopping malls, and almost every South African chain business has a location in the city. Regrettably, this pushes out small independent businesses. Despite the VAT rate of 12 percent, which is lower than the 14 percent in South Africa, Gabs is a disappointing and fairly costly location to buy.

However, there are a few artists towns and small enterprises that defy the trend, and a visit might be a nice afternoon diversion.

• Green Shop, Plot 3491, Kaunda road,  +267 3913709. The store is in the Somarelang Tikologo (Environmental Watch Botswana) Eco-Park, which is a non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about environmental planning, resource conservation, and waste management via community initiatives and demonstrations. From skin care goods and accessories to home furnishings, everything offered in the Green Shop is manufactured from recycled or natural materials crafted by local women and out-of-school youth organizations.
• Oodi Weavers (about 5km east of Phakalane on the road to Modipane).10AM – 4.30pm Monday – Friday (closed weekends). Peder Gowenius, a Swedish apartheid exile, founded this tiny business in 1972 to manufacture appealing tapestries depicting rural settings and the like (P1,000 Pula for a good sized piece). Visitors are welcome to see the workshop and speak with the weavers.

Wood carvings and colorful prints are high quality and reasonably priced; most are imported from other African countries. There are very high quality.

The Game City Mall’s Game Store is Botswana’s biggest superstore, with a wide range of low-cost, medium-quality merchandise.

Botswana Craft is an oddly placed paradise with a handful of small eateries and art businesses in the center of an industrial complex. It may be a touch too Arikaaner-flavored for some, but it’s a fun location to stop by if you’re travelling through. This is the place to go if you want to purchase a Buddhist statue or some fragrant candles.

The Bike Shop, Halle Selassie Road, +267 71306146 (look for many of yellow trucks belonging to a nearby freight firm). Great tiny bike store that sells reconditioned bikes from the US as well as high-end new mountain bikes and accessories. Definitely more professional than Gaborone Garage and Cycles, which is close by.

Western items are priced at EU levels, whereas native goods (corn meal) are affordable in grocery shops.

Choppies and OK Foods are local chains with the lowest pricing and locations around Gaborone.

Woolworths is located in many of the city’s big shopping malls and offers significantly higher-quality produce and a wider range of European foods. If you’re looking for unusual fruits or veggies, or fine cheese, this is the place to go.

Pick-and-Pay, a South African chain, is more costly and of higher quality than Choppies.

The cheapest juices seem to be at SPAR in the Main Mall (about 5.25 Pula for 1 Litre of 100 percent fruit juice).

Buy a pie from Pie Time and then a drink at SPAR if you’re on a budget! A complete supper costs 8.25 Pula.

There is a food shop in every supermarket mall.

• Bull and Bush – In the northwestern area of [Gaborone], there is an English bar. A popular hangout for ex-pats, including a large screen TV and pool tables. Friday night is normally reserved for the younger children, while Saturday night is reserved for the adults. The cuisine is delicious, particularly the pizza and ribs. Quiz night (or quizzo) is held on the last Wednesday of each month, when teams compete for prizes by answering trivia questions. It’s rib night on Mondays, and it’s certainly worth a visit!
• O’Hagans Irish Pub, in Game City Mall. Good cuisine, with a mix of expats and Batswana.
• Club Satchmo – Drinks are reasonable, and the music is excellent.
• Gaborone Yacht Club, Off the old Lobaste road near the railway crossing, +267 72471977. Evenings on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The Yacht Club pub, tucked away down a dirt drive to the side of Gaborone Dam, is a terrific spot for a sundowner. The hours of operation are restricted, and the cuisine is basic (eg steak-burger & chips P45). P10 is the admission code.

The price of a cover ranges from 20 to 100 Pula. A lot of places have clothing codes. And, like with most locales, the most popular evenings change from one to the next. For up-to-date information, ask local Batswana (people from Botswana).

Botswana’s people are quite kind, and the country’s crime rate is comparatively low. However, the current disparity between affluent and poor has resulted in an increase in crime. Keep an eye on your surroundings at all times. When heading out to a restaurant late at night, call a cab from your hotel. Take your driver’s phone number and contact him when you want to go home. Do not go out late at night unless you are in an area with a lot of people. Do not return from a bar 5 blocks to your hotel late at night. During the day, go for a stroll. Criminals will not be able to harm you if you use common sense.