Volunteering Botswana! Botswana is one of the best destinations in Africa with incredible nature, exotic wildlife and amazing safari camps. Botswana is easily accessible from neighboring South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia and there are incredible activities and trips which can be booked all year round.
- Capital: Gaborone
- Currency: Pula (BWP)
- Population: 1,640,000 (approx)
- Local Languages: Setswana + English
- International Dialing Code: +267
Travel to Botswana
Botswana has incredible landscapes and nature home to some of the most beautiful animals on the planet. Local people refer to this country as ‘The Land of the Giants’ and you will be overwhelmed by how friendly and open the natives are to seeing and meeting you.
Most people travel overland in the Southern area of this continent also visiting Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa – there are flexible trips available all year round. You will get to see herds of elephants and wildlife locations which are some of the best in the continent.
Bush camping holidays in Botswana which are very popular, you can experience sleeping under the impressive African sky and see exotic animals like elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, zebras and lions.
Best Places to Visit in Botswana
If you are currently looking at options for a meaningful holiday these are some of the best places you should add to your Botswana travel itinerary:
- Savuti
- Kalahari
- Tuli Block
- Duba Plains
- Tsodilo Hills
- Chief’s Island
- Selinda Camp
- Okavango Delta
- Moremi Game Reserve
- The ‘Makgadikgadi Pan’
- Nxai Pan National Park
- Mokolodi Game Reserve
- Khama Rhino Sanctuary
- Linyanti Wildlife Reserve
- Abu Camp and Baines Camp
- Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
- Crossing the border to see the stunning Victoria Falls
- Safari in the Chobe National Park which is full of wildlife like elephants
Tours in Botswana
On a group you will be able to get off the beaten track and see the true natural beauty of Botswana. We highly recommend going to explore the breathtaking Okavango Delta where you will experience a real connection with nature and wildlife.
If you are looking for something more challenging you might want to go water rafting crossing the border into Zambia’s spectacular Victoria Falls or explore and camp in the Moremi National Park.
Prepare for a full dose of safari! Some trips kick off your adventure at a Botswana bush camp covering 25,000 hectares of land and home to a whole host of game, where you can opt to go on safari or a guided bush walk. Head on to camp at Chobe River, before taking in the wonders of Chobe National Park where you’ll be able to spot elephants, go on a game drive and set off on a river safari.
Botswana Wildlife Safaris
One of the most popular reasons to visit is to see exotic wildlife. These trips are incredible! You will get to see exotic wild animals like elephants and get photos and memories to last a memory. On most tours you will travel overland in a private small tour van.
Typical group sizes are around 10-18 travelers with an average of 12 but this can vary between tours. Usually travelers of the same sex will share a twin room, but there is also the option to pay a little extra and get a private room. Accommodation can vary depending on the tour and location.
Botswana Gap Year
Botswana is a very peaceful country to visit which is most famous for its exotic wildlife and spectacular locations like the Moremi Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta. On a gap year which can be arranged through Go Volunteer Africa you can expect to see stunning landscapes and get close to wild animals like elephants.
Botswana is a landlocked country which is very peaceful and best known for its diverse wildlife and spectacular scenery. At Go Volunteer Africa we offer exciting gap year programs in Botswana for all nationalities, whether you are a student, graduate, planning a career break or would just like to do something like improving communities or helping animals. You might want to explore this fascinating country and make a difference to some really worthwhile local efforts.
Expect sunshine almost all year and a country full of natural beauty, one of the main highlights of the country is the Okavango Delta which is spectacular. Here you can jump on a canoe and get out to see the scenery and wildlife. This country has a tiny population of around 2 million people but you will be surprised to learn there is a lot you can do on a gap year here.
Volunteering Botswana Programs
If you are looking to volunteer in Africa we can’t recommend Botswana highly enough, there are different projects where you can do volunteering and also experience the culture of the country. Various special programs are available and it’s not every day that you get to live and help in a country that is awash with exotic wildlife and natural beauty.
Many of the volunteers that participate are forever changed by their experiences there – not only because they are taking part in inspiring community projects that help people less – fortunate than themselves, but because they are able to soak up the lifestyle, culture and environment that they are in.
A lot of projects are operated in the capital Gaborone and the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and allow you to give back and really make a difference. So no matter what your experience in the past and what you want to do in the future there is always an excuse to get out to sunny Botswana and take part in a life changing experience.
Conservation & Animal Volunteer Projects in Botswana
Apply to join projects where you can help wildlife and the environment. Working with animals like elephants and leopards and keeping them safe from poachers is a magical experience. You can partake in hands-on conservation in the African wilderness.
Days are spent out in vehicles or on foot tracking and monitoring the area’s amazing wildlife, and evenings in true bush style, by a camp fire under the star-lit sky in a wonderful, rustic river-side camp.
These projects offer a truly rustic African experience. Based in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, bordering the great Limpopo River in the eastern part of Botswana, and home to more than 1800 elephants, the isolated location and sheer size of the area means little is known about the wildlife within.
You will get the opportunity to study wild animals in this wilderness environment including eland, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, impala as well as the predator population of lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog and spotted and brown hyena and to collate scientific data to be used in other research projects in Africa and beyond.
Expect a really hands-on experience, during this experience you will be given practical instruction in wildlife tracking, animal behavior, bird and plant identification and astronomy and will spend their days out in vehicles or foot tracking and monitoring the amazing African wildlife in this area.
Projects are also actively involved with local schools and operates week camps for the local children, helping them to develop an interest in conserving these fragile ecosystems in the future.
Community Volunteering Projects in Botswana
Botswana has a lot of people infected with HIV and Aids, many children have been left without parents and orphanages are run to house the young population. Children often live in really harsh conditions and you can do a bit to help if building projects don’t interest you.
Many orphanages and community development initiatives in Botswana are really understaffed and could do with skilled and un-skilled volunteers to help with daily activities and teaching programs. You could work with children in a small rural town like Maun where you will be able to certainly see and experience more than just your average holiday experience.
There are various volunteering Botswana teaching placements to apply for, education standards in this destination are not high and you could work with local teachers improving children’s English or helping with fun games. Every project is different but if you are working on a wildlife or community program this is what to expect:
- Volunteers usually wake and meet at around 8am
- From 8.30 hrs. volunteers do a bush walk
- At 9.00 hrs. you have breakfast.
- Teaching lessons start from 9.30 hrs. till 12.00 hrs.
- Then you have lunch and everyone is off till 2 o’clock.
- At 2.00 hrs. the lessons start again and will go on until 4.30 hrs.
- At 4.30 hrs. volunteers feed animals again
- Dinner is around 7 o’clock at night.
All volunteers usually work 5 days a week, from 7-8h in the morning until dinner time with a break at lunch time, when you will be able to enjoy the swimming pool. You will have time off on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday and will be able to take this opportunity to visit the surroundings.
Accommodation while volunteering in Botswana
On wildlife and conservation projects dedicated volunteer camps are set up by the riverbed consists of rustic huts (shared, single-sex) with communal outdoor bathrooms and a central kitchen/dining area. There is usually a separate braai (barbecue) area to make a fire each evening. Power, lighting and hot water is available.
Camp are generally unfenced and in the heart of the wilderness so different wildlife visits the camp on a regular basis. It may also be possible to spend time at a tented safari camp (also unfenced) at the floodplain of the Limpopo River. All tents have two single beds, fans and both electric and hurricane lamps. On community projects you will usually stay with other participants in shared housing.
Requirements
To be eligible most volunteering Botswana projects will require you to be aged 18 and over but there are special summer taster 2-week volunteer trips available for teenagers aged 16 and 17. You will need to be able to speak basic English to communicate with local staff and also be outgoing, adaptable and be able to fit into a new schedule. Only medical placements working directly with people will require you to have specific skills / experience.
HOW TO APPLY
To start the process fill Volunteer application form and submit it for consideration and book your placement. For more information on how to get enrolled for the volunteering experience of a lifetime contact us. Or Give us a call | WhatsApp | Telegram | Viber | Imo at +254-796-786292 to talk to a Program Specialist.
