Gaborone City Guide

Comprehensive Travel Guide to Gaborone – Botswana, Featuring Up-To-Date Information on Hotels or Accommodation, Where to Eat From, Nightlife, Getting Around, Attractions in Gaborone, Weather, and Much More
Gaborone is the capital and biggest city of Botswana. It is nestled on the foot hills of Kgale and Oodi Hills, along River Notwane in the south east of the country. The city is multi-functional performing numerous roles; administrative functions and seat of Government; it is a residential city, it is an educational centre with several lower and high institutions of learning found here; and it is a cultural centre with the National Museum and Art Gallery also found in the city center.

Gaborone city is home to 191,776 residents (2006 est. statistics). Locally referred to as Gabs, it is a relatively small but exciting city that is served by the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. All international Flights to Botswana touch down at this airport.

This young city in Southern Africa has of late become a seat of power for one of Africa’s most successful economies, Botswana. The city has numerous busy shopping malls where you may go to buy full range of imported and locally produced goods. Go to The Main Mall, or national Assembly, Kgale Hill or St. Claire Lion Park. The city is also the place that hosts the annual Botswana International Trade Fair. Again if you have taken cheap flights to Gaborone and are looking for some entertainment you may to sports clubs and various night clubs scattered around the city.
Eating-Out / Restaurants
Gaborone has a range of excellent restaurants, and cafes where you may go for eating out or for having a cup of tea or coffee there. Visitors should expect finding some world-class international quality hotels for accommodation. These hotels are located near many shopping centres and industrial complexes. There are also some areas that boast some low-cost housing, and blocks of flats for accommodation. Some of the top-class hotels / accommodations in Gaborone include Metcourt Inn at the Grand Palm, Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel, Mondior Summit Hotel, Gaborone Sun Hotel, Cresta President Hotel, Kgale View Lodge, Planet Lodge and Cresta Lodge Gaborone.

CITY ATTRACTIONS

• The National Museum and Art Gallery – The dazzling National Museum is located in the city centre and houses essential collections of traditional art pieces, paintings by local and sculpture works by prominent artists. It also serves to preserve Botswana’s natural and cultural heritage.
• Gaborone Game Reserve – The Gaborone Game Reserve is spread more than 600-hectare and boasts diverse topography and rich flora and fauna. Established in 1988, Gaborone game reserve lies in the west of the city on LimpopoDrive and of late has become the third-busiest park in Botswana. It attracts a large number of tourists and wildlife enthusiasts on Botswana safaris because of its significant wildlife variety including impala, kudu, wildebeests, bushbuck, warthogs, springbok, zebras, gemsbok, duiker and widespread Eland. The Park is also a thrilling birding destination. Several Birds in the marshy section of the park include snake eagles, gallinule, kingfishers and hornbills.
  

  Gaborone Game Reserve

GABORONE WEATHER – Best Time to travel
Gaborone city experiences a hot semi-arid climate. For most of the year, the city is hot and dry. Summers can be blisteringly hot. The nights are cool. Usually, the summers with little rainfall are warmer than summers with regular rainfall. Drought is usually experienced in January when it is hottest. Before the rains starts usually in October, temperatures are equally high not good for open travel. During the winter season, days are still warm but the nights become cold. There is on average one day per year with temperatures below 0 °C.  Most of the rainfall in Gaborone falls during the summer months form October to April.

The best time to travel to Gaborone is in the spring or autumn which comes between late September / early October and late March / early April.

Caution!
Botswana travelers to Gaborone are urged to be cautious during there stay in the city. Repeatedly are the increasing incidences of crime to visitors, particularly armed robbery and rape in Gaborone and other towns. Avoid driving late night. Botswana wildlife and some bad sections of the roads are not good for driving on car lights especially for visitors.