People of Botswana

Identification. 

Formerly Bechuanaland Protectorate under the British, Botswana became independent in 1966. Bot swana means "place of Tswana" in the dominant national language, and the citizenry are called Bat swana, or Tswana people. The term Batswana, however, bears a double meaning. In government rhetoric, it refers to all citizens of Botswana. But the word also refers to ethnically "Tswana" people, as distinct from the other ethnic groups present in the country. This double meaning allows for both the expression of strong civic national sentiments and debate about the dominance of Tswana people and ideology over the broader population.

 

Location and Geography.

Botswana is a landlocked and arid country. Bordering on South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Zambia, it is 224,607 square miles (581,730 square kilometers) in area, about the same size as France. Two-thirds of the country is comprised of the Kalahari Desert, which is covered with grasses and scrub but has scarce surface water. Mean annual rainfall ranges from under 10 inches (250 millimeters) per annum in the southwest to over 25 inches (635 millimeters) in the northeast. The entire country is prone to extended droughts, causing significant hardship to agriculturalists, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherers. The Okavango Delta, in the north, is a large inland delta, and people there fish and farm on its flooded banks; tourists are drawn to the large numbers of wildlife that congregate in the area. The eastern third of the country, with more rainfall and fertile soils, is home to most of the population. Prior to independence, the British administered the Protectorate from Mafiking in South Africa. The capital city today, Gaborone, was built on a village site in the southeastern corner of the country at independence, near the borders of several of the Tswana polities that dominated the country.

Linguistic Affiliation. Bantu, Khoisan, and Indo-European languages are spoken in Botswana. English is the official language and Setswana the national language. This means that the language of government and higher education is primarily English, but that Setswana is the dominant language spoken in the country. Ninety percent of the population is said to speak Setswana. The term Setswana refers both to Tswana language, and to Tswana practices/culture, and there has been increasing resistance.

Symbolism. "Pula," the Setswana word for rain, is featured on the coat of arms, and is called out frequently at public gatherings as a salute and cry of approbation. It is also the term for the national currency. The national anthem is "Lefatshe la Rona," ("Our Country"), and its title captures the strong attachment most Batswana feel to the land and its resources, as well as some antiforeign sentiments. Cattle were tremendously important not just to a material economy but also to the symbolic economy of status, family, and social relations in the past, and cattle remain powerfully evocative to most Batswana today.

Knysna Hollow Country Estate!

Re-Opens October 2018

Knysna Hollow Country Estate will re-open in October 2018 as a brand-new, exclusive 4-star country hotel. Set in the heart of the Garden Route in a lush 3-acre garden environment, Knysna Hollow has been completely re-invented as an upmarket, full-service hotel on the outskirts of Knysna. The property will feature 45 luxurious Garden Suites, situated in the indigenous gardens around two sparkling swimming pools. All rooms will be decorated in a clean, contemporary style with private garden-facing verandahs and will offer all modern in-room amenities including air-conditioning, satellite television, Nespresso coffee stations, king-size beds and free wireless internet.

The modern Cape-country style Manor House will be the focal point of the new property and has been purposely designed to offer a contemporary, relaxed space where hotel guests can meet and enjoy genuine hospitality and cuisine. A sleek new reception and guest hospitality area will welcome guests upon check-in, while the open-plan destination restaurant will offer all-day dining with seasonal, locally-sourced dishes for which Knysna Hollow has always been renowned. The bar-lounge area will feature a unique glass wine cellar and a library with internet work stations on a mezzanine level. All restaurant and bar areas will open out onto outside verandahs with views of the gardens for outdoor dining and sundowners in the warm summer months.

Knysna Hollow will also re-open with two modern function facilities catering for conferences, weddings, meetings and events.

The Famous Kruger National Park...

The Park Itself

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 square kilometres in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 kilometres from north to south and 65 kilometres from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.

To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The park has nine main gates allowing entrance to the different camps.

Accommodation

The Park consist of Main Camps, Bushveld Camps, Overnight Hides and Bush Lodges.

Animals

This is only a small hint of what there is, there are so much more to experience and to see!

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park - Botswana

Meno A Kwena Tented Camp

Camp Kalahari 

Jack's Camp 

The not-to-be-missed Namaqualand flowers!

Seeing the flowers!!

Visitors can enjoy self-catering accommodation at the Skilpad Rest Camp or enjoy various camping options along the coast. The main entrance, reception, administrative offices and prime accommodation are all at Skilpad. During the flower season, in spring, they host a temporary luxury camp at the coast that is run by a private operator.

Part of the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome, Namaqualand is home to the richest bulb flora of any arid region in the world and more than 1 000 of its estimated 3 500 plant species are found nowhere else on earth. When compared to regions with similar semi-arid environments, the richness of this biome is exceptional.

During early August and September, seemingly overnight, the dusty valleys of Namaqualand are transformed in to a wonderland, carpeted with wildflowers that draw visitors from around the country and from abroad. 

The Breath Taking Augrabies Falls!

Augrabies Falls National Park is a national park located around the Augrabies Falls, about 120 km west of Upington in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It was established in 1966.

The Park covers an area of 820 km² and stretches along the Orange River. The area is very arid. The waterfall is about 60 metres high and is awe-inspiring when the river is in flood. The gorge below the falls averages about 240 m deep and runs for 18 kilometres. The gorge provides an impressive example of erosion into a granitic basement.

At the Augrabies National Park there is camping, chalets and family cottages availabl... and activities!

The Klipspringer Hiking Trail consists of three days of hiking. The first day is 14.4km long; the second day, 9.9km and the third and last day 11.5km. Even though the first day is the longest, the second day is probably the most difficult regarding the heat, while the third day is the least demanding. As the hike is quite demanding, it is necessary to plan for quit a rigorous trip.

The Dassie Trail is approximately 5km in length and does require a certain level

of fitness as it includes climbing over slippery rocks. 

 

 

Tragedy in Knysna!

Fires Was Contained Luckily..

Knysna Hollow Country Estate

The  Knysna Hollow was completely destroyed in the fire and will not be in operation in the foreseeable future.

The Knysna Hollow Country Estate is closed down completely and permanently.

The Spier Hotel

The Spier hotel, in Stellenbosch, Western Cape will be remodelling their restaurant area and wine bar. The remodel is set to take place from July-September.

The restaurant and wine bar of the hotel will be temporarily unavailable to guests during this time. All other guest areas will remain available, and disruption will be kept to a minimum.

Tau Game Lodge 

The Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, North West, was affected by fire.

The main lodge burned down, however rooms have not been affected. The lodge is not operational, as the kitchen and reception area have been affected.

Coral Tree Cottages

These cottages were not affected by the fires in the region and are open for business!!

The Plettenberg Park Hotel & Spa

Hotel and Spa did not survive the Garden Route fires.

The hotel was situated in a private nature reserve, on Robberg Road, Plettenberg, Western Cape.

Note-worthy visitors who visited the hotel include Nelson Mandela and Richard Branson.