“A weekend in the country” takes on an all-new meaning when it’s a foreign country and only a few hours away by road or a short hop by air from Johannesburg. 

Botswana is one of Africa’s prime attractions with its unique Okavango delta and the potential to see Africa’s big game in one of the highest concentrations on the continent.  But it has another side, a relaxed, warm and unhurried hospitality that has nothing to do with its vast sandy plains and teeming waterways.

For golfers, golf courses in Gaborone include the Phakalane Golf Estate, with its internationally recognised course designed to PGA specifications and has been included in the Sunshine Tour and has a magnificent lakeside clubhouse overlooking the hills of Gaborone. 

There is also the Gaborone Yacht Club for windsurfing, fishing and picnicking.  For those who want a taste of the wild without the major trek into the hinterland, there is the famous Mokolodi Nature Reserve.  Only 10 km from the city, restocking has resulted in herds of mountain reedbuck, white rhino, red hartebeest, sable and gemsbok to join the indigenous kudu, impala, hyena, leopard and waterbuck.  The reserve has unique African experiences, including the elephant game walk, in which visitors accompany the giant and gentle pachyderms on a walkabout in the bush, getting unusually close to other species.  Tracking the rare white rhino is another first for Mokolodi.  To the south of the park are the lion park and crocodile pools on a comprehensive network of 4X4 trails.

The 600 hectare Gaborone Game reserve is another hugely popular site for game viewing, while the stilling ponds at Phakalane are home to a myriad bird species.  Then there are craft markets, a museum, the St Clair Lion Park and the botanical gardens.

For retail therapy, there is no lack of top-notch stores in two major shopping malls, which have sprung up in Gaborone in only one year.