Overview
Take a trip to Maun on your Botswana Vacation
Located on the southern fringes of the Okavango Delta is Maun, Botswana’s fifth largest town. The tourism capital of the country, Maun is also the administrative centre for northern and western parts of the country and a gateway for Botswana safaris.
Still officially a village, Maun was once a rough outpost for hunters and poachers. Founded in 1915, it was named the tribal capital of the Batawana People. Maun developed quickly, expanding along the Thamalakane River. When a major road in from Nata was tarred in the early 1990s, the easier access into the village, coupled with its close proximity to the Okavango Delta helped to showcase Maun as the gateway to northern Botswana.
Maun comes under the Ngamiland District and is home to six tribes: the Hambukushu, the Basubiya, the Bayei, the Banoka, the Bakgalagadi and the Baherero. Most often viewed as a transit point for journeys to and from the Delta on Botswana travel, the historical and cultural elements of local tribes are often overlooked and visits to traditional villages are encouraged. Maun is a very interesting place because it maintains parts of its rustic frontier town past (it is not uncommon to see donkeys and goats wandering through town) while welcoming modernity in the form of shopping centres, hotels and offices.
At a Glance
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Botswana Pula (BWP)What do the experts say?
Some travellers believe that Botswana is the most expensive destination in Africa. But there are many ways to travel in Botswana to lower the price point. You just have to know the right camps and lodges
The country is one of the only countries in Southern Africa that offers traditional road safaris, walking safaris, water (motorboat, canoe, and traditional mokoro) safaris
May - September is considered the prime time for game viewing, particularly in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park. Animals are easier to spot as they gather around water sources, and the vegetation is less dense
The old bridge over Thamalakane River near Maun...
Hippo standing in the river, Botswana
Exploring the Okavanaga by boat is always a hig...
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