How safe is Botswana for travelers?

The two advisories, and they differ

• The FCDO advises against travel to no part of Botswana. There is no British warning against any region of the country.
• Global Affairs Canada advises Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in Botswana, because of crime. That is a step above its baseline and it is worth knowing the two governments read the same country differently.
• Neither reflects a terrorism problem. The FCDO notes no recent history of terrorism in Botswana.

Crime, in the places you will actually be

• Violent crime is increasing in Gaborone, Francistown and Maun, and there have been armed hold-ups of restaurants at peak hours.
• Criminals target cars stopped at traffic lights. Keep the doors locked and the windows up, keep bags, phones and laptops out of sight, and do not leave luggage visible in the vehicle.
• Lodges in the Chobe area have had room break-ins and thefts, particularly the river-fronting ones. Lock the room, use the safe, and say something to the operator if the accommodation does not look secure.
• Botswana has a high number of sexual assaults. Foreign visitors are not usually targeted, but avoid walking alone after dark.
• Carry identification. A copy of the passport photo page is normally enough as long as you can produce the original when asked.

The drone: assume the answer is no

• A drone must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana, and the operator has to be a citizen or a resident. As a visitor you do not qualify.
• Registration also requires a fingerprint report from the Botswana Police, security vetting by the DIS, and the aircraft presented for inspection at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. The private fee is P1,050.
• Flying without the certificate carries a penalty of up to P5,000 and confiscation of the drone, rising to P50,000 and two years if it is used in the commission of an offence. Night flying is prohibited outright.
• Leave it at home. This is one of the few rules here with a published fine attached.

Cameras and what you point them at

• Photographing or filming near military and government installations is illegal.
• Ask before photographing people. That is the tourism board's instruction as much as the FCDO's.

Wildlife is not fenced away from you

• Wildlife areas are often unfenced and warning signs are few. Dangerous animals roam the open highways, inside reserves and outside them, and they behave unpredictably.
• A national park will not necessarily provide a guide. Arrange one from a reputable operator before you arrive at the gate, and only leave the vehicle when a guide or warden says it is safe.
• Do not bathe in rivers or lakes. Attack and water-borne disease, in that order.
• In remote areas, arrange transport and accommodation in advance, carry water and fuel, and travel in convoy or with a satellite phone.

Buying anything made from an animal

• It is illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture a protected wild animal or to trade its parts. Trophies, horns, tusks and bones need a government permit or a receipt from a licensed shop, and sentences on conviction are severe.

On the road

• Traffic drives on the left. A UK photocard licence is valid for 90 days; a paper licence needs the 1949 international driving permit alongside it, and Canada's advice is to carry an IDP as well. Hire companies often demand more than the law does.
• The blood alcohol limit is 0.05 per cent.
• Avoid driving after dark. Stray livestock and wildlife on unlit roads are the single biggest hazard, and speeding and drink-driving cause frequent fatal accidents.
• Report any accident to the police, by phone or at the nearest station.

Weather that closes roads

• The rainy season runs November to March, with heavy rain, flash flooding and roads that become unsafe countrywide.
• Flooding closes border crossings at short notice. Check the revenue service for border status before committing to a crossing on a fixed date.

The law on same-sex relationships

• Same-sex sexual activity is no longer criminal in Botswana. Public attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK, and public displays of affection may attract negative attention.