Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise increased cautionExercise a high degree of caution
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Gaborone & Southeastern Botswana
Exercise normal precautionsSafe capital and peri-urban areas with good infrastructure, policing, and modern services. Petty theft exists but violent crime is uncommon. Standard travel precautions apply.
Common scams: Accommodation overpricing in peak season, inflated safari tour costs for tourists, informal money changers
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Okavango Delta & Northern Reserves
Exercise normal precautionsPristine wildlife areas with restricted access, professional lodge operators, and ranger safety protocols. No security concerns; main risks are wildlife encounters (managed via guides) and remote area self-sufficiency.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Central Kalahari & Makgadikgadi Pans
Exercise normal precautionsRemote, sparsely populated regions. Self-drive requires high self-sufficiency (water, fuel, supplies). No crime; main risks are vehicle breakdown and heat exposure.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Botswana Police Service
police
999 reaches the police, per the UK Foreign Office. Note that ambulance and fire have their own separate numbers here rather than sharing this one.
SourceAmbulance
ambulance
997 is the ambulance line per the UK Foreign Office. Botswana runs three distinct numbers, so dialling 999 for a medical emergency reaches the police rather than an ambulance.
SourceSir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital
hospital · Gaborone
The main public teaching hospital in Gaborone, listed on the UK Foreign Office's own register of medical facilities in Botswana. The Foreign Office notes that it does not endorse any facility on that list.
SourceLife Gaborone Private Hospital
hospital · Gaborone
A private hospital in Gaborone on the same Foreign Office register, and the usual choice for visitors carrying travel insurance. Private care is paid up front, so expect to settle or show cover before treatment.
Source