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Voykit pocket guide · Botswana
Maun
Maun is a one-night gateway: cash, supplies and a shower on arrival; the river at sunset if you have light; then fly to the Delta with a soft bag inside the weight limit.
Maun is a small, flat, spread-out town on the Thamalakane river, and its work is to send visitors to camps. The trips that go wrong are the ones with a hard suitcase over the weight limit, a connecting flight that does not meet the camp transfer, or a walk on the riverbank at dusk. Four small areas cover a stay of one to three nights; the Delta camps are reached by light aircraft.
- Country
- Botswana
- Best months
- Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
- Time zone
- Africa/Gaborone
- Stay
- 1 days: Main Mall errands, museum, river at sunset
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BWP
- Money
- Cards work in the Main Mall supermarkets, at lodges and in most restaurants; cash (BWP, or South African rand at some shops) for taxis, craft sellers, stalls and tips. Camps are normally paid before you fly.
- Daily spend
- Budget BWP 300–600 excl. bed · Mid BWP 600–1,500 excl. bed · High BWP 1,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Mascom, Orange and beMobile sell SIMs at branded shops and in the Main Mall; bring your passport. Coverage is good in town and thin or absent in the Delta.
- Emergency
- Police 999 (check) · Ambulance 997 (check) · Fire 998 (check)
- Plugs
- 230 V, 50 Hz; sockets are type D (three round pins) and type G (three flat pins). Bring an adapter and a power bank for camps.
- Tipping
- About 10% in restaurants if service is not added; small notes for a taxi driver or a porter. Camps and mokoro guides usually have a tipping guide in the welcome pack: follow it and tip in cash.
- Water
- Drink bottled or filtered water. Camps and lodges give a filtered refill.
- Toilets
- Cafés, lodges and the Main Mall; carry tissues. Public toilets are rare.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café or lodge) | BWP 30–60 |
| Pap and stew plate | BWP 45–90 |
| Beer (St Louis or Castle), bar or lodge | BWP 25–50 |
| Short taxi ride | BWP 40–100 |
| Airport car to town | BWP 80–150 |
| Tourist SIM, about a week | BWP 60–200 |
| Museum entry | BWP 30–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Maun Airport (MUB)
- MUB to town: one pre-booked lodge transfer or a taxi, 10–35 minutes on flat roads — the risk is not the ride but a soft-bag weight limit on your camp flight.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Maun bus rank (Maun bus station) | Coach and minibus services to Nata, Gaborone (via Francistown), Ghanzi and villages (check) | Car 5–10 min |
| Long-distance coach operators | Gaborone and Francistown routes (check) | Already there |
| Lodge or operator pick-ups | Airport, camp airstrips and Delta-edge stations | Already there |
Typical fares
- Airport to a town lodge, taxi or lodge car
- BWP 80–150, 10–20 min
- Short taxi ride in town
- BWP 40–100
- Town to the riverside lodges
- BWP 60–120, 10–15 min
Get around
Maun is spread out and lightly served. Use a lodge car or a known taxi between areas, walk only within a cluster in daylight, and hire a car with a driver for anything outside town.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the Main Mall area by day |
| Taxi (local cabs) | BWP 40–100 in town | Between clusters, the airport and lodges |
| Lodge or operator car | Included or BWP 60–150 | Airport transfers, camp pick-ups |
| Minibus taxi (combi) | BWP 5–15 | Local routes if you know them |
| Rented 4x4 (self-drive) | BWP 1,400–2,600 a day (check) | Moremi, the Delta edge, Nata and Chobe |
| Light aircraft | Included in camp packages; charter extra (check) | Camps and scenic flights |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the fare before you get in a taxi; short rides in town are cheap.
- Late at night
- No fixed late-night limit; taxi supply drops after dark, so book a lodge car for a late arrival.
See and do
01Scenic flight over the Delta
The one thing that explains the Delta in an hour: channels, islands, elephants and hippo pools from the air.
Hours: best Morning or late afternoon · Price: BWP 2,500–4,500 (check) · Time: 45–60 min plus check-in · -19.9726, 23.4311
02Main Mall errandsMaun Main Mall
Cash, supplies, repellent and a SIM before you leave the grid.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45–90 min · -19.9860, 23.4190
03River sunset at the old bridgeThamalakane River and the old bridge
A calm end to a travel day with birds and warm light.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 45–60 min · -19.9925, 23.4081
04Birding on the Thamalakane
Kingfishers, herons and fish eagles within minutes of town.
Hours: best Dawn to 09:30 · Price: Free to BWP 200 · Time: 1–2 hHours: best Dawn to 9:30 AM · Price: Free to BWP 200 · Time: 1–2 h · -19.9945, 23.4100
05Nhabe Museum
A short, indoor introduction to the people and wildlife of the Okavango.
Hours: best Midday · Price: BWP 30–80 · Time: 45–60 min · -19.9805, 23.4110
06Craft shops and baskets
Woven baskets and beadwork are the best local souvenirs.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free to browse · Time: 30–45 min · -19.9790, 23.4275
07Riverside braai dinnerRiverside braai
A relaxed grilled dinner on the river before an early flight.
Hours: best 17:30–19:30 · Price: BWP 150–300 · Time: 1.5 hHours: best 5:30 PM–7:30 PM · Price: BWP 150–300 · Time: 1.5 h · -19.9945, 23.4100
08Seswaa and pap lunchSeswaa le phaleche
The national comfort food, eaten where locals eat it.
Hours: best 12:00–13:30 · Price: BWP 45–90 · Time: 45 minHours: best 12:00 PM–1:30 PM · Price: BWP 45–90 · Time: 45 min · -19.9805, 23.4110
09A mokoro trip at a Delta-edge station
The quiet, close-up way to see the reeds and lilies.
Hours: best Morning · Price: BWP 700–1,500 (check) · Time: Half day
10Moremi day or overnight
The best-known game reserve in the Delta, reached by 4x4 or aircraft.
Hours: best Jun–Oct · Price: Operator price, ask your lodge · Time: Full day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Okavango Delta mokoro trip from a Delta-edge station | Road transfer about 1.5–2.5 h each way, then a mokoro (check operator) | Full day or 2–3 nights |
| Moremi Game Reserve (South Gate) | 4x4 about 2–3 h each way on sand tracks, or a light aircraft | Full day or overnight |
| Makgadikgadi Pans and Nxai Pan | Road via Nata, about 3–4 h to Nata, or a light aircraft | 2–3 nights |
| Chobe National Park and Kasane | Long road via Nata, or a flight | 2–3 nights |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magwinya and tea, morning stall | Magwinya and tea · Main Mall | BWP 10–30 | Budget |
| Seswaa and pap lunch, local canteen | Seswaa with pap and greens · Old Maun and the town centre | BWP 45–90 | Budget |
| Supermarket deli and picnic packs | Deli plate or picnic pack · Main Mall | BWP 30–90 | Budget |
| Riverside braai restaurant | Grill and sides on the river · Riverfront | BWP 150–300 | Mid-range |
| Coffee shop on the airport road | Coffee, toasties and cake · Airport road | BWP 60–130 | Mid-range |
| Lodge dinner on the river | Three-course dinner with wine · Riverside lodges | BWP 300–550 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | BWP 350–800 | Town centre, campsites and backpackers | Guesthouses, campsites and backpacker lodges |
| mid | BWP 1,000–2,500 | Town centre and riverside | River lodges and hotels |
| splurge | BWP 3,000+ | Upmarket riverside lodges and fly-in camps | Luxury lodges and camps |
Per room per night in BWP, 2026 estimate; camps and remote lodges are often priced in US dollars and include meals.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello (to a man) | Dumela, rradoo-meh-la rah |
| Hello (to a woman) | Dumela, mmadoo-meh-la mah |
| How are you? | O tlhotse jang?o tlo-tseh jang |
| Thank you | Ke a lebogakeh ah leh-bo-ga |
| How much is it? | Ke bokae?keh bo-kai |
| Fine, OK | Go siameho see-ah-meh |
| Go well (to the one leaving) | Tsamaya sentletsa-ma-ya sen-tleh |
| Stay well (to the one staying) | Sala sentlesa-la sen-tleh |
| Water, please | Ke kopa metsikeh ko-pa met-see |
| Rain (also the name of the currency) | Pulapoo-la |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say dumela and ask how someone is before any question or request; skipping the greeting reads as rude.
- Right hand: Give and receive with the right hand, or both hands, and a slight nod.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; never photograph the president's convoy, police, soldiers or government buildings.
- Wildlife: Keep your distance, do not feed animals, and follow your guide's instructions exactly.
- Dress: Modest in town and villages (shoulders and knees); casual bush clothes at camps.
- Tipping: Follow the camp's guidance and tip in cash at the end of your stay.
- Bargaining: A friendly counter-offer at craft stalls; not in shops with prices.
Red lines
- Do not approach wildlife, and never feed animals.
- Ask before photographing people.
- Follow your guide's and camp's rules about walking after dark.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed 'operators' at the airport or on the street who sell Delta trips: book through a registered operator or your lodge, and get the inclusions and cancellation terms in writing.
- Taxis quoting a fare after you are moving: agree the price before you get in, and carry small notes.
- Requests to pay a camp or operator in full by transfer to a personal account: pay to a business account named on the operator's website, and check it by phone.
- Roadside offers of a 'shortcut' or a paid guide at a wildlife area: entry fees are paid at the gate, not to a person on the road.
- Curio sellers who quote a high first price to a foreigner: counter politely; walk away if the price does not move.
One and two days
1 day
A transit day before a camp flight. Skip: Moremi and the Delta trips: they need their own day.
- 08:308:30 AMCash and supplies at the Main Mall
- 10:3010:30 AMCoffee or magwinya, then rest
- 12:3012:30 PMSeswaa and pap lunch
- 16:304:30 PMRiver at the old bridge
- 18:006:00 PMBraai dinner on the river, then a car back
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Botswana Tourism Organisation: botswanatourism.co.bw/
- Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana: www.caab.co.bw/
- UK FCDO travel advice — Botswana: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana
- Wikivoyage — Maun: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maun
- UNESCO — Okavango Delta: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1432/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Maun
Ke kopa o mpitse kwa lodge eno
Please take me to this lodge
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Maun Main MallMain Mall and grocery stops
- Thamalakane River and the old bridgeThamalakane river and the old bridge
- Riverside braaiRiverside braai restaurant
- Seswaa le phalecheSeswaa and pap lunch, local canteen
- Police999 (check)
- Ambulance997 (check)
- Fire998 (check)
Embassies are in Gaborone; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Give the driver the lodge name and a landmark, not just a street.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/maun). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.