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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
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.