Maun In Botswana Is The Gateway To The Okavango Delta - Must See
By Gerald Crawford
Maun is Botswana's tourist capital. It is a busy center in the country and a real travel hub with daily flights from Gaborone, Victoria Falls, South Africa and Namibia.
The Delta is the main attraction in the region. Within few hours of travel from Maun, travellers can find themselves in the Okavango, Moremi Game Reserve and the Chobe-Zambezi Area.
The best time to go is during the winter months from May to October when there is little or no rainfall and the days are warm and cloudless. Nights can be cold though so take a jacket. November to April can be very hot, with most of the rainfall between December and February.
Maun has developed rapidly from its early days as a rural frontier town and has spread along the wide Thamalakane River. It now boasts shopping centres and 4-wheel drive vehicle hire. However, it retains a rural atmosphere and local tribesmen still bring their cattle here to sell. You will see antelopes grazing the river banks.
Maun, situated at the gateway to the Delta. Maun is the administrative centre of Ngamiland. It is also the headquarters of countless safari and air-charter operations whose signs and offices dot almost every intersection.
Since the town's establishment in 1915 as the tribal capital of the Batawana people, Maun has had a rough and ready reputation as a hard-living 'Wild West' town servicing the local cattle ranching and hunting operations. But with the growth of the tourism industry and the completion of the tar road from Nata in the early 1990's, Maun has developed rapidly, losing much of its old frontier town character. It is now home to over +- 30000 people.
Regular supplies of almost everything can be bought in Maun, and the town boasts several good shopping centres, filling stations, a choice of hotels and lodges. The Maun Airport, which was officially opened in 1996 after extensive renovations, is - if one counts the light aircraft charters to the various Delta camps - one of the busiest airports in Southern Africa.
The name Maun is derived from the San word "maung", which means "the place of short reeds". The village began in 1915 as the capital for the Tawana people. The capital was moved from Toteng after glorious victory over Ndebele King Lobengula.
Gerald
About the Author
Gerald Crawford was born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: southafricantravelarticles@12234455.co.za Website Address: http://www.12234455.co.za