We left Kruger National Park early one morning, right after a morning safari drive. From there, we took the Panorama Route towards Polokwane (around a 3-hour drive), stayed the night, and crossed the border into Botswana the following day.
Panaroma Route
The Panorama Route is named for the way the scenery opens up in every direction, with dramatic views, cliffs, and waterfalls along the drive. There are many possible stops along this route — these are the ones we chose:
- Wonderview (free entry)
- Lisbon Falls ($7)
- Bourke’s Luck Potholes ($32)
- Three Rondavels Viewpoint – our favourite! ($21)
Border Crossing
Crossing the border from South Africa into Botswana was fairly straightforward. This crossing is a major route for trucks transporting cargo between the two countries, so while there was a long line of trucks waiting, cars are allowed to bypass them and go straight to the front.
Before crossing, we needed cross-border documentation from our car rental company (Pace Car Rentals). This cost 3000 Rand (~$280) per country to cross into Botswana and Namibia, so 6000 Rand total.
The Botswana border crossing does not allow any raw meat, dairy, fruits or vegetables to be carried in, so we ensured we had none of that.
We needed the following documents:
- Passports
- Rental car documents
- Kids birth certificates
- ZA sticker on the car (we bought it at one of the shops near the border)
While crossing no-man’s land, we also went through a biosecurity checkpoint where we stepped on disinfectant foam and drove the car through a shallow disinfectant puddle. Botswana has a large cattle industry, and these measures help protect it.
On the Botswana side, we had a quick health check (a simple temperature scan), followed by passport stamping, which was very easy. As Australians, we didn’t need to pay any visa fees. We did, however, pay $98 for the car to cross the border.
The Botswana side of the border was quite sparse, with barely any shops and no ATMs. From there, we drove around 4 hours toward Francistown, stopping in a town along the way to refuel.
Francistown
We arrived at our accommodation in Francistown in the afternoon.
Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana, but it felt more like a town. While walking around the shops, we were surprised to see many Muslims (mostly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin) working in mobile phone shops, as well as some families. Seeing how Muslims have migrated and built communities across the world was both interesting and comforting.
Halal food is available in Francistown, and we had dinner at Tasty Gallos, which serves Portuguese-style chicken.
Nata
The drive from Francistown to Kasane takes around 7 hours. Along the way is Nata, the gateway to the famous Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the largest salt flats in Africa.
We visited the Nata Bird Sanctuary and drove onto the pans, where we saw ostriches, zebras, and wildebeest. It was extremely hot while we were there, so we didn’t stay for very long. Even so, the vast, open landscape was striking, and taking photos on the salt flats was still worth it!
